20+ in 2024: what i bought in september
we're almost at a year, baybeeee!
If you’re new here, “20 in 2024” is my attempt to only buy 20 non-essential items in 2024. Every month, I update on what I’ve bought (and haven’t bought) and how the project is going. Thanks for reading!
For newer folks—so glad you are here! Flattered, frankly. I have a list of 2024 no buy rules here, for those who want a recap.
As of August 2024, I had purchased 21 out of my 20 allowed items. How did September go? It was a mixed bag! Some indulgences! Some really appreciated purchases and activities! Let’s review all of my dirty laundry.
allowed purchases
September had lots of ~ e v e n t s ~ happening. I went to a wedding in Rhode Island, went to two concerts, and went to five sporting events. We’ll come back to the sporting events! If you, like me, seem surprised, because you’re like, “Oooh Aviv I didn’t know you were a sporty queer!” well, my friend, we’re all surprised.
First, one concert was a long time coming. This is a band I’ve loved for about twelve years—though I had probably known some of their songs even before that. They announced a tour right before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was so sad when I learned that tour had sold out, but, you know, then the pandemic ruined many things.
I went with my wonderful friend Caitlin to see Bikini Kill. Kathleen Hana is a fucking legend—she’s also a feminist icon and smart as hell (seriously, go listen to her interviews), and if you have not checked out her recent memoir, shut the fuck up and get thee to a library, my friend. It’s so good.
I allowed myself one special event purchase which was a Bikini Kill tour shirt. Because how could I not?
Bikini Kill t-shirt - $30
Goosebumps collectible tin - $17
I might sound a little unhinged, but you know how some people who really want to have a child have “baby fever?” I have that, but with spooky season this month and a half. I don’t know what it is, but I am obsessed. I’ve leaned in to that for my one seasonal book purchase, which in this case is really five small books, but it came as one set—and the price of one book.
I was watching a YouTube creator that I love and in the background, on a bookshelf, she had this tin that featured some of my favorite original Goosebumps artwork. I did some research and, lo and behold, it was a collectible tin that includes five books from the original series, plus they are reprinted with their original covers.
I was often a little to scared to read lots of my Goosebumps collection as a kid, but I did have a huge stack of them that I inherited from my neighbors, who were otherwise pretty aloof but did offer us a bunch of the books—which I loved.
I did buy this off of eBay, used, for about $17, so it was a pretty reasonable indulgence.
purchases that count toward my 20+ total
Birthday Girl t-shirt - $30 (22/20)
Bikini Kill had a band open for them called Birthday Girl. Their shirts were this very cool tie-dye, so I bought one. In hindsight, I got swept up in the excitement of being at a concert with a friend. My friend also wanted one of their shirts, and I think that made me want one too—not blaming my friend, she has amazing taste in fashion. Also, we learned their shirts were really selling fast—in reality, they probably just didn’t bring enough inventory or have enough inventory for the gig because it was at a pretty big venue, but that definitely made me feel more impulsive.
On the plus size, this is a super indie, DC-based band and they don’t even sell their merch online, so it was a limited-time opportunity. I do enjoy their music—it reminds me of the early work of some of my current favorite punk-y grunge-flavored bands, like Wet Leg, girlfriend., or Problem Patterns, and I am excited to see how they develop their sound, too.
Bird Collective Cosmic Loon hat - $40 (23/20)
Okay, y’all. This was 100% a life lesson in the evils of targeted marketing. I got online, saw an ad for this beautiful neon pink and tan hat with a bird on it, and I was fixated. It also caught me at a slightly vulnerable time—right after getting rejected from a job I was a final candidate for—so I suspect part of it was being in my feelings bit. I do love this hat, though.
a pair of (gently used) New Balance shoes - $25 (24/20)
If you’re noticing a clothes theme. . .well, me too (and my partner, too, kindly pointed this out to me).
I have been going to lots of WNBA games (story for a longer post, probably) but one thing that I am consistently fascinated by is the shoes the players wear. Now, these players have sponsorship deals and brand deals. But I’m constantly drawn to their brightly-colored, beautiful shoes.
I have no need for basketball shoes, but I am wearing out a pair of my sneakers, so I let myself buy this pair of gently used, colorful New Balances.
Before you get totally grossed out by the idea of buying gently used shoes—there are tons of great websites and online eBay stores that specialize in reselling shoes, and I find them to be reliable, on top of taking incredible pictures of the shoes from every angle (sole and inside included) so you know that you’re really getting a pair of shoes that have only been worn one or two times.
Some might consider shoes to be an “allowed” purchase, but because I technically have other shoes I can wear, I’m counting these.
a New York Liberty WNBA hat - $45 (25/20)
I was at the WNBA semifinals game 2 of the New York Liberty vs. the Las Vegas Aces, and it was amazing. They released a limited hat for the game, which I snatched up.
Now, I have no sports team merch, so this hat will be my only sports team merch of the year (unless I get given a jersey as a gift). It is expensive, but all merch is. I really waited to find a hat I was excited about before buying this one—and I spent several weeks looking on Vinted, Postmark, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace before deciding I wanted this one.
You can’t tell from the photo, but the letters on the hat are embroidered so they pop out a little up close—which, IMHO, adds a beautiful texture to the hat.
total: 25/20
My goal is not to let myself go hog-wild with anything over the limit, but I did obviously hit a few stumbles with impulse purchases this month.
Because of that, I’m treating October as a full-on no-buy month, and I’m hoping to extend that into November as well. So far, so good!
It’s often a harder time of year (holidays coming up) to not purchase things, but I have been decluttering and taking stock of what I have in most other areas of my life, so I feel pretty prepared to make it through the next month without more purchases. If I don’t, though, I’ll own up to it here! Promise.
things i did with my time that aren’t buying stuff
play Dungeons & Dragons
YES, I play D&D. I’m in my third campaign, and I currently play as an agender fairy druid with a little blue rat familiar that I made up as a joke but is now canon.
workout
read — the reading fire is LIT this month
went to several WNBA games
watch some great movies (at home)
had a party
went to the botanical gardens
went to two museums
took a ferry
spent time with family
indulged in some amazing pastries
went to the library
went biking
played with my dog
got back into knitting a sweater (or trying to)
pay my quarterly taxes (very humbling) since i’m basically a freelancer this year
play board games
play Nintendo 64
declutter
go to a play or two
add movies to my movie-watching spreadsheet that my partner and I have
wedding planning (do people care about affordable wedding planning? because we are doing that and wow is it hard but also fun)
What have you been doing to buy less—or not? What purchases or items are on your wish list? What do you think about my impulse purchases? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!