A little over a year ago, Geoffrey Szuszkiewicz, a 31-year-old accountant in Calgary, began analyzing his monthly spending. What he saw, he says, was eye-opening: “I was spending so much every month, no matter how much I made it never seemed like I was getting ahead. It was typical lifestyle creep.”
Around the same time, his good friend Julie Phillips, 29, a communications advisor at the University of Calgary, was about to move into a new apartment when it fell through. “Geoff said, ‘You can move in with me, but I only have a bedroom for you to rent,’” she says. “The rest was packed with his stuff. So I got rid of over 80% of my stuff within three days.” (She was thinking she might move in a year and if so, she’d have to get rid of many of her belongings then.) But then she had a meltdown. “I was like, ‘Oh my god. What did I do?’ And then I was like, ‘Why do I need things anyway?’”
“What I want to speak to…is mindfulness,” Julie said.
The goal of Buy Nothing Year isn’t to prove that consumerism is bad. In fact, both Geoff and Julie say they’ll consume again after the project. They started the experiment as a way to help themselves learn to consume better.
I’m in debt. It’s a mixed portfolio of student loan and credit card, and if the way I used that term is any indication I haven’t always made smart financial choices. But in the last few years I’ve pulled it together, for the most part. My credit cards gather dust in my sock drawer. I bring my lunch; I contribute to my 401k; and I sock it away for a rainy day or maybe a building where I’m the landlord.
It’s a new year and one that I’m particularly excited about. I’m pledging to buy nothing new for the entire year, with a few exceptions that I’ll share below. I made the same pledge last year with some, but not complete success. I did finish the year feeling empowered and excited to recommit in 2016. Truthfully, I can’t imagine ever going back to consuming like I once did. I may not always be guided by a set of rules of what I can and cannot consume, but what I’ve learned from following the principles of a “buy nothing new” year has been life changing.
There are many reasons to take on the challenge to buy nothing new for a year, but I primarily do it to slow down my consumption. I recognize that it’s an absolute privilege that I can make a choice to buy nothing new. The majority of the world doesn’t have that choice. We’ve all heard the quote, “Live simply so others may simply live.” That’s an excellent reason to consume less. Using fewer of the earth’s resources is another good reason, but the personal benefits are enormous too. Here are the things I’ve learned (given the context of my life) from buying nothing new:
- Buying nothing new is not about deprivation, but it’s about freedom. Freedom from debt, freedom from the burden of owning too much stuff, and freedom from a culture that has us believe consumption equals happiness.
- Buying nothing new is not about going without, but it’s about getting more in life. When you’re not spending your time buying things or time caring for and maintaining all that stuff you’ve purchased, you’re freeing up time for healthy endeavors like connecting with family and nature.
- Buying nothing new isn’t a poor life, but one full of riches. It allows for experiences, rather than things; it contributes to a healthy planet, rather than depleting it of it’s beauty; and it encourages contentment, rather than the constant chase for more.
I’ve been reading about a consumer spending countermovement called Buy Nothing Day. It’s celebrated on Black Friday. Instead of buying tons of stuff, you buy nothing.
Since Black Friday isn’t for awhile yet, I want to try this one a regular day. But I’ve realized it’s far too easy for me to spend nothing for a day. Most days are spend nothing days for me. This is easy as a single person in a good health. If you have a family, this may be different.
Instead of a Buy Nothing Day, how about a Buy Nothing Year?
