This summer turned out to be super stressful and busy (not going to go into details, but elder care is hard and the supports in this country are inadequate). This might have been the longest I’ve gone without posting to the blog? So this is a hello-I’m-still-here update.
My Q2 Shopping Check-in
I haven’t gotten around to doing a Q2 shopping check-in, but let’s just say that I’m not adhering well to my goal of buying no more than 20 clothing items this year and making half of my purchases secondhand.
In the second quarter of this year, I reached 15 items. Most of the additions are summer clothing, some from my summer wardrobe wish list. And some have already made their debut on the blog. This includes a linen midi dress (review), this faux dress set (review), and a pajama top (review) that I’ve deemed nice enough to wear out. Plus tank tops, lots of tank tops. (See an unboxing of one of my shopping orders.)
I’m in year two of dealing with weight gain due to a medical issue. Another year where most of my wardrobe frustratingly doesn’t fit me. So I feel justified in acquiring some new things.
The Contradiction
To be quite honest, if I’m really trying to behave more sustainably, I shouldn’t even blog as it just feeds an appetite for stuff.
And yet. I’m probably adding more than I truly need. It’s kind of hard to keep the acquisitions count down when you’re a blogger who writes about clothes. (Some of the items I bought myself while others were sent to me by brands to try.) I started this blog to hold myself accountable when it comes to shopping — to try to shop more ethically and sustainably, and most importantly, to shop less.
But to be quite honest, if I’m really trying to behave more sustainably, I shouldn’t even blog as it just feeds an appetite for stuff. It encourages me to keep an eye on brands and look at what’s news, and well, shop.
Of course I could change my focus and commit to completely shopping secondhand. But I’d say that right now in my life that isn’t possible. (See aforementioned stressful times.) I mean, it’s possible, but not how I want to spend my time as there are more pressing matters to prioritize. Personally, I have found that shopping secondhand takes patience to find the right item. Even when I know the exact item I want, waiting for it to pop up on the resale market can sometimes take a while.
How Bloggers Make Money
Also, I’m not going to lie, but there’s definitely a financial incentive to sharing items that a reader can click on and buy. Bloggers make money in several ways (if at all): having sponsored posts where brands pay you to write about them, selling products or classes, running ads, and affiliate links.
If someone clicks through on an affiliate link and makes a purchase, the blogger makes a small commission. This is how I mostly make money from this blog. (I don’t have sponsored posts or products.) I certainly don’t make enough to live on — just enough to cover costs and pay for my coffee addiction and some snacks. And while I like making money from this blogging effort, it doesn’t drive what I do here. I ignore plenty of requests from brands that don’t align with my values.
Another factor is enjoyment. I do this because I like sharing my opinion and letting you know if I think something is worth buying or not. And I enjoy seeing what brands are making and want to shout out the ones I think are doing a good job.
Anyhow, I don’t know how to reconcile this inherent contradiction. Just being honest and putting it out there that there is one. I try to be transparent about where I’m coming from and how things work here.
First Image: Thom Bradley/Unsplash
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