Real talk. I’m starting to feel guilty about my family’s overconsumption. My family has more than we need—by a mile and a half. I think it’s even fair to say that we have too much, and we struggle to manage the clutter of our possessions.
I’m noticing a trend with my children that I don’t like. They seem to know that everything we own is replaceable, yet they aren’t old enough to understand how money works. They notice the boxes on the porch and see the ease of food delivery. They misplace coats and hats yet never feel the cold consequence of being without. They don’t understand the value of the things we own, and they don’t understand the difference between needs and wants.
My husband and I worry that we’re raising two little boys who won’t understand their privilege. I think leading by example is the only way to teach the lesson. 2025 is the year when we need to stretch this muscle. We don’t need more and can live without so many “wants.”
As a family with two full-time working parents, we pay for convenience. Covid, coupled with babies and toddlers, ushered in an era of grocery delivery and avoiding public spaces. I started ordering everything online—Amazon, Shipt, Instacart, Target delivery. I’ve happily avoided grocery stores for most of the past four years. And anything I needed or wanted was only a two-day wait, at most.
We don’t have an unlimited budget, but we’re also not in survival mode anymore. The convenience of delivery has made it too easy to click a link on a whim. The minimal effort needed to make a purchase has become a problem. I’m too easily swayed by an influencer’s opinion of a great sweater or kitchen gadget. I’m my family’s worst offender of having too much, keeping too much, and then buying more.
So, I’m considering something drastic for 2025. I think I will cut ties with the conveniences that have been propping me up throughout my motherhood journey. Goodbye, Amazon. Goodbye, Shipt and Target delivery. Goodbye, Doordash. And goodbye to the side of social media that will make this departure difficult. I’m nervous to put this in writing, but I’m glad to make it official. I suspect I’ll need the accountability of making this choice public.
Hello, homemade. Hello, Goodwill. Hello, Aldi. Hello, Kroger pickup. Hello, we have food at home.
It only took 41 years, but I’m apparently moving into my thrifty, make-do, eat-at-home, financially responsible years. I’m setting aside my impulsive nature and trying to be a better example for my boys.
