I remember like it was yesterday. In December 2014, I was thrilled and very grateful that a year that had largely been very difficult and terrible in many ways had shifted and was almost over. As I was organizing my condo, I was in my walk in closet and was a touch horrified at how many clothes and shoes I had. And the relationship between my bank accounts and my clothes and shoes. I decided that I did not want to continue to make the owners/designers/stores/shops any more wealthy than they presently were.

The new rules were that I could purchase items if one of two rules were true: (1) I was redeeming/using a gift card/gift certificate or (2) I actually needed the item. Like for real need, not want.