I don't buy it

I saw a post linked to notmartha.org for something called the Little Brown Dress project. A Seattle woman wore the same brown dress that she made, everyday for a year, as both performance art and a statement about consumerism. She was especially speaking to that which women are encouraged to participate in, mainly in buying clothes that "express" who we are. I was very intrigued- she did add sweaters and even jeans in cold weather, but she actually pulled it off.

While I think what she did was interesting and pretty great, I think the most impactful part was the blog/journal she kept- that is really the daunting part to me. But it renewed my interest in something I read about in the paper, about a group of people who made a commitment to not buy anything new for a year.

So Hillary and I, over beers, of course, decided that we would challenge ourselves, starting Thursday May 10, to not buy anything new that we absolutely cannot get used.

Kennet and Chris were encouraged to join us, but politely declined. Neither of them are big shoppers anyway, so they instead will be part of the tribunal (more on that in a moment).

So there are a couple of rules, some things that are exempt, and a process for deciding the unclear purchases. First, consumables are exempt: this includes food, toothpaste, lightbulbs, but also safety items like brake pads for our bikes. Second, we talked long and hard about materials for the craft/art works in progress- we will make a best effort to reuse or buy second hand supplies (like fabric), but somethings are impossible to get used, like ink, or thread.

Hillary is allowed to buy rechargeable batteries at some point, as well as a new battery for her phone, because those require either buying a new phone or presenting a hardship that would be unrealistic. Other things, like book club books, can be bought new if they are required but cannot be found at the libary or used. We could also plan to share one copy. Music was hard too, we decided that Itunes are ok, because they don't require the purchasing of a physical object. Classes, services, transportation, all ok.

Magazines were hard, because I especially love magazines. Kennet says they count as a consumable, though Hillary and I decided we would try to share a couple of subscriptions.

Why? you might ask. The main reason is to cut down on the amount of stuff I buy that I do not need. Kennet pointed out that you can count anything as a consumable as long as you use it until it is no longer usable. For him, this would include clothes, which he generally wears until they can be worn no longer. I do not follow this rule and so clothes are out for me. However, buying clothes at Buffalo Exchange lets me aquire new, fun things, without spending armloads of money.
It's also an impact issue, cutting down on how tied to "things" I am, lowering my ecological footprint, contributing less waste.


Generally the things I spend money on, besides necessities, are clothes, music, and craft supplies. So I suspect I'll save a lot of money on clothes this year. Which is a good thing.

And if something does not fit neatly into the above categories, or if we feel we have a justified reason for buying something, Kennet and Chris will round out The Tribunal, the group of 3 that will be consulted and will vote on whether a purchase should be made. Shotguns are optional.