In a piece by Ann Patchett published in the New York Times, Patchett tells the story of her friend who made a conscious decision that she had enough stuff.  For one year, her friend did not buy shoes, clothes, jewelry or purses.

About a month ago, I read Patchett’s piece. The idea of a year with no shopping has been swimming in my head ever since.

I cross-posted it and met Facebook friends that wanted to try it, too.

After weeks of thought, I have considered what a year of no shopping means to me. These are my rules for 2018 (although, I’m starting today, Christmas):

• I will not purchase clothes, shoes, accessories, purses, or jewelry.
• I will not purchase anything I do not need. Yes, I realize “need” is subjective.
  • This means, I will use up the shampoo in my shower,  my guest shower, and under the bathroom sinks.
  • I may purchase two Dream Tint foundations at Lunatic Fringe during the course of the year if I run out of what is currently in my makeup drawer.
  • I just bought 2 BLINC mascaras and have an unopened Maybelline Big Lash in my drawer. Therefore, I should be able to manage with what I have.
  • I may purchase hair product, but only from the salon.
• I may purchase services for myself and friends.
  • Self Care is essential. Therefore, I will keep my Align Spa membership and continue to add upgrades.
• In regard to gifting, all gifts wil be:
  • events, memories, or experiences
  • consumable (like a dinner or a bottle)
  • or, a book
• Now, about the dogs — this impacts them, too.
  • They will, with my help, be more conscientious about toys, including tennis balls.
  • We do not need any additional toys. But, I will continue, obviously, to stuff KONGS with treats.
• I can buy plants and flowers for the yard, but I cannot purchase yard art or pots.

To accomplish my goal, I am doing the following:

Hitting the UNSUBSCRIBE button from every retailer (even the ones I REALLY like).

• Recycling catalogs instead of bringing them into my home (even J. Peterman).
• Avoiding the seasonal aisle at the market.
• Wait one week before purchasing anything that I think I need (ex: vacuum). If I wait a week, I may find that emptying the bag on my old Kirby is just as effective.

I believe these rules will work for me. Choose your own. Then, together, let’s see how much time and money we save.