Amy's Shopping Experiment: an update

So I kicked off 2010 with a New year No Shopping experiment that was inspired by a desire to see what I would do with all the time that I did not spend shopping. I made a commitment to myself that I would not purchase anything until my birthday, April 8th.

What I have found is that my experiment is really a tall order. Mainly because it feels like my goals of the experiment are a little all over the place (pointed out by Adelaide). Which lead me to ask myself, what are my goals? Is my goal not to spend any money? Is my goal to see if I could “shop my closet” – the current industry term for wearing what you have, figure out what’s in your closet that you really wear and not accumulate more?

Truthfully, those are all possible outcomes of the experiment – but they really feel more like byproducts. And truthfully, these are all outcomes (perhaps positive ones)that I was not totally focused on when thinking about the experiment. My main goal was understanding time. How I spend it, how I waste it how much shopping influences my choice of how to spend my time.

What I have found is that there is a part of me that really misses shopping (not necessarily consuming or purchasing) but rather being in the know, seeing what’s out there, discovering something beautiful and unique. I recognize there is a part of shopping for me that helps me tap into a part of my brain that loves fashion – from the point of view of fashion as an art, texture to garments, the use of color. And sometimes it is a really fun way to unwind.

I am continuing to pursue my goal but I will say I am finding that it is harder than I expected. I don’t miss the purchasing but I certainly miss the discovery.

posted by Amy Abrams