From bad (yesterday) to almost as bad (today). Bought a present for one of Ben's friends and bought gift certificates for books for the kids' teachers.
Ben has been to four b-day parties during "no-more-new-things": for two of the parties we had stuff in our gift box we could use; for one we gave the kids a gift certificate to the candy store (the parents probably hate us!); and for the last one (today) I bought the kid a new thing (ironically, an environmental make-your-own-boat-with-used-water-bottles kit).
Teacher presents are always a little challenging; we usually do chocolates and a gift certificate to a bookstore. The bookstore is an independent, local, political (but with novels and other things) store; and so that's the plus. But it was still a new thing although--here's a loophole--chances are that the gift certificate won't be translated into a new thing until *after* 1 July--that is, after our 3-month project is over.
So we failed on the presents-front today but I can at least say that we bought no new things for ourselves.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Food and Other Things
Bought caps for Ben's gun today. Worse: bought a washer/dryer, oven, stove, and refrigerator. Seriously. It's no wonder I haven't been posting of late.
I think I can declare June a failure for blog postings. I don't know what happened. I was inspired to think about and reflect on buying (and not buying) things for the first two months but for some reason in the third month I was less motivated. Perhaps it was because I knew all those appliances were looming on the horizon. We're renovating Joel's family cabin and need to get a kitchen. We spent several days in the middle of May looking for used appliances but it's hard from a distance. And then I found a good "remainders/and dents" appliances site and we thought we could use that but it didn't work either. Now we've put it off until the last possible moment and just bought everything NEW. Urghh. It makes me despair. I haven't bought hair elastics for 3 months and it has been driving me crazy and yet in a single day we buy all those huge metallic not-easily-recycable things. It does make me think about the small things vs. the big things. There are both the gradations of small things we do (elastics v. appliances) and then the things we as individuals do v. the things that corporations and big companies do. We can be careful individually but does it make any sort of impact when so many larger enterprises are not the least bit watchful about waste?
The caps I bought for Ben because he did well on his report card and he's struggled so much at school and there was nothing he wanted more in the world. So twice now Ben has got caps. A small thing that represents (for me) a big thing.
Yesterday mom sent me a new cotton shirt/dress in the mail. I could not have been more thrilled. It was my first new thing in almost three months and it was perfect. I opened it, put it on immediately, and wore it again today. The great thing (I've said this before) is that buying no-more-new-things does make me appreciate the specialness of new things so much more. And it's not just the thing, but the whole experience. In the case of this new shirt/dress: opening the package, unfolding it, the feel of the material, trying it on, and the pleasure of wearing it. I think I used to often overlook all these little parts of the new-thing experience before.
As for food, one thing I have paid more attention to these past few months is food. Food items are on the permitted list and I found myself often gravitating toward food to satisfy buying desires (to the extent that they existed--which was less than I expected). I also enjoyed food more than usual (and I usually enjoy food a lot!) And, needless to say, I also gained weight! Oh well.
I told the kids yesterday that there were only 7 more days of no more new things and they were both excited but also lowkey. They'd actually forgot all about it. Not buying new things has become a habit for them as well and that's the best result to come out of the last few months.
I'm hoping that the remaining six days won't be filled with more new purchases!
I think I can declare June a failure for blog postings. I don't know what happened. I was inspired to think about and reflect on buying (and not buying) things for the first two months but for some reason in the third month I was less motivated. Perhaps it was because I knew all those appliances were looming on the horizon. We're renovating Joel's family cabin and need to get a kitchen. We spent several days in the middle of May looking for used appliances but it's hard from a distance. And then I found a good "remainders/and dents" appliances site and we thought we could use that but it didn't work either. Now we've put it off until the last possible moment and just bought everything NEW. Urghh. It makes me despair. I haven't bought hair elastics for 3 months and it has been driving me crazy and yet in a single day we buy all those huge metallic not-easily-recycable things. It does make me think about the small things vs. the big things. There are both the gradations of small things we do (elastics v. appliances) and then the things we as individuals do v. the things that corporations and big companies do. We can be careful individually but does it make any sort of impact when so many larger enterprises are not the least bit watchful about waste?
The caps I bought for Ben because he did well on his report card and he's struggled so much at school and there was nothing he wanted more in the world. So twice now Ben has got caps. A small thing that represents (for me) a big thing.
Yesterday mom sent me a new cotton shirt/dress in the mail. I could not have been more thrilled. It was my first new thing in almost three months and it was perfect. I opened it, put it on immediately, and wore it again today. The great thing (I've said this before) is that buying no-more-new-things does make me appreciate the specialness of new things so much more. And it's not just the thing, but the whole experience. In the case of this new shirt/dress: opening the package, unfolding it, the feel of the material, trying it on, and the pleasure of wearing it. I think I used to often overlook all these little parts of the new-thing experience before.
As for food, one thing I have paid more attention to these past few months is food. Food items are on the permitted list and I found myself often gravitating toward food to satisfy buying desires (to the extent that they existed--which was less than I expected). I also enjoyed food more than usual (and I usually enjoy food a lot!) And, needless to say, I also gained weight! Oh well.
I told the kids yesterday that there were only 7 more days of no more new things and they were both excited but also lowkey. They'd actually forgot all about it. Not buying new things has become a habit for them as well and that's the best result to come out of the last few months.
I'm hoping that the remaining six days won't be filled with more new purchases!
Monday, 14 June 2010
Gold mine of summer clothes
Once again *I* bought no new things these past few days of not blogging. Joel, on the other hand, bought cheap ponchos for the kids when they were all camping this past weekend and it was raining hard. I wondered what he would have to buy: he left in a rush, late to meet Michal's bus in Montreal (she was there on a school trip and he didn't want to hold up her entire class), and I thought he was bound to need stuff. Like maybe a tent. But it turns out the only thing he forgot (or couldn't find) was rain gear.
I'm at the cottage now and stumbled across a gold mind of clothes in my closet here. All my summer clothes stuffed into two old garbage bags! I should have learned my lesson about putting clothes in garbage bags after Mom and Dad threw away all my clothes (stored in garbage bags) when I was a teenager. But no, there they were in garbage bags. I was so happy to see them: dresses, t-shirts, shorts. I'd thought I had more stuff than the motley collection I'd found at home. This is the one slight upside to being so disorganized: I occasionally get these great surprises!
After a slow and uninspired start to the month I'm going to try to do as many postings as I can in the last two weeks of this blog.
I'm at the cottage now and stumbled across a gold mind of clothes in my closet here. All my summer clothes stuffed into two old garbage bags! I should have learned my lesson about putting clothes in garbage bags after Mom and Dad threw away all my clothes (stored in garbage bags) when I was a teenager. But no, there they were in garbage bags. I was so happy to see them: dresses, t-shirts, shorts. I'd thought I had more stuff than the motley collection I'd found at home. This is the one slight upside to being so disorganized: I occasionally get these great surprises!
After a slow and uninspired start to the month I'm going to try to do as many postings as I can in the last two weeks of this blog.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Boredom
Bought no new things these past many days that I missed posting.
I worry that this blog is becoming boring because I'm not buying enough new things that I then have to justify. And I'm not wanting nearly as many new things as I imagined I would. And so there's less to think about along those lines as well. In the first few days and weeks of "no new things" I thought about this project every day--I was really really surprised by how often the purchase (or not-purchase) of a new thing came up in my life. But lately I have thought about it a lot less; the process has become internalized, a "habit" as I wrote earlier. Still, I do enjoy the challenges (a party Ben has to go to in a few weeks--can Joel make one of Steve's wooden swords for Ben to give?).
This past weekend was a pleasure on the buying front because it was Art in the Park, one of my stated exemptions when we first started (in anticipation of wanting something at Art in the Park!). I did buy things and it was fun to do so since I buy *things*--either new or old--so rarely now.
As 1 July approaches these are the things I find myself wanting: hair elastics, a new toothbrush, scissors for the kitchen; and maybe a new summer dress (do I really want this or just think I do?). I also wouldn't mind a car :)
I worry that this blog is becoming boring because I'm not buying enough new things that I then have to justify. And I'm not wanting nearly as many new things as I imagined I would. And so there's less to think about along those lines as well. In the first few days and weeks of "no new things" I thought about this project every day--I was really really surprised by how often the purchase (or not-purchase) of a new thing came up in my life. But lately I have thought about it a lot less; the process has become internalized, a "habit" as I wrote earlier. Still, I do enjoy the challenges (a party Ben has to go to in a few weeks--can Joel make one of Steve's wooden swords for Ben to give?).
This past weekend was a pleasure on the buying front because it was Art in the Park, one of my stated exemptions when we first started (in anticipation of wanting something at Art in the Park!). I did buy things and it was fun to do so since I buy *things*--either new or old--so rarely now.
As 1 July approaches these are the things I find myself wanting: hair elastics, a new toothbrush, scissors for the kitchen; and maybe a new summer dress (do I really want this or just think I do?). I also wouldn't mind a car :)
Friday, 4 June 2010
Why NEW things?
The other day Andre asked in a comment why we have chosen to concentrate on new things. If our goal is not to add more stuff to the environment, he notes, doesn't it make more sense to shop wisely, buy less, but also sometimes buy new things (he gives the example of the electric car but there are also all sorts of examples where one might buy something new to fix something that would otherwise be thrown out etc).
My first response is that "new new things" IS an arbitrary line. I find it easier to be black and white (and the kids definitely find it easier to be black and white!) with this and to just exclude all new things during this 3 month period. It's easier for us to have a simple and clear no-new-things policy than a "tread lightly on the earth policy" (especially since my mind is so good at rationalizing things).
But drawing this arbitrary line has made me reflect on it. In the first few weeks I was caught up in the excitement (surprisingly, given that we were literally doing nothing!) of buying no new things and I imagined this idea sweeping across the Western world and (in my delusions of grandeur) imagined the world being a much better place as a result. But that's not the case in any sort of easy way of course. I did *see* things differently; we live in a throw-away society and I have seen it so much more clearly in this three month period during which I'm wondering: where does all that stuff go? did we really need it? why do people (my family!) think they need so much stuff? what motivates that acquisition?
In defence of no new things: old things have stories attached to them and I like that; no new things forces us to be creative and think of how we could do things otherwise; while sometimes buying other people's old things encourages consumption on the part of those other people, in many other cases I think those old things would just be tossed, rather than re-used.
I was talking to Ted early on and he wondered about having a policy of buying only used things and things made by someone one knows or made within a hundred kilometre radius of where one lives or buying only craft items. If we did so, stuff would be more expensive but we would pause more before purchasing. Then again, right now I'm reading a book that addresses 19thc poverty issues and at the time there was a great push for mass-produced items so that the poor could afford things that were not otherwise available to them. And so it is not straightforward at all.
In the end, though, I think some combination of cutting one's consumption, seeking, wherever possible, not to add to things in the world, focusing on craft items where possible, and buying wisely probably makes sense.
My first response is that "new new things" IS an arbitrary line. I find it easier to be black and white (and the kids definitely find it easier to be black and white!) with this and to just exclude all new things during this 3 month period. It's easier for us to have a simple and clear no-new-things policy than a "tread lightly on the earth policy" (especially since my mind is so good at rationalizing things).
But drawing this arbitrary line has made me reflect on it. In the first few weeks I was caught up in the excitement (surprisingly, given that we were literally doing nothing!) of buying no new things and I imagined this idea sweeping across the Western world and (in my delusions of grandeur) imagined the world being a much better place as a result. But that's not the case in any sort of easy way of course. I did *see* things differently; we live in a throw-away society and I have seen it so much more clearly in this three month period during which I'm wondering: where does all that stuff go? did we really need it? why do people (my family!) think they need so much stuff? what motivates that acquisition?
In defence of no new things: old things have stories attached to them and I like that; no new things forces us to be creative and think of how we could do things otherwise; while sometimes buying other people's old things encourages consumption on the part of those other people, in many other cases I think those old things would just be tossed, rather than re-used.
I was talking to Ted early on and he wondered about having a policy of buying only used things and things made by someone one knows or made within a hundred kilometre radius of where one lives or buying only craft items. If we did so, stuff would be more expensive but we would pause more before purchasing. Then again, right now I'm reading a book that addresses 19thc poverty issues and at the time there was a great push for mass-produced items so that the poor could afford things that were not otherwise available to them. And so it is not straightforward at all.
In the end, though, I think some combination of cutting one's consumption, seeking, wherever possible, not to add to things in the world, focusing on craft items where possible, and buying wisely probably makes sense.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
rule#1. "Rules are made to be broken"
Bought . . . 1) disc shooter for Ben; 2) a book for Michal yesterday. Bought no new things today (thank goodness, after the crashing fall of yesterday).
The book is easier to explain than the disc shooter. Michal lost a book she borrowed from a friend before our 4(!) moves during the renovation. We turned the house upside down looking for it (her friend wanted it back), tried to find it secondhand, and then finally capitulated to buying it (by following the "we won't inconvenience other people too too much" rule).
As I wrote in my last post, Ben begged and begged for a disc shooter the other day. I said no. He pulled himself together (uncharacteristically) despite his huge disappointment and we left the store. The next morning we woke up and Ben asked me why I was smiling and I said, "why not be happy, it's a new day" or something mundane like that. And he said, "why should I be happy? I don't have a disc shooter," in a glum little voice. And I thought about it and remembered that weekend his teacher had dropped by our house when we were out and left a note telling us how well Ben is doing in school and that he had just mastered a really difficult math strategy that he'd been working on all year; and then I thought of how unfair Ben had thought it was that Michal got new sandals but that he'd been okay with that; and then I thought he'd been pretty good (for him) in the store the other day (that is, he really really tried to get over his disappointment); and then I thought, okay, we'll break this rule this one time. I told him all of this and he was thrilled. The delight on his face with that disc shooter was worth breaking a million rules (but its worth noting that he would never have been as delighted if he hadn't had no-more-new-things, or any expectation of new things, these past two months). So that's the explanation. I probably shouldn't have done it but . . .
Oddly, after a complete evaporation of my desire for anything new, I am wanting a new summer dress these days. I'm not sure where that's coming from and I'm surprised by it. But I've noted it ever since the hot weather began and I looked in my closet and everything felt a bit old and boring and unappealing. With the exception of the bike in the window close to when we first began, it's my *first* strong desire for a new thing (just when I thought all such desires were gone for good and I'd never buy a new thing again!)
The book is easier to explain than the disc shooter. Michal lost a book she borrowed from a friend before our 4(!) moves during the renovation. We turned the house upside down looking for it (her friend wanted it back), tried to find it secondhand, and then finally capitulated to buying it (by following the "we won't inconvenience other people too too much" rule).
As I wrote in my last post, Ben begged and begged for a disc shooter the other day. I said no. He pulled himself together (uncharacteristically) despite his huge disappointment and we left the store. The next morning we woke up and Ben asked me why I was smiling and I said, "why not be happy, it's a new day" or something mundane like that. And he said, "why should I be happy? I don't have a disc shooter," in a glum little voice. And I thought about it and remembered that weekend his teacher had dropped by our house when we were out and left a note telling us how well Ben is doing in school and that he had just mastered a really difficult math strategy that he'd been working on all year; and then I thought of how unfair Ben had thought it was that Michal got new sandals but that he'd been okay with that; and then I thought he'd been pretty good (for him) in the store the other day (that is, he really really tried to get over his disappointment); and then I thought, okay, we'll break this rule this one time. I told him all of this and he was thrilled. The delight on his face with that disc shooter was worth breaking a million rules (but its worth noting that he would never have been as delighted if he hadn't had no-more-new-things, or any expectation of new things, these past two months). So that's the explanation. I probably shouldn't have done it but . . .
Oddly, after a complete evaporation of my desire for anything new, I am wanting a new summer dress these days. I'm not sure where that's coming from and I'm surprised by it. But I've noted it ever since the hot weather began and I looked in my closet and everything felt a bit old and boring and unappealing. With the exception of the bike in the window close to when we first began, it's my *first* strong desire for a new thing (just when I thought all such desires were gone for good and I'd never buy a new thing again!)
Sunday, 30 May 2010
great glebe garage sale (2) + "buying mind"
Bought a few small "prizes" for kids for our block party as well as a few small block party games yesterday. Bought no new things today.
The most difficult thing about no-new-things is when it impinges on someone else (birthdays are the best example). Michal was one of the organizers for kid's games for our block party and so we felt we had to buy new things (balloons for water balloons, some rings to play a hoop game, string for three-legged races etc) so that she could organize.
The Great Glebe Garage sale was, as predicted, amazing. Joel was out at 7:00 am and I met him half an hour later. We got our best finds in that first hour but one great treasure trove--a (broken!) chair, old antique wood thing and old quilts all at one place--was found at the very end of the day. I love the festive feel of the day, live music on front lawns and street corners, people's stuff displayed everywhere with that haphazard look of a closet unpacked and spread across the grass. We gave each of the kids $5 to spend and Ben spent his all at once on a stuffed animal that is as big as he is.
The other day Ben went with his friend and his friend's dad to Boomerang (secondhand store with some new stuff close to here). His friend bought a disc shooter and Ben has been longing for one ever since. I told him he could buy something secondhand at Boomerang with his own money and he has been begging me to go ever since. We headed there this afternoon. Disappointment was Ben's first response. There was nothing he wanted! But after looking for awhile he was happy with two things he found (a model car set and a mini-golf game, $6 and $2 respectively). He was trying on (used) shorts when his eye spotted the disc shooter his friend had bought. He asked if he could get it early. I said no. He then came up with fifty or so reasons why he needed it now. His desire and frustration escalated as I kept saying no. I noted two things: 1) it is much easier to say no when we have this no-more-new-things policy. He knows about it and knows it is inflexible; 2) even so, this time Ben--for the first time since we began 2 months ago-- was really really upset about not being able to buy something. And I wondered if he was in some sort of "buying mind" space: just so completely focused on buying something that he couldn't be logical and couldn't let go of this desire *to buy.* I've often noticed that he sometimes gets fixed on wanting something but that it is more about *buying* the thing than playing with it that motivates him. He can beg and beg for something, Joel or I may give in (before our no-buying policy!) and then Ben forgets about this most-desired item in a matter of hours. Interestingly, as soon as we left the store Ben was fine again. You would have never known he'd been utterly beside himself only moments earlier. The trick, I think, is not to get into this buying mentality in the first place.
Andre wrote a comment on my last post that deserves an entirely new posting in response. I'll save that for tomorrow or one day later this week!
The most difficult thing about no-new-things is when it impinges on someone else (birthdays are the best example). Michal was one of the organizers for kid's games for our block party and so we felt we had to buy new things (balloons for water balloons, some rings to play a hoop game, string for three-legged races etc) so that she could organize.
The Great Glebe Garage sale was, as predicted, amazing. Joel was out at 7:00 am and I met him half an hour later. We got our best finds in that first hour but one great treasure trove--a (broken!) chair, old antique wood thing and old quilts all at one place--was found at the very end of the day. I love the festive feel of the day, live music on front lawns and street corners, people's stuff displayed everywhere with that haphazard look of a closet unpacked and spread across the grass. We gave each of the kids $5 to spend and Ben spent his all at once on a stuffed animal that is as big as he is.
The other day Ben went with his friend and his friend's dad to Boomerang (secondhand store with some new stuff close to here). His friend bought a disc shooter and Ben has been longing for one ever since. I told him he could buy something secondhand at Boomerang with his own money and he has been begging me to go ever since. We headed there this afternoon. Disappointment was Ben's first response. There was nothing he wanted! But after looking for awhile he was happy with two things he found (a model car set and a mini-golf game, $6 and $2 respectively). He was trying on (used) shorts when his eye spotted the disc shooter his friend had bought. He asked if he could get it early. I said no. He then came up with fifty or so reasons why he needed it now. His desire and frustration escalated as I kept saying no. I noted two things: 1) it is much easier to say no when we have this no-more-new-things policy. He knows about it and knows it is inflexible; 2) even so, this time Ben--for the first time since we began 2 months ago-- was really really upset about not being able to buy something. And I wondered if he was in some sort of "buying mind" space: just so completely focused on buying something that he couldn't be logical and couldn't let go of this desire *to buy.* I've often noticed that he sometimes gets fixed on wanting something but that it is more about *buying* the thing than playing with it that motivates him. He can beg and beg for something, Joel or I may give in (before our no-buying policy!) and then Ben forgets about this most-desired item in a matter of hours. Interestingly, as soon as we left the store Ben was fine again. You would have never known he'd been utterly beside himself only moments earlier. The trick, I think, is not to get into this buying mentality in the first place.
Andre wrote a comment on my last post that deserves an entirely new posting in response. I'll save that for tomorrow or one day later this week!
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