Most girls and women are vulnerable when it comes to new bags, shoes, clothes, jackets, make-up and the panacea of anti-aging solutions that line cosmetic counters in shopping malls. Me, I am a little different. I only go ape in a digital mall. My kids are known to, literally, physically drag me away with their palms over my eyes as I salivate over point-and-shoot cameras, computer accessories, Bluetooth speakers, earphones, smartphones, and laptops.
One would think that I have a big paycheck or an expensive taste for things. No, I don't. The good thing about me is that I am typically a very Asian person with very cheap taste in things. If it's not a bargain, I won't go for it. Typically, my tipping point is always 'It's going to save your life!' as in it is going to make my life so much easier and cooler than EVER before.
The things I often end up with, however, rarely change my life, per se. All they did were go through a short week of over-use and then degrade into months of non-use and then years of misuse. Then it becomes merely clutter.
Apart from going haywire at the digital mall, kitchen toys (fine...equipment) pull at my heartstrings the most whenever I walk past electronic stores. That pressure cooker....that bread maker....that multi-level steamer....that air fryer....that environmentally-friendly non-stick pan with the word 'GREEN' on it...that cute little spatula....it's sooooooooo going to CHANGE MY LIFE.
While some of them DID change my life and made my life in the kitchen and at work a little easier than it would have been, with meals becoming slightly healthier than before, most of them did not. All they did was alter my bank balance.
But I've stopped topping up my debit card with too much money before I walk out of the house and keep all cash tucked away in a corner of my drawer. This way, I actually don't have the money when the urge strikes. This proved wonderful when I was in a mall the other day. A foreign guy with his Californian accent approach me and aggressively promoted his brand of cosmetics to me, giving me honestly great deals. Inside, I was dying because I wanted to rush home to either top up my debit card or grab some cash to get the deal. Remember, el-cheapo shopper here. It's a freaking bargain! His Hong-Kong-style bargaining and offers were forging inroads into my weakening resolve.
However, at the end of the day, I had nothing on me because I wasn't planning on buying anything beyond what I had in both my cards and purse.
Fast forward two days later, I didn't need it anymore. Common sense started flooding in and it dawned on me that I use home-made soaps to wash my face and only use bare minimum make-up so, all that gunk that I would have bought from the guy was only going to sit here and do practically nothing to my face or neck, despite him tunneling ahead with his claims.
In reality, if I had bought it, I would be regretting it today. The magic spell was over.
I still gawk at electronics but ever since starting this practice, I realize that I have clutter at home because I buy things that I thought I needed or wanted in the heat of the moment. Once the moment passes and I am home, reality sinks in and I realize how much I DON'T need it.
Even if I were swimming in cash, I think I can live with this type of mentality. If I don't see it, don't have the money for it, don't succumb, then I don't need it. There are so many ways people can make do with what they already have. It's amazing. For years I thought I needed a separate camera because....well, there's a little history in that, but it's for another post, but once I started downloading apps and learned how to use my smartphone camera properly, the pictures were bearable. They're fine. I'm not a photographer, for chrissakes. It would have been nice but it's not going to change my life. I love Flickr-standard pictures but I don't need them.
Lotsa Love from over here,
Marsha
One would think that I have a big paycheck or an expensive taste for things. No, I don't. The good thing about me is that I am typically a very Asian person with very cheap taste in things. If it's not a bargain, I won't go for it. Typically, my tipping point is always 'It's going to save your life!' as in it is going to make my life so much easier and cooler than EVER before.
The things I often end up with, however, rarely change my life, per se. All they did were go through a short week of over-use and then degrade into months of non-use and then years of misuse. Then it becomes merely clutter.
Apart from going haywire at the digital mall, kitchen toys (fine...equipment) pull at my heartstrings the most whenever I walk past electronic stores. That pressure cooker....that bread maker....that multi-level steamer....that air fryer....that environmentally-friendly non-stick pan with the word 'GREEN' on it...that cute little spatula....it's sooooooooo going to CHANGE MY LIFE.
While some of them DID change my life and made my life in the kitchen and at work a little easier than it would have been, with meals becoming slightly healthier than before, most of them did not. All they did was alter my bank balance.
The best thing to do with the best things in life is give them up - Dorothy DayI've stopped buying things at the whim of my lightheaded fancy. Walking away, in the beginning, was a GARGANTUAN task!
But I've stopped topping up my debit card with too much money before I walk out of the house and keep all cash tucked away in a corner of my drawer. This way, I actually don't have the money when the urge strikes. This proved wonderful when I was in a mall the other day. A foreign guy with his Californian accent approach me and aggressively promoted his brand of cosmetics to me, giving me honestly great deals. Inside, I was dying because I wanted to rush home to either top up my debit card or grab some cash to get the deal. Remember, el-cheapo shopper here. It's a freaking bargain! His Hong-Kong-style bargaining and offers were forging inroads into my weakening resolve.
 |
| Shopping for clothes |
Fast forward two days later, I didn't need it anymore. Common sense started flooding in and it dawned on me that I use home-made soaps to wash my face and only use bare minimum make-up so, all that gunk that I would have bought from the guy was only going to sit here and do practically nothing to my face or neck, despite him tunneling ahead with his claims.
In reality, if I had bought it, I would be regretting it today. The magic spell was over.
I still gawk at electronics but ever since starting this practice, I realize that I have clutter at home because I buy things that I thought I needed or wanted in the heat of the moment. Once the moment passes and I am home, reality sinks in and I realize how much I DON'T need it.
Even if I were swimming in cash, I think I can live with this type of mentality. If I don't see it, don't have the money for it, don't succumb, then I don't need it. There are so many ways people can make do with what they already have. It's amazing. For years I thought I needed a separate camera because....well, there's a little history in that, but it's for another post, but once I started downloading apps and learned how to use my smartphone camera properly, the pictures were bearable. They're fine. I'm not a photographer, for chrissakes. It would have been nice but it's not going to change my life. I love Flickr-standard pictures but I don't need them.
Once I stopped looking for things to buy, I became tremendously grateful for the things I received - Ann Patchett, Author (NewYorkTimes)This author gave up shopping for things the entire year, what a task! You can read and marvel at her effort at New York Times. And if you're convinced, you might want to include a similar mini adventure into your list of 2018 resolutions.
Lotsa Love from over here,
Marsha
Comments