No Buy Year: May Update

We are in our 6th month now! Wow. So, here’s my May update.

All of my updates thus far talked more about the psychological issues and temptations that I’m facing while going through this no buy year journey. Because it is true – once you make the commitment to yourself to have a no-buy year, the challenge is not so much about financial things. It’s all psychological now; how do you restrain yourself from temptations.

Temptations are everywhere

It was Ramadhan and Raya month. There were sales everywhere! All those online shops and websites and the random ads on Instagram or Facebook were screaming at me, “Hey buy me! Buy me!”. Fortunately, I managed to hold myself from buying anything but honestly, I was silently hoping that my mom would insist on a Raya theme for everyone in the family so I could just purchase a new baju raya. I don’t need one, but I was desperate to have the shiny new things feelings. Kah! Thankfully for the pandemic, no raya this year so no baju raya.

Before we go on a celebratory mode for my no-buy May, I have to tell you that…

MY GOODNESS, I THINK I JUST FAILED. I’M FAILING.

I BOUGHT TWO NEW BOOKS. TWO. NEW. BOOKS. That costs me RM107.44. The temptations are real.

No-buy verdict

Looking at the bigger picture, there are two ways we can go about this.

One, I can be pessimistic about my failure and beat myself for it. I should not buy books yet I bought, not one but, two! Two books. As much as I hate to say this, I’ve failed. As simple as that.

Or another way of looking at it, hello I bought nothing more but books! Books are good, right? Please say yes. I’m supporting #MalaysiaMembaca here. Also, please understand that I have always been an avid reader, of non-fiction books mostly.

When I started my no-buy year, I decided that I would continue the habit but by reading books online. In free e-books or pdf forms. They’re free but oops, unethical. At first, it all went well, I read books through my phone or laptop until I realized my eyesight is getting poorer. I can’t function now without spectacles. My eyesight is worsening within months. Ugh!

I don’t want to lose neither the reading habit that I’ve cultivated for so long nor my already poor, poor eyesight. So what’s the win-win situation here?

Win-win

I don’t want to consider this as a sign of defeat or retreat but I decided to relax my rules a bit, ONLY for books. My main goal this year is to stop the impulse and unnecessary puchases and save money in turn. I would love to believe that I’ve achieved that so far. The two books that I bought? Those were not impulse purchases. I’ve been wanting to read them for so long and I couldn’t get them for free online. I couldn’t wait another half a year to read those. So I gave in.

So here’s the deal. I can buy books but on this ground – finish reading one, go buy one. As long as I don’t go on a books-buying spree and books hoarding, guess all is good. Financially I’m on the right track and I can afford spending hundred or so a month for books.

That’s our new rules. What say you?