There are many reasons for my desire to buy less.
Sustainability, saving money, spending more wisely, consuming less, having less "stuff" to deal with, focusing my energy on something other than shopping, trying not to take part in an overly capitalist/consumerist system, etc.
We all know that if I even need to write about this, it's because I have a tendency to shop. I love clothes, I love beautiful fashion. I also actually love the act of shopping! I could spend hours in thrift stores and fill a whole afternoon with looking through piles of clothes and accessories; treasure hunting.
So, instead of buying not-at-all, I've warmed to the idea of only buying one item a month. This allows me to purchase beautiful things, but only if I really truly want or need them. If I choose to make an item my "one" for the month, I had better choose wisely. This also helps me avoid emotional shopping, which is something I've noticed I do a lot when I'm stressed.
So, 12 items in a year, that's not bad. Typing it out though that even seems like a lot. For this reason I'm calling the one item a month my 'maximum' and really more of a less-harsh rule with a bit of wiggle room, instead of going cold turkey.
This month, I already bought a new bathing suit for my trip to Aruba, and even though I'm craving a new pair of nice sandals, a beach bag, light summery clothes, etc. I am actively reminding myself to not even bother shopping or going onto etsy "just to look". By the time February rolls around, I won't be able to order anything online without risking it not arriving in time for my trip, so I'll likely not buy anything else for it. Which is GOOD!
Hopefully in so doing I will have more time to write my research proposal (still in the works, still taking forever), read books, work on my art, etc. Less shopping, more fulfilling activities!
Are you taking on any challenges for 2018? Tell me about it in the comments!
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