
My year of buying nothing – six months in - lladnar
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/02/my-year-of-buying-nothing-six-months-in
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bikamonki
Isn't this the classic _first world problem_? I stopped reading at _only
spending on food and bills_ b/c I see no challenge since that is how millions
live for decades, not a mere half a year.

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mpbm
Yeah, presumably "bills" is a nice, vague term for anything that would
actually change her life, like medical stuff and climate control. Sounds like
she's only cutting out optional expenses.

I guess going vegan and/or gluten-free isn't cool anymore. Now you need a
different reason to tell everyone you're better than them in some way that
only matters to you.

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cathartes
Why the cynicism? I don't get a "holier than thou" vibe from this article at
all. To me, it reads as a simple progress report about one person's trial in
embracing something other than consumerism to fill emptiness. I think this
individual should be congratulated for even trying.

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mpbm
Okay, I re-read it and the cynicism must have been a reaction to the self-
aggrandizing click-bait nonsense. I got nerd sniped when I started pondering
the challenge of going a whole year without buying anything. Like, maybe you
grow your own food and sleep on couches?

I went from "this person wants to share what they learned" to "this person is
using gimmicks to get my attention". Kind of like how people will want to talk
about being vegan or gluten-free but I quickly realize they don't know what
amino acids or Celiac disease are.

So, literally "cynicism" as in "distrusting or disparaging the motives of
others". If the article lead with something like "how it feels to go 6 months
without spending money on entertainment" I wouldn't doubt her motives.

