Shopping free in 2020

Aradhika Sharma

After a lot of thinking, pondering and discarding the various New Year resolution options — such as putting limits on your phone use (and be left out of people’s feeds on social media? Oh! I’ll die of FOMO), eating more mindfully (tried, failed miserably!) and start waking up earlier during the week (felt like a zombie all day) — I found something that I could commit myself to for the whole year: Resolution 2020! “I shall not shop mindlessly!”

Jan 1: I woke up feeling virtuous. It was the start of the new, anti-shopping me. Did you know it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one T-shirt? That’s enough for one person to drink for 900 days. By buying less, I could save the planet and promote sustainability. I couldn’t wait to tell the girls in office about my cool new resolution. I even Instagrammed my picture captioned: “I’m an Earth warrior!” Naturally, one can’t upload a picture of oneself wearing one of those gruesome mediocrities that masquerade as your sweaters, so I purchased a pretty white cardigan for my picture. Rocking, na?

Jan 4: My salary got credited, but, unlike every month, when I celebrate my wages by buying myself something nice (which I deserve after a whole month of working my butt off), I resisted. However, I had put some money in my Amazon Pay account and used that to purchase a pair of shoes that were essential. Yellow shoes to match my yellow jacket, woh bhi at 40 per cent off! Technically, you can’t call it shopping as I didn’t use my credit or debit card. Plus, remember, a penny saved is a penny earned. I saved money. I’m proud of myself.

Jan 7: I’m getting shopping withdrawal symptoms. Vaise, I’m sure that the purchase of essential items counts as mindless shopping. One must survive, bhai. I visited the grocery sites and bought three toilet cleaners, three hand washes, four shampoos, five dozen apples, three bottles of ketchup and five jars of coffee (different flavours). I’ve also discovered that the storage space in my house is too less so I’m browsing the furniture sites for a new cupboard. Haven’t bought it, mind you! Super saver, me!

Jan 10: Hai, yeh sales kab peecha chodengi? Any e-commerce site I’ve ever browsed is appearing on my screen, tempting and teasing me to purchase the beauties on the screen right before me. I feel just like sage Vishwamitra must have felt when that minx Menaka lured him. These sites are just like that heavenly beauty, trying to ruin my severe penance. But I have an idea! I’ll just browse sites and put things in the ‘cart’. That way I can fulfill my shopping addiction but not take the final step of putting in the OTP. I congratulate myself on beating the system.

Jan 18: I’ve been wonderfully strong willed. It’s time I rewarded myself for saving the earth. Time to put in the OTP!

I lasted 17 days! I’m an earth warrior! Wow!