A Different Approach to 2022.

 Next year, my husband, Josh, is running his first marathon. He's thinking about the endurance this will require, especially the mental presence and fortitude. I will do something similar, but it will last all year.

Our son, Oliver, has autism and intellectual impairment. He just began attending a private school for children with autism. He loves it, and he has gained amazing new practical, mental, and emotional skills. It's where he needs to be right now. He's also received ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis, an autism treatment), speech, and occupational therapy for years. Josh is an English professor at a local college. I used to do the same, but I am disabled due to bipolar disorder and panic disorder, so my income is limited. Next year, keeping Oliver in school and in therapy will require all the money we have and quite a bit more. 

I love objects. I have collections. I love journals, pens, books, Betsey Johnson jewelry, prestige makeup, and Irregular Choice shoes. Objects are meaningful to me, and I enjoy discovering them. 

But I have decided to do No Buy 2022: no purchases that are not essential. 

The main reason for this is that we simply won't have the money for fun spending while we maintain Oliver's care and education. But I'm also doing it as a cleanse and as an exercise in appreciation and contentment. I have many wonderful objects that I've collected over years or that people have given me. I have a wonderful library minutes from my house, and it's pretty well-stocked. I have a birthday and Christmas and anniversaries. Anything I want can be a gift, or it can wait until next year. Even if we suddenly had more money mid-year, I'd want to see this through. And I have no business spending money for fun when people who love us are helping us.

A member of my family hates the sensation of hunger and jokingly claims to eat frequently enough to avoid the sensation all together. I have to get used to the feeling of wanting. Or maybe my wanting will fade in the joy of reading, wearing, using, and appreciating what I already have.

I'll keep some things: my magazine subscriptions that I've already paid for (Bella Grace, Enchanted Living, and Real Simple), my season theatre tickets, the Spotify and Netflix accounts Josh and I share, and my Silk and Sonder planner subscription. If I find a book I want to read, I'll check the library and either check it out or put it on a list for later. I do, by the way, consider Dr. Pepper an essential. 

I've been moving in this direction anyway out of necessity. But when I saw the Facebook page for No Buy 2022, I thought, yes, this is something I need to do. Not everyone thinks it's a good idea. I think it is. Wish me luck.