Consuming less is popular: more and more people are rejecting their materialistic lifestyle and switching to a more sustainable form of consumption. Initiatives related to this are springing up like mushrooms: one of these is the Buy Nothing New month, in which participants are challenged not to buy new things for a month. The Buy Nothing New month is an annual promotion in which participants are challenged not to buy new things for the entire month of October. The aim of the challenge is to create awareness among the participants: on the one hand, it is hoped that the participants will realize how much stuff they already own and can enjoy it, on the other hand, it is encouraged that the participants do not spend their money on material things, but rather on acquiring experiences. The initiative has been around for some time in Australia, and has gradually gained popularity in other countries. The Buy Nothing New month was first organized in the Netherlands in October 2012 by Irene Rompa and Kim van Dijk.
Participate in Buy Nothing New month
The organization has an online platform where people can register for the challenge. The participants will be placed on a mailing list and will receive regular emails during the month of October with tips, ideas and inspiration about the campaign. For those who want to take on the challenge in a month other than October, the mailings from previous editions are on the website, so that they too can benefit from the information. The website also offers people the opportunity to exchange tips with other participants and to read how other participants are doing through blogs.
The rules
The rules are simple: nothing new can be purchased for the entire month of October, with the exception of food, medicine and cosmetics. Buying second-hand is therefore allowed, as are renting, borrowing and exchanging items. However, this does not mean that no money should be spent at all: in fact, the organization encourages investing money in, for example, trips, dinners and the like.
Tips
Got excited? Below you will find a few tips.
Look for new possibilities
When something breaks in your house, your first instinct is probably to run to the store to buy a new version. However, it is often quite possible to have the object repaired: this is usually cheaper and much more durable! If you do not have the resources to repair the object yourself, you may know someone in your area who would be willing to do it for you, possibly for a small fee.
Exchange, don’t cry
Do you know other people in your area who participate in Buy Nothing New month? Great, because that makes the challenge a lot easier! For example, you could lend each other clothes: it costs you nothing, but you still look different. You probably all have things at home that you hardly ever use: organize a swap meet together where you can exchange these things. Something you may never touch again may be a gem for someone else! In addition, it is of course also very pleasant.
Use apps
If you have a smartphone you can also use apps such as Peerby. With these programs you can see exactly which items are available in your area to borrow from people; You can also offer items that people could borrow from you. Handy, because you don’t have to travel far if you need something: you also meet a lot of new people this way.
Presents
If you have a party, you naturally want to give a nice gift. Even if you don’t want to buy new things, you can provide a nice present! Of course, you can always opt for a nice bottle of wine, luxury chocolate or other foodstuffs. If that is not an option, you can often find very nice things in the thrift store: even if they need to be refurbished a bit, it is worth it, because then you immediately give a unique gift. In line with this, you can of course make something beautiful yourself: cakes, soaps, a self-knitted shawl… the possibilities are endless.
