Shopping Ban Final Update

By -
                                                                    Image:Marie Vonow

Okay, so here I am at the final day of November and the end of my self imposed six month ban on unnecessary shopping. For further information check out my blog post http://simpleselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2019/05/six-month-shopping-ban-challenge.html 
How did it go? What did I find out about my shopping habits? What are my goals for future purchases of non essential items?

I actually found I made more non essential purchases as time went by because I had come to the conclusion that making such a purchase from time to time is okay. I think each person needs to make their own decisions about how many items they want in their home and how many 'new' items they feel comfortable buying.

I still believe decluttering has benefits and I don't want clutter to pile up. From time to time I donate a few items I no longer use to an op shop.

Recently I bought a small square 'saucer', because I thought it would look nice with my coffee mug. It was 50c from an op shop and I love it. Every time I look at it or put a small snack on it I feel happy with my purchase. There were four of them and I could easily have afforded to purchase all of them but I only bought one because that is all I needed. 

                                                                      Image:Marie Vonow

My future self imposed guidelines for purchasing non essential items are to be mindful when spending money, rather than making an impulse purchase. A non essential purchase is okay if I am going to make use of the item or really enjoy looking at it. If I am unsure whether to buy something I will walk away and think about it. (If the item is in an op shop it may not be there another day but that's okay.)

I also think it is important for me to recognise when I want to buy something as a reaction to feeling sad or down in the dumps and address the reason I am feeling negative. Sometimes it's a temporary emotion which will pass so I don't need to do anything about it.

I am certainly a more mindful consumer now. Instead of just considering if I can afford something and then making the purchase if the answer is 'yes', I sometimes find an alternative. For example, I saw a bird wall hanging that would look nice in my lounge room. The autumn scene hanging there now doesn't really 'go' with the room. I didn't buy the bird wall hanging due to the shopping ban. However, I have swapped the autumn scene for the dolphin wall hanging which was in the hall way. 

I am glad I read Cait Flander's book (The Year Of Less, how I stopped shopping, gave away my belongings, and discovered life is worth more than anything you can buy in a store)
and I am glad I set myself the shopping ban. It has helped me work out my own guidelines for shopping. Buying fewer non essentials than I did prior to the ban means I will gain greater pleasure from the purchases I do decide to make. I will save a bit of money too and I think I will put this aside to spend on a day bus trip from time to time.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Personal Growth, Changing my Mind, Learning, Growing as a person

By -
Image
  Image by Marie Vonow   Hi there, I haven't blogged here for about a year because I had intended to abandon this blog. Recently I noticed people are still reading some of my posts so decided to do a weekly blog post and see how things go. When I am full of inspiration I may post more often, perhaps. This blog will be more about Personal Growth rather than strictly on the topic of Self Improvement. I was heading in this direction when I updated my goals a couple of years ago. As time goes by I find I want to keep changing and growing as a person but I am no longer interested in constantly chasing self improvement.
Read more

Thirty One Days Of Happiness Tips Day 22

By -
Image
                                                                                                           Image:Marie Vonow Today's happiness tip is be willing to adapt. This is particularly relevant as I write this post because the coronavirus is forcing us to change how we carry out our daily lives. We don't ever know what the future will bring but sometimes unexpected events can turn our lives upside down. Being willing to adapt is more likely to make one happy than mourning the need to make changes. Psychologist and author Guy Winch, Ph.D. says, 'Our ability to have life satisfaction, to be happy [and] to have good relationships really depends on our ability to adapt.' This ability to adapt comes more easily to some than others.  Some people are organisers and will plan their life in great detail but find it difficult to cope with major changes which are out of their control. There are those who simply like things to stay the same. For oth
Read more

Thirty One Days Of Happiness Tips Day 27

By -
Image
                                 Image: Pexels from Pixabay My happiness tip for day 27 is take photos. We tend to take photos of the good times, things that brighten our day, something beautiful or quirky. Having a camera or your mobile phone in your hand encourages you to look for something interesting to snap so you are focussing on the positive. It doesn't need to be a complicated or sophisticated piece of equipment, just something that will take a snap. What should you take photos of? Photojournalist David Allio gives the following advice, ‘ Photograph what makes you happy. It may not have value to anyone else, but it will have value to you.’ In order for taking photos to boost your happiness you need to concentrate on the things that interest and are important to you. Some of these things may have no interest to others, that doesn't matter. I feel happy every time I look at my pic of baby swallows                     Image:Marie Vono
Read more