is to be frugal. I'm not talking about buying the $30 jeans over the $50 jeans. I'm talkin bout buying neither. I'm talkin bout really limiting my spending habits this month. Why? Because I realized I spend way too much money on crap. I buy stuff I like, but what's up with that empty feeling after a shopping spree, that constant quest for more?
A few months ago I heard a story on NPR about this group of friends who made a pact not to spend money on anything but necessities for a year. They ended up doing quite a lot of bartering and begging and found out that people are more generous than they thought. So, they spent all year just buying food and essentials and at the end of the year they decided to renew their pact and keep living simply.
The funny thing is- why is that so remarkable and difficult? It struck me as an incredible feat, but what were they really doing but being smart, frugal consumers? Why is it so hard to spend one week- let alone a weekend- without dipping into that already meager checking account for- you name it- DVD's, clothes, books? If you're like me, sometimes you get home from a shopping excursion with a bag full of things you really don't need. I joke with myself that one day I'll come home with something I donated to the Goodwill two weeks before!
What is it that "retail therapy" does for us? It fills a void like any other mindless addiction. The trouble is that our society is set up to accept this addiction unlike any other. Our economy depends on it. But, no I will not blame society or the media for this- instead, I'm going to see how difficult it is to refrain from giving in to my inner shopper. Me, who spent half of my adolescent life inside a mall. I'm going to abstain from further damaging my alleged savings account and see what happens.
The rules (set forth by me)
1. No buying of any clothing of any kind
2. No frivolous buying of food stuffs.
3. No dining out unless absolutely necessary- if say, the power goes out or I find myself dangerously low on blood sugar.
4. No buying of books or magazines.
5. No paying for entertainment
A few months ago I heard a story on NPR about this group of friends who made a pact not to spend money on anything but necessities for a year. They ended up doing quite a lot of bartering and begging and found out that people are more generous than they thought. So, they spent all year just buying food and essentials and at the end of the year they decided to renew their pact and keep living simply.
The funny thing is- why is that so remarkable and difficult? It struck me as an incredible feat, but what were they really doing but being smart, frugal consumers? Why is it so hard to spend one week- let alone a weekend- without dipping into that already meager checking account for- you name it- DVD's, clothes, books? If you're like me, sometimes you get home from a shopping excursion with a bag full of things you really don't need. I joke with myself that one day I'll come home with something I donated to the Goodwill two weeks before!
What is it that "retail therapy" does for us? It fills a void like any other mindless addiction. The trouble is that our society is set up to accept this addiction unlike any other. Our economy depends on it. But, no I will not blame society or the media for this- instead, I'm going to see how difficult it is to refrain from giving in to my inner shopper. Me, who spent half of my adolescent life inside a mall. I'm going to abstain from further damaging my alleged savings account and see what happens.
The rules (set forth by me)
1. No buying of any clothing of any kind
2. No frivolous buying of food stuffs.
3. No dining out unless absolutely necessary- if say, the power goes out or I find myself dangerously low on blood sugar.
4. No buying of books or magazines.
5. No paying for entertainment
We'll see what happens- maybe I'll live the way I've always wanted- for (nearly) free. Probably, I won't decide to keep this up all year, but you never know. Baby steps...
2 comments:
How about... eating over with friends whenever possible? Trail and I would love to have you and you fiance (that does sound nice) over to our new home. M nights work best. We should talk soon.
Peace and Love,
Mo
I liked what you said about shopping addiction being fully supported -- and encouraged -- by our culture. That's certainly why it's so hard to break the habit. To get outside of it means you have to get right outside of the culture, in your mind at least, and that is too hard for many people.
Buying stuff satisfies desires. And humans, like most other creatures, have desires that come up all the time. Trouble is, if you were a robin and you desired a worm, you'd find one, eat it and then a bit later maybe go after another one. But humans shop. When you buy something, desire is only satisfied for a few minutes and then another one starts up. So it's like trying to fill a leaky bucket. You never can.
The problem I see with your new plan is that it is all couched in negatives. (Don't do this, don't do that). Our 'inner kids' don't like prohibitions and they tend to rebel. Or else they obey for a while and then bust out, saying "I've been good and now I deserve a treat." What usually works best is to focus not on depriving yourself of things but on slowing down and fully absorbing and appreciating everything and every moment. Kind of like chewing every mouthful slowly and with awareness and savoring the flavor instead of gobbling a plateful of something and watching TV at the same time and then wanting to eat something else 'cos you don't feel satisfied. So the real trick is about inner change, awareness, watching your own process.
When a person goes on a diet to lose weight, just using willpower, it often fails. When a person starts being really aware of overall wellness and starts to cherish her body, do exercise, de-stress, meditate, eat healthily etc., weight tends to come off gradually and easily -- and stay off. It is that kind of difference I am talking about.
Anyway, good luck and many blessings,
Marian Van Eyk McCain, author, 'The Lilypad List:7 steps to the simple life'
www.simpleliving.org.uk
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