So I have always loved the idea of living a simple lifestyle as a minimalist. Maybe in a tiny house or live as a traveling nomad in an Airstream or a tricked out van. The traveling Nomad dream will have to wait a little bit but my simple lifestyle can start now.
It seems so cozy to be able to enjoy moments and cherish time rather than material things and be bogged down to constantly declutter, clean and reorganize all the time. I don’t own much as it is, but I still feel like I am busting at the seams. I have moments where I get angry and purge my whole room (I still live at home for now) and get rid of clothes or rearrange everything I have in my tiny space that I occupy. Often times I rearrange a clothes drawer and find shirts or pants that I forgot I owned, or I venture into my closet and find little trinkets that I don’t remember buying.
As of January 1st I am deciding to go on a ban. I recently read a book called The Year of Less by Caitlin Flanders. My best friend recommended it to me since the author of the book is a writer, loves books and sort of goes minimalist… all things that hit close to home for me. (I’ll write a review on the book when I finish it)
What I have decided to do is go on a shopping ban, pay more of my debt off and continue to save as much money as I can to eventually buy a house. I don’t have a lot of debt and I have been told to keep what I have because it is good for your credit, but I want to be free of all burdens, materially and financially. I currently have around $4,100.00 in debt. This isn’t college loan debt (I never had a loan) or anything else, it is simply consumer debt. I figured, like Caitlin Flanders, if I make this sort of public, it will help me to stay on track.
Again, I am not a shopping addict or anything of the sort. I actually hate shopping. But I do have my moments that if I go into a store for one thing, sometimes I end of spending way more than I wanted to. For example, Target. I LOVVEEEEE Target. But I can go in there looking for one thing and end up spending hours in the cheap, dollar section that tempts you when you walk in and I walk out with a huge receipt. Or I have extra time on the weekend and walk into the surf shop to get my usual, sex wax air freshener and I end up buying clothes that were “on sale” that I didn’t need.
Barnes and Noble, or any bookstore at all, is a weakness of mine as well. In the past year, I have purchased so many books and my “to-be-read” pile has significantly grown taller in size. My current count of unread and halfway started books in my “to-be-read” pile is 43… FORTY-THREE! Now THAT’S a serious problem. I know I will eventually read them but I need to get on this right away and get my head in the books like I used to do all the time. Now life, work and Netflix has been taking me away from reading… NO MORE EXCUSES! But also… no more buying books until I finish all 43.
I am separating my needs from my wants and starting my ban to help me reflect on simplicity and live a happier, less cluttered and stressful life. Like Caitlin Flanders, I will make rules of what “I can” and “I can’t.”
What I’m allowed to shop for…
- Items on approved shopping list
- Gifts for others
- Food for work lunches, but not every day of the week
- Toiletries and cosmetics, only when I run out
- Acupuncture/ Massage Therapy for Dance injuries and rehab
What I’m not allowed to shop for…
- Books
- Journals
- Surf shop jewelry/ clothes
- Dance/ teaching or workout outfits
- Random makeup I think I will use but I won’t
- Clothes or products I see on Instagram and think I need
- Socks (I have WAY TOO MANY)
- Random Target finds
- Michaels crafts
- Shoes
- “Going out outfit”
- Bikinis
Approved shopping list…
- Dance shoes, only if mine are dead and worn out
- Incense, only when mine is finished have no more
- Normal Sex Wax Air Freshener
- Kombucha
- Vitamins/ prescriptions I take on daily basis
- Camera lens (need to invest in this for work purposes)
- Hair products, only ones I currently use and know works
- Moleskine refillable pen tips
- Occasional movie/ painting session with friends
- Travel sticker for suit case if I travel somewhere
- Dance shows
- Travel
I will probably keep adding to these lists, but I am on a mission to save, minimalize and pay off. I will post my struggles, updates and conquers regularly on here as well. One year. One challenge. HERE. WE. GO!
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You got this girl! I’m with ya. Starting with no more buying clothes I don’t NEED. As in if it ain’t broke, tore, full of holes & stains, then don’t replace it!
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