What with an earthquake, a hurricane, the Jewish holidays and other time-intensive distractions, the No Shopper did not have time to report her latest and biggest faux pas.
Back in August, the No Shopper could not resist the pull of a neighborhood tag sale just several hundred yards from her home. As you’ll all recall, I took a vow of no shopping for a year on Jan. 1. No clothing, make-up or shoes. No knickknacks, paddy-whacks or other things to clutter my house. No magazines, books, CDs, which, in the past, I have bought in abundance and never taken the time to read or listen to.
Why did I take the vow of No Shopping to begin with? Mostly, to see if I could do it. But otherwise, to bolster my never-ending quest for organization and to save dough, which, trust me, I have not.
So, why a tag sale of all things?
Well, certainly the proximity to my house and ease with which I could shop had something to do with it. But what was the REAL REASON? Emotions, for sure.
“O.K., don’t beat yourself up,” said my friend Jill. “You did a little comfort shopping.”
Honest to goodness, I cannot for the life of me recall the exact emotional problem that led me to break my vow and totally lose my mind. Perhaps it was one child graduating from college and the other leaving for college. Maybe it was the urge to find a bargain. Maybe boredom.
I convinced myself to go to the tag sale on the premise of looking for items for other people since I’m still buying gifts: furniture, housewares, treasures.
I ended up with a whole lotta stuff for my self, exactly what I was not trying to do.
Here’s what I got. A chaise that needs to be reupholstered. A silver-plated pitcher, gravy boat and cocktail shaker. A jewelry box filled with junk and a couple of funky necklaces that my daughter says you’d find at Urban Outfitters. (Note that said daughter did not see fit to take the necklace when offered).
I’m also the proud owner of four or five very dull garden clippers and tools. Grand total: 66 bucks, and the chaise accounted for $30. That’s about 10 cents an item. OK I’m exaggerating, but you get the point.
I still think I’m doing great with the No Shopping thing despite my slip-ups. I’m not saving any money to speak of, and my house still needs more decluttering. That’s where the real work is.
