Day 131 of 365 - Take a Break From Shopping?

It's another stormy winter day here.  I'm keeping cozy indoors.  This morning I was browsing through the current issue of the women's magazine which I receive by mail.  An article which caught my attention was called A Year Without Shopping, a writer's report on her experiment.

I wanted to read this article because I had been pondering awhile back, again, about the idea of living more with less.  That was prompted by all the rampant consumerism which is so heavily fostered and advocated, especially around the holiday season.  But, before that, as I think I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I had read a disturbing article about the huge amount of material goods we accumulate which ultimately end up in landfill.

The author of the magazine article took on her year-long project because she tended to mindlessly accumulate things, especially 'bargains'.  She hoped her practice would curb her appetite for mindless shopping and make her more mindful in general.  She also wanted to develop more gratitude and appreciation for what she already owned.

How did she do it?  Ground rules were established regarding categories of what was okay to buy and what was not.  Goods like clothing and home décor items were out, among other things.  Essentials like food were in, of course, but also were items or activities like books for reading or movie or theatre tickets.

What did she learn?  She found that not shopping gave her the unexpected gift of time to do other things, like accumulating experiences with friends and family rather than things.  She also found, however, that the danger of her all-or-nothing choice was that it became an obsession.  For her, the bottom line lesson was that 'real transformation lies in consciously navigating the material world.  The answer is moderation.'  Think before you shop.

A little sidebar to the article quoted a survey by a financial services firm.  They reported that over 90% of the people surveyed experienced buyer's remorse and regret over their spending habits.  Also reported was, that less than half the population makes and sticks to a budget.

Obviously there are potential financial benefits to reduced shopping, but the main ones are the reduction in accumulation of 'stuff', as well as the gain of time wasted during unnecessary shopping.

Over the last twenty years or so, my own shopping habits have changed quite a bit, due to various factors.  When our kids were young, it was easy to justify shopping for things they 'needed', whether actually true or not.  Earning a good income, as well as being a bargain shopper was another justification.  A big deterrent to shopping came with the decision to become a one car family, instead of two.  Shopping could no longer be as much of an impulsive activity;  it had to be planned around car availability.  That pause was enough to reconsider whether I really needed or wanted something.

Also, becoming empty nesters and downsizing to an apartment dwelling created a major shift of focus to emptying out material goods, rather than filling up on them.  It's an ongoing process which continues.  I still shop, once in awhile, but try to make a point of donating or giving away something to create space for what comes in.  Admittedly, online shopping does not require a car, and I have engaged in that kind of shopping more in recent years.  It becomes another habit to moderate.

One of our sons recently moved into their first purchased home with his wife and son.  Though they had done a lot of sorting and purging before the move, he was still astonished about how much they brought.  He could see that all those boxes and bins they had kept in storage and simply moved to the new location, would require another critical look once they are settled and have the time to purge again.  There's nothing like a move to see exactly how much stuff you own, whether you use it or not.

I had an interesting little shopping observation about myself recently.  I had strolled through a thrift shop with a friend, on the lookout for one item and also browsing.  I only bought the one item needed, but we both exclaimed over other potential finds.  A few days later I was back in the same shop.  Upon a closer look at one item I had liked but left on the shelf, it was not as appealing as I originally thought, and it was easy to let it go.

So, yes, I'd agree with that magazine author that, thinking before I shop, and moderation, is the key.  Meanwhile, with spring being only weeks away, it will soon be time to dive back into closets, cupboards and boxes to see what hidden treasures could actually be discarded without much pain.