The slow death of consumption. How badly do you want it?

Influencing, de-influencing, and overconsumption. Did the economic blackout work?

I had left the store with a vintage scarf in my bag. $12.99, thrifted and paid in cash for a tiny spark of gratification, but it was merely a distraction. It was Election Day. I needed to leave my apartment because my willpower isn’t as strong as I pretend it is and that pleasant jolt of retail therapy was what I needed to keep myself off screens.

I reached for that scarf for the first time last week when the temps hit past 50 and was reminded of how I spent that morning feeling hopeful. That purchase was supposed to commemorate…something. Well, you know how that went. I put the scarf on, wrapping the silk fabric around my neck once and tying it into a bow. I look in the mirror and decide that I still love the painterly gestures of the pattern that lured me into a purchase that day, even if the day didn’t go as I had hoped.

I still don’t know how to properly style a scarf like women who do so effortlessly, but damned if I won’t stop trying.

I think that was the last time I actually bought something frivolous. No, I’m not counting holiday gift buying (though, maybe that’s cheating) or the casual browsing I did while on a trip earlier this year. The shopping I’m talking about is the thrill of a good deal, or a hunt to emulate a look you see on someone, or because you desire something that someone else has.