DH and I are thinking of challenging ourselves to go 6 months without buying anything new...

[Isawbumperkissingsantaclaus]

...except for food and cleaning products toiletries. This is in an effort to save money and to consider the ecological impact of all the things we buy.

Any advice on how to may this work and how to make it matter. We are thinking something along the lines of not being allowed to buy anything new except

a) food
b) cleaning products
c) toiletries, but only very basic ones i.e. 1 bottle of shampoo, conditioner, cleanser and moisturiser (not the millions of pots I usually have!)
d) things for our 5mo dd which it would be detrimental to her health to buy 2nd hand, e.g. cot mattress, new dummies

So we can buy things as long as they are second hand e.g. ebay, charity shops, things free from freecycle. But we also want to save money so we don't want to spend willy nilly just because it is second hand so perhaps have a limit e.g. £10 or £20 a month. We also want to say no eating out/takeaways buying snacks when out (however this is difficult as I am bfing, so if I am out and need to eat I need to eat IYKWIM).

We also think it might be cheating if people buy us new presents but it might make things difficult for other people if we say to them only second hand/home made gifts (not so much an issue for us, though it is my birthday in march, but more for DD, people like to buy her stuff), should we try and get them on board.

Part of me thinks do I want to commit myself to this challenge? Part of me thinks many people live like this anyway and just can't afford to buy new things. We are not well off by any means, quite the opposite, but both work and have a new baby so think it is ok to treat ourselves occasionally, plus we have 'needed' stuff for our new DD.

Any tips on how to make this work, make it realistic but also make it 'count'? Does it seem like a really stupid or pointless idea?

Thats how we live anyway so woudn't bea challenege for us! We only buy the food we need and never have new clothes. DS1 is given things from a friend one clothes size bigger and DS2 wears ds1s cast offs.

You could buy a one off selection of new disaposables (bumfluff nappies - Flame a MNetter sells them) and contribute that way

also, include in your weekly shop snacks you can have in your bag ie raisins, cheddars or something)

some cleaning products you can make at home (i don't know how) so you could save money that way and avoid unnecessary chemicals that way.

You are right MoM, many people don't have a choice, which makes me think actually it's not such a big deal. But I guess it would be a bigger change for us relatively. And by not buying the stuff we would usually buy we would be contributing our bit.

Don't get me wrong we don't buy loads of stuff, but I sometimes think oh I'll just get a top for primark it's only £3, but that's just propping up an ethically questionable consumerist system isn't it?

I have actually spent the last year, not buying any new clothes (haven't gone the whole hog and have bought new uniform for the dcs) and I don't miss it.
I should say though that it is time consuming, I'm lucky we live near a good charity shop (the type you can still rummage in and buy things for 50p), so that helps but you need to go in regularly to find that one thing that you will like/will suit/ will fit.
I also make some clothes, and knit and crochet, so that helps but, again you will have to source second hand patterns, machine, wool etc to be true to your ethics (I'm not, I do buy new wool).
It's easily doable but, like I say it can be time intensive.

It'll be easier than you think you can buy from charity shops and ebay etc and you can freecycle, I don't see why you can't accept gifts that are new, maybe so long as you don't 'ask' for them?? Good luck and good for you!

Its how we live. I have 4 kids (3 at home) and everything comes off freecycle or charity shops but its only if we need it. As I hate shops and shopping its not been hard at all.
Babies are pretty easy. Charity shops are stuffed with clothes and buggies and toys. If there's something bigger you want ask on Freecycle.
We're pretty skint on benefits but it does mean that I can afford decent organic food so have a veggie box from a local grower although I sat down and added up the cost of each item and it worked out cheaper than the supermarket anyhow. I never shop in supermarkets. We have a high street with 2 greengrocers, bakery and health shop.
I think what you're planning is great. Put the extra money away somewhere so if you do need something new next year and can't find it second hand you can afford a fair trade/organic thingy from an ethical company rather than having to go to an unethical place.
For toiletries I would buy decent organic animal free products. The cheap stuff contains all sorts of yucky chemicals that go into your body, your baby and the environment. Don't skimp on those. Same with cleaning stuff. Bio-D and Ecover make decent stuff.