horoscopes know best

Here we have it, advice from the stars.

Gemini
May 21 - June 21

Monday, June 22
You could be tempted to buy some rather nice or expensive things for yourself right now. But if you've given any thought to changing your spending habits lately, now would be the perfect time to start. And you might want to take the opportunity to sort through your whole financial picture today.

retail therapy

I have suffered a complete relapse into retail therapy having bought in the last few days a hat, a webcam and an MP3 player. I might be able to persuade myself that the webcam and MP3 were essential, but there is no denying that the hat was pure retail therapy. I am also contemplating a DVD player, though if I wait until July I can take mine up to Enderby and for 20 bucks I can have someone tell me if it is fixable. So now that i have written that down, I have given myself a reason to wait.

old habits die hard...

...or maybe new habits are hard to acquire.

Having stated that I definitely don't need new shoes, it started to become obvious to me that I needed a black pair in the same style as the white ones I wear a lot, so I bought some. I think I might have been wrong about that as I am suffering shopper's regret. I also bought a pair of reading glasses but those I am happier about. And I ordered a bunch of books today, but one should own books I think. I also bought a toy for a child, but I think sucking up to my nieces and nephews is pretty essential so I can have someone to look out for me when I am decrepit with age, so its more like an insurance policy.

On the plus side, I have survived an airport and a trip to Zeller's without buying anything and more importantly, with the exception of one bag that would be perfect for my little computer, not even tempted. Progress yes, now if only I had not worn the shoes.

rules vs mindfulness

I said in my last post that as I lack willpower, I had best have rules. I have been rethinking that after talking to Mags who pointed out to me that as a sociological experiment, rather than trying to go another year, it is more interesting to see the kind of effect (if any) that the year has had on my shopping habits. This let me to think about rules versus mindfulness.

Rules make things easy. You know what the rules are and then you don't need to think, you just follow them as best you can. Last year I didn't really have to ask myself whether a purchase was worthwhile. The times that I broke the rules (except for Kim's b-day present mere days into the year) presented themselves to me as unavoidable rather than as deliberate choices.

Giving up the rules, in contrast, requires a certain kind of attention to the specific context. It requires asking of myself whether something is worth buying-- about the costs and benefits. Yesterday I tried on a hoodie--in the most spectacular shade of pink--which I did not buy. It was made in Canada, so no exploited labour to factor into the costs. It was cotton which unless organic, and this wasn't, has an environmental cost. But the main thing is that its benefit was pretty much nil.

Not that I actually thought about precisely these things. What I did think was that despite its being about the most lovely shade of pink I have ever seen, the last thing I need is another hoodie, especially one designed (as most of them are) for a much younger body. I once would have bought it, for the colour, and even for the imagined possibilities of a slimmer me, and it would have languished in the closet or been worn around the house on weekends. And it would have languished in good company.

The other aspect of mindfulness is developing good habits--a kind of aristotelian excellence applied to shopping--to become the person who doesn't even try on the hoodie and wish she could buy it. To become the person who is not even tempted.

There is a second reason for preferring mindfulness to rules. It would be pretty hard to escape the fact that we live in a world structures by trade relations and pretty naive to think that I could avoid complicity just by buying only second hand stuff (beyond what I put in my mouth). Outside of living in a barter economy, which I don't, every penny I spend, whether at a garage sale, VV or the grocery store is feeding back into the general economy. Anyone who doesn't opt out is complicit. The appropriate response to this is surely not rules, but rather being mindful about where one's money goes. Shopping at my local organic store instead of safeway, buying from 10,000 villages, making sure my coffee is fair trade, supporting the things I think make the world a better place, like the New York Times and Bitch magazine.

And there is a third reason, perhaps. Maybe its ok to think about what makes my life go better. For instance, I really want an mp3 player. It would seriously enhance my life. Or books. While I will continue to buy them second hand and make use of the library, sometimes, there are books that fairly beg to be bought by me.

So no more rules, just better habits.

hiking boots

I had intended to write about not buying anything, just to prove to We Willy that I can. But alas....
I did a shoe inventory and decided that while on most fronts I can probably go years, my hiking boots are toast. Today I spent a very frustrating two hours at MEC trying on boots before finally buying a pair that I hope will work and which cost a ridiculously large amount to money. Apparently all hiking boots come in a B and my feet are EEE so there is a mismatch.

On the plus side, I did not buy a stretchable hiking skirt at MEC, nor did I buy a shirt. Also this week, I did not buy a pair of dress shoes. Or rather I did buy a used pair at VV that will be good enough.

It is time to go back to not shopping. It seems that I lack will power and so must rely on rules.

bra shopping

I went bra shopping at Sears. I went there to buy socks (definitely needed) but they lured me in with a sale on bras. It reminded me of how awful shopping is. I had to wait 45 minutes for a change room since everyone ahead of me tried on dozens. I got lucky on the second hit, though now 4 days later I am not sure that I like it. Of course despite the awfulness of shopping, I still managed to buy a skirt--definitely not needed. I came away without the socks which seem much less necessary when I think about having to brave Sears again to get them.

I also bought a book with the gift card that I got last year for my birthday but couldn't use.

I calculate that in the three weeks since my year ended I have bought 6 things. At this rate I can expect to buy a hundred things by the end of the year. Must do better.

More shopping, but in a restrained kind of way

Chris and I went to get him a desperately needed pair of shoes and some socks that are not white sports socks, the latter less desperately needed, but still....

I resuscitated my Bay card because it was worth 10% off today and promptly went off to check out women's shoes. But I couldn't do it. I kept thinking about the shoes already in my closet about why I don't really need any of this. This makes me very happy. Still, I have yet to fall hard for a pair and when I do.....

A quick retrospective

I have just been looking over my year and two things come to mind. First, in both my first post and my most recent, I mention resisting buying a purse. Is it a coincidence that both were orange? And perhaps it is worth noting that I already own three orange bags, at least one of which is kind of trendy (though not "What Not to Wear" trendy).

The second is that I talk about shoes a lot. I must have 3 dozen pair (low by many people's standards) and still often can't find an appropriate pair to wear. Today for instance, what can I wear in the rain with my cheap but trendy, and more relevantly reddish, second hand coat? The red sneakers one might think; but with the sock shortage, I am reduced to wearing blue socks and I just don't know about that combo.

Writing all this down, it strikes even me as ridiculous.

Other things noticed, I never did use the yoghurt containers nor the ironing board. In fact I recently got rid of some of the shirts bought last year at VV because they need ironing (and are kind of ugly). I think I need to bring the second hand shopping under control as well, though this year has been pretty good for that also.

In which I shop

I broke the barrier and went shopping. I was at a conference in Moscow Idaho, and went to the mall with Del (I was staying with her for the weekend) and her sister Amy. I bought two pairs of jeans, a pair of reading glasses (in my defense I have lost two pairs and chipped one this year) and bought a conference t-shirt and hat for Chris and a conference t-shirt for Del as a thank you present.

I also acquired from Del a suit and a pair of cords. This should mean I won't need to buy work clothes next year. And I found a coat at the Sally Ann. Exactly my size and kind of trendy--cheap version of what they would tell me to get on "What Not to Wear".

More importantly. I walked away from all kinds of stuff most notably a stunningly beautiful and amazingly trendy bag that would go fabulously with the suit that Del gave me. It had the capacity to turn me from dowdy to trendy. But who needs trendy, right?


More impressively, I walked away from some lovely wooden flamingos. See attached photo.

I also bought a pair of underwear, which I desperately need, at least pending some mending. Actually, I desperately needed them to wear that weekend, but made the mistake of buying some tie-dye ones (at the same fair where the flamingos were) and apparently they need to be washed first. I kind of regret buying them because it seems pretty clear in retrospect that it was all about the tie-dye and not really very much about needing new underwear.

I do desperately need socks. But the bonus is that I won't need dusting cloths for quite some time. Here is a picture of Chris holding some of my new dusting rags.

Ok, I regret the tie-dyed underwear but otherwise I'm pretty sure I bought things that I could reasonbly describe as needed.

I have also since coming home bought a DVD as a birthday present for my niece. So I think that maybe this week I have bought as many things as I bought in the past year.

It is clear that I need a principle to regulate my shopping, so I will be looking for one that limits the permissible. (I can't believe how protestant I sound here.)

That was a year?

I could shop today. My year is up.

In spare moments over the past few days I have been wondering what next? I don't want to return to shopping as usual. That would seem a waste. Reading Judith Levine makes me realize how easy my project was so my protestant hair shirt side tells me--do more, make it more stringent, don't buy anything but food. But that was her project and probably lacks point for me, other than the intrinsic attraction of seeing oneself as wearing a hair shirt.

If the point of not shopping is to become more attentive to what one does and does not needs, then I think I have already done that. (Hence the name change to immaterial girl). I have discovered that I need to buy books. Buying Spanish books was my one big failure. And I need books for work. And once in awhile, I just need a book before the library has it. Until most books start to be available electronically, I'm going to buy books. But I don't need to buy the newspaper. It's ok to read one's news late. I would like to start buying a couple of magazines that I support ideologically. But I can live without the rest.

I need to buy either socks or a darning needle and some wool. I need a decent pair of jeans, though "need" perhaps may be a strong word there. It is very easy to buy shirts, jackets, coats at the Sally Ann or VV Boutique, but not jeans--or really any pants. Work pants I expect I could get a a consignment store, though I would like to get one decent pair before Fall 2010 when I have to teach again. But jeans--the staple of my wardrobe--don't tend to survive the wearing process.

I want to be able to buy presents for children. I missed that. Christmas was ok shopping second hand, but sometimes I want to just buy a kid something that they actually want. I figure since I have no kids to look after me when I am old, I had best suck up to the nieces and nephews, so I am bucking for favourite aunt status.

I would like to be able to buy some music--maybe even an ipod. That seems like a big step.

I need a pair of dress shoes. One well chosen pair would last me the rest of my life.

Chris needs things--desperately.

So, I am going to do a bit of shopping. Three pairs of socks, maybe a pair of jeans. Lots of books for work. A birthday present for Kim. A darning needle and some thread. And I am not going to hold Chris hostage to my choices. But I do want, overall, to keep going. A year is not enough.

April

Less than four weeks to go.

I had to buy five Spanish books this semester for my class and a tie for Chris to wear to a funeral. I was able to get a Spanish exercise book second hand and erase all the answers, though I will soon needs a new eraser. Also my hard drive died and they sent me another. I didn't buy it because it is under warranty, but still it counts as a new thing in the world.

We have become adept at tapping into what others don't want. Bill gave us a spare bodum, my mom sent tea towels she didn't need, John had a phone he wasn't using and I found some more sheets in the back of the cupboard. In January I went to a reception downtown at Nexen Oil as part of a hiring thing and was telling some people there about my project. I mentioned that I was learning how to do things the old fashioned way again and as an example mentioned that because I don't have a steel and can't buy new knives (a bad habit I had got into) I have relearned how to sharpen a knife on the bottom of a mug. One of the women from Nexen, Rhonda, said that she has a spare steel and would I like it. I accepted and she asked what else I needed. Not wanting to be a mooch, I thought I would mention something ridiculous so I said that the vet had suggested I get a bigger litter box. Oh, she said, I have several that I don't use and my husband has been bugging me to do something with them. What size would you like? So the next week, at our next reception, Rhonda brought a steel and a large cat box for me. Igor was thrilled, especially because Rhonda tossed in a few cat toys that she no longer needed.

The downside of the year is that all my socks are wearing out, though I do have a line on some darning wool. I have lost the button off two pairs of jeans so I now move one button back and forth between three pairs. All my underwear have holes, though I could mend them since they are all on the seam. I did have a find in the shape (literally) of the jacket that has been hanging in my office for many months, which turns out to be a fitted women's jacket, not the eighties style men's jacket that I recall leaving there. I wish I had muffin tins but some will turn up when garage season starts again. I am almost out of pencil leads but I think I have accumulated enough scrap paper from the recycling bin at work to last a life time. We have kicked the paper towl habit--though it was a bonus when a roll turned up when we cleaned out the trunk of the old car to give it away.


It has all been going so smoothly that I had even been thinking that I may never shop again. And then I went to the mall.

Chris was going for a haircut and I decided to go to the library and hang out until he was done. The quickest way to the library is through the mall. By the time I had window shopped my way to the end of the mall (and it's a small mall) it was time to go back and get Chris and I had lust for shopping in my hear. I was positively drooling over the new spring greens in Reitman's. I felt oddly consoled that they didn't have my size in the cardigan.

I have taken up watching "What not to wear" and alternate between being charmed and appalled. They turn everyone into clones, but those clones wear what would be ideal for me for work. My friends at work were getting so tired by mid-Feburary of my one jacket that they threathened to take me shopping when my year was up. I did do a bit of thrift shopping in Vancouver in Feburary and found a jacket and a sweater to expand the wardrobe a little.

I read Judith Levine's year of not buying anything. She and her husband were hardcore--buying only necessities-- so no eating out, no bought entertainments and no second hand buying. I can't see going that far. One thing I enjoyed this year was spending more money on plays and things because I wasn't spending in on other things. It seems to me to be a mistake to give up consuming things like entertainment and food. We need trade to survive, but we should trade things that don't create piles of cheap, useless, ultimately unwanted stuff.


I am undecided what to do next. I think I will definitely go back to buying books. I have missed them a lot. But perhaps I won't go back to buying newspapers and magazines. I have become accustomed to having my news a day late and sometimes not at all and libraries have magazines. I do have my eyes on a pair of shoes that would be perfect to take to Nicaragua if we go next year, but then again maybe not.