Unnecessary shopping and impulse buying can affect personal budgets and the financial situation of families. While this behavior is part of everyday life for some women, continuing this behavior can make it difficult for families to cover essential living costs.
For this report, Salam Watandar interviewed 24 women aged 17 to 34 in eight provinces of Afghanistan. Of these, 19 said they had bought clothes, cosmetics, home decorations and children’s items without planning ahead and, in some cases, without actually needing them.
Parisa Mohammadi, a 26-year-old teacher in Nuristan, says she sometimes buys things she likes, even when she does not need them.
“Sometimes, I buy clothes, headscarves, purses or other things that I see and like, even though I may not really need them. Most of these purchases are for myself,” she says.
Manizha Rahimi, another 25-year-old teacher from Faryab, says that when she goes to the market, seeing items she likes encourages her to buy them, even when she already owns similar things.
“Sometimes, we buy things we do not really need, mostly clothes, headscarves, bags and personal items. For example, I see something at the market, like it and buy it. But when I get home, I realise that I already have something similar. Usually, when I go to the market and see something I like, I feel tempted to buy it,” she says.
In addition to unplanned shopping and buying things they like, access to money and the timing of receiving income were also among the factors mentioned by the women interviewed. Of the women interviewed, 14 said they were more likely to buy unnecessary items when they went to the market, five when they received their salaries, and another five during special occasions, when invited to events, and at parties.
Nazia, a 27-year-old tailor in Farah, says that going to the market, earning money from tailoring, and the approach of special occasions affect her desire to shop.
“I am more interested in shopping when I go to the market or earn money from tailoring. This is especially true before special occasions or when I am invited to events, as I like to buy new clothes or other items. I pay more attention to appearance, price and my personal preferences. Sometimes, I like something so much that I forget whether I really need it and buy it without thinking much,” she adds.
Yasamin Ahmadi, a 21-year-old woman who owns a cosmetics shop in Daikundi, says she sometimes buys things because of rivalry with others during special occasions.
“During special occasions, such as Eid, weddings and events I am invited to, I sometimes buy nice clothes and costume jewellery, especially when I feel a sense of rivalry with other women. I also consider the price when shopping, but if I like something, I pay more attention to my personal preferences. For example, when I go to the market and see something I like, I buy it even if it is expensive,” she says.
Among the women interviewed, seven said they were unemployed. The findings of this report show that some women spend money allocated for their monthly expenses on items they do not immediately need. As a result, some face a shortage of money for essential living costs.
Rowaida Qaderi, a 26-year-old journalism graduate who is currently unemployed, says that unnecessary shopping sometimes leads her to spend her money early in the month, leaving her short of money towards the end of the month.
“Sometimes, I spend my money within the first 10 days of the month, using part of it for unnecessary purchases. But during the last 15 or 20 days of the month, I have no money left, not even to buy the things I need,” she says.
Similarly, among the women interviewed, 16 said they had faced a shortage of money after making unnecessary purchases and regretted their spending. The other eight said they had little or no regret about these purchases.
Samira Mehryar, a 21-year-old tailor in Kabul, says she has sometimes regretted buying things she did not need.
“I have bought things such as clothes, decorative items and household items even when I did not urgently need them. After buying them, however, I think to myself that I did not really need them. Sometimes, I regret these purchases, especially when I realise that I could have used the money to cover one of my basic needs,” she adds.
In contrast, a number of the women interviewed said they manage their spending by prioritizing basic needs, assessing prices and product quality, and planning their purchases to reduce spending on unnecessary items.
Of the 24 women interviewed, five said they prioritize essential needs before shopping and manage their expenses better by reducing unnecessary purchases.
Madina Ahmadi, a 19-year-old resident of Jalalabad, says she makes very few unnecessary purchases and that they have not significantly affected her family’s financial situation.
“I have my own income and make very few unnecessary purchases. So far, these purchases have not had a significant negative effect on my family’s financial situation. We have also not faced a shortage of money for essential needs at the end of the month because of unnecessary shopping. However, I am now trying to manage my expenses better and prioritize essential needs,” she says.
Meanwhile, psychologists say that factors such as stress, low self-confidence, loneliness and a person’s emotional state can influence individuals to shop unnecessarily. Mohammadullah Baloch, a psychologist, says:
“In some cases, frequent and uncontrollable shopping may be linked to psychological problems. However, making unnecessary purchases or hesitating when choosing an item does not mean that a person has obsessive-compulsive disorder. If someone repeatedly feels the need to buy things they do not need and cannot control this behaviour, they may need a professional assessment by a psychologist.”
A number of economic experts say that factors such as managing expenses, saving money and prioritising basic needs can help improve families’ financial situations. Omidullah Qasemzai, an economic expert, says that avoiding unnecessary spending can also help improve families’ financial situations. He explains:
“Women play an important role in managing family affairs. Avoiding unnecessary expenses, buying only what is needed, living within one’s means and saving money can contribute to family economic growth and help prevent financial difficulties and bankruptcy. In addition, vocational training and educational programmes can help women strengthen their business skills, enabling them to manage family finances more effectively and contribute to their families’ economic growth.”
The World Bank said in a report published on 26 May 2026 that despite economic growth in Afghanistan, people’s living conditions had not improved. Based on the report, population growth, inflation, declining foreign aid and limited job opportunities have increased economic pressure on households.
Reporter: Sharifa Qasemi
