Last year, I spent negative money on clothes, accessories, electronics, and anything else that falls under “shopping”. That is not to say that I didn’t buy anything all year, but rather that my profits exceeded my expenses. Profits I earned from selling items I’ve acquired over the years and downsizing what I own.
I started selling my stuff over two years ago because I had a hard time throwing things away, and to my surprise, people wanted to pay me money for them. Excess jackets, unopened products, electronics, and accessories. The more I sold, the more I realized how much I owned. I never had a spending habit, but over the years, I’ve accumulated things that have no value to me anymore. From this process, I’ve thought more deeply about our consumerist culture and how much I mindlessly bought without acknowledging what I already had. This shift in mindset has curbed my desire to consume more, especially since getting rid of these items was proving to be more difficult than I imagined. Nowadays, I get a bigger thrill from downsizing than from buying new products.
2020 was the first year I reversed my spending and I hope that trend continues. I still have excess belongings to get rid of, either by selling or donating. Also, to satisfy my occasional desire for new clothes, I have plans to upcycle my old clothing into new pieces. I would encourage others to take inventory of what they own too and see if you can bear to part with anything to give it a second home!
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