Widows shop for a lot of reasons but mainly they do it to relieve stress and because they are lost.  Shopping can bring you temporary comfort but it can also be a dangerous habit. Lots of people get addicted to shopping because they can’t face their lives and shopping is a way for them to escape from the emptiness they feel.  This addiction can add to their problems as they may over spend and not have the money to pay their bills. “Stuff” will never bring you happiness and the truth is that you are not really shopping because you need any of this “stuff”.  You are simply shopping because it gets you out of the house and brings you comfort. You may just need to rethink how you are spending your time and money.  It may simply be that you need to change to a hobby that will relieve your stress and will be easier on your wallet. But for some widows it may be passed being a habit and is more like an addiction and you have to have it to feel good.  If that’s true then the only cure is to slowly wean yourself off shopping. That’s easier said than done when you are on your own and have to do your own grocery shopping, but stores of any type can tempt you to over spend.  A good habit to get into would be to shop with a list and don’t deviate from it for any reason.  Another habit is to only shop with cash and leave your credit and debit cards at home. I am not an expert on addictions but if you are truly a shopping addict please get some professional help.  Shopping can seem harmless but like eating or drinking, it’s only harmless if you are in control.