I hope you all had a fun, safe Hall🎃ween. Hard to believe it’s only two months until the new year. November marks the beginning of the challenge the buy nothing but the essentials. It can be difficult, but when you take inventory of what you have it makes it easier. I like to create a list, nothing overly detailed, of what I have. No-Spend November, or No-Buy November, isn’t for everyone. And, if you choose to participate, you don’t have to go extreme. It can be difficult, especially with the holidays so close. That being said, you can also focus on providing meaningful gifts that happen to be economical.

When you stop to think about what you need versus what you want you can see how easy it is to blur those lines. I’ve used this example in the past. New jars don’t need to be bought when there are perfectly good ones stilling in the fridge that can be washed out. I also don’t need a collection of reusable straws (there are probably around 20 that we have) and the amount of clothes that I have. When you see the shift in consumerism, marketing, and industry, it’s fascinating to see how our purchasing habits have changed. Anyway, I digress…

So far, I’ve bought food and period underwear. Exciting, eh? There isn’t anything, food/pet essentials and medication aside, that we actually need. We still some non-essential shopping to do, but that can be done online. Even though I’m making nearly all of the gifts this year, there are a few we need to get. The plan is not to go over $100 for everyone. We are also going to make treats, as we do every year, with some sort of personalized twist. What are your plans for holiday gifting?

Next week there should be a video up (aiming for Friday) and possibly a live stream depending on how the week goes.

Peace & Love, always!