With the 2019 holiday season quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror, chances are that many of our closets are visibly fuller, our recycling bins are filled with an abundance of broken-down boxes, and our wallets (digital or otherwise) are noticeably lighter. In recent years, I’ve come to view January as a time of post-holiday blues. The flurry of parties and get-togethers with family and friends have passed, gifts have been given and received, and returns or exchanges have been made. After everything, I can’t help but feel drained and absolutely tired of spending money. Lately, it feels as though everywhere I turn someone is talking about money and how they might spend it. I know that this is something I am guilty of too, of course – as a student with dreams of living beyond my current means, it’s not unusual for me to mention to someone that I’m saving up for a particular item or that I want to buy something.
Image from Pexels
When I was younger, it was exciting to talk about the money I had gotten for Christmas or for some other occasion, and how I was going to spend it. I would become fixated on figuring out how I was going to spend it all. As I have gotten older and more in tune with reality, however, I find myself increasingly turned-off by discussions about money and consumerism in general. Sure, I still love to shop and cash in my paycheque, but now instead of planning how I’m going to spend it all, I spend my time attempting (and often failing) to budget.
What really brought this to my attention this year was an answer that a friend gave me when I asked them if they were going to do any Boxing Day shopping. Simply put, they told me that their family made an effort to not do any shopping, other than for groceries or necessary toiletries, between Christmas Day and the beginning of the New Year. Between that and my own thinning wallet, I began to really take notice of all the advertisements around me that were constantly promoting consumption. It seemed at some points as if every other article on Buzzfeed was a list of products I “had to buy” for cooking, cleaning, skincare, self-care, fitness, and school. Flip over to Youtube and it was pretty much the same – my feed was flooded with content creators publishing videos about trips they took or their holiday shopping hauls. And don’t even get me started on the number of emails I received from brands and stores about their end of year sales!
Image from Pexels
As I begin this new year, I’m committing to cutting back on material consumption. While this may initially sound somewhat simple, let it be known that when it comes to stress and other negative emotions, I either eat or I shop…or I do both. Not exactly a great way to deal with my emotions, I know (it’s a work in progress, I promise). Moving forward, I’m going to go through the following list of reminders and questions whenever I want to make a purchase:
-
“Sales” are a marketing ploy – it isn’t actually a good deal unless I actually need it
-
There are different ways to redirect your emotions right now
-
Fast fashion is bad for the environment
-
Online shopping in general is bad for the environment, and I’m an environmental science student!
-
I’m on a budget, do I have room to spend this money?
-
My closet is full
-
Am I buying this [insert item here] to replace a finished or broken one?
-
Do I actually need this?
-
How many times will I realistically wear this item?
-
Do I already own items similar to this?
-
Where was this item made?
-
Do I have other clothing items that will pair with this one?
-
This costs $X, which is the equivalent of working Y hours – is this worth my time?
I’m hoping that this year, this is a resolution I can stick to. While it will be good for my own wallet, it will also lessen my carbon footprint. Ideally, it will also force me to be much more mindful about the purchases I make overall.
What are your 2020 resolutions?