Inspired by (what else?) a couple of books I read in 2021, I’ve committed to a 2-part, 52 week challenge. In 2022, I will:

1. Purchase only necessities and gifts

2. Refrain from shopping in big-box stores

I’ll share an update every Monday, and I hope that you’ll join in the conversation by sharing your thoughts. 

It feels a little silly to share a post for just one day, but I wanted to start the year as I hope to continue (with a post every Monday), so here I am.

It dawned on me about mid morning on New Years’ Eve that my year of purchasing only necessities and gifts would kick off in just over 12 hours. At risk of sounding cliched, the whole concept suddenly became “real”. I didn’t panic or even begin to second-guess my commitment, but I did try to think of all the non-necessities I really, really wanted to purchase before the challenge began. 

I asked for suggestions on fb (and got zero) and googled and browsed pinterest , using phrases like “things every woman needs”. Only one thing actually piqued my interest, but not enough to make me hit the “buy” button on amazon.

January 1 brought absolutely zero interest in purchasing anything. I did, however, check into parking lot pick-up options for grocery stores near me. Since moving here last January, I’ve only grocery-shopped every other week or so, and (due to a life-long dislike of shopping in crowded stores or any kind) I’ve made a point of stopping at times I am pretty sure the store won’t be too busy. 

Even so, I’ve noticed that when I go into a grocery store as opposed to using parking-lot delivery, I purchase items I had no intention of buying and that I don’t need. I’ve decided, as a result, to return to grocery shopping online. At least for now. 🙂

That’s all for this very short pre-week — see you next Monday for a recap of week 1.