Getting to Enough

I hope this is an OK examination of what "enough" means.

( I've always kept pretty minimalistic with things, but this year I've tried to simplify my life financially. )

One of the ways I've worked at getting to enough the last couple of years is to challenge myself to try and get rid of one thing each day, as well as one more thing for each new one brought home. I've participated in LJ comms for this challenge in the past, and so started a DW comm unclutter this year.  

Anyone who is interested is very welcome!

Hello community. Hope all of you had a nice Christmas and New Year.

I was thinking while putting away Christmas gifts (sort-of-resolution: don't let the house get this cluttered ever again) that gift-giving is a very problematic custom. My parents asked me what I wanted. I said 'nothing' because there was really no specific item that I needed at that time, and if there was, I would want to choose it myself. Parents, as they do, said I was going to have something for Christmas, what did I want? I suggested cold hard cash in lieu of presents, so they would be able to give me a gift as they wanted to and I would have money to save/spend when I had some idea of what I wanted. They agreed to this.

As it happened, I got presents and a small amount of cash. While I'm grateful for my parents' generosity, that they took the time to shop and search for me-specific gifts, I now have clutter, items that I'm unlikely to use but would feel bad to put on Ebay. Awkward.

On the other side of it, my parents are working professionals and anything I can afford to give them is probably not something they need or want - what to give to people who have everything? Nothing stresses me out as much as Christmas gift shopping. I'd like to propose a state of adults not exchanging gifts in the family, but I can't think of a way to phrase it without sounding like I'm trying to wiggle out of my daughterly duties, or that I'm secretly in dire financial straits and can't afford to give them even a small gift.

Hand-made gifts would be a possible idea but I'm a bit butterfingered/non-artistic/disorganised and don't think of these til the last minute. Perhaps this will be the year where I start sewing/drawing/pickling in October and manage to appear thoughtful without skinting myself buying unnecessary goods.

Would be interested to see what other Enoughists have to say about gift-giving customs.

This comm hasn't been active in a long time -- but this sounds like this could be such an awesome community, so I'll give it the old DW try & post!

There are a lot of issues related to "enough" that I would love to talk about, but here's something to start:

How do you know when you have "enough" clothing? Have you ever felt like you had enough clothing? Is this feeling related at all to how much of your clothing you actually wear on a regular basis? Does the feeling fluctuate based on life situation (finances, new job, being a student, etc.)?

I've had to cut down my budget severely over the past couple of months & one of the things I've done is to stop buying clothing. Mostly it was thrifted or secondhand anyway, so not that much money.

I alternate between no interest in buying clothes -- I even thought I'd treat myself to spending £3 or £4 in a charity shop one day, but couldn't find the enthusiasm to go look -- & feeling this incredible sense of grumpiness because I can't buy any more clothes.

Ridiculous. I have a wardrobe stuffed, a dresser stuffed, & a few more clothes (bigger things like interview suits) on top of the wardrobe. I clearly have "enough" clothing. Not buying clothes has made me be more daring & thoughtful w/pairing up things I already have--because being bored w/my clothes would make it that much more likely that I'd break budget & go buy more--but I still have this itch for more sometimes.

I don't think fashion or personal style is a bad thing (I am not one of those radical simplicity people who only wears khakis & a black t-shirt, ha ha), but I wish I could decouple it from the urge to constantly be acquiring more clothing.

Thoughts?

I posted this in my personal journal earlier today. I think it could prove interesting sometime in the future.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about any of these questions.

...but it's stopping and starting, hard work, small successes disappearing soon after.

I want to have enough. And I know the reason why I feel I don't have enough is not because of my job, the amount of money I have, or where I live; it's because of always wanting more.

So I started this community to talk with other people about learning to deal with the desire for excess.

I'm interested in talking about all aspects of what I've come to think of as Enoughness Studies. How is it that our ideas about having enough or not having enough come to be formed? What makes us want more even when we know we have a surplus? I participate daily in the global capitalist system that depends on me always wanting more; what other possibilities are there for a sustainable economy? How do you know when you have enough? I'm not comfortable with my level of consumption, and for the sake of the planet and my own continuing happiness, I need to reduce.

Are you comfortable with what you have? How did you get there?

Come in, share your story. You are welcome. I believe this is important work for ourselves, our societies, and the planet, and I want your help.