That’s it!
Collectively, our thoughts and actions are contributing to the growing global groundswell choosing citizenship over consumerism.
Keep living it up, with your lighter footprint.
Remember, Buy Nothing New Month is just the start.
Just keep going.
What can you do next?
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” – Arundhati Roy
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
Every year we suggest you guys learn to sew.
Be honest.
Did anyone do it?
It is such an easy way to get into second hand stuff.
Seriously.
Get a second hand sewing machine.
Or borrow one.
It’s fun, it will save you loads of money and is like a mindful activity (like those corporate colouring in books).
Oversized or undersized clothing from the op-shop can be easily taken out or taken in. (hello, GOOGLE, youtube for a lifetime of ‘how to’ videos’)
If you’re not that adventurous or lack time, take an armload of out-dated clothes to your local seamstress and work through options together to taken them in/out, up/down to refresh the look, saving you time, money and your kit from wardrobe oblivion.
That’s why buying good quality instead of cheap fast throwaway is great.
Good quality can always be altered into something else.
Cheap fabric, not so much.
“Buy Less, Choose Well and Make It Last.” – Vivienne Westwood
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
Rethink. Question Everything:
Why am I shopping?
How do I feel?
Do I need this?
How will I pay for it?
Where will I put it?
Who made it?
What were their working conditions?
What do I have that can fill this purpose?
Can I borrow it, swap to get it, or get it second hand?
What will I have to get rid of to make room for this?
What will happen if I don’t buy this?
What else could I do with this money?
Did I remember to wear deodorant today?
“The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn’t buy.” – Joshua Becker
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
What do you buy the person who has everything this Christmas?
NOTHING
Science tells us giving an experience instead of a ‘thing’ gives more lasting joy.
And if they have everything. Do they really need anything more?
Simples!
Why not take the next step and ask your family how they feel about a Buy Nothing New Christmas?
You can give anything second hand, any experiences, anything you’ve made, but aim to cut out the crap, the LIN (landfill in transit) and all the crappy plastic wrapping that goes with it.
“When we throw something ‘away’, where is ‘away’?”
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
‘Do I need this?’ is one of the biggest questions we ask ourselves.
Pretty much every dust gatherer or closet-clutterer we own, took finite resources, fossil fuels, water and in some cases, slave-labour to find its way into our homes. Not to mention, our hard earned money. Impulse shopping has little to do with actual needs.
It’s often to fill an emotional void or boredom.
Ever notice that dress that was going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE, didn’t?
This month is a time to pursue healthier ways to fill a need or your time.
Read a book, catch up with a mate, take a walk, (or take a nap for goodness sake!) make something…
Take this month to identify the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.
There is a big difference.
“If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money.” – Guy McPherson
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
The good news is, the alternative to wasteful consuming is better for us, our mental health and the health of our planet.
This month is a chance to cut the clutter.
To refuse, reduce, reuse, rethink (recycle being the last option, after all other avenues are exhausted). Easiest way? Keep out of shops and avoid advertising, magazines and stuff that exists to convince you that you need more stuff.
Go Marie Kondo. Clear out stuff, get it back into circulation. Be part of the circular economy. Donate it to charity, gift it to a friend.
Clear out the stuff you don’t need to make space for the stuff you do need.“An estimated £30bn of unused clothing hangs in UK wardrobes, and yet still we shop for more.”
“Twenty-five years ago people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much, about climate change. Today we have no excuse.” – Desmond Tutu
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
Congratulations on signing up to living more, shopping less, whether through The New Jones or Buy Nothing New Month.
You might have been with us for sometime.
You might have just joined us.
WELCOME!
You’re part of the global movement of people transitioning from ‘consumer’ to ‘citizen’ buying less stuff, creating less stress.
And it’s easy.
SO EASY.
This month, with the exception of essentials (food, booze, chocolate, Netflix, hygiene and medicine) all you do, is BUY NOTHING NEW!
Buy Nothing New Month is about buying less, buying well made, buying stuff that’s built to last, rather than cheap, fast throwaway fashion, or stuff that’s make to break (bloody planned obsolescence) headed for landfill.
Less SHOP TIL YOU DROP, more STOP BEFORE YOU SHOP.
You can source whatever you need second hand.
So find the best op-shop in town (many are rubbish, so do your research) or get into online marketplaces for second hand stuff (eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace etc)
You got this.
PS: It’s important to note, many new things are beautifully, ethically, sustainably made, built to last. We’re not saying new is bad. We’re are saying, consuming less and extending the life of existing stuff isn’t just awesome, it’s essential.
“Today’s Smart Choice. Don’t Own. Share. Someday we’ll look back on the 20th century and wonder why we owned so much stuff.” – TIME MAGAZINE
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
Yes. We are.
Nearly 20 years later.
We officially started Buy Nothing New Month in 2010 after going to Antarctica to learn about climate change, but only after more than ten years of buying nothing new ourselves.
Why?
It started in London circa 1997.
A champagne girl on a beer budget, I had to look smart for a swanky job, but couldn’t afford to. Hello op-shops.
Back then, it was all about the bank balance.
Cut to over 20 years later, now, for me, it’s all about the eco-balance.
We’re consuming more than our living-planet can replenish.
Every time I spend my money, I aim to vote for the beautiful, thoughtful waste-free world I want to live in.
In the beginning I got a bit overwhelmed.
Do I buy locally made? Organic cotton? Fairtrade Hemp? Is any of that going to gimme street cred?
Buying second hand simplified everything for me. And I could still wear brands and styles I loved.
What is Buy Nothing New Month about for you?
For this lovely human, joining the Buy Nothing New Month revolution was life changing…
We’d love to hear about your experience, anytime.
Share this with a mate to get them on board.
Tell your friends and family what you’re doing.
Be the change.
Thanks for joining us.
“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” Marshall McLuhan
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
As a Buy Nothing New Month challenger, you are THE NEW JONESES.
You know the phrase ‘keeping up with the joneses’? it’s a stupid, outdated lifestyle of ‘keeping up’ with the neighbours. Like when the new iPhone comes out. And you feel the need to upgrade your perfectly good, existing iPhone…
Where Buy Nothing New Month looks at the stuff we buy, THE NEW JONESES look at everything we do. Everything we do has an impact, so THE NEW JONESES show how to make better choices in order to have a positive impact.
Head over to THE NEW JONESES to learn about easy everyday lifestyle choices we can make (like our energy company, our choice of dunny paper, eliminating plastics, refusing to waste food, composting, walking more driving less etc) for the health and wellbeing of ourselves, our people and our planet.
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
Simply put. We’re using too much stuff.
“we’re living beyond our means – we’re consuming 50% more natural resources than our Earth’s ecosystems can replenish.” WWF One Planet Living
Looking into the ethics and supply chain of everything can seem overwhelming…
So we thought the easiest way to simplify, was to buy less of everything and buy everything we can second hand.
Extending the life of existing goods (buying second, up-cycling, re-cycling, sharing, swapping etc) maximises the energy and finite resources that goes into our stuff while keeping it from landfill.
The Buy Nothing New Month Crew
