I can remember a time when nothing was open on Sundays. No grocery shopping, no hanging out at the mall, no running to the hardware store. If you needed it on Sunday and you didn't have it, that was your tough luck. Many stores weren't open past five or six o'clock on weekdays and banks closed even earlier (remember banker's hours?). There were no ATMs, no on-line shopping and no home shopping networks on TV. How did we survive?
We planned ahead, that's how. Working mothers got up early on Saturday and did the grocery shopping and other errands rather than running to the store every day on the way home from work. People cashed their paychecks on Friday afternoons (the banks stayed open "late" on Fridays) so they'd have cash for the weekend and following week. When the money was gone, the money was gone. Meals were planned and shopping lists reflected that planning. Cookies in the cart and fast-food meals were an occasional treat, not a regular part of our day.
The pendulum began to swing when department stores started to open for limited hours on Sundays and other businesses soon followed suit. Not long after, the first 24-hour convenience stores opened. From there we got 24-hour banking, shopping, eating...even 24-hour fitness centers (does anyone really workout at 2:00 am?).
So why the history lesson? Because it seems to me that our society has become TOO convenient. We can easily act on our impulses to shop, eat, and workout (yeah, I'm sure that happens a lot!). The result? A population of overweight people with more stuff than they need who are drowning in debt. Hmmm? As the Church Lady used to say, "How convenient!"
So how can we combat a 24/7 society?
- Use a good old-fashioned shopping list. Keep it on the fridge and write down things you NEED as they occur to you.
- Avoid running out to the store everytime you run out of something. Run out of milk or 7-Up? Add it to the list and drink water instead. See a cool new workout DVD on TV? Add it to the list rather than ordering it right away. Run out of diapers...well, OK, maybe it's OK to run to the store for this one!
- Plan your shopping trips. When will you shop? Saturday morning? Thursday nights? Doesn't matter when but limit yourself to one trip per week. And buy only what's on your list.
- Have a wating period for big ticket items and impulse buys. Do you really NEED it or are you letting the emotion-filled marketing techniques suck you in? How many gadgets do you have at home that seemed like a good idea at the time you bought them? Wait a week (or more) and see if you still feel the same about the item.
What 24/7 convenience tempts you and how do you control it? Share your challenges and success stories here.
