on not shopping

[tamaranth]

I gave up shopping for February. I don't mean I am not spending any money: food, drink, cultural outings, postage are all continuing as before. And I may have to extend 'consumables' to include padded envelopes -- I mostly recycle, but for Amazon Marketplace sales I'd rather not.

But non-shopping means that when I had a massive craving for toffee, I didn't go out and buy any. (I do have wonderful friends: two deliveries of toffee occurred!). And when I read a good book I don't immediately log onto Amazon to get the next one. (but I did get an Amazon voucher as my leaving present from Werk, and am slowly filling my shopping basket, ready to click 'Proceed to Checkout' on 1st March.)

Things I have wanted to buy and not bought include:

• a waterproof bin for the bathroom


• toffee


• intensive conditioner for hair


• the sequel to The Lady Tree by Christie Dickason -- said sequel confusingly named Quicksilver


• a pair of earrings to go with my snaky gold necklace


• a white wicker screen


• more hyacinths


• a printer (for Amazon Marketplace packing notes, mostly)


• A Companion to Wolves -- Monette and Bear


• a really thick sweater

... and that's just the ones I am keeping in mind for March.

Comments

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

and that's just the ones I am keeping in mind for March.

Doesn't that defeat the object? I mean, if you end up 'saving up' your purchases for the following month, surely over the course of a year you end up buying the same amount of stuff?

Maybe I'm missing the point of the excercise?

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think I will end up buying everything that I had an urge to buy: I think there are things I wanted one day and forgot about the next, and thus haven't made it onto the list. And I'm not entirely convinced I will buy all the things I listed, either. I clearly don't need them urgently. (And my toffee-craving has faded away!)

Part of the point of the exercise is about not giving into every impulse. Part of it is about separating want from need. And part is analysing my pattern of shopping-impulses and seeing what lasts. (That Amazon order, for instance, has changed several times, with things being removed as well as added.)

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was a bit bemused by this until you explained the aims more clearly. I'm absolutely certain that list is shorter than it would've been if you'd actually bought everything you considered this month. And it is a lot easier to pick out the things you need, rather than actually want; I'd say the bin, the conditioner, the printer and the sweater at the very least. Going without those just because you wanted them in February would be a bit silly.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

The point is to Not Shop. I spent far too much of last year worrying about expenditure to want to do that again for fun! For the first time in quite a while I have disposable cash and I wanted to see where it went -- and where it might go if I succumbed to temptation.

What I've got out of this so far is that there are very few Shopping Impulses that last!

I may continue this in March but give myself leeway for things that (like toffee) cost less than £1. Or I may go back to 'if I can buy it in Tesco it counts as groceries' :)

Cannot believe how cheap printers are getting! If I carry on not buying one, they should cost about £5 by the time I get around to it ...

also, A Companion to Wolves has dropped £2 in price since I first added it to my basket. So clearly I am meant to be patient.

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Cannot believe how cheap printers are getting! If I carry on not buying one, they should cost about £5 by the time I get around to it ...
But by then the ink/toner cartridges will cost over £100 each!

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

printers are now a device for moving a printhead; as an original cartridge with the right ink and printhead is what gives you quality printout rather than smudges and weird colours, you have to price the printer by the cartridge it will take.

Second-hand padded bags; I use them for Amazon with a great deal of packing tape (£2 for 5 rolls at CostCo) because I can't bring myself to through them away. If anyone ever complains I will offer to donate the cost of a Jiffy bag to charity on their behalf...

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

recs for cheapest cartridges?

All my second-hand padded envelopes get reused, usually for Bookmooch: they've usually been recycled several times by the time they reach me! I'll reuse for Amazon if it's in reasonable nick but suspect an investment at the pound shop (£1/5) may be worthwhile.

Also, you have a Roomba I believe: do you know if the cheaper versions now available are any good? Have checked online but you may know anecdotal evidence ...

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

I just go HP for quality and Lexmark for wireless printing and whatever it costs it costs.

we have a Roomba; we are on our second, not because the first one failed but because we wanted one with a UK power supply. they're excellent. when you say new cheaper version, do you mean from iRobot or from other companies? as I have no experience and doubt they have the same quality - iRobot spent years making industrial cleaning robots and they have significant robot experience too, NASA and elsewhere. Roomba prices have come down - our new one was about £150 at CostCo and is fab. Send me a link to the model and I'll give you my honest highest praise ;-)

We're selling the older model, if you want third refusal after Wendy and Bug ;-)

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

'cheaper versions' = other companies. I can get a Roomba for £129 (http://www.johnlewis.com/230416869/Product.aspx), an iHoover for £70 (Amazon, who say nothing about it at all), misc. similar products between £50-£800 ... iRobot seem better qualified from your description!

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

OK; other products may have decent vacuum sucker, but what you're buying with roomba is something that has intelligence enough to cover the floor well, cover the whole room, know when it's clean enough, go back to recharge automatically, be easy to clean out. that's the robot side of it and is non trivial. I wouldn't waste money on the lookalikes.

unfortunately, John Lewis stock a very old version. The new one is available direct from Domotech for £199 http://www.domotec.uk.com/roomba_robot_cleaners/roomba_530_robot_vacuum_cleaner/10078_p.html
The same model is at Costco for around £150. when you want to buy one we will introduce you to Peter who is mad and has a Costco card and we will go to Costco ;-) Want you to meet Peter anyway, he's mad in a very good way (pegged my energy/style very quickly and cracks me up utterly).

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

eee, Costco!
Should be up for buying it sometime soon (but not til March :)) so let me know when is good for you and Peter.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Have never declared a no shopping month (or even day), but life with a shopophobic has trained me to test impulses by saying, Yes, I'll buy it if I can be bothered to come back another time. Works surprisingly well.

If you want padded envelopes, a generous supply of slightly used ones is one of the two perks of my job. (You know the other.) I get far more than I can recycle. They're a bit manky now as they're only in season from March to September, but let me know if you ever want to place an order.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

The 'if I can be bothered' works pretty well.
And yes, I'd be only too happy to grab some envelopes from you!

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Do you want me to bring them next week, or will you wait till your next trip to Cambridge?

I have lots of A5 size (ie the size of a flat sheet of A% paper) and smaller. The bigger stuff has mostly gone now. Lots more expected on March 5th, unless everyone suddenly adopts electronic submission