This year went by so fast … In January, I was worried about how giving up my psychological crutch – compulsive shopping – would turn out. Now, 10 months in, I’m pleasantly surprised how well it went. Granted, I had a few slip-ups, and not everything went according to plan, but overall I’m quite satisfied. Not the least compared to 2019 when I wasted so much time and energy (and also money) on online shopping. I’m glad I pulled through even after slipping up and feeling like a complete failure. Wonderguy has been rooting for me from day one and I’m thankful he supports me – even though he’s no fan of my book budget, thinking that 50 Euros is simply not enough 😀
Enough with the pleasantries, it’s already November which means it’s time for another update on my Low Buy adventures. Let’s get started 🙂
Preparing for a special day
Since my birthday is in early November, I refined my wishlist in due time so that IF someone would ask me about possible gifts I was prepared. Something along the line of ‘yes indeed, I’ll send you a link’ though not that bluntly (of course, I was that outspoken, I’ve been jotting down wishes all year …). Gathering further inspirations and looking for specific items from my wishlist I was back spending time searching various online shops.
This brought back memories from last year, when I spent days in front of my computer hunting down bargains, thereby wasting precious lifetime and also money.
Scrolling through various websites and finding items that I liked – mostly clothing, but also shoes and bags – made me long for a time when a bit of shopping once in a while would be okay again. Because in the end, it is. No matter how much I would love to become a minimalist like the ones on Instagram and Youtube, I’m not one of them. I like having a certain amount of things to chose from – be it books, clothing, or washi tape (don’t ask!).
And that’s okay. It’s okay to own a certain amount of things and it’s okay to purchase something new (or pre-loved, for that matter) once in a while. Just not daily, impulsively, without a second thought. Keeping a wishlist and sticking to it helps. So does taking a look at what one already has. And I’m glad I’m relearning this.
Shop ’til ya drop – theoretically speaking
Taking a look at my closet and my wish list I kept in mind that I didn’t want to put any financial burden on the people I love just because I’m on a Low Buy. So whatever wish I had had to be practical and affordable. What kept popping up in my head that I thought I could make good use of? Things I couldn’t buy this year even though they had already been on my wish list for a while, like clothes or accessories. Eventually, I settled for two short cardigans (I only own long ones) and a bag I’ve had my eyes on for a long time.
As of writing, I already got the bag and one cardigan, and I’m delighted with both items. Yes, I already own more than enough bags. No, I didn’t NEED any of this. But as stated before, I’m coming to terms with finding my very own interpretation of what ‘living with less’ means for me. And it might be a tad more stuff than what I see on IG and YouTube. I’m still not sure what will come of it, but it may take more than just a few months to find an answer. Until then, I’m doing my best to stay in my Low Buy spirit … 🙂
So many books, so little budget …
Honestly, books were my Achilles’ heel AGAIN this month. Overdrawing my 50 Euro book budget for roughly 30 Euros, it’s safe to say I failed tremendously. What makes things worse, I didn’t even realize this until the second to last possible day, October 30. I simply forgot to keep track of how much I spent on books in October. This is a telltale sign that I didn’t take my book budget seriously AT ALL …
To tackle this issue head-on and thwart any last-minute laissez-faire on my Low Buy journey, I decided to not buy any books at all in November. This isn’t meant as a sort of punishment but rather as a financial and tactical countermeasure. Buying too many books by mistake does not support my Low Buy goals, so by not buying any at all I will respect my Low Buy again. Does this make sense? I hope so 🙂
What’s up in November?
I got several birthday girls and boys in November, though not all will get gifts, I still have to get something nice for a number of them. Therefore, NOT shopping won’t be an option, no matter my intentions. But apart from birthday gifts, I got nothing coming up in November, and since I also won’t spend time in bookstores, I’ll have a lot of time at my hands.
Working on my thesis is my main priority this month. I want to finish my first draft this year and I still got one chapter left, so I got some work ahead (technically, it’s three, but I plan to write the introduction and conclusio at the end of everything …).
Thanks for stopping by! I hope everyone is getting through the current situation in the best way possible. Stay safe and take care!! 🙂
