The Rules of the Game

OK. So I'm going to need some rules, some guidelines to follow. Here is what I have so far:

Absolute NOs:
Shoes
Clothes (can replace worn out staples)
Handbags
Jewelry
Make-up (replacing something I ran out of is fair, but nothing new to me)


Exceptions:
Books (I run a bookshop)
Food and drink
Gifts for others (why should you suffer for my sins?)
Travel
Tickets to events
Art (from people I know, to support them)
Furniture (I will be surprised if I buy anything, I am only making an exception for it because my husband and I find something we both like so rarely, and we tend to buy second hand.)
Charity


The way some of those might play out:
1. I run out of lipgloss, I can replace it with the SAME lipgloss brand and color. I cannot try something new. I have plenty of new to last me through 2018, I got 4 lip colors for Christmas alone!

2. I run out of hairspray, I can try a new kind of hairspray, HOWEVER, if I decide I don't love it, TOO bad. I have to finish it. The world will not end because I have frizzy hair for a month.

3. I can replace any skincare product I run out of. Again, I CAN try something new if I want, but I CANNOT throw out the new if I don't like it as much as the old. I probably won't try anything new because it seems too risky. I have a really good routine going right now, and I have no need of anything additional.

4. If a friend has an art show, and there is a piece I can afford and like, I can purchase it. I cannot purchase random art from people I do not know just because it tickles my fancy.

5. I can buy whatever I want for your birthday, wedding or whatever it is you are celebrating.

6. I can replace clothing items I wore out or that don't fit, but only if they are a staple item (underwear, bra, jeans) and they truly need replacing. No new jeans because I love whatever fit the Cool Girls start wearing this Spring. I am just going to have to sit out Cool Girl Trends this year unless I already own something.

7. Gift cards and gifted money are free game and I can do whatever I want because those are given  by people who love you and want you to celebrate something in your life. Not to enjoy them insults the spirit in which they are given.


Tracking what I buy and what I didn't:
I plan to track both things I bought (within the rules) and things I did not buy (because they were against the rules), but wanted to.

I think tracking is really important because it will help me reflect on the feelings I had, the things I wanted, the things I thought I would die without. How do I feel about those things a month later? 3 months later? Can I even recall what I wanted so badly 6 months ago?

I hope to really change the way I approach material goods through this process. I want to shop more mindfully, and with purpose. I want to shop less (NEVER) to feel better or self soothe. I want to reach a place where I am not as focused on THINGS. I want to focus on people.

I want to focus on my own future.