I recently heard the former purchaser for Harrods in London describing her epiphany that led to restraining herself to buying only five items this year. I realize that her life of stocking the shelves of one of the world’s exclusive shops is very different from mine – from most of ours, I reckon – but I was mostly struck by that number. Five items.

Does this include anything that is not food and sustenance related? I realize we need to eat more than five things, but what about the new food storage containers to hold that food? I assume a new dishwasher would have to be on the list of five, since it isn’t really a necessity. Or is it?

If the five items in question include new outfits, shoes, furniture or major purchases like cars, I’ve already been meeting that quantity for many years. Even throughout the years of my career, I would polish and reconstruct shoes to make them last. I would refresh my closet mostly through second-hand items – since they weren’t new, I don’t think they belong on the little list. And my cars last longer than the titles we give to socio-demographic cohorts (my current Gen Z vehicle needs to last throughout Gen Beta).

But what about consumables like concert tickets and bottles of wine? They feel like a necessity but aren’t really. And if you choose to splurge on a set of flatware as an item on your new list, does the full set count as one? Or do you need to count each fork separately?

Reduce, reuse, recycle can be really complicated, and I respect that many people value possessions more than I do. But in my family growing up and my family now, it has been pretty simple: only take what you need and share when you can. Maybe that Harrods lady really needed all the things she used to purchase. Well, maybe she did if she was the buyer for Harrods! I wish her, and everyone trying to reduce their footprint, all the best on this path. I’m fortunate to have had my own epiphany when I was a babe in arms, being rocked on a second-hand rocking chair.