All the kool kids have a Klean Kanteen. I want one! Also, I really desperately need socks. Socks that have mates. Sniff, sniff.
Look how cute! I know I have a messenger bag, but it's so PRETTY and NEW!
I want a Klean Kanteen, and a new dress, and a SOAP SLEEVE and a square baking dish and those magical silicone baking mats. And glass bowls, and damn it, I want a Wii. With Guitar Hero 3.
I know I do not need more things. I know that I have too many things. That things are cluttering my life. That you can't take it with you. And most of the time I'm fine with that. Most of the time I'm happy not buying things. I like that I can afford to donate more. I like that my savings account is building up (albeit at a glacial pace.)
But, sigh. I'm not going to lie to you guys. Some days it's hard.
Some days you just want to buy.
1 year ago
3 comments:
I have kinda wondered about this. I think of you sometimes when I buy things. It will cross my mind that I could probably do without the thing I'm buying and I think "Arduous wouldn't buy it". Sometimes that thought makes me put the thing back on the shelf. :) In a way, I'm glad to know it's still a little hard for you because somehow it makes me feel less bad abut myself for being a consuming loser. I'm not sure how that logic works...
Are you going to start shopping again when the year is up? If yes, do you think it will be fun or make you feel guilty? Are you going to write a book about it?
In 2006 I decided I was going plastic free. So what did I do? I tossed out every thing that was plastic and bought all brand new non-plastic stuff. I didn't think for 2 mins about this. Of course I almost had a heart failure when I calculated how much my anti-plastic purchases had cost. I feel like a complete fool for it now. Especially since I depleted my savings account to pay for it. And I thought I was being environmentally friendly.
Now the urge to buy has completely evaporated. At first I thought it was temporary...but its been about 4 months and I have no desire to buy anything. I am a bit surprised at how much will power I have. It took awhile to get there though. The initial move to become more environmentally conscious was very challenging and I was just overwhelming myself by trying to avoid plastic, buy local food, cook all food at home, bike everywhere, and be vegan. Take it one step at a time. And if you do buy something don't beat yourself up over it. Tomorrow is a new day.
I did buy a klean kanteen toward the end of 2006 as well as a sigg bottle to carry hot coffee. I still use and love them. Although I wish I had purchased a larger size kleen kanteen...I drink alot of water. I did fantasize over the cutesy messenger bags...but I am really not a messenger bag sort of person.
And I still cannot figure out what's so great about wii (nor do I know how to pronounce it).
This is turning out to be long but...a few weeks back we went to the thrift store to see if we could get a blender. I am a dummy and broke my blender jar which is made of glass by pouring hot stuff into it. I found a blender for under $10 but then spent some time looking at the electronic gizmos that were available. My husband commented that all the stuff that was available was perfectly functional yet was part of a fad at one point. And very expensive to purchase when they came out. But now for under $10 you could get something that originally cost over $500 or $1000. We thought about how many hours people had worked to pay for this stuff that is now just lying in the thrift store. Maybe a wii will be $5 in about 10 years.
Since I don't enjoy shopping at all, drastically cutting down on buying stuff really never bothered me. But I do eye my friends' and neighbors' spanking new kitchens, new family rooms, or whatever new home improvement projects. Did I just say that? Not too long ago, I would comment on how lame it was to spend one's money and time on home remodeling projects. They should be traveling and seeing the world, I would announce. Sigh. Getting lame by the day. Anyway, since remodeling takes so much financial and physical energy, I am probably going to stay away from it for a long while. You already know - I am lazy.
That said, I think it'd be nice to reward yourself now and then for not buying things. However about a nice dinner, a great movie, a whale watching trip?
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