Buy Nothing Year 2012

I’m not usually one for New Year’s Resolutions but this year a friend’s suggestion peaked my interest.  Could I go an entire year without buying anything?  The goal, or idea, does fit in with my notion that we have become entirely too materialistic as a culture.

  I did go an entire year without buying any new clothes and it did teach me to explore the many other options that are available; saved a bunch of money too.  But no new gadgets?   No toys?  No MAKEUP?  Heaven forbid – how will I get by without feeding my addiction to lipgloss and lipstick?  And how about my - our - weekly forays through the second hand shops - hubby is just as addicted to it as I am.  He is the one who introduced me to second hand sweaters in the first place.

So I am going to give it a go.  There will, of course, be exceptions; there are the ‘wants’ and there are the ‘needs’.  The year without buying things is intended to separate the wants from the needs.

Here is my list of exceptions:

Food

Underclothing (socks, bras, panties – briefs for him)
Shoes   (we both have ‘special needs’ feet)
Items that keep the automobile running (tires, repair parts)
Fuel
Medicine

Of course, the moment I decide to embark on this adventure the washing machine breaks.  Now, in reality we could wash our clothes by hand.   I did wash clothes by hand in the bathtub for almost three years while living in Greece.   But I don’t live in Greece anymore and I have 50 year old hands, not 20 year old hands – besides, hubby has already stated that he will NOT wash clothes by hand.  So I will buy the washing machine before the New Year starts.

And I while I am tempted to go out and buy 10 tubes of lipstick and 5 of mascara .... I'm not going to do it.  I will be true to the cause and just do without once it is gone.  Kool Aid.  Red.  It's food right? :-)