Not Buying It

About a year ago I picked up Judith Levine's Not Buying It: My year without shopping. In this memoir she recalls her decision in December of 2003, to curtail her consumer spending to "only necessities for sustenance, health, and business." The current economic state in 2003 wasn't too great, but it certainly wasn't in the dumps as it has been for the past couple of years.

As I started thinking of resolutions for 2011, I had to admit that my love of books was resulting in a cache of books in my house. Note I did not say I was a hoarder of books. As a matter of fact I often cull books from my shelves to donate to the "Friends" of our local library for their annual fundraiser. However, I love going to the book store and visiting the "Buy 2 Get the 3rd Book Free" or "Buy 1 get the other 1/2 off" tables, and can't resist bringing something home. That is most likely how Judith's book made it onto my bookshelf to begin with.

So I've come up with one of my new resolutions for 2011, not to buy any new books for this year, but to focus on reading all the books I currently have on my shelves that have gone unread. Part two of this resolution is to wisely use my local library to provide me with the newest releases. Last year in our town we almost lost our public library. Massachusetts' Proposition 2 1/2, limits the raising of taxes above that percent in any given year, and our budget needs could not be met without severe cuts or a vote to override the tax law. Luckily the townspeople overwhelming voted to approve the tax hike to pay for the cost of running the library (the senior center and town community center were also set to be closed).

It will be a tough resolution to stick with. A visit to the library this week yielded a new book that I might one day want to own as a reference book for work. I'll read it and decide if it should go on my wish list for 2012. I could even ask the school librarian to purchase it for our collection, who said I have to own it personally. There's nothing stopping me from receiving books as gifts in the year ahead. Loved ones take the hint, books or gift cards to my favorite book store would be well received this year!