One of the first books that I borrowed from the library in 2008 was Judith Levine's Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping. Levine's experiment was not about giving up a Bloomie's addiction or facing a shoe-buying habit. She was focused on not buying anything that wasn't a necessity. Like Q-tips, the newest gadget, the stuff that collects dust in closets and dresser drawers.Her experiment got me to thinking about consumption, extreme consumerism (think trampling death on Black Friday) and the global economy. But it also made me consider how much money I spend on personal indulgences. I concluded that I could create a more disciplined definition of a 'necessity.'
I'm pretty low-maintenance to start, but there are still a number of things that I buy that I could ... um ... not buy.
How many Jamba Juice smoothies do I need in one week? Why not walk to the store down the street instead of hopping in my car (saving money, helping the environment and alleviating city congestion)? Or why not read a library book (like Levine's) and skip the movie rental?
So I upheld my own "rethink-consumerism" theme during the holiday season when I decided to have a consumption-free Christmas. The consumption-free thing worked and my family and friends are still speaking to me.
I bring all of this up because it's New Year's Eve. And it's not just any New Year's Eve. It's the last day of 2008 - a year that brought America the worst economic crisis since The Great Depression. It seems like a good time to take inventory and get rid of any unnecessary spending.
So my resolution (and apparently I'm not alone in this) is to spend less in 2009; to get creative. Maybe I'll plant some of my favorite vegetables instead of buying them every week.
And I'm spending less not just for the sake of hoarding money. But because mindless spending is bunk.
If I'm REALLY successful in 2009, maybe, like Levine, I'll forgo all non-essential spending in 2010. Okay. Let me just focus on 2009.
Anyway, Happy New Year!
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteThia is a fantastic idea, Tamika!!
{thumbs up}
I'm really trying this as well. I have an issue with shoes/clothing, so I'm making a list of what I actually really need and instead of impluse purchases, I'm waiting at least a week before deciding if I REALLY will use the shoes/clothes. This gives me some time to either forget about it, really want it, and maybe even find something on sale at the later time!
ReplyDeleteWaiting a week before making some purchases - that's a smart idea! It's been working out pretty well so far. I'm cooking more. And that is always good!
ReplyDelete