Inspired by our month-long trip living out of a single suitcase, I’m going to try and buy nothing during the month of September.  I do the majority of the buying for myself and the kids and a lot of the buying for Jonathan.  Our nanny might buy something; this isn’t totally rigid.  But in addition to having less stuff in Virginia, I also didn’t order much from Amazon or any other company because I wasn’t sure it would be delivered to the rental house.  I did buy a replacement GPS watch after mine died, which, financially speaking, canceled out any effects of not doing other shopping.  Still, it was good not to bring so much stuff into our lives.

Furthermore, I was inspired by my parents.  My Mom has been doing buy-nothing way longer than it’s been a trend.  Her motto throughout my entire life has really been “buy nothing.”  (It dovetails nicely with my parents’ overall frugality.)  In any case, during our visit, I noticed she still had the same beach towels she had when we were kids.  And the same cooler.  And a bunch of other necessities she’d brought I recognized and realized she’d had at least 30 years.

My parents’ computer broke down a few weeks ago.  Most people would probably buy another one if they could afford it, which my parents can.  My parents, who are not as capable with computers as they used to be, nonetheless opened it up and fiddled with this and that until they got it working again.

Anyway, I think I can manage a month.  We’ll see how it goes.  I do want a new e-reader (since I lost my old one), but I can read on my phone until at least October.  I’ve been so tired due to getting up to run before work I haven’t been reading much anyway.

(Obviously buy nothing does not include food, medication, or other basic necessities.  Though I’m pretty sure the my Mom had also had the cough drop she offered me one day in VA for a decade or two.)