My blogging friend Bethany from Our Journey to Ithaca interviewed me today about minimalism, but if you could see my house (not small) and the things in it (much more than a few), you would hardly call me a minimalist. As I told Bethany, I'm more of a non-consumerist: I've grown to really dislike shopping, mainly because...
- My sister and I had to clean out our parents' home to prepare it for sale after they died. Decades of accumulated STUFF to sort, clean, sell, recycle, or (sadly) throw out. It was as if the saying "you can't take it with you" had appeared in neon flashing lights before our very eyes.
- I want to lessen my environmental footprint. Buying more stuff isn't green (all of the manufacturing, packaging, and shipping!), and as you might have guessed from this blog, green is a thing I aspire to be.
- I have enough. More than enough. And I want to have less of it.
- I've found a sense of peace and happiness with my life, just as it is. So, I'm not looking for happiness on a sale rack at the mall.
Which led me to wondering: What are all the reasons we go shopping, anyway? Do any of these sound familiar to you?
1) Do you go shopping for "fun"? Can you switch it out for bicycling, beach-combing, tennis lessons, piano-playing, reading, painting, gardening, swimming, cooking, writing a novel, or my personal favorite--photography? Remember, there are only so many afternoons in your life. Why spend them shopping for capri pants at The Gap?
2) Do you shop when you're feeling blue? Call a really good friend who loves you just as you are. (I suggest Colin Firth.)
3) Do you shop to replace stuff that's broken? Can you fix it yourself? Can it be repaired by someone else? It's kinder to the planet than tossing something broken-but-fixable into the trash.
4) Do you shop because "there's nothing good to eat" in the fridge? Buy your food mindfully.
5) Do you shop to keep up with your friends? True friends don't require expensive purchases.
6) Do you need to buy a gift? Can you bake or make something instead?
7) Did you just break up with somebody? Instead of retail therapy, immerse yourself in learning a new language, and pick up a skill you'll use for life. (I used to do this back in my dating years. When I told my friend Chris that I learned a new language every time I broke up with a guy, he said, "Why aren't you up to Sanskrit by now?" What a jokester...)
8) Did you just see an ad for something sexy and beautiful? Don't get sucked in by the empty promises of ads featuring models and actors.
9) Did you just win the lottery? Congrats! Take a trip around the world instead of a trip to the mall. (Experiences over things!)
10) Need an outfit for a big event? When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Are you sure there's nothing in there that will do?
11) Do you really need that new necklace? Wait a month and see if you still remember it.
12) Is it impossible to control yourself financially with a wallet full of credit cards? Pay with cash. It's amazing how things don't seem like such bargains when you're paying with paper money instead of plastic.
13) Are you shopping for "hobby stuff", such as scrapbooking or sewing materials? Do you honestly have the money, space, dedication, patience, skills, and free time for that hobby?
14) Are you shopping for things to organize your stuff? The only thing that will really organize your stuff is having less of it. Hold a yard sale, or donate what you're not using anymore to charities that could benefit from it.
15) Do you shop to show people that you love them and are thinking about them? Instead of trinkets, would they rather have some dedicated, one-on-one time with you instead? (And if not, why not?)
So, before you head out for some recreational shopping, just ask yourself one question: "Why?"
Your turn: Why do you shop? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!
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© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of my photographs without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
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