Supply and Demand: Home Edition

I realized the other day that since moving to Chattanooga, we have bought far fewer items than when we lived in Birmingham. Of course, we're also living in a smaller place, so I'm sure that plays into it, but my theory is this: when inconvenienced by "stuff," we will not purchase it as often. In Birmingham, we lived 10 minutes from 3 different malls and 2 minutes from 3 different grocery stores. Now, we are 15 minutes from a grocery store and 30 minutes to a mall or any store and it causes us to evaluate whether or not we really need to go or really need those items. I see this principle in the food department: when we have a ton of food in the house, we tend to eat more. Or with money: when I have more cash, it's easier to spend it. It's the same with "stuff": if it's convenient, I'm much more likely to buy it.

So, I'm grateful that we live on a mountain with lots of hiking trails, walking paths, and parks nearby, because that's what we find ourselves doing most of the time--not just because we enjoy it, but because it's (you guessed it) convenient.