When 'not buying things' leads to more shopping...

I'm just over a week into my year of not buying 'things', so time to reflect on how it's going so far.

Strangely enough, one of the conclusions is that a decision to stop buying unnecessary stuff can lead to buying more stuff in the short term, but with a more positive outcome! When I decided to set myself this challenge, it was the beginning of the summer holidays and I decided that it would be better to start from the beginning of September, once things were back to normal and the kids were heading back to school. Also we were going on holiday and it felt a bit harsh to say I wasn't allowed to buy anything while we were away. So I had a few weeks of knowing that this was the last chance to spend.

I'm pleased to report that I didn't go too overboard in those last few weeks, but it did focus my mind on all those things that I'd been meaning to do but hadn't quite got around to. For the last eight months I'd been promising myself a new pair of running shoes, but hadn't quite got around to it, as it meant setting aside some time to visit a specialist running shop. Knowing I had a deadline meant I made it it a priority, and before we went on holiday I bought my new running shoes. 

Another question we'd been debating for a few months was whether to buy new blinds for the bedroom to replace the rather faded curtains and a blackout blind that wasn't working. Again, I made it a priority to visit Laura Ashley and pick up samples, and work out the cost of new blinds. In the event I decided that it would be too expensive, so in the end I bought a new black out roller blind to replace the broken one - job done. I also bought a new rotary washing line to replace the one that was falling to pieces, and ordered some bulbs for the garden to be delivered in September. Normally I get around to ordering bulbs in November, then scrambling to get them all planted before it's too late. And finally over the bank holiday weekend with the deadline looming, I ordered a new running jacket with money given to me for my birthday in the spring.

So the first conclusion that I've come to is that a decision to stop buying stuff for a year can lead to a focus on what you really should be buying in the short term. Or maybe I should conclude that normally I'm just not very efficient...