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  • Can you buy nothing new for an entire year?

    S.F. group enjoys shopping sabbatical By LISA LEFF, Associated Press
    Wed Jan 3, 4:12 AM ET


    SAN FRANCISCO - It began, as grand ideas often do, over a dinner — risotto, artisan cheese and wine. What would it be like, 10 environmentally conscious friends wondered as they discussed the state of the planet, to go a year without buying anything new?

    Twelve months later, the results from their experiment in anti-consumption for 2006 are in: Staying 100 percent true to the goal proved both harder and easier than those who signed on expected.

    And while broken vacuum cleaners and malfunctioning cell phones posed challenges, some of the group's original members say the self-imposed shopping sabbatical was so liberating that they've resolved to do it for another year.

    "It started in a lighthearted way, but it is very serious," said John Perry, 42, a father of two who works for a Silicon Valley technology company. "It is about being aware of the excesses of consumer culture and the fact we are drawing down our resources and making people miserable around the world."

    The pledge they half-jokingly named The Compact, after the Mayflower pilgrims, spread to other cities through the Internet and an appearance on the "Today" show.

    As it turned out, The Compact was modest as far as economic boycotts go. Several cities in the United States and Europe have communities of "freegans," people whose contempt for consumerism is so complete they eat food foraged from Dumpsters whenever possible, train hop and sleep in abandoned buildings on principle.

    The San Francisco group, by contrast, exempted food, essential toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, underwear and other purchases that fell under the categories of health and safety from their pledge.

    But perhaps because its members included middle-class professionals who could afford to shop recreationally, their cause caught on. Nearly 3,000 people have joined a user group Perry set up on Yahoo so participants could swap goods and tips.

    Besides thrift stores and garage sales, participants found a wealth of free or previously owned merchandise in online classifieds and sites where people post stuff they want to get rid of, such as http://www.freecycle.org and http://www.garbagescout.com.

    After going through an initial period of retail withdrawal, discovering just how easy it was to score pretty much anything with a little time and effort was an eye-opener, according to participants.

    Rachel Kesel, 26, who works as a dog walker, said she was astonished by how often the items she needed simply materialized — the friend who offered a bicycle seat when hers was stolen, the Apple store employees who fixed her laptop at no cost.

    Similarly fortuitous timing happened often enough that group members came up with a name for it — "Compact Karma."

    After postponing purchases such as a new wind breaker and a different stud for her pierced tongue — she couldn't bring herself to buy a used one — Kesel broke down only twice.

    Once was when she was planning a trip to Israel and couldn't find a used guidebook that reflected current political realities. The other was after her commuter coffee cup suffered a fatal crack.

    "I really found a lot of times there were things I thought I needed that I don't need that much," she said.

    The pledge provided unexpected dividends as well, such as the joy of getting reacquainted with the local library and paying down credit cards. Gone, too, was the hangover of buyer's remorse.

    Perry got satisfaction out of finding he had a knack for fixing things and how often manufacturers were willing to send replacement parts and manuals for products that had long since outlived their warranties.

    "One of the byproducts of The Compact has been I have a completely different relationship with the things in my life. I appreciate the stuff I have more," he said. "I don't think I need to buy another pair of shoes until I'm entering Leisure World."

    Over the holidays, Compact members gave homemade gifts or charitable donations in a recipients name instead of engaging in the usual Grinch-making shopping crush. Kate Boyd, 45, a set designer and high school drama teacher, visited a new downtown shopping mall and felt like she had just stepped off a flying saucer.

    "It was all stuff that had nothing to do with me, yet for so many people that's how they spend their weekends," she said. "It's entertainment and it is the opposite of where I've been for a year."

    Now that they know they can do it, Boyd, Kesel and Perry are ready to extend the pledge into 2007. But first, they plan to give themselves a one-day reprieve to stock up on essentials — windshield wipers, bicycle brakes and tongue studs.

    __

    On the Net:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact
    As much as I dislike self-righteous hippies from the bay area, they do make a good point. We Americans are extremely wasteful and materialistic. It's one thing to buy stuff that you need. But it's another when you buy stuff that you don't need, and barely want, just because it's new and shiny.

    I used to buy a bunch of junk just because I don't have it or it's new and shiny. Then I realized that most of the time they sat in my room gathering dust. So I've cut down on my frivalous spending in recent years.

    How about you? Do you buy junk all the time?
    "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

  • #2
    How I spend my money

    Originally posted by gunnut View Post
    How about you? Do you buy junk all the time?

    Only if it's new and shiny.;)
    Reddite igitur quae sunt Caesaris Caesari et quae sunt Dei Deo
    (Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's)

    Comment


    • #3
      Is there a way I can buy USED gasoline instead of NEW gasoline? It should be cheaper.
      Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
        Is there a way I can buy USED gasoline instead of NEW gasoline? It should be cheaper.
        I'm not a big fan of used food or used toilet paper...

        At least these people exempt food and essential toiletries from their "no buy" list.
        "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
          Is there a way I can buy USED gasoline instead of NEW gasoline? It should be cheaper.
          They would call it "pre-processed" and charge you more for it.
          "To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are."-Sholem Asch

          "I always turn to the sports page first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures."-Earl Warren

          "I didn't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs."-Nancy Reagan, when asked a political question at a "Just Say No" rally

          "He no play-a da game, he no make-a da rules."-Earl Butz, on the Pope's attitude toward birth control

          Comment


          • #6
            I rarely buy stuff in general. I tend to avoid fads and i make considered purchases that last for some time.

            My previous PC finally died after 5 years, but not before i had put in a few upgrades and replaced a few defective bits. Even the motherboard at one point. But it did the job that i wanted of it. I know a lot of people will be upgrading / replacing their PCs as soon as Vista is on general release, even though they will then continue to do with the same things with it as they do with XP (or even 98). After two blown power supplies in a week i had to get a new PC (it blew the hard disks completely). Even so, the CD writer from it is now happily burning CDs in my Dad's PC. The leyboard and mon itor i am using now came from my old PC.

            I am on my 4th mobile phone in 12 years. The middle two died and forced their replacement. The first one was bought 12 years ago so it got changed after a few years mainly because of battery life. I have friends who change mobile phones almost monthly!

            My washing machine has been repaired when it would not have bene much more expensive to replace it. Why? Because when it works it is fine and something would have to be done with the old one.

            My TV is about 11 years old. However 11 years ago it could receive 5 channels, now it receives over 100 thanks to a cheap digital receiver. I have held out for HD to get established. Now it is and plasma prices have tumbled i may well make a change this year.

            Admittedly i don't actually want much. The thing is i am not mean. I don't like waste and i try to see the value of money. I do stuff for charity rather than just give cash but that is to get the satisfaction for myself (selfish i know) although a charity lady was once shocked when she got my whole 5p jar as a donation because i couldn't be bothered to count any money out on the doorstep.

            I am generous with friends and family. However for presents i try to get them something i know they want / will use etc. If can't think of something i get them a voucher for somewhere i know they shop. I can't be doing with the idea of a list of presents and a list of people and "joining them up" which a lot of people do.

            I could easily go a year without buying anything new. I have probably come pretty close without trying!
            at

            Comment


            • #7
              This year is already shot for me. I bought a $430 chain and cross. Honestly for teenager I dont really buy that much stuff, maybe because I'm not very wealthy but still! I'm sure most of you have seen those Spyder jackets that every teenager with $400 is wearing now. I refuse to pay $400 ($200 minimum) For a jacket! I just can't buy tat and walk around the street wearing that! If i walked to Flatbush Ave for ANYTHING i would surely be robbed. It's not that I dont have the money for it, I've saved up plenty of money, hell enough for 4 of 'em but there is no way i would buy it. Damn kids these days!

              Comment


              • #8
                A jacket for $400? I wear jeans from Target, on sale, for $11!
                "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I haven't bought a pair of jeans in years. The ones i ahve seem to fit fine and haven't worn out.

                  Although they are getting that "worn look" that people seemd to want to pay extra for ....
                  at

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Trooth View Post
                    My washing machine has been repaired when it would not have bene much more expensive to replace it. Why? Because when it works it is fine and something would have to be done with the old one.

                    My TV is about 11 years old. However 11 years ago it could receive 5 channels, now it receives over 100 thanks to a cheap digital receiver. I have held out for HD to get established. Now it is and plasma prices have tumbled i may well make a change this year.
                    Bad idea. New TV's, Refrigerators, Washing machines, Dishwashers, Water heaters are much more energy efficient when compared to old ones. If you did not change them, you would prolly pay more in the longer run.

                    The govt/utilities in the US offer discounts and credits if you plan to change your old in-efficient house hold items.

                    http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...lothes_washers
                    A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I am cheap or frugal however one wants to look at it and frequent the used clothes stores as much as I can. I don't buy new clothes unless they are on sale. I'm not into shoes and I buy my books used. If I can cut a corner on cost I do it.
                      Welcome, you step into a forum of the flash bang, chew toy hell, and shove it down your throat brutal honesty. OoE

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Jay View Post
                        Bad idea. New TV's, Refrigerators, Washing machines, Dishwashers, Water heaters are much more energy efficient when compared to old ones. If you did not change them, you would prolly pay more in the longer run.

                        The govt/utilities in the US offer discounts and credits if you plan to change your old in-efficient house hold items.

                        http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...lothes_washers
                        I don't use anything enough to actually make any savings. An LCD telly uses less energy than a CRT. But not if you don't switch the thing on!

                        Also, you are forgetting the energy cost of construction from an environmental viewpoint.
                        at

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                        • #13
                          You have to look at the whole picture to find out if it is really cost effective to replace appliances. Some newer ones are only a bit better than the older models, and some are lightyears ahead so buying new can be a good idea. Take my electric furnace for instance, an open fire would be more efficient. I have not replaced it with a fancy 90%+ furnace because I have a great wood stove and a good supply of wood. However, when I get too old and/or lazy to get and burn firewood the first thing I will do is replace the furnace with something I can afford to run.

                          I dont look at my buying practices as, "whether or not to buy something new". When I have a need of something I research the item and buy something that best meets my needs according to my criteria. I am looking at long term value. I will willingly pay more up front for an item that I don't have to replace it or fix it again and again and again which always cost more in the long run. It is not about having what you want. It is about wanting what you have.
                          Removing a single turd from the cesspool doesn't make any difference.

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                          • #14
                            I've actually thought a lot about this. My dad's a veteran scrounger, and we are always on the lookout for used stuff. I have this crazy idea of living off the "fat of the land" for maybe a year, and then writing a book about it and getting rich. I worked at a restaurant a couple of years ago, and the amount of food they threw away was ridiculous. I think I might be able to live off what they throw away. Good food, too- it was a country club. I think I could even build a house for little to nothing, given time. My current summer job is with a general contractor, and there is a vast amount of scroungable stuff we throw away.

                            Originally posted by Trooth View Post
                            I haven't bought a pair of jeans in years. The ones i ahve seem to fit fine and haven't worn out.

                            Although they are getting that "worn look" that people seemd to want to pay extra for ....
                            I used to not buy jeans. I just got hand-me-downs from my cousin. Then he got kinda huge, and I didn't. Now I buy new jeans, and they wear out twice as fast.
                            I enjoy being wrong too much to change my mind.

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