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!

Made my first non-food purchase of the year today. A new lead for the dog. The old one has disappeared. Reckon it qualifies as an essential item.

I bought stuff today. Some things for DP's birthday which were so inexcusable that I'm not even going to admit to them on this thread.

I didn't buy new shoes for dd though because the nice lady in the shoe shop said she still had growing room in her current pair! Whoo! (Except, also grrr because this means that she's been throwing tantrums about not wearing her shoes simply because she is a brat, rather than because they had grown too small).

I also didn't buy a brilliant tshirt for myself which I didn't need and couldn't afford but oh how I loved it. I would definitely have bought it before.

And dd and I treated ourselves to unnecessary, overpriced smoothies from a poncey shop with wheatgrass in the window and strange rubber artworks on the tables. I don't feel a bit guilty about those as it was fun and it's an independent poncey shop and they were so sooo good for us (I look 10 years younger already, really).

G'wan, shame yourself BS, what did you buy DP?

lol MH my justification exactly . Have not renewed my zoo or local sciency place membership this year, representing a saving of, ooh, £70...I won't renew until I am sure that I can actually get out of the house with 3 kids.

I think also having 3 home-pre-schooled kids-I mean, you CAN'T shop for fun really, can you? Even with 2 kids, we don't slip into shops for a quiet browse, we descend like a plague of locusts leaving chaos and destruction in our wake (and that is WHEN I bribe them with chocolate ). I have a rule never to buy more than 10 things in an in-person food shop (thank christ for online delivery).

So today, I went to hobbycraft. The only way I can go to my local yarn store is if the kids are asleep in the car and I can park RIGHT outside and run in and out. They are a bit about even fabulously behaved little kids in the shop, which is up to them IMO, their business, their choice but the upshot of it is that they do lose out on my custom.

So I bought 3 balls of dk sublime merino silk in sage and then a couple of those vile felt sewing kits for ds, who loves them more than anything in the world (except pink and kittens and tractors ) .

I bought him some branded sportswear.

I know.

Probably made by underfed orphans on 87 hour shifts in dark damp rooms. I feel bad.

If I'd got organised I could have tried harder to find him what he wanted on an ethical site. I ran out of time.

Also some M&S pants because so many people bought me M&S vouchers for Christmas.

Wow, what a brilliant thread! I've been thinking too about what I can do this year to be greener, and more self-sufficient and less consumeristic! (if that's even a word!)

Has anyone read the Good Shopping Guide? I'm thinking of buying it, but can't quite bring myself to, in case it just encourages me to buy more stuff, just because it's ethical!

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy groceries online from an ethical company and boycott supermarkets? We don't live in London anymore, so I can't find anything. Though we have a weekly organic box.

This thread is totally fantastic, thanks bump.

goodness direct are helpful

They seem to sell most things

and ethical superstore sell the few things that they don't

Thanks Charlieandlolasmummy, that site is JUST what I'm looking for I think. Haven't looked all through it yet, but will give the weekly shop a go with it next week...

I love Rose Elliot too, I quite often sit down with The Bean Book or Cheap & Easy to help with my meal-planning!

The Natural grocery Store They are based literally down the road from me btw!

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Are you in Cheltenham Bumper?

Lived there as a child!

Mebbe sophy [coy]

Am feeling guilty. Bought Ecover dishwasher tablets () but bought them at the supermarket instead of the independant eco-store . They would have been 60p more in the local store, and I let that sway me I was going on to the supermarket anyway, and I was walking, so didn't cost me any time or money to go there, so £ wise I gained, but I feel bad that I didn't support the local shop. Will try harder next time.

Difficult one isn't it jammy, especially if you are on a budget.

You still supported the manufacturer though. I nearly always buy my eco store stuff from the supermarket because it's significantly cheaper than buying direct from them.

Just discussed this with DH who suggested that if a local store offers something over the supermarket eg convenience, better quality,more ethical, better service etc then the extra cost is justified, otherwise it's debatable.

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Confession, - bough my first non food item yesterday - Oliver James's book Affluenza, on the principal that it adds another thread to the no stuff debate - namely that hankering for 'things' makes us unhappy anyway. Just started it yesterday, hooked already and have a queue of friends waiting to borrow. Enough justification?

Oh, I'd love to read that book, sounds great, but did you check out ebay, book mooch or amazon market place?

oh i want that book too

please tell us if its worth obtaining

Am never 100% sure about buying secondhand books, can't quite work it out.

It reduced the environmental cost, of course, and that is bloody important

but writers don't get royalites, and small bookstores don't get custom, and both writers of the books I like and small bookstores are things I want to support.

Thoughts?

thoughts - one book, loved at full price where everyone is paid what they should be, or many many books at 59p from teh salvation army store, supporting homeless people, lots of books to love, knowledge to gain - i go for recycled.

this week, not so good on general finances after little sh!ts down our road kicked my passenger wing mirror off, but saved on matching IKEA duvets sets for my boys bunk beds from the sally army. i did stick them onm a boil wash though

I'm hoping to sell my house in October - i need a general clean up and tweaking campaign, may need to buy paint but will try freecycle for left-overs etc. also could do with a good solid set of shelves to put in my sons rooms. shall have to keep an eye out.

I've sent four books out on book mooch, but haven't seen anything that i want to get in return yet...