One year - no new gear!

 I have just been reading an article about Shopping Sustainability!

Whoa, look at me being all eco-friendly!

It seems that, according to Oxfam, half a tonne of clothing every minute is dumped into a landfill in Ireland. That amount produces over 12 tonnes of carbon emissions - the same as driving 65,000 kilometres in a car!

And I am guilty of a lot of that.

Recently we had the difficult job of clearing out the family home and eventually going through Mam's things.Now Mam was the best shopper in Ireland. It was her hobby. Anytime she was going anywhere she had to get

"A nice pair of black trousers and a top."

One time I tried to point out to her that she already had 12 pairs of "nice black trousers" in her wardrobe and did she really need another pair? I was accused of wrecking her buzz. She didn't drink, smoke or gamble so it was her one little vice.

When it came to clearing out, it was a mammoth task. There were three wardrobes of clothes to go through. We tried our best to get homes for most of it, her friends, the nursing home, charity clothes collections but there was still a large amount that ultimately ended up in landfill.

That has made me look at my own habits.

I am my mother's daughter!

Going through my clothes I realised I live in a wardrobe that just happens to have a kitchen. I know that when anything happens to me, my nieces will be going through everything and throwing most of it out.

Except for my Louboutin shoes! There may be duels at dawn over them!

So I have come to a decision, not an easy one, mind you. I too view shopping as a day out.

But I've decided, I am not going to buy any new clothes, until the 11th April 2023!

Gasp!

HOWEVER..... I will allow myself one emergency piece per month. It has to be a WANT not a NEED. For example, I am rejoining the swimming pool this week and I have pulled out my old swimsuits. These were ones I bought after Operation Transformation....6 years ago. They owe me nothing. I tried them on and they are so threadbare it would be indecent of me to wear them in public. So this month I will allow myself to buy a new swimsuit.

So I can have the safety net of one vital purchase per month, but that will still rule out the

 "Oh that looks nice, I want it" purchases. I will have to think long and hard before I buy that one monthly item.

I feel all good and holy now, practically a 57 year old Greta Thunberg!