Shopping is not a hobby.
I was a nerdy jock in high school. And chubby. When I wasn’t at volleyball, basketball or rowing practice I enjoyed eating M&M’s and reading. A good book and some sugar. Heaven. The 90’s were a simpler time it seems.
Shopping is on addiction status for teens. I was sad/appalled to read about ‘haul videos’: teens post videos of themselves unloading bags of purchases from the mall and describing the purchase. We’ve recently watched a few seasons of Friday Night Lights via iTunes: what about football, cheer squad and the rally girls? I thought Glee Club was making a resurgence. Isn’t there a better hobby out there than shopping?
I’ve made some bad purchases in my life. Too many to count. Did I really need to lease a brand new VW Golf when I was a full-time athlete with almost no income? But so far the only thing I regret selling is half of my Apple stock (thought I needed to diversify. Bad call by me).
We are still in selling mode here. I’ve got multiple listings on Craigslist for assorted baby items. My goal this week is to get our car cleaned up and listed for sale. I’m still unsure what the best method is to sell my Coach purses: eBay, consignment or Craigslist. Progress is being made but it’s slow.
The first round of minimaliz-ing was hard. In fact, my brother commented on here that it shouldn’t be that hard. On her blog The Very Small Closet (excellent wardrobe planning advice here – take a look), Julie Skinner has a great post on learning to let go. I have found that after that initial pang about dollars lost and dream wardrobe items that never quite looked right on me (and never would) it’s become easy.
It has become easy to look around my home and see what it is I actually use. What is picked up on a daily basis and what is causing me more laundry, dusting and stress. What was a brief time in my life and no longer needed (my box of craft supplies that was only used three years ago for all of our wedding invitations) and what is the here and now (snowshoes ready for some baby and mom snowshoeing as soon as the mountains are ready for us).
It’s become easier to see what hobbies are part of my life. Running (jogging stroller and running gear), reading (library card), Crossfit (said running gear works just fine), watching Mad Men (so sad the season is done. Don Draper you are killing me), writing (MacBook) and spending time with family and friends (nothing needed).
Need more help decluttering and paring down? Check out my bestselling book, Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized and Happy Life.
Could you recommend another site for getting my wardrobe in order as skinner’s is retired? Thanks!
Treading threads, j9
Skinner’s blog is retired but all of the content is still there. Have a look through her archives. They are gold.
I agree 100%. And garage sales and thrift stores count in that too!
I definitely agree shopping is not an hobby but when it comes to books it fun to do. Although i set myself the challenge of not buying any books or magazines for a year. My daughter bought me subscription to a monthly magazine for a year which was brilliant. As for books, i bought 5 and 3 were given as presents.
I love that wall art. But I DON’T love shopping. I never have. Ever. A fact for which my husband is always grateful.
love this post – seriously agree with all you said. i’m in the process of simplifying and so this post particularly resonates – thank you. 🙂
I just got back from New York City after spending time with my pregnant daughter while her husband was at a conference. We planned to go maternity clothes shopping but she didn’t feel well enough, so we stayed in her neighborhood and only shopped for food and other necessary items. I cleaned the apartment for her, and we watched a movie and cried together. It was a sweet, precious time together that would not have been enhanced by expensive shopping trips. There was a time when I would have been disappointed that I didn’t get to shop (especially there!), but material things are becoming less and less important to me. I was just happy to have some cherished mother-daughter time.
When I saw the photo of the framed shopping bags – my first thought was “Someone paid money to do that?”
In the past, I was ever so guilty of shopping and coming home with so much I didn’t need / didn’t really want / didn’t fit…but was on “sale” My father would try to convince me it’s not what you saved, it’s what you spent! I never liked window shopping, so I’d SPEND. I also shopped to fill an emotional void, when I was unhappy, thinking I could “buy” the life I hoped for…etc etc.
So sad to see young women especially shopping as a status symbol, and the future they may not yet see for themselves if they continue this way. Our consumer society promotes it. Why else are credit card companies allowed to send representatives to new student week on the college campuses? Get them while they are young and you may have them for life! Today, people would rather get the purchase high, and avoid the pain of paying for it. Rather than the will power to save up first, and then the joy of paying cash / being without debt.