It’s the first of November, there is snow on the ground, and I’m not not in the holiday spirit ;)
However, before getting too festive, I’m practicing one of my favorite disciplines to increase presence and contentment in my own life. It’s a total shopping freeze.
I realized in October that my soul was craving rest from consumption. That daily (hourly?) nag of “what’s next?” and “what else do I need?”
Personally, I don’t have a habit of buying anything that I don’t truly need. But I do buy what I need with an extreme frequency that occasionally alarms.
It’s the endless art supplies for kids; used books to read and love; one extra pair of snow mittens JIC; so many candles to make the spirit bright. It’s new earrings not because I don’t wear mine but because maybe another pair would better display my personality? Endless questions.
These are the ways subliminal marketing and living in a capitalist society hijack our routines and sense of accomplishment. We have been trained to think that shopping makes us productive!
I don’t have a gambling problem. I don’t even buy too many lattes per month. But damn if I can’t supply my household with absolutely everything it needs.
So, before all the joy and abundance and gifting in weeks to come, I’m just going to stop. Stop searching. Stop scheming. Stop spending minutes of my life planning my next consumption.
I can’t wait :)
You know, your soul best, and you know what it needs far better than I could guess. So I’m sharing this without any moralizing or pressure.
If you’re interested in joining me, let me know. I’d love to connect throughout the month and talk about how it feels and how it’s going. We can also debate how absolutely necessary new makeup or dish sponges might be.
For More Breathing Room:
Combine a spending freeze with a stint of Decluttering. I love clearing out things that I’m not using anymore and making a lot of visual space so that I can truly see and enjoy whatever jolly things come our way in December.
Great post and good luck this month! I find November to be my most extreme consumer-y month between store sales, the pervasive (and still kind of exciting) holiday hype and the desire to have Christmas shopping done early/ not be a stressor near the holiday. I’d love to hear more as the month progresses.
I have made list of purchases I want to make, but need to wait for a lower price. As much as I detest Black Friday, it’s the only way I can afford some things! So I’m a bit stuck. But I’ve avoided personal spending so far this month!