By: Emilia Melville

Emilia Melville — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:18:00 +0000

Thanks so much for this post, really interesting. I’ve been reading a lot of psychology about sustainable consumption, frugal consumption, and what kind of values motivate them, and your story resonates so well with a lot of the questions I’ve been asking of myself, inspired by the more academic seeking. Thanks.

By: Claire M. in D.C.

Claire M. in D.C. — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 17:12:24 +0000

Amen, Amanda. I've been struggling with the same issues. I'm trying really hard to train myself so that when I get that impulse, "Ooooh that's so pretty I gotta have it now everyone will love me if I have it!" I try to 1) think of what I already have that's like it or similar and serves the same purpose (very effective); 2) walk around the store with it and see if the novelty effect wears off, which, 95% of the time, it does; or 3) remember this button I wore in high school that said, "I buy things I don't need with money I don't have to impress people I don't like." I no longer wear clothing with logos or anything screen-printed on it because I don't like to think I'm being associated with a brand name; as one of my friends puts it, "Why in the world give them free advertising? They should be paying you ." I really only wear one pair of jeans on casual Friday and weekends, and all I ever wear are dark pants/dark skirts and solid V-neck tops, of different sleeve lengths and and thicknesses and in different colors depending on the season. This is not to say that my closet cannot use some improvement, but hey, "Pardon my dust!" I'm a work in progress.

Comments on: Buying my Personality in a Store

By: Emilia Melville

By: Claire M. in D.C.