No More New Things (for 3 Months)

Inspired in part by Ted’s comment that we have too much stuff, in part by the massive debt we have after our renovation, in part by the sobering fact that “too many things” are a problem for us when so many people have not enough things, and in part by environmental concerns I want to try to buy “no more new things” for the next three months (until 1 July at which point I’ll re-evaluate again). I’m turning this into a blog in an effort to keep myself on track but also because I’d be curious to have input from others who have tried to cut down on the stuff in their lives. I’m also wondering about what counts as essential “new stuff” and what does not. It seems pretty clear to me that even taking into consideration essential things it should be easy to avoid buying new things for three months (I can’t think of anything essential that can’t wait). But I’m interested to see what arises in this period that I may feel I need before the 3-month period elapses. Here are my exclusions from this project:

1) Food and drink (but I want to cut back on packaged food and also unnecessary food; in our household we throw away too much)

2) Medicine

3) Toilet paper, shampoo, and soap (although we may have enough shampoo and soap stock-piled in our house so that we don’t have to buy more for the next three months; all those little bars of soap that Ruth brings us!)

4) books (but I will try to cut back on anything I don’t “need”); magazines (ditto above); newspapers ( here I won’t cut back at all)

5) work supplies (papers, pens, ink cartridge for computer etc; but again I will try to limit myself only to what is absolutely necessary)

6) art (is this a fair category? It’s unlikely I’ll buy any art in this period, but just in case . . .)

7) flowers (another iffy category)

And so I guess I should call this project “not so many new things” instead of “no new things.” I’m not including music in my exemptions because I have so much music already but I can imagine that over time I’d want this to be an exemption as well (although one could limit oneself only to downloads to avoid the thingness of cds).

I am counting as okay anything that is not new: antiques, used clothing, etc. Here are some challenges I anticipate:

1) we have to do something to the mud pile that is currently our lawn. Do plants and grass count as new things? Is there a way to “find” these things? Perhaps dig up some plants already existing at the cottage? Poach on friends’ cuttings from their gardens?

2) Our renovation is still incomplete. What new things might we need to finish it and will it be possible to work around them? (We just bought a carpet for the basement, for example, but if I’d started this before we bought the carpet would there have been a way to find a used carpet [not appealing to me] or finish the concrete floor in some other way?)

3) Presents for people. Will I be able to find not-new things? Or make things? (If the latter, then what??) Kid’s birthday presents are probably the biggest challenge here. (I was just thinking I probably won’t be able to do this but then remembered that mom gave our kids plants for channukah [a bulb that turned into a massive flower] and it was one of their favorite presents and so, slightly extending my permitted categories above, I could maybe give kids plants).

4) The kids are going to want new stuff. I’m going to try to impose this regime on them as well but I’m not sure how successful it will be. How can I make it easier for them? Promise them one new thing at the end? But then the “reward” is a new thing and does that go against the spirit of the enterprise?

In general, though, it seems ridiculous that this project should be a challenge at all and I’m hoping that it won’t be. Mainly I’d like to be more aware of what I buy and I’m hoping that by recording purchases and thinking more about the role of consumption in my life, it will help me not to buy unnecessary things and, especially, to make the kids more aware of their desire constantly to buy things.

I'm doing this blog to keep myself accountable. I'm not expecting you to read it(!) and I'm hoping that it will be quite dull (all entries should read: "bought no new things today") but I'm also curious to see what difficulties arise.