Re: Could You Go Without Shopping For a Year? (Exc... - Page 8

Isobel Archer · ‎04-04-2015

@Cakers3 wrote:
@Isobel Archer wrote:
Not sure how I feel about this article. It feels somewhat judgmental and preachy - we all have too much stuff, shouldn't be so greedy, etc. And yet, she makes the point that she didn't stop shopping in order to give more to charity or to have more time (she says shopping is a time waster) to volunteer to help others, so I'm not sure what the moral is suppposed to be - except that shopping is somehow "bad" for us.

And she "made her own rules" about what she'd stop buying. It was fine to buy whatever was in the grocery - including flowers. Plane tickets and eating out were likewise fine. And while she clearly ackcnowledges she could have used libraries she didn't stop buying books - because she writes - and sells books after all and certainly didn't want to encourage others to hurt her personal business interests (as she also freely acknowledges). So again, the shopping ban apparently had little to do with "needs" versus "wants."

So the halt of rampant consumerism seemed to be directed primarily against clothes and make-up.

It's just always interesting to me when people want to extol their virtuous living habits and tell the rest of us unwashed what we really "should" do - if we want to have the "good life." Simplification is great - hey so is exercise and eating right and giving to charity and helping others etc. etc. etc.

I will definitely consider this as I make my New Year's Resolutions.

@Isobel Archer She stopped because of her disappointment of the end of 2016.
I stopped reading after her billionaire remark.

Yes that bothered me as well. Which is why I found it judgmental and preachy. Of course it's fine to continue to buy books - because that's how she makes her money - and she certainly has no problem with increasing her income - despite her disdain for others pursuing greedy money making activities. And she's not about to give up the good life of travel and eating out, having fresh flowers, etc. etc.

Cakers3 · ‎06-17-2015

@Isobel Archer wrote:
@Cakers3 wrote:
@Isobel Archer wrote:
Not sure how I feel about this article. It feels somewhat judgmental and preachy - we all have too much stuff, shouldn't be so greedy, etc. And yet, she makes the point that she didn't stop shopping in order to give more to charity or to have more time (she says shopping is a time waster) to volunteer to help others, so I'm not sure what the moral is suppposed to be - except that shopping is somehow "bad" for us.

And she "made her own rules" about what she'd stop buying. It was fine to buy whatever was in the grocery - including flowers. Plane tickets and eating out were likewise fine. And while she clearly ackcnowledges she could have used libraries she didn't stop buying books - because she writes - and sells books after all and certainly didn't want to encourage others to hurt her personal business interests (as she also freely acknowledges). So again, the shopping ban apparently had little to do with "needs" versus "wants."

So the halt of rampant consumerism seemed to be directed primarily against clothes and make-up.

It's just always interesting to me when people want to extol their virtuous living habits and tell the rest of us unwashed what we really "should" do - if we want to have the "good life." Simplification is great - hey so is exercise and eating right and giving to charity and helping others etc. etc. etc.

I will definitely consider this as I make my New Year's Resolutions.

@Isobel Archer She stopped because of her disappointment of the end of 2016.
I stopped reading after her billionaire remark.

Yes that bothered me as well. Which is why I found it judgmental and preachy. Of course it's fine to continue to buy books - because that's how she makes her money - and she certainly has no problem with increasing her income - despite her disdain for others pursuing greedy money making activities. And she's not about to give up the good life of travel and eating out, having fresh flowers, etc. etc.

@Isobel Archer Agree. It was her political disappointment that had her "evaluating" her spending, not her friend's coat. The whole article was based right from the jump about 2016. Nothing more.

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh

MoJoV · ‎10-01-2010

@handygal2 Thank you for that interesting article. I am a shopper. I enjoy looking at things,touching fabrics etc. I try to keep things in check,though. Sometimes I won't buy something I really wanted and instead give the amount it would've cost to one of my favorite charities. It makes me feel good. I like this idea of not buying,I might try it.

Trees are the lungs of the Earth

esmerelda · ‎03-10-2010

I haven't read the entire article yet.

Was there a suggestion of doing this for moral reasons? Would it still be worth doing if money not spent wasn't donated to charity? If you replaced a regular shopping trip with taking a nap or visiting friends?

There must be a lot of halo polishing going on out there.

I doubt I've ever taken on a challenge because it was moral. Maybe. But I can't even think of something that would qualify.

Whatever money I save by not shopping I might pile up and put it (or leave it) in the bank. The time I save...I might read more.

I don't know that there has to be a moral reason or result for every action taken in life.

*********************
Keepin' it real.

halfpint1 · ‎03-10-2010

I was going to until I saw the Skechers at a reasonable price and some Quacker tees too. I am old and it is something to do since I am also a widow. But I do not care for the styles nowadays and designs. Also the prices. Only problem no room and I need more plastic boxes to put the clothes in. But I am going to try after Jan 1.

CAMOGIRL · ‎09-14-2010

Simple one ... no!

-Texas Hill Country-

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

I decided today I will not shop at the Q or any shopping channel for 1 year. I even cancelled all my auto deliveries today.

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@SharkE wrote:
I went a week one time.

I did too! And today I caved and bought 2 sweater tops!! I honestly don't think I could do a whole yr....and I really don't want to!

willdob3 · ‎11-01-2010

@handygal2 wrote:
The author of this article has gotten through all of 2017 so far, without shopping for anything except necessities. She claims that it has been a liberating experience. I don't think l could do it!

Here's the link to her op-ed piece from The NY Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/opinion/sunday/shopping-consumerism.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&...

@handygal2

I don’t shop & buy so much that I need to be liberated. Thank goodness!