Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Ethical living

Discover eco friendly brands and sustainable fashion on our Ethical Living forum.

Happy No New Stuff Year - The support thread for those flying in the face of consumerism!

569 replies

WewishyouaBUMPERLICIOUS · 30/12/2007 08:17

My husband and I have set ourselves a challenge of not buying any new stuff for 6 months. Obvious exceptions are food, cleaning products and toiletries. Also outside of the rules are items that it would be detrimental to buy second hand for my 6mo baby, i.e. cot mattress, dummies etc.

I posted about this a couple of months ago, and have also noticed some posts on the style and beauty threads proposing the same thing. So this is the thread for those who want to join this challenge in some way, whether it be just buying no new clothes, buying nothing new at all, buying nothing at all, buying only second hand etc. Our motivation are different, for some it will be saving money (me), for others it may be flying in the face of rampant consumerism (me) and for others is may be trying to mitigate their impact upon the environment and in protest against the poorly treated workers producing the dirt cheap goods we come to expect today (also me!).

This thread could be invaluable support, with links to various recycling websites, tips on altering your clothes to liven up your wardrobe, advice to stop yourself frittering money on non-fat lattes and a pain au chocolate each day on the way to work and support to tell you "no you don't need a new lipstick - here's how to make your own!"

So come one come all: I dare you to set yourself this challenge and not buy anything new for as long as possible!

OP posts:
Snaf · 07/01/2008 22:45

Ok, I'm in.

Today was my last day of consumer frenzy. I bought ds a new winter coat in the sale and a pair of heavy winter boots from Ebay. I am also waiting for my new winter coat from Ebay (and my little stack of cheapo makeup from that ELF site, but my mascara was so old it was probably poisoning me, honest guv).

And that's it. No more clothes, no more makeup, no more books I read the first few pages of and then get bored, no more popping to Waitrose for a pint of milk and dropping £30 on delicious-looking nibbly things. No more STUFF.

There is a very 'necessary' reason for doing this - I hope very much to be moving into my own place with ds by the end of the year and I desperately need to save as much money as I can. I've been fortunate enough to have a reasonable level of disposable income over the last couple of years but all that is going to change in a big way soon enough, and I need to get used to it.

No more frittering. No more shopping trips just because I'm vaguely bored. It's crap, pointless and actually slightly depressing.

And absolutely no fucking Primark. Ever.

BumperliciousIsOneHotMother · 08/01/2008 08:10

That's the spirit snaf! And mybabyisinthegarden!

Sophy, is there a library in the posh town where you could go and read magazines for free?

God I love waitrose! Before we moved it was our nearest shop, so you could imagine what our food bills were like.

Minum · 08/01/2008 08:26

Help me out with hair clip ideas - I can only use the conventional comb type ones with a hinge, everything else just falls out. In Primark they are 6 for £1, everywhere else, they are a couple of pounds each - I'm down to my last one, so need replacements, but do I go to Primark or cotinue to avoid the place ? I did try a metal one for a while, as the plastic ones break, but my hairdresser told me it was wrecking my hair.

milkyJammy · 08/01/2008 08:35

I'd suggest getting one or 2 of the clips from other places than Primark. My gut feeling is that the reason they break might be linked to the fact that they are so very cheap. You might find that a more expensive one lasts (and therefore doesn't end up in landfill). I've never had hair clips break anyway. Surely worth a try?

Minum · 08/01/2008 09:28

Will try from another shop, yes, The problem is they get trod and sat on a lot, rather than break in normal use, I need to be more careful where I put them when I take them out. I think ethical living does require a bit more careful attitude IYSWIM.

sophy · 08/01/2008 19:11

The DVD player isn't working. It will cost £20 just to find out if it's fixable. Meanwhile my local Sainsbury's has brand-new DVD players on sale for 18 quid. It shouldn't be allowed.

milkyJammy · 08/01/2008 19:29

That sort of thing makes me quite sophy (please understand - not at you). And I wonder how long those £18 DVD players will last? Cripes, at that price I bet there are some DVDs that cost more than the player!

sophy · 08/01/2008 19:36

Oh MJ I am not going to buy the cheap dvd player, I am going to see if I can get the old one fixed. It cost 200 quid when we bought it about 7 years ago! And if it can't ... well I will beg for one on freecycle.

milkyJammy · 08/01/2008 19:56

Good for you sophy. I wasn't meaning to sound as if I was digging at you, sorry it is did sound that way. And I am very impressed - I can see exactly why people would be tempted by a new DVD player for cheaper than a repair.

BroccoliSpears · 08/01/2008 20:08

I had a lovely day with DD at our local aquarium. Free for her because she's little, and free for me with my local user card. AND (...drumroll...) I didn't buy her any tat in the gift shop on the way out. She didn't even notice and I felt very good.

I am struggling a bit with my need for a new thermos (can't bring myself to buy second hand thermos) and new bedsheets (DP has put his foot through our bottom sheet again and it's just too worn and thin to be mended.) Am wondering if I could ask family for cast offs as I wouldn't mind either of those things second hand from people I know... but not ebay strangers.

milkyJammy · 08/01/2008 20:49

Sounds like a lovely day out Broccoli. Why not ask your family? I guess they might think you a little odd, but they will probably be happy to help if they can surely?

Staceym21AtLast · 09/01/2008 15:47

broccoli think asking for things from your family is no problem. sure they will be fine with that.

i've asked my mum for some bedsheets, as i want to use 1 of mine to make a sling for ds and only own 3!

thanks to JackieNo, for sending me the 'Not Buying It' book, recieved yesterday and am halfway through (although does cause a messy flat by ignoring my kids!)

a very interesting read.

well i have spent 95p of non-essential. and that was a sausage roll from munch as i was starving (had forgotten to feed self at lunch time)

h brought me a take away last night as i wasn't in any state to cook (failed driving test)

all other monies have been food/booking re-test and insurance. thats it!

(oh i lie i brought a nappy and some boosters on here the other day, but they are pre-loved so i dont feel bad about that. that was £8)

SO in total this year i have wasted £10, mroe than £1 a day, of money i dont have. ho hum shall have to try harder!

TooTicky · 09/01/2008 15:58

What sort of presents do you buy when your dcs are invited to parties? I find it quite upsetting how much sheer plastic clanks from child to child on these occasions.
One of my favourite things are Tinti bath products because they are fun, green, not made in China and barely contribute to landfill.
Also, dp can print on mugs, and this makes a nice personal, practical present.
What else is there?

Psychobabble · 09/01/2008 17:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BumperliciousIsOneHotMother · 09/01/2008 18:21

satcey, gutted at the driving test You'll do it next time!

Everyone is doing really well. If nothing else everyone is thinking twice about what they are buying which is already making a difference.

Did have a bit of a spending day. went to the natural grocery store (local) and got some barrier cream for dd's bum. expensive but i'm a bit about using vaseline. i also bought a paper but only because i'm collecting the free "no diet diet" booklets. dh usually gets them free from work but didn't have any.

it my little bro's birthday next week so i got him a couple of books from a charity shop, and they were even half price!

Pruners · 09/01/2008 18:37

Message withdrawn

milkyJammy · 09/01/2008 20:20

I bought batteries - not really something I could but 2nd hand I did consider getting rechargeable ones, but as a set of batteries in the exercise bike lasts well over a year I decided not to

thisisRialifebaby · 09/01/2008 20:49

Having read furys tesco link i'm sneaking in here bumper, hope that's ok? hi jammy too. purely research of course

Where would I get soap nuts? (heard about them on the radio)

stacey, sorry to hear about your driving test. I took mine more times than I can remember (and helped 3 driving instructors to pay for several luxurious holidays no doubt) but I did get there in the end (and now I barely drive)

thisisRialifebaby · 09/01/2008 21:03

I have bought some soap nuts. A step in the right direction?

BumperliciousIsOneHotMother · 09/01/2008 21:27

Well done ria, let us know how they go. They last for ages apparently.

Jammy funnily enough I saw somewhere, in one of those catalogues that fall out of magazines maybe, no actually it was a green website (I'll try and find it) a contraption that charges up non-rechargable batteries.

Just been having a discussion on supermarkets on our postnatal thread:

some food for thought
more
interesting

BumperliciousIsOneHotMother · 09/01/2008 21:29

Battery charger An expense you can "write off" IMO!

choccypig · 09/01/2008 21:57

I want to join in - this is my first time of trying to post and I just wrote a whole page of great tips, then lost it all.

choccypig · 09/01/2008 21:57

I want to join in - this is my first time of trying to post and I just wrote a whole page of great tips, then lost it all.

choccypig · 09/01/2008 22:03

WOw I am so excited, I managed to send it twice. Anyway, my tip is to use real soap instead of hand wash which goes quick, (especially with chidren) and results in plastic containers. I used to hate the SLIME you get with soap, but now I store it on the upturned nail brush, and it dries off nicely. I couln't live without starbucks and newspapers, but will really try reducing other stuff.

BumperliciousIsOneHotMother · 09/01/2008 22:04

First mumsnet post ever choccypig? Gutting to have lost it!

Anyway I am off to bed but didn't want your post to go unreplied to! Welcome to our thread, and if you are new to mumsnet too then just get stuck right in!