Sometimes I hear about something and get a feeling I’ve gotten many times. It’s simultaneously “Oh my God I could never ever do that,” and “Wow, what if I actually did something like that?”
When that happens, I get instant tears in my eyes. Knowing that that’s EXACTLY what I’m afraid of and not knowing if I can rise up to meet that challenge. I got that feeling when Sebastian first told me about the 10-day retreat. Ten days!!! No talking, no reading, no EYE CONTACT??? And it was one of the most important things I’ve done in my life. Twice. It was the same feeling I got when I signed up for the MS150- ride my BIKE 168 miles to Austin? I didn’t even have a bike!!
A few days ago my sister sent me this article. I got the tears-in-my-eyes thing. I knew there was no way I was going to do it, though. Come on. No buying new things for a YEAR?? No new boots? No Madagascar Spice scented Pacifica soy candles on sale for 50% off after the holidays? No new pot for the plant I’ve been meaning to repot but can’t because it’s too big for all my current ones?
No way.
But it’s unavoidable. My inner Jen, the one who thinks I need to do shit like rise up to challenges and improve myself as a person, wouldn’t let me forget it. So I’m doing it, but just for one month! The shortest one of the year. No that wasn’t intentional. I just wanted to do it soon and I wasn’t going to not allow myself to buy new things in New York when I go. Let’s be real.
So, as of Feb. 1, no new things aside from gas and groceries and other things that fall under “health and safety” category. The article said they were allowed to buy things like toiletries and underwear. Ummm, this may not be a specific enough boundary for me, have you seen what I’m able to spend on toiletries and underwear? If I get it at Sephora, does it still count as a toiletry? Do I need lace-trimmed mesh boyshorts for my health? (One might point out that even if I don’t buy new underwear for a year, I will STILL not need new underwear.)
I’m curious if it will be challenging enough, actually. 28 days of no new things? I’m used to putting things off until next paycheck anyway, how much harder will 2 paychecks be?
Famous last words?
I think the “try it for a month” approach is an excellent idea. I read an article in the NYT recently about a woman who vowed not to buy any new clothes for a year and how miserable that was. Maybe if you want to take this further, you could try something like that — a ban on a specific class of product(cosmetics, clothes, shoes, electronics) for a year.
I suspect that I am going to go six months without buying anything but gas and groceries, but that’s because I’m buying a house. I haven’t bought so much as a cup of coffee since I got back from Houston because every spare penny is going toward the down payment.
