Recession Resolutions and Confessions of a New Yorker Consumerist

So as a result of the recession, and my addiction to shopping, I have resolved to not buy any clothes or shoes for 3 1/2 months starting Sept 1st. We'll see how this goes...

One thing that I have found very difficult about living in New York is not getting sucked into the consumerism. I would challenge anyone living anywhere to see if they could go one day without thinking about buying something (except food or water) and bet they couldn't do it. I would challenge a New Yorker to go one hour and bet they couldn't do it. Every day I'm surrounded by billboards, taxi ads, subway ads, and EXTREMELY well dressed people that all tell me if I don't go buy a new jacket I will not be as happy as they are. I don't watch TV and I rarely read fashion magazines, and yet I cannot escape the fashion consumerist culture.

Now of course I know this isn't true. I can make a lot of choices to not consume, yet for some reason I am under the impression that I NEED make up and hair products and new jeans. Just last week I bought a designer Kate Spade bag (In my defense it was leather and 50 percent off) for 200 dollars. I later bought a pair of 180 dollar designer jeans (they were so cute and I had birthday money...) But as much as I thought that bag or those jeans were going to make me feel more complete, when your wallet is empty afterwards and then you see the PERFECT shoes to go with the jeans...you feel empty again.

One of my favorite books is Walden: Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. The man basically decides to abandon the consumerist culture that he sensed growing centuries ago, by living in the woods, building a house, gardening and trying to be self-sustaining for a few years. This type of lifestyle appeals to me because I see how stuff can just eat you up as it makes you want more stuff. Henry says the "The man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest." And I DO get pleasure from big grass fields, roses, sunsets, music, and clouds the way I'm sure Henry did, but man those jeans were cute.

My fiance has agreed to be my official shopping police, and to help me has agreed to do the same. I'll let you know how it goes...I'm hoping to gain more from this than just the money I save.