Something I’ve been seeing a lot this year around the Halloween community, possibly more than any other year, has been talk of consumerism, how much money spent on Halloween is too much, whether collecting is really that important or if it’s somehow required to truly be a part of the community, etc. I’m in no way trying to copy anyone else who’s already spoken on this subject, but I thought I would chime in and share my thoughts, as it is something I definitely think about.
Now, I’ve always been relatively fortunate when it comes to how much money I have to spend on Halloween goodies. As a child, I often received money for my birthday, September 8th, at the height of the shopping season, at least as I knew it back then. No, it wasn’t enough to collect the way I do now, but it was enough to make me happy, and you also could get a lot more for a lot less back then. I didn’t necessarily stop to think about my “hauls”, but I knew even at a young age that there was nothing I’d rather be spending my money on.
As an adult, that hasn’t changed. My Halloween collecting is always my priority when it comes to my spending money. I work six days a week and have to wear a set uniform, so I don’t spend a lot on clothes. (And even when I do buy clothes, it’s mainly t-shirts from spooky companies.) I try to hold out on upgrading devices until it becomes an absolute necessity. I’m only currently in the process of learning to drive, so car payments and the like haven’t been an issue yet. I have no desire for extravagant, expensive vacations or anything of the sort. Halloween is what matters to me and I make it work, but I do understand I may be in a slightly different position from some people in that way, who have more expenses or other things they want or need more.
I, personally, have never thought of Halloween shopping as a contest. I don’t post my finds with the intent to “show off” or brag in any way. I’m simply excited and want to share that excitement within a community of people who like the same sorts of things. It’s not a status thing for me, even though there are people out there who will treat it like it is. This is just who I am; who I’ve always been. On some level I’m still that excited little girl who just got a birthday check in the mail and can’t wait to see what the local drug store might have put out in preparation for the Big Day, just with a little more money. I would still shop, and still want to share my finds, even if there was no true “Halloween community”. Halloween is a part of me, the biggest part of me, and would be so even if it was some niche interest that no one else gave a second thought. (And honestly, it used to feel like it was!) Surrounding myself with Halloween is truly what keeps me alive.
With that said, though, there have definitely been times where I’ve felt more pressure to spend. To this day if I see something sought after on a store shelf, I will feel tempted to buy it, even if it’s not my style, because I somehow feel like I “should”. I’ve gotten a lot better about this as time has gone one and I’ve realized that buying a popular item that I don't feel any attachment to, really no different than trying to fit in by dressing a certain way in high school, but I do understand how hard it can be to resist, and feel like you should buy something because on some level you’re “expected” to as part of the community, because it’s gone “viral” and everyone seems to want it. That whole "anybody who's anybody is doing ____." mentality takes over and it can be hard not to want to be a part of "everyone". (This same mentality almost made me buy a pair of knockoff Ugg boots in high school even though I hated the style with a passion.) The beauty of Halloween, though, is that there are so many different sides and styles and aesthetics to it. Not all of us are going to like or want the exact same pieces. And by spending money on something just because it’s what’s popular, who knows what else we might have to miss out on down the line? There will always be a piece that goes viral; usually several each year, but if it’s not for you, you don’t have to force yourself to like it. Collecting in general may not be your thing, and you don’t have to force it to be just because you see other people doing it. And if it is, you don’t have to buy what everyone else is buying. As a general rule, not just with Halloween but in general, you should always do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled, and if you are a collector, you should spend your money on the things that speak to you, personally.
Another time I felt pressured to spend, was back when I had my first Halloween blog. This was back in 2013 or 2014, I believe, and it was on LiveJournal as it was the only blogging platform I knew how to use at the time. (It's long since deleted, so don't bother trying to find it. You won't. Part of me does kind of wish I'd left it up, though.) I started that blog on a whim, after seeing some others' and feeling inspired, but once I had it, I didn't fully know what to do with it. For one thing, I was in a relationship at the time that heavily stifled my creativity. My ex hated my writing abilities, mostly because he envied them, so it was not at all easy to find time or energy to devote to original pieces of writing as I do so often now. (And I am always writing...the fact that I was able to shelve that for over a decade is quite possibly one of the most astounding things about my life.) It also somehow never occurred to me at that time that I should share my stories and memories as I do now...I don't know if I simply thought no one would be interested, if I found it too personal at the time, or what, but something stopped me. So what was left to do with my blog? Hauls, of course! I always enjoyed sharing my spooky finds, and during that Halloween shopping season, it started to become all I knew how to do. I would find myself out shopping, thinking more about what people might get a kick out of on the blog than about what I actually wanted to purchase and add to my collection. Sometimes I even went on shopping excursions particularly because I needed something to talk about on my blog. And at the time, I was working less hours and collecting dolls on top of it, so I was spending way too much, for the sake of a blog post that only a small handful of people were even going to read. When I came to this realization, I almost immediately deleted the blog, and the next year was when simply sharing my finds on social media started to take shape. I realized I enjoyed sharing the things I actually wanted to purchase a lot more, and in turn felt more inspired by them, and compelled to do more with them along with other pieces I already owned, rather than buying things simply for the sake of buying them. That’s how you get true joy out of your collection, or life in general. Simply by doing what you actually want to do. It's okay to want more, but enjoying what you already have is very important, too.
I suppose the bottom line is, there is absolutely no right or wrong when it comes to how you enjoy something. If you want to and are able to spend a lot of money on Halloween, then have fun with it, and remember to keep what you actually like in mind. But if you can't/don't want to spend, you also shouldn't feel obligated. Buying for the sake of buying is not pursuing an interest. Accumulating things you don't really want, or spending money you don't have, is only going to make you miserable in the long run. You don't have to pay some sort of spooky toll, to enjoy Halloween. And on the flip side, heavily collecting Halloween doesn't mean someone is showing off or has a point to prove, either. One of the most beautiful things about Halloween, possibly the biggest thing that sets it apart from any other holiday, is the fact that there are so many different ways to celebrate and enjoy it, and none of them feel as obligatory as the traditions of Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Halloween can be whatever you want it to be. If you know me at all, you know I always say it's not about calendars and the like, but it's also certainly not about how much money you spend. We're all a part of this community because of the way we hold Halloween in our hearts, not our wallets.
However you honor Halloween, whether it's by collecting, throwing a party, trick-or-treating, or even just taking an October afternoon walk, stay spooky, my friends.
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