Dropping Shopping

That is the title of an article in my People magazine of a lady who only spent money on the necessities for ONE WHOLE YEAR! Wow! I asked Pete if we could do that. We thought we could until.....we went to Costco. Blew that. We didn't have a plan like she did, but I think even with a plan, we couldn't only do necessities for a year. Like, she used the same tube of mascara for the year. To me that would be a necessity. Oh, her goal was "to determine whether it is possible to have a life and an identity without buying a lot of stuff". Well put. Especially, nowadays, where I feel people get their security from the house they live in, the car they drive, the jeans they wear, or the handbag they carry, amongst other materialisms. A battle I have recognized in myself and have been determined to fight.
Anyways, she and her boyfriend decided that public transportation, the internet and the newspaper were essential. They gave up their gym memberships, movies and prepared food. Three things that she missed were ice cream from the ice cream stand, fresh cut flowers and movies.
Their social life suffered a bit since eating out was forbidden. I don't understand, though, why she couldn't read the latest books, as she claimed, because she could've gotten them from the library. But, whatever, to each their own.
So a positive, though, was that she and her beau had more time together because they were not consumed with seeing the latest, getting the latest, being at the latest etc. I like that part.
I think with kids necessities have a broader scope, and she had the luxury of putting this on just herself, but it has made me think "what is really necessary in this little life of mine?" because really we can't take it with us.