It feels really good NOT to spend money-- it's a whole new sense of triumph.
I kicked off my personal austerity campaign late last year, and topped it off with a new year's resolution not to buy any more clothing this year.
Whoa, that's a tall order! I believe clothing is art, and always seek out really unique pieces. I peppered my resolution with a small allowance for replacement items like tights and socks, undies, raingear and shoes. Even though I'm finally bunion-less after 50 years, flat/fun/bright/stylin' shoes are still really hard to find in my size so when I spot a pair, I grab them. But even this category has a very firm limit.
I've finally drawn the line in the sand, and reset my boundaries.
It used to be that if I couldn't decide, I'd get both. Really.
Yep-- guilty as charged-- I overindulged during the past decade. So now I could probably clothe a small nation, OR help some ladies be smartly dressed as they head back into the job market, or at least go on a lot of interviews.
Did I mention the 49+ pairs of pantyhose? Now I haven't worn those ridiculous made-to-run-quickly things since sometime in the 90s. You may not know this, but the elastic doesn't last.
I also had a pantry overstuffed with food, so it's good to note that Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't the only times that people go hungry. As I kept packing up bags of canned goods to give, I did discover some truly vintage items circa 1990s. Hmmm, I think canned foods are supposed to last only 6 years or so. My sons noted that we only had one 6-oz bottle of water for the 3 of us. Guess it's time to update the earthquake supplies.
As soon as I could see the shelves again, I first felt calm and serene, then was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to stuff them full again. No, stop! It's taken a few months but I'm finally at peace with half empty spaces.
During my relentless housecleaning I also discovered several of my missing measuring tapes, flashlights, keyrings, plus an astounding array of stuff I will probably never, ever use. Oddly enough, many of these items have gone AWOL again. Measuring tapes, for example, seem to sprout legs at our house. I carefully place one in each car and tool station, but when I go to use them, they've disappeared again.
Old answer-- buy another one!
New lifestyle-- make do without. So now when I take a listing and measure a room, I can always count on my feet to be there, and my Birks are a perfect 11" every time.
I still let myself meander through my favorite catalogues, and even circle my favorite items. I add up how much I would have spent, then bask in the glow of NOT spending. It's really quite an accomplishment. Right now I have 7 items in my LL Bean online shopping basket, but only 2 are the permitted replacement items, and those are the two I'm going to buy...maybe, or maybe not. Last time I walked away from spending just a few dollars on an office item, I broke out into a huge smile. Not spending really does feel good.
P.S. Feel free to forward this article to your favorite congressperson.
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