Book #51
Christmas Shopaholic
By Sophie Kinsella
After I finished this book, I realized that it is part of a series. Damn.
I feel like I missed an opportunity for some backstory and character development; but the book still worked well on its own.
I have a lot of respect for Kinsella’s ability to do that, since I have been trying to do something similar with blog posts during my year-long Reading Challenge. They must be able to stand individually, yet also be cohesive. It can be challenging.
I chose to include this book in my Reading Challenge for two reasons: 1. its festive theme, since the holidays are nearly upon us, and 2. because it is about something I have been conflicted about recently- shopping.
Am I a Shopaholic?
I have been questioning my consumption habits ever since I read How to Give Up Plastic in October.
I wouldn’t consider myself someone who shops a lot (especially compared to the main character in Kinsella’s book), however, I am also not a minimalist. Like most people, I am somewhere in the middle.
I don’t believe it’s my place to tell anyone else how they should shop. As such, this post will be about self-reflection, not moral authority.
I want to examine which purchases add value to my life, and which detract from it. And I want to do this from a place of agency, not guilt.
Becoming More Eco-Friendly
Shopping sustainably isn’t always easy. It seems like everywhere you go, there are different barriers to it. But things are improving.
I am not perfect, but this is the direction I am moving in:
- buying in bulk when I can
- saying no to unnecessary plastic
- recycling when available
- buying items that will last
- and fixing them when they break
- buying functional items that serve multiple purposes
Some of these switches have been very easy to make, others are still far from becoming practical.
But this examination has given me clarity. And clarity is necessary to create genuine change.
An added bonus is that each of these habits helps out my wallet as well.
Materialism vs. Consumption
Our Need for Convenience
Something that also benefits my wallet is being more intentional with my purchases; not just for the environment’s sake, but for my own.
I now only buy things that I need or want. I stopped buying things because I am bored or lazy.
“Laziness”, though, means something different day-to-day. Am I lazy if I don’t have time to make homemade oat milk and instead buy store-bought? No. Being busy is different from being lazy. And being lazy is different from choosing convenience.
Many modern societies are built around convenience because people are so busy. They are far from lazy- they are overworked.
Perfection is the Enemy of Progress
So I don’t want to judge myself for not being perfect. But I also won’t use current systemic limitations as an excuse not to try.
I think balancing these two realities: necessity for change and current limitations helps undercut shame.
Even the author of How to Give Up Plastic acknowledged that they couldn’t find a non-plastic glue strong enough to bind the book. A book on getting rid of plastic still needed it.
Decreasing Mindless Consumption
So, I want to make a distinction. I don’t want to tackle plastic or consumerism in society. Nor do I want to judge myself when I reach for something convenient. I still need time to think about those broad issues.
But I do want to decrease the mindless consumerism in my own life. That I can do today.
I think shopping is a lot like playing video games to many people. Both offer the fantasy of control, order, and resolution. They act as psychological coping mechanisms by creating solvable problems in a complicated world.
If a woman scores a great deal on a designer jacket even though she already has plenty, that is probably similar to the feeling a gamer gets when they level up. They feel like they did something.
In this way, it is an act of personal agency and identity, as well as a safe distraction in a scary world. And in difficult social or economic climates (like our current times), those feelings become even more appealing.
But this can turn cheap. And I want my purchases to be fulfilling, not mindless.
Here is my list of areas that I am generally comfortable buying:
- functionality
- learning
- inspiration
- self-expression
- relationships
- joy
I typically avoid:
- unhealthy distractions
- self-destructive purchases
- seasonal/ trend-based items
- things that isolate
- single-use items
Strategic Abundance
For example, perhaps it doesn’t come as a surprise that I have a lot of books.
A few years ago, my sister got me a custom embosser that says “From the Library of (my name)”.
It was a thoughtful Christmas gift- personal, and very on-brand for me.
I still haven’t used it yet since a library technically requires at least 1,000 books. I am not quite there, but I am probably pretty close.
But my point is, I certainly don’t have a minimalist mindset when it comes to literature. Yet there are very few books that I regret purchasing.
So I am not yet sure that abundance is inherently shallow- especially if it is tied to growth, learning, joy, or identity.
Surrounding Myself With Items That Grow Me
My wealth has fluctuated a lot throughout my life, so I know what a rich Christmas feels like and what a poor Christmas feels like.
There is dignity in minimalism, not in poverty.
There can also be responsibility in abundance, as long as you don’t get lost in excess.
I also don’t want to get lost in the seemingly necessary contradictions of the modern world- like caring for the environment while still regularly interacting with the things that harm it, like plastic or fossil fuels.
I want to face these contradictions honestly rather than giving up entirely or relying on inauthentic performances of virtue.
So for me, shopping isn’t about abstinence, but about intentionality.
Christmas Shopaholic does a good job of showing the wide range of outcomes that gifts can have. Sometimes gifts can be harmful, useless, used once then thrown away, or be just what the person needs.
And one way for gifts to have a good impact is to know ourselves and others. That way, we aren’t just going through the motions. We are giving something genuinely meaningful.
Messy Bun Book Lover
How To Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum is available here and Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella is available here.
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