Shopping used to be my escape whenever I felt overwhelmed. But I realized that I wasn't buying out of need, but rather for a temporary feeling of fulfillment.
"We had two young kids and had to relocate for his career when he was almost laid off. With him as the self-proclaimed breadwinner and me working in government/public service for loan forgiveness, it seemed logical we'd have to go where he could find a high-paying salary, even though neither of us really wanted to move. I stayed back with our kids and sold our house, which needed extensive renovation, while he rented a furnished apartment funded by his new company and played video games for a month..."
