Dear Bed, I love you

I mean, this sign is me, 100%. I would stay in bed forever if I could.

But here is what I posted on instagram yesterday: “I saw this sign today and literally laughed out loud in the aisle. It’s cute, funny, and TRUE. But do you know what I did? I took a picture of it, texted it to my husband, and LEFT IT ON THE SHELF.

We have so much more stuff than we need, and even though this would be a cute and funny addition to my bedroom, I know that a year or so from now, it would end up in a garage sale, on its way to Goodwill, or in the trash. So today I chose to say NO to the consumer culture that tells me I should buy it if I love it. Let’s all agree to buy less and buy better, and stop the cycle.”

And then I scrolled my instagram feed a little longer until I saw something like this:
(Not the real post, because I don’t want to shame the person who posted it.)

And I laughed. Because who hasn’t been there? I know I’ve been drawn in by the siren song of the “Temptation Bins” at the front. (I’m sorry, I think most people call them the “dollar spot”?) I’ve convinced myself that I NEED that gorgeous throw pillow or pair of shoes or hilarious sign about how much I love my bed. I went in for toothpaste and came out with a receipt for hundreds of dollars worth of stuff.

That’s always the joke, isn’t it? That Target has magical powers that make us buy too much stuff whenever we go through their doors? Well, guess how I combat those magical powers?

I don’t go to Target.

Yep, it’s really that simple. I go to Target maybe a couple times a year, but I try to avoid it. Not because I have anything against Target! I love Target! I miss the rush of finding a great deal, the hit of joy from buying something pretty. I can’t participate in the conversations that everyone has about what fun thing they found in the new Joanna Gaines section, because I’ve never been in it. People literally look at me like I’m from another planet sometimes. But it means I consume less, save money, and don’t participate in the continual collection of semi-disposable stuff.

Why?

Because taking stuff to Goodwill doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist anymore. Sooner or later it will end its life by taking up space in a landfill.

Because it takes energy, and water, and resources to make every thing I buy, and there’s always waste associated with its production.

Because many of the products at Target are made by people working in terrible conditions for unfair pay, and that’s why they’re so “cheap”.

Because I DON’T NEED IT.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m going to keep going to Target on occasion. I’m going to buy too many things at other stores, too. I’m not perfect. I never will be.

But if I stop and think before I buy the “Dear Bed, I love you” sign, that’s one step closer to the world I want to live in.