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A year without spending: One woman's anxieties, missteps and insights

Angela Barton blogs about her experiences after joining The Compact to buy nothing new for a whole year.
By Stephanie Rogers
Mon, Jul 27 2009 at 2:35 PM EST
Read more: GREEN SHOPPING, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Photo: Angela Barton
 
How many times do you walk out of a store with items you weren’t planning on buying? The consumer maxim that new is always better has turned much of the American populous into mindless shopping robots, constantly purchasing new items to replace things we already have, even though we don’t really need them. Runaway consumption is a major environmental problem, which is why one San Francisco-based group has decided to exit the endless cycle of "buy, buy, buy".
 
Signers of "The Compact" pledge to buy nothing new – save a few necessary items like medicine and underwear – for an entire year. And while it’s no walk in the park, participants are finding that living a simpler life doesn’t just reduce your carbon footprint, it saves loads of money and can be incredibly liberating.
 
The Compact started in 2006 when about 50 engineers, teachers, executives and other professionals in the Bay Area vowed to eschew consumerism in favor of buying secondhand. They have a blog and a Yahoo group, and they meet monthly to give each other support.
 
“We're people for whom recycling is no longer enough,” member John Perry told SFGate. "We're trying to get off the first-market consumerism grid, because consumer culture is destroying the world."
 
For Angela Barton, that means constantly resisting the temptation to have her husband, who didn’t make the pledge, buy things that she wants. Sure, she falls off the wagon occasionally -- as documented on her blog, My Year Without Spending. But she has also learned some valuable lessons about the value of non-material things.
It's interesting that not buying things has made me focus more on what I DO have. And as I get rid of the crap, it's like lifting a curtain or coming out of a fog. I'm really starting to see how STUFF has kept me busy and distracted, and disconnected from the things that really matter.
 
This recession is making people question a lot about their values, lifestyles and behavior. I think it will have a silver lining if it makes us question our relationship to the planet and the other people living on it. And if it causes us to use a different yardstick to determine how we feel about ourselves.
Barton decided to share her journey in the hopes that others would be able to relate to both the challenges and the rewards and possibly be inspired to give it a try themselves.
 
Nearly eight months into the project, Barton seems to have discovered a whole new world of frugal green living, and the most interesting entries may be yet to come as she navigates the art of secondhand gift giving once the holiday season arrives. Follow along at MyYearWithoutSpending.Blogspot.com.
 


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Posted By Shopping Golightly - Mon, Jan 18 2010 at 1:30 PM EST

Shout Sister Shout!

Here! Here! I've been shouting the good word of thrift as Ms Shopping Golightly of The Thrifty Chicks blog for a year. Thrift is an easy lifestyle. And, I’m dead certain that those who pick it up for about three months are sure to convert for life. Thrift is more than shopping, it knocks us out of the conventional retail hypnosis we never knew we were in.

Think of your home as a funnel. The wide-mouthed start of the funnel represents the front door where all purchased goods travel.... More

Posted By HB Turner - Thu, Dec 03 2009 at 6:52 AM EST

Reused or Old

I find I have clogs from a trip out West bought almost 20 years ago and while I can't wear them too long, older feet not the shoes, they are still fine. Tennis shoes sadly don't last 20 years.
Clothes my husband took out of long unopened drawers to donate have become part of my indoor winter wardrobe, not chic but comfortable. At least I wait until he is getting rid of those things I have wanted.
We are lucky, we have the Unclaimed Baggage Store of Oprah's fame 25 miles away so I.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Oct 07 2009 at 4:43 PM EST

Help! My books are eating my house!

I have to say, I have been a long time adherant to the philosophy of not buying just for a quick emotional fix to my moments of boredom or stress. I look for greener solutions to clothes shopping, gift giving, home decorating, transportation. I make gifts, use recycled wrappings, buy vintage clothes, or just fewer clothes and make them last longer, found a reasonably priced independent shoe repair shop to fix my boots, rather than buy a new pair. I have boots that I bought thirty years ago,.... More

Posted By edmcki - Tue, Oct 06 2009 at 5:27 PM EST

Questioning my love of crap

Many thanks to Stephanie and Angela for getting us to think about values, lifestyle and behavior. We could use it.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Oct 07 2009 at 5:45 PM EST

Unstuff!

Hey, cool, I didn't know there was a whole movement! I've personally been trying to emulate (while not signing anything!) another really interesting blogger that I follow who also did a Year of Nothing New and continues to try and live "Unstuffed" http://unstuff.blogspot.com/

Posted By MerrieWay - Wed, Jul 29 2009 at 11:34 PM EST

Quality Over Quantity

Pack rats...accumulate and don't give it away, trash it or downsize. Part of the collection phobia is lack. "there won't be enough for me." Shopaholics get a rush out of buying something, often to return items, to purchase other things. Buying on sale, an excuse to buy more than needed - 2 for the price of 1.
MerrieWay solution to shopping: Only buy what you need. Buy second hand - or trade with friends. Buy quality instead of quantity. Back to 'bartering' is not bad!

Posted By Momof2 - Wed, Jul 29 2009 at 4:27 PM EST

One good thing about the recession...

is that its become a bit more cool not to spend anything. I've always saved on stuff...but now I feel more comfortable saying "I'm completely broke" and everybody nods their heads. This is a really good time to try living with less...you'll never get such great public support again!

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 29 2009 at 3:03 PM EST

Post-consumer

Here in New Jersey we call ourselves 'Post-consumer':
We know the best things in life are not things.
We refuse to be owned by our possessions
We opt for 'more fun, less stuff'
We hate the mall, where it's all for women age 18-24 anyway.
It's really liberating.
I also think it's well crafted advertising that convinces people to buy stuff they don't need.
Convinces them they can 'save money by spending it'.
Scoff if you want, but I don't need anymore stuff.
Exceptions: Food, Gasoline, CD's,.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 29 2009 at 9:31 PM EST

who needs cd's?

just use the internet and an mp3 player

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