You tell us: How do you curb shopping cravings?

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BCBGMaxAzria ... Bluefly ... Hayden-Harnett ... Urban Outfitters ... it seems all of my beloveds have teamed up in a double-dog-dare electric-sales-alert throw-down to make me spend my paycheck on their after-holiday sales. I calculated and -- if I give in -- it could cost me around $100 a day just to check my e-mail.

You can tell me to just unsubscribe from these alerts, but the thing is that shopping is actually something I crave and something I can truly say I thoroughly enjoy. There have been bad days at work when I hope and pray for the weekend, not because I have some hot party planned but because then I’ll have a chance to troll the Grove.

But this isn’t just me. My instant messenger flashes with cries from friends across the nation begging for moral support. They all try to avert their eyes when they see that the lovely frock they’ve been coveting since October is now 45% cheaper.

So we come to you, All the Rage readers, empty wallets in hand. How do you keep your checkbooks in check and curb your spending cravings? Please share in the comments section.

-- Whitney Friedlander