A New Year’s Eve Solution That Will Really Improve Your Life
Everyone wants to steal your January. Most people want you to stop drinking for a month because you overdid it on the holidays and need to dry out. Others think it’s time to go vegan . I’m sure someone you know is trying to convince you to go to hot yoga every day in January to get rid of the “toxins”. I am usually against all forms of New Year’s promises; Lifehacker strives to make changes every day of the year. But one decision I’m looking forward to is my tradition of spending January without spending. Listen to me.
Holiday shopping is like overeating
Didn’t you use your multiple Amazon purchases as a reason to get all the “extra items” that were in your cart? Didn’t the holiday parties in other people’s homes highlight everything you need in your own home, and didn’t you buy those things on your phone on the way home? Aren’t you tired of opening parcels?
My holiday shopping is usually one for you, one for me. All of these gift guides with unique gifts from sites I’ve never heard of lead to a lot of questions: “I deserve something nice too, don’t I?” to the point where I spend two to three times more than I expected. By the end of the month I have a hangover.
It’s not just about saving money
Don’t waste your money in January unless it’s on food. You see, I am not suggesting that you stay at home and drink green tea and read (if you don’t want to). You can buy groceries. You can go to eat several times. But don’t buy anything else. Make a list of the things you are going to buy if you think you really need them next month, but stop shopping. Definitely don’t buy anything online. Your goal is to ensure that the parcels are not waiting for you on the porch / in the lobby / at the post office. (Obviously, you can spend money on emergencies, but a “cashmere sale” is not an “emergency.”)
Yes, you will save money, which is especially good if you overspend in December. That little credit card bill that you get at the end of the month seems pretty big. But the real benefit of not spending money in January is the amount of mental space freed up. Only when you stop wasting will you realize how much time you spend looking for things, researching what you want, wondering where they are, buying or ordering those things, waiting for packages to arrive, recycling packaging, etc. It’s a huge relief not to buy all the time.
Plus, you may feel good about not participating in the sad national entertainment of stuffing Jeff Bezos’s pockets .
What to do instead of shopping
Don’t even browse online. When you think of something that you want to buy, that you will, just say to yourself, “Next month!” and write it down if you are worried about forgetting something important. This goes for the things you think you need (“A sponge pack is never a frivolous purchase!”), And the things that you are sure you need (“My winter boots look kind of torn”), and things you definitely don’t need ”(“ Can I deliver donuts from Texas?!? ”).
I’m not going to tell you to go to the gym or volunteer at the cafeteria instead of shopping. Buy your home instead. Soup cans in the cupboard that you keep close at hand but haven’t eaten – why not have one for lunch? You have books you haven’t read, clothes you barely wear, apps you barely use. And if you’re lucky, you have a few new products for the holidays that should keep you busy.
A friend recently noticed that every new item you buy makes everything you already own a little less valuable. It really stuck with me and helps when I’m tempted to buy something that I don’t need. I want, like all of us, to become less attached to things. I’d rather have fewer things that I value than a bunch of crap that I only kind of like. This is not new wisdom, but it is worth pondering over it a bit before you waste it. You don’t need to get rid of the clutter in your home, but once you start using what you have, you will naturally discover which things you value and which ones you can let go of. More importantly, when you’re not constantly on the lookout for your next purchase, you are shedding the debilitating “mental clutter” that accompanies consumerism.
Planning January without spending is also a good reason to shop before the end of the year – get what you need (within reason!) Before the clock strikes 12 on December 31st, and then hibernate for a month.