Buy Nothing Day

I used to hear more about Buy Nothing Day years ago than I have recently, and as a result I've missed observing it a few times.  This year it's November 25.  It's a pretty cool idea, just to raise people's awareness about consumerism, which is sure in the air these days.  My variation is Buy Nothing Month, hopefully.  Not NOTHING nothing, but no clothes, not even second hand clothes.  I certainly don't need anything, and it's mostly an attempt to break the habit of incessant shopping.  Sadly, disappointingly, I use shopping as a mood enhancer.  Even if I don't buy anything, which I usually don't, I like a stroll through the mall after a busy day at work, or a trip to Value Village on the weekend when I'm feeling in need of some invigoration.

So for the month of November, I'm not buying any clothes, even those little cheap cheer-ups like socks and undies.  I'm allowed to browse, but no buying, because like I said, I don't need anything.  Honestly, I don't even want anything.  My problem is that I have a "one of everything" mentality, especially at the thrift store.  A pair of pants in every colour, a blouse in every pattern...  I have to remind myself that I don't need one of everything; I'll always have favorites that I want to wear, then there will be things that I like the idea of owning, but I just don't wear much.  Those are the things that I buy when I'm bored.

Anyway, we'll see if I make it through a couple more weeks.  And after that, it's the dreaded holiday shopping season!  If anything can turn me off shopping, that could do it!