As you may remember, on Nov 29th of 2015, the most exiting shopping day of the Year (Black Friday), I started a shopping ban for 367 days! Let's talk about going against the main flow...
Well yesterday on Feb 29th, I had gone 3 months without shopping/buying anything for myself... or did I???
Well....... I kind of did! Here's what happen:
Books:
I read 6 from the library since the beginning of the year...
And I did buy 2 books... that I know I will read over and over again... They were both about 10$ each.
Actually, not shopping physically or on line allowed me much more time to read and in the first 2 months of the year, I actually read 8 books and started another more intense one that I will need to read slowly...
This is AWESOME as I love to read but never had "time" to do so!
I did not "not have time"... my priorities were in the wrong place!
Clothes:
My worse nightmare... or is it still???
Well... not at ALL! Not anymore anyway...
I am OK with not shopping for clothes... and actually I don't even feel like doing it!
The fashion/clothing industry is so detrimental to our planet and it's people that I just can't do it for now and when I have to, it makes me so sad...
I remember one sentence in the movie "Sweet November" said by Charlize Theron that was something like "well it is just clothes, it is meant to cover your body so who cares"... or something close to that... It helps me a lot lately!
For example, I had to buy underwear.... I was long overdue... and I did buy them... but this is one of the things (along with footwear) that I refuse to buy use... and I couldn't find sustainably made where I live... Also, as it is a replacement of something I own and is no longer usable, it doesn't break the rules per say.
So I did buy my underwear... and spend 48$. I should be good for the next year.... or perhaps a little longer!
I also bought harem pants from a site on line... they are lovely and cost me 31$. This, quite frankly, I had no real need for it... but a friend wanted to buy without having to pay for shipping and I really LOVE harem pants and wear hem more and more during summer! They are the perfect fit between a skirt and shorts!!! Also they do not come from a sweat shop so that could be OK if I don't over do it!
Other stuff:
Aside from food... I only bought filters for my water filtering system... 5 of them should last me a year and they were just about 20$.
What do I expect over the next few months?
Well I know I will definitely need footwear as all I own is falling into pieces.... and we are planning to start hiking this summer so I need shoes for that definitely!
I will have to look into getting a new bicycle as mine was stolen last fall when I put it away for winter.... That I am definitely getting second hand!
Aside from that, all my money is going into "buying experiences" instead of stuff!
Buying time by allowing myself to work less since I "need" less money...
I will soon be debt free and hence able to enjoy life more! And the good news is , by not over spending on stuff I do not need that could destroy the planet and take the lives of poor people we are abusing to produce them , I will not go into debt again!!! Both other times where I got debt free, I soon after got back into it!!! I needed to get the stuff!!! What could I have expected?
But now, all this is behind me... I am free... free from over consumption...
I am not a slave to advertising companies!
I am not a slave to our capitalist system who makes us believe buying stuff will buy us happiness... friends... love and so much more! When in fact, it does the exact opposite! They want us to believe it because if enough people start believing what I do believe in and live like I live, well the economy will crash and all those rich people will not be making millions anymore by abusing us as workers and spenders! By getting us into debt... by enslaving us to jobs we do because they give us big money... and hence allow us to buy stuff we do not need to impress people we do not really like... and never get out of the destructive pattern!
Quite frankly, when I started this 367 days shopping ban I was terrified... as I tried this type of challenge before and inevitably failed.... I was not ready for it... I didn't know if that time I was! Although I had been shopping less and less over the last year, sometimes all I need is an interdiction to do something to want to do it more! But I also knew that I completely turned around the way I eat so I could do that to! There was/is hope!
I think all the documentaries I have watched did help me.... here are links to 2 of them...
Have a look and you can choose if they are for you or not at this point in your life...
The true cost
Zeitgeist In total there a 3 documentaries to watch called Zeitgeist. All great!
These were real eye openers for me... as I hope they will be for you...
In the meantime, I will keep on "not shopping" and do other stuff instead...
I did address my desire to read more... In the next few months, I will be working on my desire to spend more time doing yoga/meditation and find a way to create time, by addressing priorities, to do just that!
I will get back to you soon on my 367 days shopping ban as spring is really one of my weakest time when it comes to shopping!
Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste
love&peace,namaste
chloe
xox
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