January, my first month of living with the Compact has come and gone, and we’re now well into February. How did we do? I ran up against an item that I guess I should have included in my exceptions at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t think of it at the time – shoes. At the end of last winter I discovered that my sturdy but older winter boots were toast, but forgot about them until just a few weeks ago.
I knew I wanted a warm pair of Sorel boots to get me through our New England winters for the next decade or so. My husband has had a pair that have lasted him for over 15 years; he did replace the felt insert once, but otherwise they’re still going strong. So I bit the bullet and went ahead and got a pair. The irony being that I’ve only had to wear them twice – this has been the warmest and least snowy winter ever.
There are a few reasons why I won’t buy used shoes or boots. The first is that I have flat feet and need quality footwear that will give me support. And as I spend much of my working time in the outdoors, I need sturdy, high-performing footwear. I’m a firm believer in getting quality products the first time that will outlast their cheaper counterparts thus saving money over the long run, and using fewer materials. So even though shoes have been added to my exception list, I won’t buy any footwear this year unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Other than the boots, I’ve been able to stick to my commitment not to buy new. But now my next challenge is here: Valentine’s day. I usually get something small for the boys and had to think carefully about what I wanted to do for this year. Making cards would be pretty easy, and we have a whole box of cute valentines from last year that didn’t get used which I can delve into. And I’ve decided to make them decorated cookies (or maybe brownies) instead of giving them each a book or stuffed animal this year – less cost, fewer materials, less stuff. Awesome.