I've been trying to be conscious of my spending habits. Less is more nowadays. I stop or restrain myself from buying things I don't need. I look around my house and I KNOW that since I've started working, I've spent a small fortune accumulating and owning some stuff I don't need or stuff I've not used. If I'd really just bought the barest of necessities, I might even have become a millionaire by now. Of course, I wouldn't have enjoyed the momentary happiness those stuff brought, lah. Hmmmph. This realisation comes a tad too late (after having wasted all that moolah). Nowadays, I chase 'the joy of the Lord' and not 'the happiness of earthly things'.
Not to say I will never buy any of the following stuff. Just saying I'm more restrained now.
Makeup. I've stopped buying make up which I don't need. I remind myself that I've got a whole bag full of unused or barely touched makeup and it would be such a waste to have to junk them because of expiring shelf lives. So I'm only buying what I need now; like replacing a finished lipstick. Truth is for everyday use, I actually use very little makeup; only 2 items; foundation and lipstick. If I use mascara, I worry about them streaking (even waterproof ones). With the exception of lipstick, I don't like to have to touch up my makeup. If I use rouge, I worry about looking very 'wayang' (Chinese Opera) like. I have unused fake eyelashes but really, I prefer to be taken seriously at work and I don't want to come across as being so vain (or misconstrued as being bimbotic) so no fake eyelashes or coloured contact lenses on workdays and on the weekends, I don't really find anywhere to go that call for their use.
I find that with age, the more makeup
Clothes. I've not bought any new outfits because each time I want to, I remind myself of my wardrobe looking on the verge of exploding and the very many unused outfits which are squashed within. Besides, I'm a T-shirt and jeans person when I'm out of office workwear. When I'm at work, I'm conservative in my no-brainer black skirts (I'd rather err on the side of caution then to be overdressed). All I have to do is throw on a blouse. Everything matches black, right? If many working men can survive solely on black pants, why can't I survive on black skirts? LOL.
Grocery shopping! I love grocery shopping. I used to love buying a variety of spices and sauces. Looks interesting, buy, buy, buy. Now, I just look, think, look and think. I'll stand and think really hard if I still have any of the same sauce at home or if I'll be using it often enough to warrant buying it. But I'd rather spend on groceries than wasteful things for myself. Besides, my kitchen cabinets are bursting with bottles of sauces and condiments already.
Shoes -- sigh. Well, the good thing is I can always design and paint my own canvas shoes. As for heels, I've got tonnes of unworn shoes. Not a good thing as shoes fall apart when you keep them in storage and don't use them often enough. As I may have mentioned it, I am recovering from fractured toes and I had to wear japanese-like open toe slippers the past few months. I've just started being able to wear proper shoes and heels without feeling so much pain. But when I pulled out my 'new' unused heels from the shoe cabinet, 2 pairs fell apart as soon as I stepped out the door. Sigh. Enough of shoes for me until I wear the current ones out.
Books. What can I say? I've still got shelves of unread books. Need I say more?
Bags. Ditto. Plenty to last a lifetime. I'm trying to get rid of some good brand bags. Thinking about posting pics of them to sell. But thinking hard if this is the way to go.
Stationery. Aiyoh. I love pretty and cute stationery. My kids know that I keep cupboards filled with stationery in the masterbedroom. Yes, the masterbedroom which is supposed to be calm, peaceful and romantic is the go-to place for the kids when they need paints, brushes, canvases, paper, cardboard, staplers, staples, sticky tape....OK OK, stock is depleting now that my kids who are 18 and 15, don't really have formal art classes in school anymore. I can't resist cute paper and stickers. Aaarrrgh!!! Keep them away from me!!! I try but I don't think stationery is something I can give up. If I do, it'd mean my painting stuff as well. Well, I'm not perfect, what!
Household appliances. No longer purchase unless something breaksdown.
Household decorative stuff. The odd thing here and there but Mike and I are very restrained nowadays. in fact, we're trying to get rid of existing purchases. He's been giving to thrift stores the past few weeks and yet we've still got so many things in the flat.
Well, less is definitely more nowadays. We remind ourselves that we CANNOT BRING ALL THIS ALONG WHEN WE DIE. This is actually the main trend of thought Mike and I have now. Why keep buying stuff when it's just ashes-to-ashes for all of us? What can we bring along except our salvation? Thus, I'm turning my back on many a thing!
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