I wrote a post today posing a challenge to the author of a blog I read. That blog is very different than this one and most others I read. The author is a local fellow who has vastly different interests. And that’s okay. I like reading about the happenings of his life and the film reviews he occasionally writes. I am sure he likes people reading it.
The author enjoys shopping. From his writing, I’d say it is one of his hobbies. He writes a lot about shopping with his mother. Buying various things. Making a day of journeying to malls. That’s his thing. It’s not for me. I have strong views on what I think this sort of consumerism is doing to the planet and people. But those things aside, the challenge I gave him was meant with a light-heart.
I challenged him to a month of buying nothing new. I have tossed up the idea myself and will, one day, give it a go. Perhaps if this fellow took up the challenge I would have joined him. We could have both written about it from very different perspectives. We all go on about trying something new.
I alerted the bloke to the challenge via Twitter – the realm of conversation – and was met with a less than expected response. To his wishes I have taken the post down. He saw my act as one of sabotage. As mean-spirited, it would seem. As an outlet through which I aimed to change him to his detriment.
This wasn’t the case at all.
Could you go a month without buying anything new? (You’re allowed to buy new food of course. In fact, I recommend you do!)
A Desirable World 
I’m game to try it. I think we need some ground rules though.
Food is obviously Ok to buy new (it’s hard to buy second hand), what about other consumables? (toilet paper for instance). Do seeds for the garden count? (vegetable and herb). If you set the ground rules I will play the game, and we can both blog the results on a regular basis. I love the idea of challenging my own assumptions (that I don’t buy much is one of them).
Who wants to join in?
Rest assured, the ground rules have been set out, check out Buy Nothing New Month website.
What sort of rules would you like to see in place? I reckon I could go pretty hardcore. Only food and essentials – no clothes (secondhand or otherwise), nothing else. 😛 (Bear with, I need to go stock up on things… Kidding!)
this is a way of life for some of us. so not much of a challenge .interesting that you have not taken up the challenge yourself, esp when u are an advocate of not buying new. as for the adverse reaction from the blogger to your suggestion, it is one of the reasons why i hesitate to make comments. it can be taken in the wrong way. (even what i said about u not doing it may possibly generate a unexpected response from you in that it may make u angry,…for implying that u are not practising what u preach and sound like i am criticising you; but i assure u that is not my intention. at all. it is only in the light of what happened with the other blogger that make me look again at what i wrote and wonder if u would take offense at what i said. please don’t take offense.
you can see why i hesitate even to post this. but i am hoping that since u ask for some response that u wont mind if it may not exactly be what you are expecting. most would expect a answer from someone also saying how they find it difficult to avoid buying something new and giving examples of how they failed, or succeeded inspite of great odds.
i was thinking all this makes great posts and that is why the other blogger like buying things, it is something to write about, ask him not to do it, and u are creating a situation for him where he got nothing to write about.
i m seriously thinking of not posting this. but let me post it, so u can tell me if i have overstepped the line in commenting. tell me which part is offensive and i shall learn not to say it next time. haha.
Your comment is very right in so many ways. You needn’t be apologetic.
I yearn to be challenged. To have to assess my preconceptions. To have to argue my case. A lot of people are of the mind where they don’t feel they have to explain themselves. I think people should explain themselves for the good of themselves. If we don’t filter out thoughts from time to time we end up sitting on a pile of old rubbish. This is how I arrived at where I am now.
Why haven’t I done Buy Nothing New Month? No reason, really. I heard about it in passing some time ago and thought nothing more of it and only revitalised the concept in my own mind today – after reading yet another “Ma and me went shopping” post from this fellow. That said, I don’t buy much. I buy food. Occasionally I got for a dinner out. I might buy straw or seeds for the garden. Bought a Diggers membership last week which provided me with heaps of packets of seeds and ongoing discount. I don’t buy things. I could spend money on less, for sure, and ought to take on the challenge even if just to save more money for the move.
I know my original post might have been seen as a threat by this other blogger. It’s a pity.
We challenged ourselves with this 8 years ago, but for a year, and found it quite easy in the end. It has influenced our spending ever since. Although we do sometimes buy new we are so much more mindful. do we really need it? Is it an ethical purchase.? Locally made? etc. Mostly now we buy secondhand.
It does seem like a permaculturey thing to do. Mindfulness, is surely the end goal of such an exercise.