I suggested this to myself back in January of 2022. A little lightbulb went off above my head and I pretty much said, “Heck Yeah! That sounds like a great idea!” Much to my disappointment, the year did not go as planned. I spent money. More than I needed to despite having some debt I needed to tackle and a retirement fund I should be shoring up. Where did I go wrong?
Not to say that spending money is bad because we all need to spend money to pay for a roof over our heads, basic utilities, automotive/transportation costs, food in our bellies, and basic personal care needs which vary from person to person. What I’m referring to is my penchant for buying a new pair of buttery soft leggings for my yoga practice, which I do at home where no one can see me anyway. I mean, technically, I could do yoga in my pajamas, right? Ahh, but the siren’s call of 25% off with 5% cash back was calling my name. As it always does, and will continue to do so, unless something changes. Marketers know how to persuade us and to tell us what we need, as evidenced by this article here: https://hbr.org/2011/12/know-what-your-customers-want-before-they-do. The more you know about what they know about you, the more awareness you’ll have when you pull out your hard earned cash to buy something.
Change Is Coming
And, so, I would proclaim, “That’s It! I’m done buying anything I don’t actually need unless it’s a replacement for something I’ve used up or is broken!” As a result of my proclamation I would then ask myself a few questions to make sure I was really paying attention and, honestly, doing my best to dig deep. In the process of making these inquiries, I started to change my perspective, I became a consumer of ideas and lifestyles of simplicity, frugality, sustainability, and intentional living. I learned a lot of lessons this past year and asked myself these 5 questions:
- Am I addicted to shopping and consumerism? If so, why?
- What can I change in my habits to help redirect myself from temptation?
- How can I set myself up for success in the future and learn from my mistakes?
- Can I learn more about fast fashion, sustainability, and apply what I learn to my buying habits?
- How can I set better intentions for both protecting the planet’s resources while also protecting my wallet?
Each of those 5 questions I intend to address in future blog posts. I am far from being a minimalist even though I love the concept and currently devour all that I can about the topic. I love clothes and shoes too much to narrow myself down to a capsule wardrobe. But, I truly believe that even small changes in the form of new habits can reward us in the future even if you don’t identify with minimalism, frugality, or 33 items (or 50 or whatever item number is in fashion right now) in your closet. Every step towards living with intention and conscious awareness of financial choices and consumer practices are a victory in my book.