Year of Less Consumption: Report #2

Slipping

It turns out that in the wintertime I crave two things: carbohydrates and unnecessary purchases.  Nothing brightens a dull winter day like a trip to Target to pick up some miscellaneous items like clothing, accessories, or household decorations. 

I gave into temptation the other day when Bill and I went to Target without Nathan.  It seemed like a special occasion because we were alone, and I felt like buying something to commemorate the occasion.  I can talk a big game about less consumption, but I still crave that high that comes from new acquisitions (and carbs).

That day I bought:

• Some pajama bottoms: They are so fun and bright and winter-fighting!  I swore I would not buy pajamas, since I'm getting by just fine with my old standard pants and free giveaway t-shirts, and it's not like anybody ever sees them, but it's just ... I just ... I get so sick of the usual pajama bottoms over and over and over again.  It's not even like I change my general pajama wardrobe seasonally like I do with my daytime clothes (Nathan's term); I just wear the same pajamas year-round. 
• Two pairs of socks: Again, fun and bright!  And my other socks were mostly getting thin and/or holey, so I guess it was okay to buy more.  Each pair was on sale for $1.50, too.
• Pens: They're PaperMate InkJoy, which promises to make writing "effortless."  I imagine the Great American Novel will just pour out of me, now that writing is so effortless, and then I can easily justify the purchase of a $5 pack of pens.  But seriously, I swore I wouldn't buy pens anymore.  I have plenty of pens, both ones I paid for and ones I got free.  But, as you know, I'm a bit picky about my pen choices, and all the ones I had were irritating to me.  You can't be making grocery lists and conducting other important business with irritating pens, right?  

A few days later, I gave into my shoe urge and bought myself some knock-off Toms at Payless.  (They're the Airwalk kind that also gives a pair of shoes to a third-world country whenever you buy a pair.)

Then, while at the grocery store, I bought these flowers:

Aaand ... these flowers:

And it's not like I'm saying that any of this constitutes extravagance.  It's just that I'm disturbed by this strong urge I have to still buy stuff.  I truly didn't need any of the above-mentioned items.  A real minimalist would have been able to find 6 other ways to use something she already had before buying new stuff.  

I know, I know, these things take time.

Meanwhile, I'm going strong in the reusable department.  I'm rocking the cloth napkins, and I'm getting more and more comfortable with dishtowels as a substitute for paper towels (in most situations).  I have been saving the paper sleeves from Starbucks cups, and I saved the plastic sheaths that the flowers came in.  Also, I am almost exclusively using cloth shopping bags, even at non-grocery stores, which I still find a tiny bit embarrassing.  Leia says pish-posh: