The Year of Living "Dangerously"

When Candy aka @cuckoo_sing tweeted a link about a minimalist mom who vows to spend nothing on her kid in 2013, I was taken aback and mildly shocked. I mean, that's something I have been trying to do for myself to no avail. How much more my child? My own flesh and blood? To quote Homer Simpson, the "fruit of our loins"?

My initial thoughts were, "Is this even possible? To not spend for our child's needs, ok, wants, err fine, our wants? How can a mother not spend on her child? Isn't it that a mother, in the direst of circumstances, would still spend on her child and forego spending on herself?"

But as I read on, you know what, there is wisdom in de-cluttering our closets and homes and living a life less steeped in consumerism.  As I clicked on link upon link in the story, and seeing how other families have gone on to living minimalist lifestyles, that got me into thinking. While I wouldn't stop spending on the kiddos, maybe this is the year that I would really, really stop spending on non-essentials for me.

I am not going to go on a buy nothing manifesto on you. This is not a stand against consumerism, because I love being a consumer, in all honesty. This is just a personal challenge for the year. I will try my hardest not to cave in to fleeting desires. Which in my language means, La Garconne, Totokaelo, Net-a-Porter and J. Crew, see you in 2014! And if I were to spend, it would be on real investments, and not in the "fashion" sense of the word. As in, this is a bag I can pass on to my daughter, it's an "investment". Or, this pair of shoes will go with a lot of outfits, it's an "investment". Nothing of that sort.

So yeah, this year is all about downsizing, saving and not spending on me. Or at least during weak moments, thoughtful consumption. Even in the face of temptation. Even as I share with you my coolest, greatest, must-have finds here in the blog, on Twitter and on Instagram. Dangerous, I know. Will I be able to do this for a year? Let's see how long I can go.

To prove how serious I am about living with less stuff (but good quality stuff, heehee), I have been talking to friends, and we kind of want to get together and do a group garage sale. I think that's a great way to start de-cluttering. I just hope we don't end up buying each others stuff.

Ah, but a swap? That falls in the "not spending" category, right?

P.S.

How about you? Do you think going on a "no unnecessary shopping" mode can really be done?