Being less materialistic is a goal that frequently crops up on my New Years Resolutions and lists of general self-improvement that I'm in the habit of making, and it's a really difficult one, one that I haven't managed to conquer yet. The problem is that it's not really a measurable goal and finding a place to start, is tricky. It's not like dieting (first step: step away from the cakes Amy) - although in fairness, I haven't managed that one particularly well either - but that's another kettle of fish entirely!
Anyone who has any length of conversation with me, will know that it is my number one dream in life to live in a field, somewhere in the countryside, far away from concrete tower blocks, in a village that's not full of takeaway restaurants and betting shops. I want to eat home grown vegetables and have chickens and knit jumpers and raise my children to rely on love, not money (this is where it gets a bit wooly, I know). The trouble is, 21st Century living is all about money. I'm not going to rant about house prices and petrol prices, because we are all too aware of how expensive everything is.
The difficult bit, for me, is fighting against the consumer culture that tells us that we need to buy things in order to be happy. Now, I have a lot more possessions than I need, yet you need only glance at my amazon wish list to see how much more I'd like to own. I'm always thinking, oh, I must pick up a new nail polish, or sketchbook or
We only have one life - is there enough time in it to use all the things we're accumulating?
This train of thought has been sparked by the amount of money I've spent this month, on little bits and pieces of unimportance, which is most out of character for me, I am very careful with money - partly because of my general panicky nature and also because I've never had a steady nine till five job, so it's always been important to save it when you have it. I am the queen of saving for a rainy day!
Being less materialistic isn't just about spending less money, it's about appreciating what you already have.
So I'm setting myself a challenge - I'm going to spend less time dreaming of all the things I need want and make as much as I can out of things I already have. I'm going to start with buying less craft supplies - working in a craft shop is hard - and using up the mountain of wool, paper and fabric I already have. Needless to say, I will be documenting my Thrifty Living challenge, right here.
If anyone has any tips, or feels like joining in, leave a comment below or drop me an email: amy_eg[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk
A ♥
The pictures accompanying this post are of my work-in-progress patchwork quilt!
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