Hello ladies,
Well, i have a confession. i almost gave up on this group. i was crackin’, y’all, crackin’. But then, for no reason, out of the blue, i decided to finally get around to watching this video jon white told me about, like, a year ago. this video: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ Have you seen it? Despite the fact that the woman talks like she’s talking to little kids, the whole thing really convinced me that we do, indeed, need to stop consuming so much stuff.
So, rather than give up on the group, i will confess my difficulties and the one or two new items i have decided to let myself buy soon. i will also tell you how i’m going to amend my plan and then try to follow it for the rest of my life!
I have determined that i need a new pair of dankso clogs. my old ones are not completely worn out (that will probably never happen), but they’re too worn out to get by wearing to work anymore. buying dansko clogs is a good move, i think, because for one, they are the most comfortable shoes i’ve ever owned, and two, they may never truly wear out.
i also might buy a new pair of snow boots. i don’t own any snow boots and i walk to work every day. i also am a lot more sane when i can get out for walks. last winter it was really hard to go for walks on the snowy days and it was hard to walk to work on those days too. i need snow boots. i am very willing to buy them used, i just have to find them. if anyone finds decent used snow boots for sale, let me know. i’m a size 7.5.
While i’m confessing I might as well tell you all i also bought a new bra (mine were all worn out) and a stainless steel water bottle (which I determined I needed after smashing my third glass bottle).
So, now for my new plan. actually, it’s not very different from our plan, but it’s a little less strict on the whole nothing new thing (since i’m talking about the rest of my life here). when i do buy new things, i’m going to try to only buy the best quality, and i’d like to try to figure out how to buy mostly things that are produced locally as well as sold by independent merchants. that’s tough and it won’t always be possible, but i’m going to at least look into it and try to find the things that are produced closer to home and with the best environmental and worker conditions possible. (i don’t think i’ve truly considered the full ramifications of this idea and how hard this will be yet. for example, i just realized that this means i probably shouldn’t have gotten my bra from victoria’s secret. does this mean i’ll have to buy all my bras and underwear at that birch store? probably. i don’t know. i have a lot of research to do i guess.)
So, for christmas this year, since i am not too crafty and trying to make things will certainly not make my life more simple (and i have to have gifts for everyone in my family–that’s how we do it), i am going to commit to buying gifts that are sold in independent, local shops and ideally those that are produced as close to home as possible. i’m going to try to opt for gifts of food, tickets to events, and gift certificates to restaurants or salon/spas when possible so as not to contribute to my relatives’ amounts of “stuff” in their lives.
i don’t know what to ask for from my family though. they love stuff. i get mostly things i never wanted and will never use, which is why i actually give them a list usually (it really helps reduce the “crap”). but i can’t ask them for only local gifts or gift certificates to stores i approve of as they don’t live around here. i’d love to just ask for cash. maybe i can ask them to all go in on one bigger thing i’ve been wanting … i’ve got to think about it more …
alright, that’s it for my thoughts for now.
peace,
Sarah
