linda may

I start the week feeling tired, out of my routine (see Week 3’s post here), and generally out of sorts. With the new evidence of my tendency to stress-shop, I attempt to re-commit to another week of not buying stuff, as outlined in my original post here.

January 22: I work from home, and eat lunch at home. I go to the Zero Waste store to refill our hand soap. About 3 years ago we stopped buying hand soap and dish & laundry soap in plastic jugs. We were using laundry “pods” or sheets, and then learned that there are still plastics in these products that don’t break down, so we switched to the bulk powder. As I go to check out, I see a tablespoon scoop that would be perfect for measuring bulk laundry soap. It is $3. Last time I was in, I chose not to buy it, thinking I had another tablespoon somewhere I could use. But the tablespoons I have, I use for measuring ingredients in the kitchen; I don’t want to also use them for soap since I use them for food. Nate and I even went to Goodwill to see if we could find a good used tablespoon, with no luck. I consider posting a request for a tablespoon on my Buy Nothing Group, but have not generally had luck with those requests. In the end, I decide to spend $3 to support my use of bulk laundry soap. This feels like a breach of the rules. But when I review the rules, I find “Exceptions: 2e. Ok to spend money to clean or repair stuff I use.” So readers, I ask you: is this a legitimate purchase or a fail?

January 23: Packed my lunch. Didn’t buy coffee.

January 24-25: I attend a training – free lunch and coffee both days! Have not purchased lunch or coffee all week so far and feeling virtuous.

January 26: Packed my lunch. On my commute to work I am very tempted – in my feelings of virtue – to buy myself an overpriced latte because it’s Friday and I’ve been so good! But I convince myself to drink Work Coffee. Which I think is just Folger’s. But, in defense of the Work Coffee, they do make it pretty dang strong.

January 27: Nate & I have our monthly $36 breakfast date. Somehow it’s only $34.50 this time! Later we meal plan, I place the grocery order, Nate picks it up, the kids help put the groceries away.

January 28: I have a shirt with the tags still on it that I’m fairly sure I won’t be wearing. I venture out to J. Crew, (I know, I know) thinking about how I could exchange it for something else and that wouldn’t technically be breaking the rules (but actually it might) and I am chock full of justifications in the event I see a nice, sloppy oversized sweater (it’s always the oversized sweaters that get me) and it’s really only luck that lets me return the shirt and escape from the mall without buying anything. I then go to Costco, where one could argue I am “stocking up” on food (organic black beans, diced tomatoes, chicken stock…). But I spend only $146 which everyone knows is a very frugal trip to Costco. (What was that I said about my strategy of not going into stores?)

Week 4: I spent several days feeling so virtuous about my food spending, yet the week was bookended by two irrefutable instances of shopping, in a store, for stuff.

Am I really only 8% through this year? Readers, am I going to make it?