Outside of groceries, I haven’t needed to shop for very much.
Until this week!
June offers reason for me to shop for others. There’s Father’s Day! And birthdays! And graduations! So much is happening, and buying for others does not fall under my “no buy challenge restrictions.”
But things have changed.
i feel different
I feel differently about shopping now. For starters, it’s not as fun as it used to be. (PS– when was it a good idea for shopping to be a past time? Sounds like an extrinsically rewarded use of time that will amount to nothing but debt!)
Shopping comes with a different expectation now. I want to spend money in a way that is intentional and mindful. I don’t want to buy junk. I don’t want to give money away to the wrong places. I feel differently about the stores I used to enjoy, too.
I picked up a new book this week called The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. MacKinnon. It’s so wonderful and offers insight to so many areas I’ve been thinking about, one of which is learning more about marketing strategies and the companies that use them.
All about patagonia
In a chapter exploring advertising, MacKinnon writes a lot about the Patagonia company. He explores the ways in which they have de-marketed their products, given back to the community, and keep ecological sustainability projects at the forefront of their company’s mission.
For example, “they actively strive to encourage people to de-consume.” In a world of planned obsolesce, or products deliberately designed to stop working, fall apart, or go out of fashion quickly, Patagonia markets its gear as built to last. Besides being durable, many Patagonia products are deliberately made in classic colors and styles to survive multiple fashion cycles. Through a program called Worn Wear, the company encourages people to use their gear for as long as possible, and frequently promotes phones of Patagonia products looking patched and faded, tattered and torn. If your gear needs repair, they offer that service, and if you’re done with it, they will resell or recycle it” (112-113).
This is a pretty incredible mission, and I know Patagonia is not the only company out there striving to make a change.
Let me also say: this challenge has not made me want to renounce all corporations. My husband works for a corporation. His work and the company he works for sustain our lives. But there is good and bad in everything, isn’t there? There is always room to learn and think differently. To question, adjust, and make changes.
So, I’m finally seeing that where I shop matters. Where my money goes matters. How it gets spent and who gets it MATTERS.
changing a habit: the stores i support
For now, I want to support more of our local mom and pop shops. But that isn’t so easy! There are not many of them left. Around our neck of the woods, we’ve gotten accustomed to getting the things we want pretty immediately and conveniently. That means shopping at a chain food store, Target, and using Amazon. Changing will take time, planning, and effort. At this point, I have to ask myself, what is worth it? Standing up for something and believing in something matters. But at what cost? How much time and energy and I willing to spend to make a real change?
Final question: isn’t this the basis of integrity?
I’ll let you know how it goes. For now, tell me how the challenge is re-framing or re-shaping your own thinking! Fill me in! I’m dying to hear more!
In the meantime, Namaste Every Day!
NoBuyCommunity #ChallengeAccepted #HabitShift #MoneyMindset #SpendSmarter #SavingGoals #DebtFreeJourney #FrugalAndFree #BudgetLife #ShopYourCloset #minimalista #stopspendingmoney #stopbuyingshit #nobuychallenge #nobuychallenge2025
4 the Love of Peace 