What’s wrong with me?
December 7th, 2008Over the last few months I have started to NOT LIKE shopping. Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while will know that’s crazy. I love to shop. Just in May I did a layout about my love of shopping.
What’s changed you might ask? I contribute it to two things. Firstly I’m enjoying being a home (for a long time I shopped to get out of the house, esp. when the kids were young and before I got my home organised). Secondly, we converted to a CASH budget a few months back and I don’t like parting with my money any more. Using a credit card was so much easier.
Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy shopping if I’m buying things I’ve planned and budgeted for. But when it comes to browsing or “shopping for fun” I’m just not into it. On Friday I had to get some groceries and was looking for a few Christmas presents and I just could not get out of the mall fast enough. And we won’t talk about how I feel if I need to put something on credit card – because I forgot the cash or it’s something for Christmas (which is already over budget).
When we bought our new mattress and kitchen table last week I was happy because they were both items we’ve been wanting/needing for ages. The mattress we paid for in cash and I’ll have saved up the money for the table by the time it arrives in mid January (without touching our emergency account). We have NEVER, EVER done this with big puchases and it is such a GOOD feeling.
This weekend the kids are away and Kevin & I were wanting to go out and do something. We went to the movies on Friday night, watched movies at home yesterday and today were going to go shopping (just for fun). We still may but I really don’t want to and I don’t think I’ll enjoy it (esp. if we spend money of extra things we don’t really need). We were trying to remember what we did before having kids and basically we did movies, out for lunch and shopping. No wonder we got ourselves into debt. In trying to decide about shopping today I thought I make a list of what I need to buy – but it’s only a few more Christmas presents so we don’t really need to go to a big mall to do that. Anyway, we’ll see. It would be good in a way to get all the Christmas shopping complete before the shops become unbearable.
EDITED: We ended going to see a movie – Four Holidays (using tickets we had been given), getting Kevin a long overdue haircut and buying some lunch at the food court. Kevin kept asking did I want to go in this shop or that shop but I didn’t. Unless I have a particular need I just don’t want to shop. I definitely entering a new phase of life.
Libby, can identify completely with not enjoying shopping anymore. I think for me a lot of it is to do with having cleared out the clutter, I now don’t want to buy more “stuff” again as a lot of what I decluttered I couldn’t even remember why I thought I needed it when I bought it!
DH and I like to just go for a walk together now instead of shopping, especially if its near a beach! Hope you enjoy your childfree time whatever you end up doing.
Hi Libby, when did you start budgeting and what prompted you to organise your house? how did you start organising and what is your biggest tip? thanks ……..
Yes the idea of just “shopping” for the sake of it is quite unappealing to me now. Pre-kid, Mum & I used to spend every Saturday shopping, and more often than not I’d buy something whether I needed to or not..
Thanks for stopping by! It’s so great to hear from someone else who is doing BFL. I really love it, and I’m determined not to be derailed by the holidays. We’ll see how that goes!
Thankfully, I can still eat what I want 1 day a week.
Love your scrapbooking!
~Heather
I am with Briget and the clutter thing, that is how I feel too……..Mannie never likes to shop so that was never in the cards for me. Sounds like a great weekend!
Hi Libby,
I’ve been going back and reading though all the posts at Down–to–earth and today I stumbled upon this one.
http://down—to—earth.blogspot.com/2007/10/living-small.html
It really relates to your post today
me too. done with it. it’s a weird shift … b/c we’re so brainwashed … but it’s a good one. i try to buy nearly everything at local shops now, both to save my sanity and to help boost the local economy. forget this mega mall box store stuff! it’s ruining us here in the States!
Yay! I also don’t like shopping, Libby. But if I have a list, I’m happy to shop. I also don’t mind shopping online, if I can find the exact ‘thing’ I’m after.
But browsing, or ‘social’ shopping – nuh-uh. 