Stop me before I shop again
Sometimes, buying something seems like the easiest solution. Your 8-year-old comes home on Thursday afternoon and mentions mid-dinner that, oh, by the way, tomorrow she’s supposed to bring something for the class bake sale. At 7:15 on a weeknight with the weekend finally in sight, the prospect of running to the supermarket and picking up a box of cookies is downright appealing.
But you know what? When this happened to me last week, going to the store didn’t even occur to me. I was halfway through spooning out cookies onto a baking sheet before I even thought of the shopping alternative. For me, it was a turning point, a moment where I realized that I’d actually escaped in a small way from rampant consumerism.
Buying is easier than making, for sure. And buying is fun, if you don’t think so, just go roam the sales aisles at Target. But buying stuff, especially when you’ve already got a house full of stuff, can be a problem when you’re aiming to green up your life.
It’s taken me a good five years to get to the point where I don’t automatically grab my debit card to respond to a problem, but I’ve inched my way toward buying less. Instead of running to the store to stock up on socks, I keep a mending basket by the couch and do a little old-fashioned darning in the evenings. Instead of heading to the store when we run out of Pirate’s Booty, I bake cheese straws with the kids. Instead of buying a fancy new centerpiece for a dinner party, I experiment with different recycled jars. Every time I am tempted to hit the store, I ask myself “What would I do if I couldn’t shop?”
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with buying things now and then. In fact, I find that now that I’m buying less stuff, I’m much more excited when I do buy something. My children are more appreciative of new toys than their
friends who get a new toy every week. And I remember how much I like all the stuff I already own when I force myself to use it instead of something new.
Though I’m seriously considering stocking the freezer with cookie dough for last-minute bake sale emergencies.
- Lucy
I had kind of the same epiphany this year. With the economy crunch hitting our household just as hard as anyone’s I have been cooking at home a lot more. I used to love cooking and was fervently passionate about making menus and so forth. Three kids later, I had completely lost my will to cook and was the first one in line at the local drive-thru on busy weeknights.
Being forced to cook, however, has had a renewing affect on me. I find myself really looking at what I feed my family and remembering how much love and thought I put into my meals. Believe it or not, I have found a sense of balance in preparing the food that we eat whether it be making rice-a-roni or making gnocchi from scratch.