The ‘M’ Word

About a year after starting full-time work, I started wondering if things might be getting a little out of hand in terms of my shopping habits. I’m not talking about the occasional splurge on an unnecessary hat or a pair of really cute shoes that didn’t quite fit. It was when I started bursting into stores wielding my credit card like a weapon and yelling ‘WHO WANTS TO SELL ME SOMETHING?’ that I thought I may have become … well, materialistic.

As they say in AA circles, admitting you’ve got a problem is the first step, so I’m just getting this off my chest, yo. But if you’d like to identify whether you have a similar problem, I have written up a short questionnaire:

1. If someone asks you if your jacket is new, do you answer "This old thing?" because you bought it last week?
2. Do you switch the channel when those annoying World Vision ads come on?
   Have you shelved your copy of ‘The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Financial Security’ and taken up a subscription to ‘Shop Till You Drop’?’
3. Have you developed an interest in camping so you can justify visiting Mountain Designs to buy all those cute gizmos and rain-proof pants and a keyring that can keep the time, start a fire and sing happy birthday?
4. Do you excuse yourself from a work meeting so you can run back to your desk and place a last minute bid on an eBay purchase?
5. Do you buy presents for friends half a year in advance just so you can justify a purchase?
6. Do you then wait a day or two before unwrapping the present and putting it in your drawer because you remembered their birthday is in winter and they won’t need a new bikini in your size anyway?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you may need to seek help. Especially if you’re a guy that bought a bikini for yourself.

Am I putting forward a solution? I’ve gone the cold turkey route — no clothes for six months. I’m on month four and haven’t bought a single item of clothing since November but I’ve found plenty of loopholes. In the last four months I’ve bought a hell of a lot of shoes, two bags, a watch, earrings and developed a keen interest in haberdashery.

Obviously I’m not getting to the heart of the problem and I suspect that even a strict budget isn’t going to solve this for me — yeah, it’s going to be a wiser use of my money, but it’s not going to change the fact that I really like stuff. Stuff makes me feel good.

Things that I know to be true that counteract the statement ‘stuff makes me feel good’:
Jesus said not to store up treasures on earth.

Stuff isn’t ultimately fulfilling.

Stuff doesn’t make me a more interesting person – not sure if that’s true.

Me having stuff may mean that other people continue to live in abject poverty.

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