'No new stuff' - bargain hunter goes cold turkey!

So, I have completed week one of my 'buy no new stuff' for a year challenge. The most important thing that I have to report is that... I bought no new stuff! Yay! If you missed the last post you can read about my challenge in my last blog.

I've had a fun week thinking through some of my observations that even one weeks worth of not buying new stuff has thrown up. My first observation happened early on New Years Day....

I'd rather be playing trains

There I was feeling perfectly contented, and even slightly more than that because I had managed to rise early, which always pleases me, when the familiar ping came to my ears of an email plumply landing in my inbox...of course, I check immediately, it could be important (because I probably receive about one email a year that requires immediate attention, and I wouldn't want to miss it, perhaps it has decided to arrive early this year, it being the first day and all that...). It was from my favourite online shop, reminding me of their wonderful online sale, reminding me that some things have 90% off, oooo. I quickly delete it. Be gone temptation. Because there, in to my hand arrived the temptation. To buy stuff, acquire stuff that I don't need. For eyes to feast and suddenly, what I hadn't even considered was now on my mind and there was a lack in my life, because I didn't have what my eyes had feasted on. I deleted the email and went to play trains. With my Youngest Poppet, I should add. Me 1 - Stuff 0.

The temptation is everywhere. Television, internet, magazines, billlboards, it is hard to escape it. It is everywhere because it works. There is only one reason companies pay huge amounts of money advertising their stuff, because we buy it. We buy the many lies they imply and buy the stuff. Job done.

I live on a Hight Road, and walk past shops four times a day most days doing the school run. If I'm honest, most of the time new stuff doesn't really phase me, but I am a bit of a bargain hunter. I just love a bargain. My most tempted moment this week was walking past a shop and noticing some quite nice looking things on their 90% off stand. Normally I would have dashed in immediately but I managed to walk past in a slightly pained sort of way. I looked the other way, to avoid the temptation, only to be greeted by more 'sale' signs on the other side of the road, even the passing buses and lorries were trying to entice me. Perhaps I should look at the pavement, but its grey and largely dull. The sky offers more promise, it is after all part of God's handiwork (even if it has also been grey and largely dull this week!), it speaks of better things, the awesomeness of creation, the glory of God. But if I gaze too long at the sky while walking along, I'll soon bump into a bench or a tree, a lamp post, or a person. H'mm, let me take notice of the peoples ( as my Youngest Poppet would say). Let me stuff the stuff and take notice of the peoples. Because God has made us to be in relationship with people, not stuff. Somehow we have made stuff such a big deal, in all sorts of ways, and so often, on so many levels it is at the expense of the people. People I may never meet, and people I know intimately; perhaps even at the expense of spending precious time with the precious little person whose hand I hold as I wander down the street.

I am so excited about what this year of buying no new stuff holds, I feel its deep layers beginning to unfold already. But my first task is easy and not at all deep... delete the emails.

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The year of 'buying no new stuff'

It's that time of year when the world seems endless with potential and change; today is the day when the change begins and out of last years failures rises a  new and fresh opportunity to become more of who we want to be. I love a New Year challenge and this year is no exception.

My last purchase in 2013.
I hope they will remind me to be a wise old owl
and stop shopping!

This is the year of 'buying no new stuff' for me ( and to varying degrees, my family). Gulp. I am very excited about this but also a little bit scared. Scared because I am going to find it painful and inconvenient and it is going to challenge my primitive need to consume to the core. But I want that challenge. Where as once upon a time the need to acquire meant to survive, or not, it now means more and greater excess, and I'm not sure it makes us happy. And its certainly not good for our beautiful gift of the earth.

My main reason for not buying new stuff this year is I am worried about the state of the earth. We consume as though the earth's resources are infinite and that the waste we produce just disappears when it is out of our sight.             Unfortunately it does not. And that has all sorts of consequences. 

I also want to challenge my need to consume and acquire. I am a consumer more than I care to be or admit. I was not made for this. And I am ready to learn to be content with what we have (which is loads, shed loads). Contentment is going to be key.

So, the rules.

1. Buy nothing new. As in, shiny, out the packet, never been used by anyone else.

2. It is ok to buy second hand items. But, to challenge my need to consume, (gulp), only when we need something.

3. We can buy food and toiletries. (But with an attitude of 'let's use what we've got first'). And pants if we need them! Oh, and perhaps printer ink.

There will be lots of challenges, and perhaps a few fails (where do I get a second hand Brownie gilet which doesn't haven't have someone else's badges all over it?), but I also hope to discover lots of fun stuff, I look forward to greater creativity, contentment and time. I guess I might even have some more money, which could be used for fun times. Happy days.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you over the next months.

I would love to hear your new years challenges or resolutions, please leave a comment.

May you have a wonderful start to 2014, full of peace and joy.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this post if you would like to.