And how has that affected our nation, our world, our earth...
I found that I needed less and less of non-essential things during the pandemic, but I did find that I needed more things to fulfill myself.
Take books, for example. I am a voracious reader but the expense of purchasing new books, or even used ones, can be expensive.
So I looked for ways to continue reading and still maintain a small footprint. Enter the library. Even when it was closed it was available digitally. No internet, visit a site that does have internet capabilities for it's customers and download there.
I have been able to continue reading all through the pandemic. There are also places to get books free on the internet. Freebooksy, for instance, gives you the opportunity daily to purchase many books at no cost.
But books and reading are just one area...think about others. Clothing purchases have decreased and now that folks are beginning to go out many are staying with what's in their closet instead of purchasing new.
On the other hand, for special interests like quilting or drawing, folks will spend money to keep up these activities because they serve the purpose of fulfillment.
I guess the best way to look at this is to evaluate what you really need to be happy/satisfied rather than purchasing because it's on sale, or you're bored, or it's the latest trend. (Remember, the very idea of trends is that they don't last!)
That's all for now...