Shopping is my hobby...

After reading article after article in the NY Times this weekend about the nation's economic crisis my heart was stricken. It's not because of the empathy I feel for the couple from my hometown Prince George's County, MD almost loosing their home because of a $500 dining room set at Levitz or the mother who ended up in a homeless shelter after putting her daughters through college, it's because I realized that in a few missteps I could end up like them.

All people don't end up in hardship because they're not intelligent, its because our whole AMERICAN mindset is messed up. We buy stuff that we can't afford all the time, stuff that we need to get "ahead" but we do it. We eat cheap food and our bodies bear the brunt of it. If I don't take care of my health at some point YOU are going to have to pay for it.
So in order to start taking some personal responsibility my first step is to put my shopping habit on hold once again. I have to admit shopping is my HOBBY. If I've got time to kill between rehearsals or meetings I usually go browsing through my favorite stores. I live in NYC, the fashion capitol of the world. We have EVERYTHING here. It's so hard.

No, most times I don't buy but I have to admit I am really influenced by trends. I LOVE fashion! But as I learned in 2007-2008 I could go an entire year without buying anything new and no one would notice. I could probably come up with new combinations of outfits for three years straight without repeating the same combination. So, I will resist the urge to buy any new clothing items (yes that includes shoes and accessories, MAN!) until January and then reassess a new plan. Sure, sure I'm sure the economists will not be happy with my plan but I rather save my money for other things and buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. When you see me ask me how this venture is going...I'm going to need help!