Inspired by some forward-thinking BlogHers, BlogHer contributor Susan Wagner issued a bold challenge yesterday-- stop shopping for a whole month. And I said SIGN ME UP!!!
She's not suggesting we quit spending money altogether, just on the stuff we don't need. No more giving into the "This is cute and it's only $30," or "Wow. A portable fish tank! This could come in handy someday," or "But MOM, I really WANT this. Can we get it, please, please, PLLEEEAAAASE?!!!!" temptations.
I'd been thinking about the subject of stuff for a while now and Susan's challenge was just the inspiration I needed. In fact, I've been contemplating a major life change that would mean a significant reduction of my income. And do you know what's mostly been holding me back? It's the stuff. The stuff that I won't be able to buy anymore -- the cute shoes, the handbags, the expensive makeup -- the stuff I TOTALLY don't need. Seriously folks, shoes and makeup have been holding me back from making a major and potentially positive life change. What is wrong with that picture?!
If that weren't bad enough, to really understand the full picture of what this stuff is doing to us, watch The Story of Stuff. Our addiction to stuff is the root of so many evils -- our environmental woes, our debt issues, not to mention the extreme work environments that are driving American families to the brink. And speaking of driving our families to the brink, think of what we're teaching our kids when we bring home all this stuff without second thought.
And so life change or not, I'm paring down. Care to join me? Think of the time we'll save staying out of the stores. If you need more inspiration, check out these bloggers who inspired Susan's BlogHer post:
Chris, another BlogHer contributor who is bravely trying this experiment for a full year, is chronicling her journey at her regular blog In the Trenches of Motherhood. I loved this post about the blurred lines between need and want.
Stara at Random Rantings is trying this for 60 days because she too has way too much stuff.
And Rachel at The Simple Family is doing something she calls "compacting" -- gaining control of her stuff by not only about cutting out mindless shopping, but also buying used items instead of new whenever she can.
Best of luck, ladies. Happy not shopping!
I Wasn’t Expecting a Coup
4 years ago
3 comments:
Amy, I loved this post. In fact, I loved it so much that I think I am going to blog about this at Work It, Mom!:)
Susan is great! It is a great idea.
I wonder how much money I would save in a month if I actually did that?
Yes- I should do this too. Going to check the post out...
Post a Comment