Shopping Ban Update: 10 Months and New Perspectives

Time to talk about the shopping ban! It's been 10 months, can you believe it? There have been four main things I've learned from this experience, so I'm gonna go ahead and share those with you today:

Time Management is Hard 

I don't think I needed to engage in this project to figure this out, but, yep. Time is a factor in anything you try to do, and in the beginning of this project, I was trying to make a lot of my food rather than buying pre-made stuff. Welp, as soon as school started, this just started to really not work out. I've since reverted back to using pre-made stuff. However, I do use my time instead to participate and two organizations and an academic major all geared towards making the world better, safer, more just, and more sustainable, so I think the trade off there is more than fair.

The main lesson here was that this project taught me to appreciate all the time, effort, and resources that goes into preparing food products. This was a nice thing to learn, and a good way to learn it, because I actively used my own time, effort, and resources to produce lots of food, especially in the beginning.

This project also taught me a more personal lesson just having to do with my priorities and what I need and want to spend my time doing. I think that attempting to do this factored in to a larger understanding of how I organize my time. This has also been useful knowledge as I continue being a mini adult, and something I'll definitely write more about in the future.

I've Got More Power Than Just Buying Power! 

This project was conceptualized to help me avoid producing waste and participating in harmful systems of capitalism and consumption. While this is a noble goal, I think changing my personal habits is just one step to take. I also need to participate in collective action aimed at achieving the things I want for the world. This means being a part of organizations, campaigns, outreach efforts, and protests. These are all things that I do, but I think the main takeaway I got from this project was that rather than see my power as coming from my ability to choose what to buy or not buy, I need to step outside the role of consumer and instead become an active citizen, engaging in action to change systems, instead of just removing myself from them. 

I want to make sure this message is clear here, too. Power does not just come from choosing to make deodorant, instead of buying it. It also can take the form of protesting or boycotting the deodorant companies until they use sustainable packaging and remove breast-cancer causing chemicals from their formulas. Not everyone has access to the time and resources needed to make their own deodorant, which is why DIY and consumption limitation are not real solutions to the larger problems. Thanks to a combination of the shopping ban and some really great classes this year, I was able to learn this and share it with all of you. 

Buying Things is Silly 

Sometimes, buying things is not necessary. There are lots of things I was able to find for free or borrow or trade for. Other times, I just adapted to doing without certain things, and you know what? I am not any less happy than when I began this experiment, just for having to do without certain things.

Thus, my conclusion that buying things is silly.

Not Buying Things Feels Nice and Great

Yes, yes it does. I know everything that I own, and I use each item often, or else have gotten rid of it. It's a really pleasant feeling: I often have this sense of having everything I need. I don't feel that anxious desire or need for something new nearly as often as I used to. I have heard people buy things to fill a void. How ironic it is, then, that I feel I have come closer to filling that void just buy refusing to buy things. Instead, I have a strong sense of gratitude and appreciation for everything I own. It's really nice and great :) 

What began as a yearlong project will probably continue as a more permanent way of living. I have really enjoyed the shopping ban and the way it makes me feel, and I can't really imaging going back to how I lived before it! 

So, tell me what you think below in the comments. And if you've ever undertaken an experiment or lifestyle change like this, let me know about it! 

Love, 

Madeleine 

photos: 1. whooli chen 2. Bexelbee

Shopping Ban Update: Month Two

   

  The shopping ban continues… bringing plenty of adventures with it! I still have successfully not bought anything on the list of stuff I can't buy, and it honestly is really not that challenging! The things I have bought this past month have been approved food items and DIY supplies, and that's all.

     Recently I realized that I really enjoy the shopping ban because when I see something I like and want to purchase, like a poster or cute pair of underwear or whatever, as long as it doesn't fit into one of the approved categories, I don't even have to think about purchasing it! Before, I would go back and forth in my head, thinking about how nice it would be to have the thing but how the thing is expensive and buying the thing isn't sustainable and the thing isn't going to give me any actual fulfillment and so on. The daily tennis match that occurred whenever I logged onto Etsy is now happily over. Not shopping is quite relaxing! 

    I also have really enjoyed not being able to buy new clothes because it is making me get more familiar with and more appreciative of what I have in my closet. I'm also much more sure of what I wear and what I don't, which is making it easier to get rid of things as well.

    Early in August, I had a dinner party at my parent's house, and served all my friends some delicious food. I was cooking literally all day, since I made it all from scratch, but it was all really good, and worth it to see other people enjoy what I'd made. Another thing I'm enjoying about the shopping ban is that I'm eating pretty healthy and whole - limiting yourself from most packaged foods has a wonderful effect on your diet, as it turns out! 

    One thing that's been surprising and delighting me since I started the shopping ban is how easy it is to find stuff for free. I've gotten free underwear, free candles, free produce (check out those pear slices up top, heck yes) and lots of free kitchen items, to name a few things. Free stuff is everywhere, especially since everyone has so much stuff, they're constantly getting rid of it! Buying things is looking less and less necessary these days. Also, public libraries are the BEST THINGS EVER. I've gotten so many great and wonderful books from the library lately, and none of them has cost me a cent. Yay!

     I do have one thing I'm still stuck on, however. I have not tried out any shampoo/conditioner alternatives yet, and since most of this month will be filled with travel and then school starting, I probably won't get to try one this month at all. However, I do have a few DIYs up my sleeve, so when I try them, I will report back on the results. Speaking of DIYs, I made candles! They are awesome and were very easy to make, and I'm planning on showing you all how I did it in an upcoming post. I also made a text banner, as you see above, declaring "Satan is my homeboy". One thing you might not know about me is that I can't resist a good Satan joke! I made it to decorate my wall rather than buying a banner, poster, or something else for decor. It was very fun and easy to make!

    I didn't do much grocery shopping this month since my parents are back in the house right now, so I did not track my food purchases as planned. However, I will begin to do so when I move into my apartment towards the end of the month. I'm in the midst of packing up all my things as I write this post, and I'm so excited to move in and really put the food aspect of the shopping ban into greater action.

   On the whole, this has been a really good month of no-shopping. I'm realizing that I find it very relaxing to not buy things. I made several gifts for people's birthdays, which they seemed to appreciate, and I feel no need to purchase anything on the don't buy list! Life is good :) I hope the next month goes just as swimmingly. What do you think of all the points I've just made? Would not being able to buy things be relaxing and simple, or limiting and stressful? Why? Let me know what you think! 
                                                                         Love,
                                                                             Madeleine
Photos: Both are mine, the first one is a pear that I sliced up that came from our pear tree (it was delicious!) and the second is a banner I made to decorate my wall and add a little humor :)

Shopping Ban Update: Month One

    So, it's been a month since I bought anything on my list of things I am not allowed to shop for, which basically means all I've bought this month has mostly been produce and processed items I can't make myself. 

     This month has gotten me into the swing of doing a lot more cooking and baking than I'm used to! I've made bread so that my parents will stop buying prepared bread, and every sandwich tastes so much better now. I've made muffins from scratch, lots of salads and pasta dishes (the pasta was pre-made, I don't know how to do that yet), and caramel candy. I've also made peanut butter, which is a real triumph for me, since I didn't know if I'd be able to make it or not. I'm literally making granola as I write this post, and my next recipe to tackle is homemade Oreos, because I sure do miss 'em!

      One thing I really enjoy about cooking and baking so much is that I can share what I make. I've been bringing extra bread and baked goods to my friends when I visit them and I made dinner with one of my friends last night. It's so fun to share food with others! 

      I also went to the farmer's market in the town I attended high school in for the first time ever! It was really fun and I got some delicious produce, including carrots, so that my parents don't have to buy those ridiculously fakey "baby carrots" anymore. It struck me how much more of a social experience shopping at the farmer's market is compared to shopping at the grocery store. Things I did buy at the grocery store included some produce but were mostly raw ingredients, like flour and chocolate pieces. The only processed foods I recall buying are a tub of yogurt, packages of tortellini, cheese, and a can of beans. 

      I went thrift shopping twice this past month, once to get some new inventory for my Etsy shop, and another time I took a girl that I nanny there just for fun, but I ended up snagging some great tupperware to use in my apartment in the fall! 

     One thing I am struggling with is the issue of washing my hair. For now I have full bottles of shampoo and conditioner, but I'd like to find a suitable alternative to buying more when it runs out. I've been washing my hair less often than usual and smoothing it down with coconut oil rather than the the store-bought oil I used to use. I've been rubbing baking soda into my scalp as a form of dry shampoo, which works quite well! However, I'm still in search of shampoo and conditioner alternatives. My hair gets pretty oily, so only using water, as some people are able to do, is out of the question for me. I tried baking soda and vinegar last year and absolutely hated the way it made my hair look and feel, so that's out too. I've heard that some people use raw honey diluted with water to wash their hair, and I haven't tried natural shampoo bars yet either, so those two are on the list. Does anyone know of any shampoo/conditioner alternatives I might try?

     Another thing that's proving to be a challenge is the fact that I can't buy gifts for anyone anymore. I keep getting great present ideas in my head and then remembering that I can't buy them. Fortunately, the idea I had most recently turns out to be pretty simple to make at home instead, and much cheaper, so my friend is going to get a lot of it for her birthday! In a way, I'm really glad I included this rule in my shopping ban. It's forcing me to be more resourceful, learn new skills, and give more meaningful gifts, all of which are my desired outcomes. 

     Overall, the first month of my shopping ban has gone really well! It's challenged me to cook new things and be more resourceful about where and how I purchase things. I think that in August I would like to track my food purchases more closely, just to see what packaged and prepared foods I still buy. I will also be sharing lots of recipes that I try, so expect some more of those! And wish me luck with the next 11 months! 

                                                                                        Love, 

                                                                                            Madeleine

Photos: 1, 2

Minimalist Adventures: Why We De-clutter In A Materialist Culture

   Yep, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I've got too much stuff. Does anyone remember the article I wrote on this exact topic last year? Here I am, still on the journey of purging and de-cluttering. Since setting my noble goal to get rid of 75% of my possessions, I've done quite a bit of chucking things into the Goodwill pile. However, I also did a fair bit of acquiring new things, which slowed the process down a bit. Thankfully, with the institution of the shopping ban, the steady flow of stuff has slowed to a dull trickle. 

   While my consumption is so limited, I'm taking this excellent opportunity to evaluate the things I do have and toss out more of what I don't need. I've already made considerable headway this month. I've gotten rid of about one garbage bag full of stuff! 

      But you may be wondering why I am choosing an existence which might seem austere to some. I'll give you three good reasons why I'm de-cluttering when everyone else seems to be - well - cluttering:

Stuff Takes Time and Space and Money

    This might seem confusing at first, but once examined, this concept is simple. Let's say you have 76 articles of clothing. Each of these items takes time to care for - washing, folding, putting away, repairing (if you're thrifty like me!). Each one takes up space in your closet. And each one took money to purchase and takes money to wash and care for. The less stuff you have, the more time, space, and money are freed up for you! 

Stuff Makes You Unhappy

     Not kidding, this has literally been proven. Possessions stress you out! And with all that time, space, and money you spend on them, it makes sense that they would. What really gets to me is clutter. It's an eyesore, it makes any room feel smaller, and it's just not fun. What if you could spend all the time and money you use to care for, acquire, and house stuff on something else that could really make you happy, like spending time with friends or traveling to new places? That would beat a pile of stuff, any day. 

Lots of Stuff Makes Moving Super Annoying! 

   This last one is rather specific, and it's mostly on my mind because I'm a college student, so I'm in a period of ongoing transition. Every few months I move out of one place, into another. And it sure is easier to move when you don't have as much stuff to pack up. In May, when I was preparing to move out of my dorm, I packed up a lot of my stuff a few weeks early and sent it home. It was all stuff that I did use occasionally, but I new I wouldn't NEED any of it in the last few weeks of school. What I discovered was quite liberating; all that stuff was mostly just useless crap. I had sent off most of my clothes, and suddenly it was so easy to get dressed in the morning. A lot of the things I'd kept in my desk were pretty much useless. Needless to say, moving back into my parent's house for the summer was much easier once I got rid of many of these things. 

   If you're wondering whether I did ever get rid of 75% of my stuff, the answer is: I'm not sure but I doubt it. I realized very quickly that quantifying that sort of thing was not for me. In an upcoming post, I'll give you some tips on getting rid of your crap. Until then, I hope this helped and that you may consider a lighter, less cluttered life :)

                                                                                    Love, 

                                                                                        Madeleine

Photos: 1

Rules For My Yearlong Shopping Ban

      I am banning myself from shopping for a year. Yep, that's right, come July 3rd, 2016, I will be able to shop again. But until then, I will not be allowed to purchase anything that goes against the rules! This shopping ban idea is heavily inspired by a similar plan adopted by Cait Flanders at Blonde on a Budget, so if you like this idea, check out her blog for more. So, let's dive in, shall we? 

     I have four main goals in mind that I hope to achieve as results of this shopping ban. First, I hope to consume less, create less waste, and tread more lightly on Earth. I also aim to gain new skills and a new degree of health by not ingesting processed and plastic-encased foods. I also want to become more resourceful - seeking out solutions to problems that don't simply involve buying something - and more mindful of what I consume. Finally, I want to learn to appreciate what I have and take my life's focus off consumption, appearances, and things. Without further ado, here are the rules: 

Things I Am Not Allowed to Shop For: 

- Most* processed/packaged/frozen foods

- Cosmetics and some hygiene products

- Clothes, shoes, and accessories

- Gifts for others

- Electronics

- Cleaning products and laundry detergent

- Books and magazines

- Basic kitchen supplies (plastic bags, tin foil, etc.)

Things I am Not Allowed to Buy New:

- Dishes, pans, pots, kitchen utensils

- Decorations/household items

Things I'm Allowed to Shop For: 

- Specific groceries: produce, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, ingredients for recipes, and a few other things (sourced as locally as possible!)

- Medicine/pharmacy stuff

- Raw ingredients and DIY supplies. 

- Household appliances/electronics

     As you can see, this is basically a yearlong experiment in making as much of what I need as I possibly can. 

      I put an asterisk next to "Most processed/packaged/frozen foods" because there are some foods I will need to buy that come in packaging, like the occasional meat product and cheese, since I don't think I'm ready to make that myself. There are a few things in the gray area, like yogurt and peanut butter, that I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to make or not. I will also not be buying any basic kitchen supplies like plastic bags or tin foil (unless I do need them for a DIY, in which case they fall under the category of supplies) to practice cutting down on waste, which means I will need to find other ways to store my food! 

      I wrote "some hygiene products" down because I recently found a bunch of recipes online for shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and the like. I also already make my own deodorant and exfoliating scrub, so I'm going to challenge myself to make as much of my own hygiene products as possible. However, I'm not absolutely binding myself to using homemade toothpaste or shampoo if it doesn't get the job done right. Additionally, I will not be buying any cleaning supplies or laundry detergent! I have a friend who makes her own detergent, and I've read in a number of places that all you need to clean your house is vinegar, so I think this will be fairly easy. I'm also not buying any cosmetics for the whole year! This is not a huge deal, because I usually don't wear any makeup anyway. I will miss mascara, but I can live without it. 

    "Gifts for others" also made the cannot-buy list, for two reasons. First, the custom of gift-giving, to me, represents the deeply ingrained materialism in our society. Instead of spending quality time with each other, we give others material things to represent our connection. That doesn't fly with me. I'd rather give someone yummy food and a meaningful experience rather than just a thing. Secondly, being a Jack-of-all-trades, I'm crafty enough to make my own gifts. If I really want to give someone a thing, I can make that thing myself. Handmade gifts are also much more special because of the time and thought put into them, so I think they will be more well-recieved. 

     Now, how to keep myself accountable for this…. Well, that's what a blog is for! Aside from adding tutorials for all the DIYs and recipes I try and approve of to the blog, I will also be keeping a couple lists going on the tab I have added marked "Shopping Ban". One list will include things I want to buy once July 3rd 2016 rolls around, and one will be a list of things that seriously tempt me to break the shopping ban. I plan on doing an update post every once in a while just to let you all know how it's going, and that's when the lists will get updated too. The Shopping Ban tab will also link to all posts tagged "Shopping Ban 2015-2016", so you can see all my updates in one place. 

     Alright, well, that's all I have to say. Do you have any suggestions or thoughts on what I'm doing here? Have you done a shopping ban? How was your experience? Let me know down in the comments! And wish me luck!! 

                                                                     Love, 

                                                                        Madeleine