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

[WewishyouaBUMPERLICIOUS]

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!

I don't usually stoop to second hand presents for other children's birthdays; but I always make the birthday cards,sometimes from scratch and sometimes using cut up bits from old cards. DS usually joins in and the results seem to be appreciated, though they are not exactly artistic (I blame DS). It's not exactly mean, I'd rather spend the money on the present than on a bit of overpriced cardboard.

OK, this is going to be hilariously naive to all you seasoned ethical non-consumerists, but... I bought the ingredients for tonight's meal from a local greengrocers rather than going round the corner to Waitrose! Woohoo!

I paid £3 for two enormous onions, three courgettes, a huge pepper, big bulb of garlic, two lemons and four big oranges. And then, rather than buying a new pack, I used some couscous from the back of the cupboard that had a use-by date of March 2007 - it tasted absolutely fine

I had a long chat with the greengrocer about how his sales have dropped by 25% since Waitrose opened 2.5 years ago. His shop has been there since the 1950s. Plus, when I realised I didn't actually have any cash on me he offered to let me pay him tomorrow - it was the first time I'd been in there for years and he didn't know me from Adam. Can you imagine that happening in Waitrose?

I now love him and want to shop there all the time. Only minus point is that it's too far to walk so car is essential but it feels great supporting a small independent business and not just lining the pockets of the John Lewis Partnership every time. Shame there's no longer anything like that within walking distance.

I've just found this thread and would love to join. I am always trying to save money and also hate having too much stuff. I even told my sis to return the present she bought me at christmas and keep the money, she wanted me to take it back, but there isn't that shop anywhere near me. It felt quite liberating, after every one saying "I've got the receipt so you can take it back" and not really expecting you to say thats what they should do.

I even took a box of chocs given by ex-p to supermarket for £5.And a juicer I bought for myself in sale and then returned after using it and realising what a complete waste of money.
I could go on and on.

Snaf that's lovely. Sometimes the local green grocers are quite a lot more expensive, sometimes you can get a few bargains. No wonder they are more expensive though, they don't have the power or bulk buying power of supermarkets. but their products are usually huge and yummy. Also, if you have a nice green grocers they often have yummy things that make nice "consumable" gifts.

Welcome to the thread sasquatch. LOL at taking the gifts back! Actually my nephew bought me a box of Guylian Shell choccies which I don't like. I wonder if I could take then to the supermarket and exchange them?

Following on from handwash / soap issue - if you really can't give up the handwash I can recommend Red Star soaps - they're ace, minimal packaging and last for ages and ages.

It does help having an official thread to report to! Today I did my weekly trawl round the charity shops (usually I am pretending to save money but actually spending it). Generally I buy books, which I do give back or pass on and kids toys, which DS has too many of anyway. Today I thought of this thread and didn't buy anything.

I am a bit stuck for what to put in party bags for 7 year old boys though. Hommade cookies instead of sweets, but what else ? Maybe if I SELL something on EBAY I could use the proceeds.

I know the whole party bag thing is such a waste of resources, but it does help to signal the end of the party. That's why we call them "B*gger off bags"

Oooh, how about printing off some origami instructions and adding some craft paper, or paper aeroplane instructions.

Ilike b***r off bags. Failed yesterday in the charity shop, I saw two bags I liked but they were £2 each, I couldn't choose one so was going to have neither. Just about to leave I picked one up and asked the man "how much" he said a pound. So guess how many bags I came home with?
Consoled myself by using them both for my supermarket trip this morning.

can i play? I do my utmost to only buy in the charity shops, bought all of DDs clothes this year. Draw the lines at shoes though.

MIL was over the moon with crystal picture frame we bought her, i got such a thrill when she opened it, said "ooh, that looks expensive, are you sure you can afford it" It was £3.50!!! In the box - chuffed. I was desperate to tell her, so pleased i was with my bargain, but thought better of it.

Choccypig, how about 2nd and books from charity shops for party bags, our local charity shop usually has loads of Enid Blyton type paperbacks for about 20p each. Or, for ds's pirate birthday party (age 6) I downloaded some pirate activity sheets from the internet and printed them out on recycled paper. I tied them into scrolls with leftover bits of string. Loads of downloadable puzzles, games and colourin pix on the web.

And use paper pags rather than plastic. I used those little pink and white stripy paper bags you get in newsagents and sweet shops. These.

We got a free local magazine in the post today. It contained a parenting section, which gave a recipe for play dough. Now, maybe many of you already know this, but just in case...

1 cup plain flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp cream of tartar
2-3 drops food colouring (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a pan and cook over a moderate heat, stirring constantly until the dought forms a ball. Tip the dough out of the pan and allow to cool before kneading to a soft pliable dough. Fill pan with water to aid cleanign later. Play dough can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container or plastic bag.

Choccypig - I don't know what you could put it in, but could you make play dough and give some to each child in place of a bought toy in your bags?

hi everyone!

well managed another day with spending nothing, mum gave me her bread maker so i'll be making our own bread from now on. which i really like btw so i'll be happier with it!

mum also brought me a hot chocolate while we were seeing my auntie so technically i havnt spent anything!

Pruni, dont worry too much about the needles, when and as you get a chance!

I read the book you sent JackieNo, twas thought provoking, although did see what you meant about the election stuff! also would have been more interesting had it been a family unit rather than a childless couple (only having to justify things to themselves, not a teenager/toddler for example)

If anyone else is interested in reading 'Not Buying It' then let me know and i'll send it on!

My only non-food expenditure so far this week was postage for bookmooch, which I guess is OK. Big challenge now is to use up the 30 half used jars in the fridge. Have got rid of a few because they have 2006 sell by dates , but I'm determined to use the others to make yummy meals, then stop buying food stuff we dont really like.

Message withdrawn

Pruners, if no-one else is ineterested then i'll send it to you.

I'v only had it 2 days! lol

thanksfor the knitting needles, now all i have to do is get hold of some wool!

milky, my mum used to make that for me and my brother when we were little [nostalgia]... ate copious quantities of it in spite of (or perhaps because of?) the salt!

I've run out of floor cleaner - which i made myself do deliberately because I'm sick of having half empty bottles of stuff.

Can I use something homemade next time? I am in NZ and usually use ecostore products but I can't find anywhere that sells the floor cleaner locally. Bizarrely it is more expensive to buy from their website than from the supermarket (hence why I don't order everything from the web), and that's excluding postage. What is that about?

I have metres and metres of tiles to clean.

twentypence, hot soapy water with a microfibre cloth on your knees.

or hot soapy water with a mop i have a vileda type thing but never use it as only have 6ftsq of kitchen! why did i buy it?

Message withdrawn

thank you very kind, i shall practise with it!

if i like it can i make you feel bad by talking about it like that???

Soapy water like my all natural washing up liquid?

I have a vileda mop and bucket, but wish I had bought one of those massive microfibre flat things even though they weren't invented when I bought my vileda.

yep a squirt of washing up liquid will do the trick!

have fun mopping!

How bizarre to think I was going to buy something special and it hadn't even occurred to me that I had something that would do the job in the cupboard. I guess that demonstrates just how many things we don't need we will have marketed at us.

Ds has a special handsoap and we use it to clean his entire body - it's the only thing we have found to allow us to wash his hair without knackering his skin. The lady who makes the soap was aghast that we used the soap and not the special shampoo "but it's got manuka honey in it!". He has an inch of hair - I don't think manuka honey in the end of the world.

One of my targets is to get the cleaning cupboard down to a couple of bottles by the end of Jan, there are so many odd things in there I dont use, but dont want to waste. Have run out of washing up liquid, so not sure if I can use anything else on stuff we are going to eat from ?