Hello daring people!
Have you ever thought something looked good for the very first time when you saw it on sale? Have you ever found yourself drawn to things because of ads or displays? Have you ever bought more than one item because there was a discount, only to find out later that one was actually the right amount for you? (Or that all the items were useless, low quality maybe, or not your thing, perhaps represented something aspirational that you were not at that moment.)
I bet the answer is yes. My answer is also yes. Yes, of course.
What’s the message if the answer is “yes” to all of the above? I think it is that anything you haven’t planned on buying in advance in response to a need is not very likely to fulfill a real need when you acquire it. Also, sales are really just a way of making shopping more appealing than usual with the offer (illusion?) of cheap deals.
Being fully aware that humans need stuff, I know that some people might think that this is just a great opportunity to gleefully shop, and maybe even save.
What are the costs though? The real costs take into account stress, time and effectiveness. Stress because of traffic, or just overcrowded places where you cannot find what you want or pay right away, can take a toll on our health. Time is obviously required, and people have less spare time now than in the past and almost infinite options, at least in major cities, to fill their time. Is shopping during sales a good way to use time? I’d say there are lots of things that are infinitely better out there, especially if they involve creativity and self-expression. Effectiveness has to be another criterion because it is stressful and time-consuming to shop, it may be better to stay home. Also, most of the items on sale are not returnable, so if you make a mistake in a hurry you cannot give someone else the opportunity to buy that same item. Unfortunately, there is online shopping now to make up for all the flaws of going to a place, you go to a website! What a treat!
Whether the deals are just too good to miss (according to the ads) or not, I urge you to think about what you already have. Every year millions of items are sold on the sole premise that they are cheap, with no considerations for the environmental impact of millions of tons of waste produced by low-quality items that only lasted a few months.
The number of seasons in a fashion year has increased exponentially from 4 to 52 (the same number of weeks in a year) and most labels slash or burn their unsold stock to make room for new stuff. This means that your great deal might just be more profitable than destroying something that has been produced using considerable amounts of energy and water, and caused exorbitant amounts of pollution. It all goes to waste, and unfortunately, it is legal. Now, I say that not buying anything is a small act to go against this trash culture of “new is always better and more exciting.” Yes, it is not going to change everything, mostly because sales still appeal to most, but also because that practice of eliminating stock should be illegal, and is not.
We also know that the chances our garments were made in ways that would make us cry out of anger and sadness are pretty high. Hence buying less and higher quality items, when possible, is a vital way to protest against the way the industry is run, and to change the mindset that says that there is no need to know how it “materializes” in the store. Zara’s owner is one of the wealthiest men on earth, yet the clothes sold at the over 7 thousand stores worldwide are made by people who have rights that are almost nonexistent compared to those of the buyers. Privilege is knocking on our door again. Answer it!
Have you ever felt that your life would be different if you had a very specific item? The more you dissect the idea, the more you might find the differences are quite small. I think it is the teenager in us that urges us to care about what we wear so much, except that, if I can say it myself as an adult, things get a lot worse when you get older. There is unbelievable peer pressure in a circle to have whatever the members think is a must-have. It could be a car, appliances, smartphones or consoles.
We all know the fear that someone is going to recognize our outfit and think that it is all we have to wear. I say, bring it on! Look at my clothes, take a good long look at them. You will see it again, again, and again, and there will be no shame on my part. I stand by my outfit, in my outfit, vowing to take care of my outfit. It takes self-awareness to know what you genuinely want to welcome in your life, and what is just background noise.
Chances are that what you already have, or what the charity across the street can offer, are better by a magnitude than what you could purchase on Black Friday. And that goes for Christmas presents too. Chances are the person you buy that item for has a perfectly good alternative at home or close by, and could do with less stuff, less clutter, less possessions.
Your possessions deserve a commercial at this time of the year.
Look around. They are there for you. Go around the room and list their purposes, anecdotes on times you used them, and years of good service. They deserve your attention. You bought them. You brought them into your life for a reason. If there is anything that does not survive this exercise, if there is no ad that comes to mind when you look at said object: donate it!
Another way to go about feeling good about not buying anything is to make a gratefulness list. Chances are that if you think about the things you are grateful for long enough, that purple top you wish for will vanish from the list of things that are relevant in your life.
In other words, if you can, stay home or do whatever makes you feel grateful for being alive.
If you feel like taking care of your stuff after doing those two experiments, the obvious answer is repairing! I am going to do some mending on the weekend to honor the role and purpose of what I have. Plus, there is such thrill in doing things imperfectly but independently, and going against the grain. Also, you learn new skills along the way, and that is, in my book, one of the best things of all.
Thanks for reading!
Mending with love and gratitude,
Dare to be b@ld
Dare to be b@ld 