Like many people, I haven't been out shopping in a long while. Unlike many people, I do not miss it one little bit.
For me, someone that has been writing a blog called Not Buying Anything for over a decade, not setting foot in a shop for almost half a year has been bliss.
Not that I shopped much before, but I get to do even less now. That is what I call moving in the right direction.
I have never enjoyed shopping. It is something I do when I have exhausted all other options.
Anti-Shopping Options
Live without it.
Use something else you have instead.
Borrow it.
Find the item for free.
Grow it.
Swap for it.
Repair.
Only after having exhausted these alternatives will I:
Buy the item second hand.
Failing that, I check to make sure I can't live without it again, and then if I can't I:
Buy the item brand new.
If you are patient you may rarely have to proceed to the last 2 options.
In my experience, one can find a lot of things for free, because let's face it - there is an overabundance of stuff filling groaning closets, basements and garages all over this consumerland of plenty.
This shutdown, while tragic in so many ways, has been beneficial overall for me, and I guess a lot of other anti-shoppers, too. It is the closest I have ever got to achieving a lifelong dream of never having to go shopping again.
After an extended period of being at home and on the land I find I am going feral, and I love it.
All nature all the time. No going to town, no shopping.
It has been 5 months straight of uninterrupted blissful moments of sun and rain and frogs and grouse and garden and flowers and hikes and bike rides and stars and fresh air.
This is the life for me.
How has the pandemic been good for you? Any silver linings?
I would love to see a photo of you 'going feral' Gregg - will there be lots of hair sprouting out of your ears?! You asked about silver linings, nearly every woman I know has been thrilled not to have to wear a bra whilst working from home!
ReplyDeleteMy silver linings have been that like you I dislike shopping and lockdown got me out of it (in my state we are out of lockdown for now, I expect that to change again). The money saved has been wonderful and has allowed me to support a brilliant Australian artist, Kit Hiller, by purchasing two of her lino cuts (one of birds, one of flowers). This brings me great joy and I can share them with my students when they come for their (socially distanced) piano lessons.
Another silver lining has been realising just how resilient our lifestyle makes us. We were able to just shut the front door and carry on as usual. We are lucky indeed.
Madeleine
Ah, freedom! Saving money is a good fringe benefit. I have also noted that we are creating far less waste since the lockdown began, making our life feel very organic and efficient.
DeleteResilience is the key. Linda and I are very comfortable with our preparations for weird shit... like now. It is all paying off in ways that reduce our stress and dependence on our crumbling system.
We are also fortunate to live around good, community minded folks, and that has made such a difference for us. Nova Scotians are very helpful, friendly people.
Carry on!
I too am an anti-shopper and am thoroughly enjoying this respite. I live in an apartment in the heart of the city--life is what happens while you are making other plans--so the shopping culture is just part of the landscape. I started having my groceries delivered as a health measure and will continue to do so, also as a health measure because I have had a couple nasty falls in the past few years--damaged my wrist once, gave myself a concussion and whiplash once. Not the best when you are a septuagenarian. The big silver lining is that I have discovered that I love working from home and that my employer is happy to let me continue to do so (no more waiting at downtown bus stops at eleven o'clock at night when it is -40C). Fully aware of the horrors of this pandemic and the potential aftermath, I have found this time of slow/lock down to be a great opportunity to find my ducks, polish them off, line them up, deliberate, re-arrange the line then make them sit still while I deliberate again. There has been no "I must scurry off to get this done" to get in the way of duck alignment. Mela
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