Pushing Back Against Consumer Culture

 

Let's face it. We live in a day where we are being told to buy! buy! buy! and spend! spend! spend! from every corner. It is hard to resist. We see an Instagram post, or an advertisement, or a magazine photo, or an email, and suddenly, we've fallen down a rabbit hole of images.

It is tough to walk into a store and tell yourself "I'm only buying what's on my list today." But wait! New fall décor! And pumpkin spice everything!

I went to the store to buy groceries last night, and came home with new tennis shoes.

The struggle is real.

I try to find ways to curb the spending. Those sweet little ivory Longaberger pottery bowls are one example. I found them at the thrift store last week, and I think I paid $5 total. My family uses these little sized bowls all the time, so I knew they'd be a good investment. And five bucks? I can't buy a coffee at Starbucks for that cheap!

I love to visit my local library, but I rarely visit bookstores. If I can snag a used book at a great price, I will. And I will pass them along when I'm done with them.

Used stamps and dies and craft supplies? Yes! 

I often see folks who purchase new décor for every season. Why? Have pumpkins really changed in one year?

Clothing is SO expensive in the stores. I get the majority of my clothes from Thred Up and Poshmark.

So thrifting is my jam. But even though it is thrifted, I'm still spending money...just not as much.

I've been known to get a little too excited about craft supplies. A new release! Must have! 

But sometimes, I can slow my impetuous side down long enough to say "Do I really need that? Don't I have plenty of _______________ that I can use instead?"

I have a lot of fall/autumnal stamps and dies and papers. But those new releases are always so tempting!

Instead of giving in to the temptation, I decided to pull out what I have. This card is an example.

Coffee and pumpkins and leaves. This may not be the newest model, but it's close enough!

Enjoying what I have. Giving thanks for the many blessings. Drinking a home-brewed cup of coffee with a good book. 

I can love peeks of the new while still appreciating the old.

Just a few thoughts for a Tuesday.