Resolution Number Six: Thoughtful Consumption

This is a resolution that I've been working on for awhile, and I feel like I'm mostly pretty good at, but still something I know I could use a reminder about every now and then. Now, Richard and I aren't exactly rolling in money so in a way this is a bit of a necessity, but I'm as guilty as anyone else of getting into the I WANT mode, most especially when browsing around online. As wonderful as this online crafty/design-y community is, I'll admit that I can often fall into the trap of being jealous of what I see everyone else has. Studio tours that are both inspiration and causes for manic ebay sessions trying to find the same amazing Eames chair (that of course I know I completely cannot afford!), or lusting after an amazing yarn stash. It is such a gross feeling, that jealous feeling. Especially when I actually have a lot of lovely things in my home and I know that it would be really easy to stay in the 'want' mode and never actually get out of it. Yuck.

So, I guess I'm talking about a change in mindset really. To learn to be happy with the things I have, and to take a really good look at those things to see if they are all things I actually need. We're most likely going to leave Vancouver at some stage to venture back to New Zealand for a bit, so as much I would love to buy amazing furniture, the money is probably better saved than spent. Or, to stop going to Value Village and buying every little knick knack that I see (of course I will still buy some, I can't help it) but wait a little bit so that I can buy that one really fantastic vintage piece that perhaps cost a little more but that I will love forever.

Some other areas both Richard and I are hoping to consume more thoughtfully are;

- De-clutter and live with a mindset of potentially have to move on, and set up house elsewhere.

- Eat locally grown food as exclusively as possible (I don't actually need pineapples)

- Adopt a completely vegan diet and lifestyle. We're both vegetarian, and have pretty much already been doing this for awhile, but have both come to a point where we want it to be more of a conscious thing.

- Research where the food we eat comes from, to make sure that it is in line with that that is ethically important to us.

- As mentioned in my previous post, make more of my own clothes.

- Buy local and handmade, as much as possible (this will exclude books and music I imagine, and some clothing because local plus size/sizes above a 12 or 14 boutiques pretty much don't exist. But that's another post).

Ha, I hope I dont sound too much like a kill joy with some of these goals. Im starting them knowing that I'm not going to be able to keep them perfectly all the time, but that if I can work on changing the way I view how I consume then that is what is most important to me for now.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Anyone in the same boat?