In 2004, writer Judith Levine also went a year without shopping. She and her husband Paul were much stricter than we have been: no spending on movies, music, theater, restaurants, and no “Pre-Approved Purchases” list. They allowed themselves expensive French Roast coffee and wine, but no packaged or processed foods. They live in New York […]

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 […]

The year is off to a rough start. A snow and ice storm is blowing into the Pacific Northwest just as my father calls to let me know my mom was admitted to the hospital for heart problems. My parents live about 5 hours south, and I want to drive to be with them. But […]

Well, I’ve done it now. I committed to a year of not buying stuff, and reporting to you weekly whether I’m sticking to my resolution. Deep breath! Here is my progress so far. January 3rd: Deleted the Poshmark app from my phone. No more stocking up on makeup and sunscreen. January 4th: Immediately recycled Stitch […]

I have this weird shirt in my closet. First of all, it’s a mock turtleneck, which I hate. Secondly, it’s a strange shade of tan, or peach – upsettingly close to my skin color, and third, it’s one size too big. I purchased it on a whim during a slightly frantic impulse shop in October. […]

It was January 2021. I was on a Zoom call with my whole team, listening to an incredible leader say all of the things I knew my team wanted to hear. Her speech was inspired, and affirming, and we had all waited so long to hear someone in her position say all of the things […]

Even the term, “work-life balance,” seems a bit unbalanced. As though our lives are half work, half life, and all we have to do is juggle the two! Actually, our lives have many aspects: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, financial, occupational, environmental, spiritual, creative – each of these areas is an important piece of the whole […]

In a word, yes. During the months of November and December, we get to continue to manage our everyday lives while surrounded by constant reminders to shop. We may be preparing to host guests, prepare large scale holiday meals, decorate our homes inside and out, and meet competing demands to attend holiday events, where we […]