This will be one of my shortest posts. If you read my last one, you will know what I am talking about. I failed. I bought two new pair of pajamas because I thought they were so cute. Maybe I will do better next month. Bye.
I read about a woman who decided that for one year she would not buy anything she didn’t need. No new clothes, no new shoes, no new makeup, no books, no magazines, no gum at the checkout, no Starbucks coffee, nothing. Just the essentials. Food from the grocery, no restaurants allowed. Utility bills. Insurance. Rent and that was about it. I wondered how in the world she did it.
You would have to just stay out of stores except to get groceries or medicine. I don’t know if I could do it. Just this week I bought several things I did not need. I bought more fabric, some good smelling soap at a store in Nashville, some paperback books and a Christmas present(yes, I shop early.) I almost bought some paint I didn’t need today just because I liked the color. David and I looked at lights we want to buy for the new porch we plan to build. We looked at a new vanity and sink for one of our bathrooms. We consume all the time. Some things are needed, but did I really need that extra fabric when I have bolts and boxes of fabric in my shop?
I have been looking at things differently lately. When I was younger it was all about getting things. Now it is all about taking care of those things, cleaning those things, insuring those things and moving around those things. The important things in life aren’t things, I read somewhere and it is true. In fact, some of my things are getting in my way. That’s why every so often I have a garage sale to sell some things to make money to buy more things.
Still, when I see a cute blouse or an interesting book or some new line of fabric I want to buy, buy, buy. And it is worse when David and I are together. He is my enabler.
I think how if you just did without one Starbucks coffee each week for a year, you would save enough for a night on the town and a hotel room. If you drink Starbucks every day, you could save enough for a week’s vacation in a year if you stopped drinking it. I’m not picking on Starbucks. It’s just one thing many people believe they cannot live without. If you smoke, think of all the money you would save if you banked all that money you are burning up? If you eat out two or three times a week, think of the money you would save by eating at home? Now life without eating out occasionally or drinking a Starbucks, if that’s what you like, would be downright boring, but just think of all the money we American spend needlessly. Does your dog need that new toy? I find myself looking at dog toys all the time. My dogs have a wagon full of dog toys. They are well played with, but did I need to buy so many? Did my chickens really need a rooster picture in their coop? Those cute cowgirl socks I bought when we were out west. I’ve worn them once and felt like a dork. I try to keep only things I really love around me, but do I really need three magazine subscriptions when I barely have time to read one?
I know I will keep consuming. That is what we Americans seem to do. Have you ever passed a store at any time of the day that didn’t have cars parked in front with people consuming inside? I have decided, though, to think long and hard before I buy something from now on. I want to go a whole month without buying an article of clothing. I love clothes, but my closet is packed. I can’t wear all the clothes I have. I get so many catalogs because I love to order on the internet. In fact, most of my clothes I have ordered online. I have to make myself not look at the clothing sites. Some people in the world are fortunate if they have new clothes at all. I know I am blessed to have so much and I really don’t need it all.
I don’t know where this blog is going. I told David I would like to try not to buy anything unnecessary for a whole year and blog about it, but then I chickened out because I don’t think I could do it especially since we are doing some remodeling next year. Maybe I will just be more careful how quickly I decide to buy something in the future. David doesn’t spend dollar bills. Whenever he gets change, he puts the dollars aside. You would be surprised how much he saved one time doing this. There are all kinds of ways to save money even if you like to buy stuff. For now, I am going one month at a time to see how little I can spend and still have fun. It should be interesting.
I think I will find I can do without so much more than I thought I could. It will be a challenge. But don’t be surprised if you see me consuming in a store one day. Bye.
Some people have bucket lists. I just have a wish list. I know my mother had a wish to go to England before she died, but she never made it. I am going to make a list and try to complete it before I die. It will be a challenge, but I am up for it. Here is my list.
1. I hope to go to Alaska at least one more time. I would love to rent a cabin and just stay in one place and explore the area really well. I am thinking Haines, Alaska. I read a book about a woman who lived there and it sounds like a small town I would like to get to know.
2. I hope to go to England. David and I have talked about taking a boat over and renting a car and driving all over the countryside looking at the beautiful gardens and castles and eating in the pubs. We are aiming for our fiftieth wedding anniversary to do that. Hope we will still be in good health and David is still a good driver by then.
3. I would like to get a book published. I have written many things about growing up on our Indiana farm. I have also written a series of stories for my grandchildren. Maybe one day I will seek to get them published.
4. I hope to get another Labrador retriever. We have two right now and Bonnie is getting old. I always want a dog around and I love labs the best of all the breeds.
5. I hope to see all my grandchildren grow up and become good citizens and godly people.
6. I want to dance at all my grandchildren’s weddings.
7. I hope to see a cure for MS and a medicine that alleviates the pain of arthritis forever. I have loved ones who suffer from these diseases.
8. I hope to see a great revival in this country. People turning back to God and finding the peace only He can give.
9. I would love to fly in one of those giant Army planes that fly over our heads every once in a while. Wonder how I could get that accomplished. Anyone know?
10. I hope to be a size eight or ten before I die without getting sick to do it. But my love of sweets and ice cream are holding me back from this. I have said to David many times that if I make it to eighty years old, I am going to eat ice cream every single day. I almost do that now so it won’t be hard to do.
This is just a partial list of things I hope to do. What do you hope to do before you die? Bye.
I sit around, well maybe I don’t sit around, but I think a lot whatever I am doing and I wondered just lately what were some of the things I know I will absolutely not do before I die. Here’s my list.
1. I will never bungee jump. Period. I think it is the craziest thing anyone has ever thought up and I will not put myself in the position of heading face first into a river, lake or into cement on a very flimsy rope that may or may not break.
2. I will never have another baby. Well, that is pretty much impossible although miracles do happen. Let’s just say I hope God doesn’t perform that miracle for me at this stage in my life as I would die trying to raise a teen-ager in my seventies.
3. I will never ride a roller coaster. Not even the kiddie ones at King’s Island or the county fair. Unless you count the runaway railroad at Disney World as a roller coaster and I would ride that over and over again. Any coaster that takes me up higher than twenty feet and drops me suddenly will not have me sitting in one of its seats.
4. I will never get married again. When you have reached perfection in your life mate, anyone else who comes along will always be second best and I won’t take second best. (I know, I may eat my words one day, but it is very doubtful.)
5. I will never be a millionaire and I don’t care.
6. I will not drive cross country by myself. I don’t like to drive anyway and prefer to have someone with me when I go anywhere so unless I can find someone who would dare ride with me cross country, it isn’t going to happen. With me driving, we may not make it across alive. Any takers???
7. I will never be able to jump hurdles again. When I was in elementary school, I use to jump the high school hurdles all the time. We had contests and I always won. This behind is not getting over a hurdle any time soon.
8. I will never climb Mount Everest. I have always admired mountain climbers and thought it would be wonderful to reach the peak of a high mountain. I guess if I started training now maybe this one I could do, but probably not.
9. I will never jump out of an airplane, tandem or otherwise. Just the thought of standing at the door of an airplane and flinging myself out makes my stomach queasy.
10. I will never be in the military. I’m in God’s army. Does that count? That is one thing I kind of regret I didn’t do. It would have been better for me than the college classes I took and I think I would have made a darn good soldier, sailor or airman. David and I could share stories about our military days. But I stayed home and kept the home fires burning and raised the children while David spent his time working for the military. I am proud of him for that.
So, these are things I know I will never do. Do you have some things you know you will never do before you die? I would be interested in hearing them. Next I will post the ten things I want to do before I die. Bye.