Yes, I absolutely feel the same. It is about living within one's means and not "assuming" that we will earn it in the future some time. For me, like Denise , it is a social responsibility also. And just being in the present.

I have to say that I LOVED your blog on the house. I am going to follow it. It gave me a tremendous amount of respect for you and your husband. I just kept thinking about what great role modeling for your kids. You are not your square footage ! We have lost the "art" of being content. ( I am going all Taoist on you.....LOL....btw....I LOVED the Lutheran Yogi bit !!!! )

Isabel, you are making me grin from ear to ear! It was a harrowing experience but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or need a stronger drink, or whatever that funny saying is.

I love YLFers and everyone's generous and energetic spirits. Thank you all for your enthusiasm and kind words, they mean the world!

You wrote a great article, Laura. I think you did a great job capturing the idea of buying less and enjoying it more. I'm not sure about going 12 x 12 because I'd like to hope I can buy less than that. I'm still going to keep swapping clothes, but even that's starting to get expensive paying for shipping and what-not.

The figure you mention about Generation Y scares me as well. I hate the idea of my most my generation living in debt and what that can mean later on down the road.

Re. the economic nature of today's era: That would be a yes, I feel that way. Slower and scaled back is the way forward. This is not entirely a bad thing, IMO, either. When I say "scaled back," I don't mean there's no room for opulence (my word for the week btw ;>). I mean scaling back on decimating voracity.

Oh Laura, may I play, please? *clasping hands together earnestly* What a fantastic article. You have put words to the feelings and thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head. Americans in particular seem to enjoy shopping purely as a sport and we have the stuffed closets to prove it.

Last spring/summer I was shopping *frantically* for what, I do not know. It was like news of cotton prices rising made me want to RUN to the nearest thrift store and buy ugly cotton things in bulk. Famine! Scarcity! Lack! What was I afraid of? That the small selection of clothes in my closet would wear out all at the same time and I would have to go naked?

I really like your idea of going slowly and allowing there to be chronological space between purchases. How can I savor a new item (or learn how many ways it can be worn) if I jump to purchase another right afterwards? And another. And another! I think Europeans (in general) "slow shop" compared to us. I remember La Francaise mentioning the horror she felt when we referred to our shopping "hauls". That really got me thinking. Thanks for taking this to the next level. I can't wait to read some more of your articles!

Lovely piece! I've been on SYB for a year at this point, with my budget resetting every 3 months. This is the first budget cycle when I don't find myself voraciously wanting anything, and I love the peace that it's brought me. Slowing down my rate of shopping has really helped me reset the pace at which I expect and delight in newness. There are so many things other than "newness" to delight in: a well-curated collection, an outfit that makes you feel like an 11, an old favourite coming out to play once more, reveling in item quality/versatility/whatever, discovering a new way to wear an item, ...

I don't plan on going on a new shopping challenge or ban (since SYB works so well for me as-is), but I plan on savouring every moment of my newfound contentment. And I'm contemplating adjusting my budget down a bit, to ensure that I don't get tempted to pick up another "hit" by shopping for a new item.

Thank you for putting a name to something I could not quite articulate Laura.

I do believe enjoying the process heightens the reward so I am in

Great article. I've been remembering lately how when I was younger and had less money a new item was more greatly valued. I am working to regain that.

Great article, Laura! Love the term. I'm in.

Lynne, I remember feeling the same. A new pair of shoes was a huge deal and I would be thrilled for months. I also remember that Mom and I would shop only twice a year, usually August and Christmas (August for school clothes). The whole family would travel to the Big City and stay at a hotel and make a weekend out of it. Somehow it was incredibly satisfying. Maybe I should write about that.

Laura, I also remember the shopping being at the start of school. After about age 13, my parents would give me $200 and say, buy your year's stuff. Maybe that's why I've always been a more for the money type shopper? And then my birthday (in May) would be when the warm weather clothes would come. Little to nothing in between, save maybe some jammies or a coat or sweater at Christmas.

This makes me think of the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Fast Fashion. At the end of the book she talks about a few women as well as herself the started sewing their own clothes or altering their store bought ones to fit them. Shopping and fashion have become a financial force as well as a hobby and career for many. The never ending, fast fashion, always changing, let's see what's new and buy it attitude has been driving our shopping patterns. Clothing has become disposable and poorly made. Factory conditions in China and many third world countries is deplorable yet we still want everything cheaper and faster.

If we returned to 'slow' life in general, only purchasing items that are well made and yes, more expensive, although fewer in quantity, we may change the way fashion is distributed to the masses. However with the advent of fast fashion, more fashion is now available to more people and they want it.

There is no right answer, just more questions.
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