Don't Buy it, Stroke it

For weeks now, I've been going into Costco and lusting after a shiny new changing bag. It's a vibrant red (matches the pushchair) with stripey trim, has allsorts of fancy gizmos and gadgets: an insulated bottle bag, an integrated nappy mat, lots of little places to store my bub's food cartons, a dummy holder, a mobile phone pouch.... It's £35 and gorgeous!!! I would ordinarily have snuck it in my shopping trolley but each week something stopped me.

I have at least five usable changing bags, all of which were shiney and new once. Why are these now less attractive and do I really need another? I left it "'til next week", satisfying myself with the 'fix' of turning it over in my hands and examining it again. Ten or so weeks later, my girlfriends may be a bit sick of me going on about this bag, but it's still in the shop and I've been happy with just stroking.

This got me thinking: how many times have I bought something that I already have one (or more) of? And how often do I buy stuff that I don't really need?

What are my real needs in a modern world? I don't want to be too punitive. I know I can survive without a new perfume, say, but would life without my electric toothbrush really be that awful? (At the moment, I would say yes!)

Anyway, I can't answer these questions because I don't know what I've got. I'm a terrible hoarder and I tend to pack things away rather than throw them out. I have so much stuff in various drawers, boxes, wardrobes, the cellar. I literally have no idea what I have. So, I've decided to investigate the content of my own house. I think I might even try to inventory my belongings. Then see how little I can buy because I already have a similar product or because I can use something more sparingly so it lasts longer or because I can simpy survive without.

I've been preparing myself for this change (I've been thinking about it for a few weeks, announced it to my friends - told them I'm going to try to not buy anything new for a year - to motivate me in my resolve) and I think this is the move from contemplation to action.

Today I've bought a packet of buckwheat pasta and a new deodorant (eco-friendly). I don't want to smell as I go into my new abstemious life!