Saturday 29 September 2012

My 365 pledge

I have decided to make a 'no buy pledge'. It's a bit of 'thing' in blogland and I have been inspired to do the same. Basically I have decided to not buy any new clothes for me for a year. This may not seem like a big deal but I think it's still worthwhile. 

For me it will be about avoiding spending money on low-quality items that are mass-produced in places where people are poorly paid. It'll be my little protest against all the stuff that is sent to landfill, all the environmental consequences of making it, getting it here and then getting rid of it. It's about making do with less and using my creativity to lessen my consumption.

So I won't buy anything new. 

But I can buy stuff from second-hand shops, I can swap and I can make it myself.

There are some concessions. 

I can buy underwear and tights (that sort of thing) because I don't fancy second-hand undies and I can't make tights.

I can buy a pair of shoes if a pair I have wears out. But I will still try to find them second-hand first.

And I will try to apply the same rule to the kids clothes as much as is possible without them looking like hobos or turning my own house into a sweatshop. 

Greg's opinion on shopping means that this pledge is pretty much his natural state. It would actually be nice if he DID buy something once in a while but he starts hyperventilating as soon as we enter underground mall carparks. Of course there are other places to buy clothes but even small stores engender a 'high alert' response and he either starts looking like a cat backed into a corner by a toddler or the stimulation is too much and he goes all limp.

Anyway, so that's what I'm doing. Not buying new stuff. 

xmarnie



6 comments:

Tiffany said...

Good luck with the pledge, keep us posted on your hits and misses. being a seamstress super star, i bet you will all still be looking fabulously fashionable for the whole year. Next project - how to make undies out of old clothes - S E X Y! Came across this guy during the week - OMG i'm in love. Very very inspiring smart guy. Its nice to get an optimistic view of the future, for a change of perspective. Very inspirational.

Tiffany said...

oh and his name is Jason Silva

marnie said...

I'll check him out!

Damo said...

I know I'll never grow up, but it is rare you see the combination of the following words.

stimulation
too
much
limp

marnie said...

hahahahaha!!!

marnie said...

By the way, love your blog Damo. Very comprehensive.