Aisha Sultan | Post-Dispatch

Columnist and features writer

My path to less consumption took an odd detour last month to a sample sale across state lines.

In 2022, I began meticulously tracking all my clothing, shoes and accessory purchases. I made a detailed list describing what I bought and logging how often I used those things.

The first year, I just wanted to get a baseline number. I discovered that I purchased a few duds that I didn’t wear much. Each subsequent year, I’ve aimed to lower the number of new items entering my closet. So far, I’ve cut purchases by 30% from when I started keeping track.

It’s been slow progress toward my eventual goal: limiting myself to maybe a dozen new things a year.

My concern underlying this project was not about overspending; I know how to stick t

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