Reporting In: One Year Shopping Fast

Near the end of 2012 I heard a Midtown Fellowship friend talk about her shopping fast.  I began to consider that as something that would be helpful for me to do in 2013.  Here are some thoughts from my 2013 one year shopping fast.

• This commitment was not about earning anything.
• It was not about legalism or being right or wrong.
• It was not an excuse to judge others who purchased clothes.
• My definition of “clothing” has been any outer wear including running clothes, dress clothes, jeans, etc.
• This was right for me in 2013.
• Staying away from the mall and shops or entering with an intentional plan was a big help.
• Deleting “sell” emails quickly or unsubscribing to emails from my favorite clothing stores also helped.
• This intentional commitment has helped me to see the difference in wants and needs.
• It has helped me to simplify life.
• I have been able to avoid some of the consumer mentality of our society and realize that my personal happiness and worth is not based on purchasing material possessions.
• It has been helpful in looking at how I spend/give/save my money.
• Having an intentional plan has helped me avoid compulsive and reactionary shopping.
• For the most part it has been a freeing experience.

I am glad to talk to you more about this but I also want to recommend you look at how others have intentionally found ways to declutter, simplify and live life with intentional priorities.  Maybe these will be helpful to you as you prepare for a new year.

1. Jen Hatmaker  – book entitled Seven.  Her family focused on seven areas of excess, one a month for seven months.
2. Katie Welborn blog – katiewelborn.wordpress.com/2012/7/24/
3. Joshua Becker – http://www.becomingminalist.com
4. Dara Kurtz – book entitled Less is More:  How a Shopping Fast Can Help You Find Your Family.
5. Celeste Palermo – 40 Day Spending Fast.  http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/topics/deeper-faith/fasting/