The Not-Shopping Thing

Last month (on Pi Day, specifically), I made a decision to quit buying stuff, and I have to admit I haven't done a very good job with the project. 

I broke an earring while away from home for Passover, and talked The Mate into buying me a pair to wear.  I could have tried to fix the broken earring, could have gone earringless for a couple of days... but no.

I also bought a set of hiking maps, and a new road map, for the Catskills.  The Mate and I went there for an overnight last weekend, and as we were planning the trip discovered our hiking maps were printed in 1989. It's true, the mountain hasn't changed much since then, but trails do get moved, and sometimes even junctions shift (as we discovered on a hike in Harriman Park once, years ago, while using an old map set that left us a little confused, a little lost).

I've been tempted by some other purchases.  Running clothes, a copy of Jurassic Park for The Offspring, some glasses for the kitchen to replace the ones we keep breaking.  Plus for quite a while I've been wanting a clock for my office, and I still want one even though I'm "not shopping."

On the plus side, I haven't been spending time on retail web sites, browsing sale items, putting stuff in and out of my virtual cart.  I haven't been tempted to go into stores with sale signs to see if there's anything I might "need."  And when I went with The Mate to buy an end-of-season winter jacket (replacing one that's probably 15 years old), I didn't seriously consider any sale purchases of my own. 

It's a lot of energy, along with the cash, that I'm not spending.  And even though I haven't been completely consistent, the habit is shifted.  And it feels pretty good.