Withdrawal symptoms

Day 63 of lockdown isolation. Withdrawal symptoms are truly kicking in. I find myself tucking into unecessary treats more then often, reading anything I can find, even the back of a crisp packet, all to kick the habit...the habit of spending. I keep looking at beautiful things on Ebay, Depop, facebook market but I simply can not justify spending money right now. Hence the indulging on snacks. Despite the things I'm looking at are of course second hand treasures and therefore sticking to my 'year of nothing new', I still can't justify spending the money. I've always been good with money. In the sense of never spending any more than I know I have. But when it comes to saving money, I am a bit slower at that. Once money is in my savings however, I never touch it. It's just getting it in there to start with. I am much better now of course. When you give yourself goals and aims, it helps a lot.

I guess what started my 'Year of nothing new' began when close to one Christmas, I was back at college, the age of 24 turning 25. I was paying my own way, to start a new path in the career I am in now. I exclaimed to my family that christmas presents this year would be small and minimal.
Whilst studying, I had an 8 hour a week contract job in a retail shop helping to keep me going whilst studying full time. So, yes, presents were definitely minimal. This is when I started buying presents from the carboot, charity shops or even making presents and I am proud to say I have done it ever since. I would never buy anything clearly over worn, in damaged packaging or horrendously marked. As a gift, it still needs to be in great condition and like new. I tend to find things still with tags on or the sticker labels. Still in unopened packaging or wrapping. Sometimes I just do the 'smell test'. You know what I'm talking about, the smell of newness from a high street shop. That smell.

I have found some great things. For example, a Jaeger cotton, blue and white stripe top with three quarter sleeves that had a width of emerald green at the end of the sleeves. Perfect for my mum, she loves a striped top. I found this in a charity shop, still with the plastic tag thingy attached from the original label all for £3! Bargain! I found my sister a real Ugg satchel bag in black (a style that she pretty much owns) off Ebay for just £20, It arrived in the original box, which was damaged but I claimed it got squashed in my wardrobe amongst all the other Christmas presents that I hid. So, there are many great things you can buy second hand, which will still be hugely appreciated when received. They would never know really. One Christmas I put together a little hamper of gardening bits for my dad. Men can be really hard to buy for, you can only get them so many pairs of socks and CD's before it gets a bit boring. I found a lovely wicker basket at the local carboot, some terracotta pots, gardening tools, a kilner jar with gardening string inside. These are things so easily found at carboots. Often still in packaging due to being unwanted gifts they themselves received. This is why I really think about the person I'm buying for and won't just walk into tkmaxx, debenhams or boots and buy those gift sets you later see in the charity shops.

This is where present buying becomes senseless. Don't just buy people things BECAUSE its Christmas, or Valentinse, or their birthday. Buy because you've seen something that you know they would really like. It shows thought as really gone into it. This is why when I am out and about (or rather was out and about) If I saw something my mum would like, my partner would like etc... I would snatch it up and stash it away somewhere (my present hiding place - we all have one, mine just isn't as good as Monica's from 'Friends') to later give it to that person for what event comes first, Christmas or their birthday. I went through my box the other day and luckily have enough things for my immediate family for this years Christmas presents !

I am clearly having withdrawal symptoms from charity shopping and carboot-ing due to the fact my dreams are now consisting of me browsing through the rails and searching through the bric-a-brac for little bargain finds. I dreamt the other night that shops in my local high street had reopened and were allowing one in one out. My mum went into the coffee shop to get our takeaway ice coffees and I went into a charity shop for a little browse. A man and his young child came in to the shop too leaving myself and the shop assistant amazed!...... I think I need to get out for a walk or something (insert head in hands emoji here). It doesn't help that I keep seeing on social media some people have been passing neighbours houses who have left boxes of goodies for people to help themselves too - jealous! I keep going into my attic and rummaging through the bags of things I have decluttered from rooms of the house and clothes I have removed from my wardrobe - all ready to do a carboot this summer (was the plan anyway) as a form of retail therapy. I have actually come across stuff that I have falling in love with again and wondered why I tossed it out in the first place. This is a great way to declutter and find out what you really wanted to get rid of and what you secretly want to keep.