I've been reading "Not Buying It" over the last couple of weeks, which has really made me stop and think about what I buy (and don't buy) and why. I think, I have to agree with one of the Amazon reviews, (third one down, Mrs Katharine Kirby), that there's a lot that's interesting in the book, but it's very US-centred. So if anyone knows of anything similar but from a UK or European point of view please let me know! (oh, and I got it from the library, rather than buying it...)
A bit like joining "Knit From Your Stash" really, I was beginning to feel awkward about my stash and the amount I was spending on yarn. Some of it is stuff I bought when I first started knitting and it was relatively hard to get hold of decent yarn, particularly sock yarn. Some I thought of as a bargain as it was in a sale (but will I ever use it?!). So far, Knit From Your Stash is going well (one month in, eight to go!). I have bought yarn, some for a knitting request I received, some to finish a present off, and some to do the heels for a pair of socks, but otherwise have managed not to buy any more.
Anyway, go and read "Not Buying It". Last week someone posted on the MoneySavingExpert forum wanting ideas for things to do at the weekend that didn't cost much as her partner had just been made redundant. Having totted up what I spent last weekend on my "social" life, it came to:
£3.25 for a pot of tea and a chocolate brownie at Knit Lincs
£5 in church collection
petrol to get to Knit Lincs
Possibly I'm not your average consumer?!
Also read in the last fortnight:
Providential Accidents - the autobiography of Geza Vermes. Very interesting and provided a lot I didn't know about wartime Hungary, immediate post-war France, as well as Catholicism around the time of the Second World War and Judaism in general (Vermes was born Jewish, converted to Christianity, became a Catholic priest, then returned to Judaism whilst in this country). I found the account of the early investigations into the Dead Sea Scrolls particularly interesting.
and
Confessions of a Bad Mother - a very funny account of the woman who muddles her way through bringing up her children. From my point of view (as in, yet to sprog) it was very reassuring...
5 comments:
I am uncomfortable if I have too much 'stuff' around me and as I get older, I'm more careful about what I do purchase. Thanks for the links to the interesting reading material.
Love the sound of Confessions of a Bad Mother, and will probably be buying it.
I know what you mean about the other book being too American orientated. I have the same problem over here. We also need something similar that is more Aussie based........but I'm not the woman to do it. :-(
(www.qwarkus.typepad.com)
Ooh you always read books that look really interesting. You'll have to knit really, really fast so that you can buy yarn at skipnorth ;o)
xx
"not buying it" sounds a good read. We lived just over a year(a couple of years ago) with very little money and it really bought it home to me how much cash we wasted on "stuff".
You're so well behaved when it comes to yarn. I have to admit to being a 'stuff' person but I'm becoming more restrained as I get older.
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