Four Months In

It has been about 4 months since I embarked on my year of non-consumerism. I say "about," because I am not 100% sure when exactly it was I decided to become a non-consumer. I'm pretty sure the last new, durable, non-gift, non-Egypt thing I bought was a dress that I bought on August 1st. And I made my decision sometime between August 1st and the 17th, but I wasn't 100% committed to my decision at first, so I kind of made it in my head, and didn't really talk about it or write about it.

But basically, it's been four months.

In general ... it feels fine. I don't feel deprived at all. The few things I've really wanted, I've found used. And as for the rest, my philosophy is, if it's too much trouble to find it used, then I really didn't need it. And, truth be told, I've never been a HUGE shopper anyway.

Occasionally, it's a hassle. The other day, I was helping a friend do some Christmas shopping at Crate and Barrel, and there was a basting brush there for under a dollar. I'd kind of like a basting brush, seeing as I don't have one, and it was SO CHEAP. But I didn't get it. And that was probably fine, since I have yet to baste something in my life.

Sometimes, it's an adventure. Like when I made some cool scrapbooks using stuff I had on hand at home. Or when I find clothes in my closet that I haven't worn in a year.

But mostly? Mostly I don't think about it much. It doesn't occur to me to buy things, because I've removed it as an option. And in that way, it's a relief. Because it used to be that I'd see something, and maybe want it, and much hand-wringing, and can I afford it, and do I really need it, would follow. And now?

Now there's no hand-wringing. There's no justifying, no rationalizing. No wait-three-days-and-if-I'm-still-thinking-about-it-maybe-I-can-get-it-as-long-as-my-bank-account-looks-okay.

I don't need to convince myself that this "thing" will change my life, because I know it won't. I don't need to tell myself that it's a necessity because I know it isn't.

So, yeah, I'd have to say, that four months into my year of non-consumerism, my overriding feeling is of peace.

Eight months to go.