Frugal February: Less is the new more

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ~ Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

I spent part of last week purging my closets. Like many women I know, I own too much clothing. My latest pile of discards contained some nearly new, barely worn items — a fact that tugged on my conscience as I folded and packed it all into black garbage bags. The shame I felt for being so wasteful (and extravagant) was only partly erased by the knowledge that my unwanted clothes will be donated to a charity.

I’m on a roll now. Having successfully completed the Dry January challenge, I want to keep clearing space in other areas of my life. I want an unobstructed view of where I’m headed. I want to consume less and appreciate what I already have. Welcome, Frugal February!

As serendipity would have it, a friend recently texted me an article on the “No Buy 2025” movement, which is gaining momentum on social media. So what is it? In a nutshell, it simply means that you don’t purchase stuff unless you absolutely need it. It’s all about being a responsible, disciplined consumer.

If you already own several white shirts, for instance, you don’t buy another white shirt just because it has a cute ruffle on the collar. At the grocery, you only purchase the food you’ll actually use for the week. If you’ve got a drawerful of make-up, you don’t buy more until you use up what you have, and so on.

When you have to shop for something, remember to patronize the local retailers in your own community — or consider thrift shopping. The “No Buy 2025” challenge is worth considering if you’re worried about the unpredictability of our national economy and want to save more money in the long run. Or maybe you’re simply turned off by conspicuous consumption.

The whole idea got me thinking: How much stuff do I really need? What compels me to want more? What impact does all my stuff have on my environment? To add a little levity to this topic, I pulled up an old George Carlin routine, “Stuff,” which you can enjoy here. I hope it makes you laugh while you figure out what to do with all your stuff. ~CL