NOT BUYING IT: MY MONTH WITHOUT SHOPPING

WHAT I KNOW

I once read that to be a good writer, you should write what you know. This is what I know: I gave up shopping for the month of February.

I’m 31 years old and as much as I try to be self-aware of my own spending habits, I can’t live without gourmet coffee and new jeans. Sometimes when I’m running late, I’m too lazy to take the subway and I call an Uber. I never leave Target without buying a bag of things that can only be described as a “boredom mood purchase” that I don’t actually need. When I’m in my office and my made-at-home lunch disappoints me, I buy something else. And I have clothes in my closet that I’ve only worn once (and in some cases, not at all).

Years ago, I came across the book Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine. And though it took me almost a decade to actually read it, the concept stuck with me from the first day. Judith, accompanied by her husband, decides to embark on a radical experiment: to forgo all but the most necessary purchases for an entire year. No gourmet coffee, no clothes, no fancy dinners out, no makeup, no frivolity- all in thanks to a combination of their shock of mass consumerism and the dwindling of their own personal finances. Not to mention their guilt over the trash-strewn earth thanks to overconsumption and production. I know this sounds like a real downer, guys, but trust me it’s an informative read.

This past January, my dear friend Danielle- the ray of light behind the blog A Sequined Life– mentioned to me (over a cup of that gourmet coffee I keep referencing) that she was considering doing a month of no shopping in February. I immediately wanted in. I viewed this as an opportunity to tighten my own belt, finally give this “not buying it” mantra a try, and it would be a social activity because I could do it with my friend. Win, win! Hopeful that others would echo our excitement, we opened up participation to the Boston Blogger community, and the response was greater than we could have hoped.

WHAT I DID

On February 1, a group of over 30 of us embarked on our newly defined journey, aptly titled #NOSHOPFEB. We shared our progress, our triumphs, and our occasional lapses over social media and via a group email chain. Everyone who participated defined their own parameters, but the general gist of being more mindful of spending was set in stone for all.

My parameters were as follows:

• No purchases in the categories of clothing, beauty or accessories
• No lunches out
• No coffee shop coffee (my coffee maker at home was fair game! A gal’s gotta survive.)
• No Ubers

Seems simple enough, right? I figured I’d breeze through the quick 28 days, perhaps reflect on the amount of times I was tempted to make a purchase, and move on. What I wound up with, however, was a very enlightening and self-reflective experience. No shopping proved to be a pretty easy assignment. The only instance where I was tempted to cheat was over one weird pair of paper-bag waist cotton twill pants that I can only assume was me having some sort of out-of-body withdrawal moment.

This month was my coming to terms with the amount of STUFF I own. Just stuff. Everywhere. SO. MUCH. STUFF. A lot of which I don’t use and isn’t a necessity. And for those things, I gave myself the span of #NOSHOPFEB to either find an actual use for, or donate to someone who could. And as a result, #NOSHOPFEB will always be remembered as the month I wore a frickin’ tutu on Valentine’s Day and a piece that can only be described as a “velvet bathrobe” out to dinner. I documented the ridiculousness of these daily outfits on Instagram stories, but here are a few of my favorites:

Top: LOFT circa January 2017│ Skirt: LOFT circa 2012│Boots: DSW circa 2016, previously worn HERE                                            Robe: Target circa │ Denim: LOFT circa 2016 │ Flats: ShoeDazzle circa 2014 │ Necklace: BaubleBar circa 2016

Denim: Levi’s circa 2016 │Top: LOFT circa 2015 │Jacket: Nordstrom circa 2010│ Glasses: c/o Warby Parker                                Jacket: Gap │ Overalls: Gap │ T-Shirt: Zara previously worn HERE │ Sweatshirt: Primark │ Booties: Sam Edelman

WHAT I LEARNED

• Is it surprising to hear that my wallet benefited from #NOSHOPFEB? Of course not! But It was a great way to remind myself that $20 here, $5 there, and an “oh but it’s on sale!” purchase all add up to a figure that’s actually impactful to my personal monthly bottom line.
• Let’s get real about shopping. Fashion is a part of my life- personally, professionally and in my educational background- and so it’s just going to be something I do. The hope, after I spent a month shaming myself on all of the things in my closet that I’ve under-used, is to be a lot more aware when I shop in the future. Holding myself to better determining need vs. want, and remembering what I already have to choose from, is the ultimate goal before making purchases in the future.
• Hello, free time! Some of the others who participated in #NOSHOPFEB echoed having a similar experience, but I was really surprised at how much free time I felt like I had this past month. I really don’t go shopping all that much, but browsing online, window shopping, and reading daily store emails- I didn’t bother with any of it. And my life felt less cluttered, less busy, and more relaxed.
• Shopping your closet is actually fun! I’ve talked about this concept before (you can read more on that here), but I had a ball finding a reason to wear some really treasured, long-forgotten pieces in my wardrobe. And I plan to continue to do so, even if it’s just for my husband’s commentary. (He loathes the overalls and his response to the tutu outfit was one for the books.)

WHAT COMES NEXT

In a few weeks, the #NOSHOPFEB crew will be joining together for a swap and donation party to wrap up our experience. Over bites + bubbles, we’ll all share the story of our journey and collect items pulled right out of all of our closets for donation to charity.  This experience has been enjoyable, informative and inspiring. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by so many women who not only were up to the challenge, but are also willing to turn this into something that positively impacts those who may be in need. Feel free to reach out, if you have any questions or are considering giving something like this a try. I quite literally cannot recommend it enough.

And don’t forget to check out the other participants on Instagram for more on their experiences.

@achicvoyage @afashionfix @amodestlife @asequinedlife @ashleyvbeine @bluebootsgo @champagne_thursday @cmcinthecity @d_mobley @elizabethev @emilyshell @gretsky126 @iceberghaha @jenfirshe @klassicallykaytee @kristinbassett @kristylyons @lyssmmm @mystyletales @nishatnguyen @primandpropah @sassyysaraa @shaunagallagher @sixfeetinheels @speedy2ac @thechroniclesofsheel @aline_aesthetic @alexbyersays

Be mindful. Wear you are now.

xx

Natalie