Saturday, July 12, 2008

Not Buying It

Since I am focussing on money this week I thought I would share a great book with you - 'Not Buying It' by Judith Levine. As the name suggest Judith set out on a quest to not buy anything - for a year. Now not buying anything (apart from necessary groceries and in Levine's case, renovation materials) may seem a little drastic but when you think about it, if you were to be locked in your house right now for a whole year all you would really need to be supplied with in order to survive would be fresh food and water. To make things a bit more comfortable you would also need a few toiletries. But other than that everything else is superfluous.

Now for me, and I'm guessing for most people, this would prove very difficult. It was for Judith too (and yes, she cheats a little). But the point of the book (or at least what I took from it) was that when it comes down to it, we do not buy out of necessity, rather, we buy out of habit. In a lot of cases the vast majority of what we buy we do not need or really even want. We buy because someone (advertisersing agencies, celebrities, the Joneses) tells us to. I know myself that I can walk into a shopping centre not wanting anything and yet as I wander past the shop windows I will begin to think to myself 'yes, I really could do with some new black heels- just like those ones there. And look they're on sale. I should get some now while they are cheap. That way I'll be saving money'. Believe it or not, this is how my brain works. I do not need new black heels. Yet, within about 15 seconds I will have gone from not needign something, to wanting it, to convincing myself I need it to justifying a purchase by saying it will actually save me money. I would now be about $150 poorer. I would now feel a bit of a high. But it would be temporary. And it would not fulfil me, it would make me feel guitly for spending , in the end it would make me feel depressed.

This cyclic reaction - temporary high, financial guilt, depression is exactly what the marketers want us to feel. Because once we are back to depressed we want that high again and the easiest way to get it? - Buy something!

I don't think not buying anything for a year would be a good solution for me. Drastic changes would be more likely to make me rebel or crash and burn. But, I do plan on instituting a less stringent vesion of Levine's plan. I'm going to stop buying things on impulse. As far as shopping goes, here are my new rules:
  1. When it comes to groceries and toiletries, make a list.
  2. When it comes to impulses, just say 'no'.
  3. When it comes to "needs/wants", wait.

I think there is still a place for buying things we don't really need - i.e. 'wants'. Things like books, clothing and entertainment items are all important for our happiness. They enhance our lives in other ways by educating us and expanding our mind, making us feel confident, beautiful or professional and allowing us to socialise. All these things make us happier. But they could definitely be cut back on. Books can always be re-read, swapped between friends or borrowed from the library. You can always wear last season's clothes or not buy 'trend' pieces from the start but classic well-made items that will last for years. Catching up with friends or family can be cheaper too. Picnics in the park are free. You don't have to eat out- you could always eat in. Livign frugally or simply is the answer. And simple, frugal living is one of my long-term goals.

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