This thing called the recession really helped put some things in perspective for me. Things that are all invariably linked. My husband lost his job last April and we had a 4 mo. old at the time so we have cut back in a lot of ways. Andrew is since working, but at a fraction of his previous salary. So, we’ve had to undergo some belt tightening. But, really and truly, we still have plenty. You could cut what we have in 1/2 and it’s still more than enough.
I am thinking about gluttony. Not just by me (although I do my fair share) but by the culture of America that I grew up with. I am, on a personal level, trying to figure out why I have this slightly on edge, slightly restless feeling when I’m not shopping. All day today, I wanted to surf the web to browse for the latest clothes (even though I can’t buy them) and just now I was about to enter in the url to Eddie Bauer when I entered in GAD’s instead. Whew. Saved for now. But I’ve had an itch to buy… which is maybe why I surfed the web this morning looking for fleece jammies for my son (didn’t buy b/c I didn’t like any), and then later purchased a confirmation gift & a wedding gift, and then paid some bills, and then surfed around aimlessly at amazon.com and paper-source.com (two of my favorite places but still didn’t buy anything)… Where am I going with this? Even though I’m not buying clothing, the urge to shop hasn’t left me. I’ve gone cold turkey by avoiding the malls, unsubscribing from the ads from companies in my email, etc, etc… and yet I’m still dying to go shopping! I think this same urge translates over to food…
I know that mind over matter should rule… but it’s a very well matched battle indeed.
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I hear ya, Amy! My husband lost his job back in April also but, alas, has NOT been able to find a new one yet (neither have I)… SOOO, we’re in the midst of “Belt-Tightening Extreme Edition”. Like you say, though, overall we really have plenty (at least a lot more than some people), so I just try to be thankful every day for all that we do have. TGAAD helps me be more conscious, purposeful and mindful about my decision to not buy any clothing and helps overcome that feeling of powerlessness and deprivation! Hang in there!