I'm doing a challenge for the entire year to intentionally buy: the rule I've set for myself is to write about everything I buy (and often I write about things I'm tempted to buy) to try to curb impulse spending. This way I'm taking time to make sure I really want to buy it, and if I feel immediately, "I don't want to write about buying this" then I probably don't want to buy it. I relate most to you sharing about finding ways to make things new; I'm doing that with books I bought and a nonfiction challenge.
This past Christmas was a no gift Christmas. It wasn’t our plan but life choose it. We survived and enjoyed home baked favorites. Then January came and we didn’t feel a need to shop the stores. Once again we survived and no withdrawal symptoms. So we are pushing on to February. Thank you for your emails. I truly enjoy them.
I took the Amazon app off my phone... mainly because I was starting to feel « judged » by our postman (mailman) 😂😂😂
Most of my parcels were fabric, notions and bits of skincare and second hand books ( as I can’t buy English books locally in France). So shopped my stash, sorted some storage boxes and found I have enough notions to open a haberdashery store 😂 I used the skincare products I already had and not surprisingly, my skin didn’t age 10 years overnight. All over saved a good amount of money and am feeling very pleased with myself 😇 I did « arrange » to be doing a bit of weeding at the time the postman passes, just to say hello - he’s very kind and helpful and it’s a hard job.
So thank you Sarai! It was a good challenge and I’m up for more 💐
That’s hilarious! We once went out of town near the holidays and had a friend house sit. I was absolutely mortified when he sent us a photo of the enormous pile of packages we’d received over a week.
For my low buy month I spent January cooking the pantry, and we also ate a lot of frozen leftovers. As a result our grocery spending was under $300?!!! Note that we're a 2 person household and we did go out for a few meals. But the craziest part? Today's essay galvanized me to go through my staple shelf in the pantry to take a physical inventory of what I still have on hand - 26 partial and unopened packages of pastas, rices, other grains, and legumes...and I live within walking and biking distance of two supermarkets. Sigh, while I didn't buy any dry goods this month I can tell there will be lots of room for improvement on my overbuying tendencies in this category going forward. Using up goods already on hand will continue through February, and most likely through March...thanks for sharing your action provoking thoughts with the world!
I’ve don’t this before but haven’t recently as my buying has slowed with my current life cycle and I’m content with it. But my favorite way to challenge myself on any impulsive or unnecessary purchase (especially for clothing) I re-learned through one of my Seamwork DYW sprints several years ago: buy only what you LOVE. With that qualifier I could think back on what I love to wear and want to wear based on my DYW exercises and easily let go of the urge. Do I want it or need it? If so do I love it. 95% of the time the answer is “no”. My wardrobe has simplified itself and I always love what I put on. Every piece is magical now so spending often feels unnecessary…on the flip side as a maker when I want to spend it is hard because of the “I can make that” syndrome and so little seems exciting. But that’s money in my pocket to invest in my making adjacent hobbies like fabric and yarn collecting. LOL
That’s awesome, I love to hear it. I also feel like the “I can make that” thought is a deterrent, but usually a positive one for me. I try to remember that if I truly want something, I’ll invest the time to make it. If not, do I really love it that much?
I’m embarking on a no buy year with my best friend in 2024. One month done! Her rules are that she will buy no new clothes at all as she really wants to get to know everything in her generous wardrobe a little better. As someone who sews, I have reduced my consumption significantly by wardrobe auditing & editing over several years. So I won’t be buying new clothes either this year but thrifted & me-mades are allowed for replacements and capsule pieces identified through Seamwork’s Design Your Wardrobe process. As for fabric, I am only allowing myself to repurpose clothing from my Dad’s wardrobe or dip into my existing stash. The limited amount of time I have to sew at the moment will naturally put the brakes on wardrobe growth!
That’s awesome! I am pretty much doing the same so far. The hardest for me is resisting secondhand goodies, but now that I’ve stopped even looking, it’s so much easier. I really do feel like I have plenty, and only want to add things I make myself.
This article really speaks to where I am in my journey. I relate to your fears and feelings, especially the empty mailbox and signs of aging. Thanks for giving me some good food for thought. 😊
I thought I was doing a low-buy year. Already, just one month into the year, I have tracked unnecessary (or even just not in the normal budget) expenses that came up...it adds up. (Deep sigh) I will try again in February.
I so love receiving packages in the mail that this has been my no buy trial. I buy gemstone cabachons to set into jewellery...that's the intention anyway but the reality is I'm collecting them and stashing them for 'future use' which honestly could be never. So I am trying to (same with the pantry) use what I already have, same with the hobbies No new hobby this year, just keep practicing the existing ones I have been hording art supplies too so I don't need anything. Even watercolor paper from when I was an art student 30 years ago🤭 thanks for the inspiration😁
I can't agree with this enough; I've found myself self-soothing with shopping. If it is "thrifting" than it doesn't count... right? Wrong. I am trying to actually sit with whatever emotion I need to address and not try to throw a band aid on it by shopping instead. Thank you for sharing this!
(My 2024 goal is to see how long I can craft without shopping for anything new.)
Yes, I absolutely do this too. Sometimes the emotion is just boredom, or even an urge to do something creative! There are so many other ways to address those feelings.
I'm doing a challenge for the entire year to intentionally buy: the rule I've set for myself is to write about everything I buy (and often I write about things I'm tempted to buy) to try to curb impulse spending. This way I'm taking time to make sure I really want to buy it, and if I feel immediately, "I don't want to write about buying this" then I probably don't want to buy it. I relate most to you sharing about finding ways to make things new; I'm doing that with books I bought and a nonfiction challenge.
Yes! My piles of books to read just keeps growing. I love that you’re writing about all that you buy. It reminds me of this project (and resulting books): https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/01/07/the-artist-who-drew-everything-she-bought/
Oh goodness don't give me ideas! That would be kind of fun!
This past Christmas was a no gift Christmas. It wasn’t our plan but life choose it. We survived and enjoyed home baked favorites. Then January came and we didn’t feel a need to shop the stores. Once again we survived and no withdrawal symptoms. So we are pushing on to February. Thank you for your emails. I truly enjoy them.
We did a Christmas with no gifts at all one year. It was hard. I think your approach of homemade only would be much better, and even more meaningful.
I took the Amazon app off my phone... mainly because I was starting to feel « judged » by our postman (mailman) 😂😂😂
Most of my parcels were fabric, notions and bits of skincare and second hand books ( as I can’t buy English books locally in France). So shopped my stash, sorted some storage boxes and found I have enough notions to open a haberdashery store 😂 I used the skincare products I already had and not surprisingly, my skin didn’t age 10 years overnight. All over saved a good amount of money and am feeling very pleased with myself 😇 I did « arrange » to be doing a bit of weeding at the time the postman passes, just to say hello - he’s very kind and helpful and it’s a hard job.
So thank you Sarai! It was a good challenge and I’m up for more 💐
That’s hilarious! We once went out of town near the holidays and had a friend house sit. I was absolutely mortified when he sent us a photo of the enormous pile of packages we’d received over a week.
I can totally imagine 😂
For my low buy month I spent January cooking the pantry, and we also ate a lot of frozen leftovers. As a result our grocery spending was under $300?!!! Note that we're a 2 person household and we did go out for a few meals. But the craziest part? Today's essay galvanized me to go through my staple shelf in the pantry to take a physical inventory of what I still have on hand - 26 partial and unopened packages of pastas, rices, other grains, and legumes...and I live within walking and biking distance of two supermarkets. Sigh, while I didn't buy any dry goods this month I can tell there will be lots of room for improvement on my overbuying tendencies in this category going forward. Using up goods already on hand will continue through February, and most likely through March...thanks for sharing your action provoking thoughts with the world!
Wow, great job on the food bill! That’s quite a feat these days.
I'm not kidding - we ate A LOT of frozen leftovers!
I’ve don’t this before but haven’t recently as my buying has slowed with my current life cycle and I’m content with it. But my favorite way to challenge myself on any impulsive or unnecessary purchase (especially for clothing) I re-learned through one of my Seamwork DYW sprints several years ago: buy only what you LOVE. With that qualifier I could think back on what I love to wear and want to wear based on my DYW exercises and easily let go of the urge. Do I want it or need it? If so do I love it. 95% of the time the answer is “no”. My wardrobe has simplified itself and I always love what I put on. Every piece is magical now so spending often feels unnecessary…on the flip side as a maker when I want to spend it is hard because of the “I can make that” syndrome and so little seems exciting. But that’s money in my pocket to invest in my making adjacent hobbies like fabric and yarn collecting. LOL
That’s awesome, I love to hear it. I also feel like the “I can make that” thought is a deterrent, but usually a positive one for me. I try to remember that if I truly want something, I’ll invest the time to make it. If not, do I really love it that much?
I’m embarking on a no buy year with my best friend in 2024. One month done! Her rules are that she will buy no new clothes at all as she really wants to get to know everything in her generous wardrobe a little better. As someone who sews, I have reduced my consumption significantly by wardrobe auditing & editing over several years. So I won’t be buying new clothes either this year but thrifted & me-mades are allowed for replacements and capsule pieces identified through Seamwork’s Design Your Wardrobe process. As for fabric, I am only allowing myself to repurpose clothing from my Dad’s wardrobe or dip into my existing stash. The limited amount of time I have to sew at the moment will naturally put the brakes on wardrobe growth!
That’s awesome! I am pretty much doing the same so far. The hardest for me is resisting secondhand goodies, but now that I’ve stopped even looking, it’s so much easier. I really do feel like I have plenty, and only want to add things I make myself.
This article really speaks to where I am in my journey. I relate to your fears and feelings, especially the empty mailbox and signs of aging. Thanks for giving me some good food for thought. 😊
It’s good to hear that other people feel the same way.
I thought I was doing a low-buy year. Already, just one month into the year, I have tracked unnecessary (or even just not in the normal budget) expenses that came up...it adds up. (Deep sigh) I will try again in February.
Just noticing is always the most important first step!
I so love receiving packages in the mail that this has been my no buy trial. I buy gemstone cabachons to set into jewellery...that's the intention anyway but the reality is I'm collecting them and stashing them for 'future use' which honestly could be never. So I am trying to (same with the pantry) use what I already have, same with the hobbies No new hobby this year, just keep practicing the existing ones I have been hording art supplies too so I don't need anything. Even watercolor paper from when I was an art student 30 years ago🤭 thanks for the inspiration😁
I feel guilty for enjoying packages in the mail so darn much, but it’s just fun to get a present. But there are other ways to have fun too!
I can't agree with this enough; I've found myself self-soothing with shopping. If it is "thrifting" than it doesn't count... right? Wrong. I am trying to actually sit with whatever emotion I need to address and not try to throw a band aid on it by shopping instead. Thank you for sharing this!
(My 2024 goal is to see how long I can craft without shopping for anything new.)
Yes, I absolutely do this too. Sometimes the emotion is just boredom, or even an urge to do something creative! There are so many other ways to address those feelings.