The Turning Point

Growing up, I never had a want for anything. My parents always provided for me and anything I wanted was within my grasp. If I saw a pretty bauble or sugary candy, chances were I could finagle my mother into buying it for me. It was also highly probable that the candy was consumed by the time we left the store and the trinket lost within a couple days. And if I am to be completely honest, that behavior really hasn’t changed throughout the years.

Starting this blog and being challenged to buy fewer things has opened my eyes to what a wasteful society America is. Just the other day I found myself standing in the clothing section in Target putting a bikini in my basket to buy when I realized I already had seven at home. Not only that, but I’m not even going to the beach this summer! All the energy and fuel that went into making that bikini would have wasted away as the bathing suit lay crammed into the back of my dresser.  

The problem is that there are thousands of people out there like me, picking things up on a whim and never using them. I was able to overcome this after being challenged to cut back on my spending. However, not everyone has been offered this test and therefore don’t even realize they are mindlessly wasting their money and the energy put into making the product.

Blogging has changed my views on what I buy, and why I buy it. By spreading the challenge to buy less, I hope others can limit their excessive consumerism also.