Buy Nothing New for 12 Whole Months

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Buy Nothing New for 12 Whole Months
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Silas

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 6848
Location: Staffordshire

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:15 pm Post subject: Re: Buy Nothing New for 12 Whole Months
[quote="Lozzie"]and underwear. If you can't make one pair of pants last 12 months ........ well, I don't know what the world is coming to.......

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15925
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:40 pm Post subject:
I'll definately be up for it for a month, or at least be up for trying, I'll have to organise birthday pressies beforehand Or is that definately cheating?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:46 pm Post subject:
I don't thinks its about 'cheating' or 'not cheating' we all live different lives and what is essential to one of us won't be to another. The challenge as I understand it is to question every single purchase and be absolutley aware of why we choose to consider it essential or not for that month.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:47 pm Post subject:

Hmmm. I'm not sure about this one. Just thinking of the things I have on my list to buy at the moment: casutic soda (for making soap) new trainers (for work - mine are falling to bits, I've been putting it off for so long) new boots (wear out in a year, cos we walk so much) deoderant.

Hardly fripperies, but really need to be new. I can't see me finding second hand drain cleaner or deoderant (I guess I could give up the deoderant, but I think my patients might not want to see me!) and I need claen(ish) trainers for work - maybe available second hand, especially as I have tiny feet. Unlikely to work for walking boots, and I am not putting up with wet feet all winter.

Everyone needs to buy something new sometime - why do these things always have to be so extreme. Why not just buy want you actually need, not want the rest of the capitilist world needs you to want? I guess its to make a statement, so I support the effort, but although they prove what can be done, I think they alienate 'ordinary' people, and don't encourage people to take sensible everyday steps.

I promise to think very carefully about whether I really need all my purchases though. Except books, yarn and walking gear.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:48 pm Post subject:
Indeed. I had to buy some socks yesterday, and I caught myself wondering why.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:50 pm Post subject:
I havent forgotton that I owe you some socks Nick just havent had time to practice on the sock knitter properly yet

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 4:52 pm Post subject:
Hehehehheheheheh. I'm just joshing. I haven't bought any new socks at all.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 5:43 pm Post subject:

what a challenge - tricky. Would be prepared to have a go, but as you say, one person's essential wouldn't be another persons. Its the kids that take the money (ok there is my book habit to feed

) with new shoes or school clothes.

I also think its a bit like the person who didn't shop for a year, one of our 'complaints' was that they didn't try to make things themselves instead. I could avoid buying say a new pair of oven gloves because I'd prefer to buy the new fabric and wadding to repair my own and probably make another fresh pair at the same time. I could argue that some of my spending is almost capital investment stuff as it leads to making or growing something that from then on I won't need to buy. Its not that simple to say just don't buy new.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 5:52 pm Post subject:
I agree with all that, which is why I reckon the modification for most of us is just to actively question every single purchase. Maybe we still buy those wellies, or the fabric for the oven glove, but the impostant thing is we didnt just hand over dosh on an impulse

otatop

Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Posts: 1425
Location: North London

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 7:32 pm Post subject:

I'd be interested to try a one month challenge - and then see how much longer I could go on. I think I might have to make an exception with books. I spend at least 2 hours a day on public transport - which is unthinkable without a good murder. I swap books with 4 friends who have similar reading tastes and who read at the same speed as me - so I only actually buy 1/5 of the books I read. And it must be a year since I last bought underwear - I'd have to review my top drawer.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 7:50 pm Post subject:

otatop wrote:

And it must be a year since I last bought underwear - I'd have to review my top drawer.

I feel a new thread coming on - when did you last have new underwear

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 8:00 pm Post subject:

Penny wrote:

otatop wrote:

And it must be a year since I last bought underwear - I'd have to review my top drawer.

I feel a new thread coming on - when did you last have new underwear

Night time only, NL does not post at night.

Mind you I can lower the tone of any thread if you just ask nicely

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 8:15 pm Post subject:

new underware would be christmas last year as the babys buy me undies and socks everyyear, and quite a lot of them at that, but they do like to play with the worn out socks, by the way i have no kids and the "babies" are my 3 cats, never worked out how they wrap them up so well or how they carry the money to the local market

interesting challenge but i dont think it would work to well for me at the moment, i already have to double check most expensis to be sure we can afford them and with a wedding, OH birthday and christmas looming its not looking good.
Certainly think we could use the trading post threads more and treat them a bit like freecycle, not everything on there has to be sold and stuff could be bartered between us.
will be trying to make more stuff this year as i have nearly finished the shed so it will give me a work space at last.

Naomi

Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 1945

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 8:21 pm Post subject:
I have to admit to buying undies rather a lot lately. My weight loss means nothing fits anymore. Nothing worse than loose bras and baggy knickers!!! I buy almost all my clothes secondhand from charity shops or from Ebay . But knickers have to be new!!!!!

madmonk

Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 835

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 8:44 pm Post subject:

Naomi wrote:

I have to admit to buying undies rather a lot lately. My weight loss means nothing fits anymore. Nothing worse than loose bras and baggy knickers!!!

could have there uses?

I buy almost all my clothes secondhand from charity shops or from Ebay .

But knickers have to be new!!!!!

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