It’s easy to spend money randomly and without thinking. How well do your recent purchases reflect what you consider to be important?

My last 5 purchases

I recently came across a blog post somewhere asking readers to consider their last 5 purchases. At the time of reading* my last 5 things were…

• x1 photobook on Blurb of 30ish  photographs I’d taken. This marks the end of a long term personal creative project- charting our journey through IVF fertility treatment and birth of our twin daughters
• x1 commissioned work of art for our landing from an artist I came across via Facebook
• x1 photo journal which features the 40 snapshots from my iPhone’s camera reel which I feel best represent my 2016. A visual kind of visual review of the year.
• x1  present for my mum
• X1 2017 calendar featuring photos that I’d taken of our kids throughout the previous year

That was a few days ago…

Now my last 5 purchases immediately prior to writing this post are (most recent first)

• x2  bottles of jojoba oil (for my hair and skin)
• x1  Mean Girls DVD
• x1 chicken shish kebab
• x1 rail ticket into London

How does our spending match what we say we care about?

What do each of those say about me? Do they even say the same thing? People fixate a lot on money. I see it as a tool not an end to itself.

An interesting exercise is to consider how well the above purchases correspond to the words that I currently** use to guide my personal and professional life.

Integrity. Relationships. Curiosity. Fun

Now it’s your turn

• What do your last 5 purchases say about you?
• How well do they reflect what you feel is important?
• Do you know what your next 5 purchases will be?

I’m interested to hear your thoughts. Send me an email on ismall1408@gmail.com or tweet me at @ieshasmall

*I think I originally read and wrote this at the start of 2017. I found it today in my drafts and thought I should publish it. 

** These are now Integrity. Relationships. Growth. Fun. Abundance.