My mom emailed me about this story she’d seen online of a woman who hadn’t bought anything new for five years. I was intrigued and had to go check it out. Here’s a snippet of the article:
Katy Wolk-Stanley, 44, of the website The Non-Consumer Advocate, is on a mission to live on less — and not define herself by purchases. Here, the Portland, Ore., writer and mother of two shares her thoughts on why she decided to “de-clutter” her life:
I am a woman who hasn’t bought anything new in five years. But it’s actually not as black-and-white an issue as it seems at first. I do buy some things new, including:
- Underwear, socks and bras
- Personal care items (makeup, etc.)
- Food
- Harmonicas (I haven’t felt the need to buy one yet, but you never know when the mood might strike!)
It may sound like a pain in the tuchus to stay away from new purchases (an initiative I call “the compact”), but it’s actually turned into an amazing stress reliever. Not because I’ve replaced my new purchases with used stuff, but mostly because I hardly ever buy anything anymore. And when I started to buy less stuff, it made me want less in other areas of my life as well. (It’s funny how once you start examining one area of your life, other areas hop along for the ride.)
While I don’t think I want to make a commitment to never buy anything new, reading and watching this was an inspiration to me. And Kathrynne (7) and I had a fun discussion on how long we thought we could go without buying anything new. We bought thought we could for sure do a month, maybe more.
What about you? How long do you think you could go without buying anything new?
If I don’t shop, then I don’t spend. It’s as simple as that!
I know I’ve gone eight months without buying anything but consumables. Any longer than that, and no one would get birthday or holiday gifts. I can’t make everything!
We went over a year without buying anything new. I looked at the experience as a gift I was giving my kids. My oldest 2 kids were teenagers and I wanted to launch them into the world with idea that they would do just fine buying second-hand items if they needed to. My kids were still dressed fashionably, our home looked nice, and they enjoyed gifts from eBay. It is my hope that as they establish their own homes, they will feel comfortable doing what it takes to stay with in their budget while meeting their needs and not give into a consumer-driven peer pressure.
One important thing to remember is that on this challenge you can still pay for services and experiences. So we bought snowshoes from a thrift store, but paid for passes for our family to a local ski resort. As my husband phrased it, “You can spend money as long as you have nothing to show for it”. We acquired very few things during our year of buying nothing new, but had a lot of memorable experiences.
I love to read about frugal living, but this would be very difficult for me! I am a senior who can afford most things, but I love to save and give to others. With children and grandchildren, there is always someone to help out! I am wondering how this lady handles Christmas and general gift giving. I do admire her for her efforts!
I think this challenge is a wonderful idea. Our family could probably do his for a while, probably not as long as her. Kudos to her for 5 years. I don’t but much *new* either. I purchase almost everything at yard sales and thrift stores if we need them. Need them being the key word.
Sorry I dont see it anywhere so far, but has anyone heard of http://smallnotebook.org/? She has a do-not spend month (I believe she does July). I would LOVE to see Crystal do one, because I know she would be more in depth about it…also, please give tips on how to get your spouse on board too! We are blessed enough to have a moderate income right now, but I still want to save (and have a six month savings) but every time my husband sees some money, he starts spending. He cannot just let the money sit and rest. I really want to have a good savings amount before we start a family, which will not be in too long. Thank you!
I have mixed feelings on this. Initially, I thought the idea was inspiring, but now I’m wondering.
First, there are a ton of things that you can’t usually find used. Lightbulbs, batteries, undies, and gasoline come to mind. Meds and glasses need to be new.
Second, sometimes new is cheaper. Depending on where you live, what thrift stores are available, how much time you have to scour them for deals, and how good sales and clearance deals are available online and in local stores, you might do better to buy a combination of new and used.
Finally, the rare splurge as a treat can make it easier to stick to a strict budget. I think the end goal of spending responsibly is more important than the details of how you do it. So if a nice new shirt makes it possible for you to feel good about giving up cable or a new paperback by your favorite author inspires you to postpone that kitchen remodel in favor of paying off a credit card, then more power to you!
I think the idea was to not pay retail if you need something. Or only buy what’s needed not extra. Also important if you wear it and it doesn’t sit in the closet collecting dust.
Example: My son’s wedding. Husbands black pants were faded and worn at seams and zipper front. Shirts mostly a bit faded. Good enough for his old job. Not appropriate next to his son in a tux. Double duty for a future job interview. I this case, we felt it was a need not a want.
I have to start by saying I am going to be the outcast in these comments! Now I understand if you are at a point and time in your life where you just cannot afford new, yes you do what you can to get by and buy used whenever it is possible. I was there at one time and completely understand. My husband and I both work full time time and we have 2 kids, with the 3rd on the way. We make a very good living, we donate to charity/missionaries, we pay our bills, put money in savings and retirement, etc. We are able to have a comfy budget for clothes, entertainment, eating out, etc. I rarely buy anything used. Oh no I said it! For me it’s just not worth it. I have tried goodwill/thrift stores/garage sales in the past and just cannot find clothes that I like or that fit well or hold up well. Working in an office setting where business dress is worn everyday we both need clothes that look nice and last. For those same reasons I also buy my kids new clothes usually 2 or 3 times a year. Same goes for items such as small appliances and such around the house. For a full time working mom, it usually just ends up being a waste of my time to hunt through a garage sale or thrift store to come out with nothing.
Some may say its materialistic, but for us and where we are in our lives this is the way we choose to live. And I have to say I am very happy with the choices we have made! 🙂
Kelly, I think the idea isn’t so much that you’re buying new or buying used. Make your money and time work for you! If it makes sense for you to buy used, good for you. I don’t necessarily think there’s anything morally wrong about buying new, if that’s what works for your family and if you’re not going into debt to do so. More power to you!
I think this is good to an extent. Sometimes I buy new because it’s easier and if it’s in my budget than its okay by me. That said, we don’t buy a lot of stuff- mostly consumables.
sorry, i meant to add a comment not directly in response to you!
I love this idea. We’ve been very blessed with wonderful friends who have given us hand-me-down clothes, new pack-n-plays, etc. for our DD. They only thing my husband and I have bought is a breast pump. Other than that, she has all of my old books, and we go to the library every week. She’s only 5 months old, but I’m a firm believer that instilling a love of reading from an early age is important. We have purchased some pictures off of snapfish, though. Would I love to dress my daughter is beautiful frilly dresses with hair bows? Yes, but I’m afraid she wouldn’t. 🙂 She’s beautiful enough naturally (in her momm’y unbiased opinion 😉 )We’re a onsie and bloomers type of family.
I was able to go 1 full year without buying any new clothes for myself. The first 3 months were the toughest. I was able to take a good look at my clothes in my closest and what I really needed to buy for the next year. I was able to donate several bags of clothes over that year and when the year came around I only needed to buy a new white T-shirt. The second year, I had a goal of not to buy shoes for myself for a year. But 4 months in and a really good sale changed that plan.
I do like thrift store shopping. But I buy new from the thrift store. Our local Target donates everything there after it’s had it’s life in Target. So it comes to the thrift store. And quite reasonable prices. For New.
I think it’s a great idea and hope it becomes a part of an upcoming series here – just reading through the comments here has already encouraged me.
That said, I don’t always like to buy used, even though it may be cheaper. About 90% of our 3 sons’ clothing is hand-me-downs, but now that our oldest son is running out of hand-me-downs, I’ve decided to spend a bit more to buy new, high-quality clothing that will last through his two brothers as much as possible. I shop at one store almost primarily, wait for the big sales, and then purchase online maybe once or twice a year as needed. I figure that staying away from garage sales and thrift stores and malls on a regular basis is saving me money as well as time.
The other thing I struggle with in buying used, especially for things like shoes, etc. is that it can take an incredible amount of time to scour garage sales and thrift stores to find things that you need and truly like. Some things are not hard to find on a steady basis like coffee makers, etc. at a Goodwill store, but recently I decided to purchase two new lamps from Target, and was fine with it because I most likely will be staring at those lamps for the next 15 years and would like them to look as nice as possible. I have thrift store lamps too, but to find two matching, decent looking ones that don’t require a spray paint job and a new shade is very difficult where I live.
I’m with you on the hand-me-downs. The good clothes for son #1 filtered down to his 2 cousins and 4 brothers. I always got a decent sale/clearance but found the quality stuff made it through all of them. The cheaper made stuff maybe only the first 2 or 3.
Same with the crib. It made it through 7 kids. Now on #8.
I think we could all challenge ourselves in one area. I went for a whole year without buying any clothes. I am now trying to go a whole year without buying any magazines and not renewing the one’s I have as they add clutter to my life and home.
This is a timely post for me. I’m in the camp of we’ve had to live this lifestyle the last few years, instead of choosing to. However, I liked reading the article because it reminded me that in the last several months I might not have been buying much, but I’ve started to have a See-Want-Covet mindset again. And you know what has really contributed to it? All the free magazines I subscribed to via Coke Rewards and Recyclebank! I’d forgotten how much at peace I felt with myself, my life, and my things when I couldn’t afford any magazines but Family Fun and a few Christian publications. Now I get 5-8 ‘”womens” magazines a month filled with ads and articles about fun, NEW consumer items. I have a small stack of pages ripped from the magazines with items I wish I could buy with the little wiggle room we now have in the budget, or was thinking of using SwagBuck earned gift cards on–but I NEED none of it. I’m far from a self-depriving person on a budget (we have a wonderful library, I coupon well, I have access to 5 local thrift stores and we have a fabulous parks system here). The difference again is the *peace* and contentment of not chasing the next purchase that I want again in my life. I’m really grateful for the rewards programs that even let me subscribe to all these mags, but once they run out, I’ll definitely have spent my points/rewards on other things.
Sometimes I think that’s the whole point of those magazines—to lure us to want to patronize their advertisers or to succomb to the “latest colors for fall” or a new fashion/recipe, etc….that requires something to buy.
I was given a subscription to a well known cooking magazine. I’m astonished at how many ads are there and the processed foods that are in the ingredient lists. I sometimes re-make the recipes to be more scratch but if I had bought it, I would not renew. Usually, I end up donating them to the local thrift store.
Sadly, our economy thrives on this mindset. Planned obsolescense, constantly changing fashions and “in colors,” etc… keeps stores open and factories overseas humming.
The thing is…buying used from the thrift store of good, well made brands that I’d rarely/never buy new is the way I cloth myself well for a few bucks an outfit.
The only free magazine I get is a cooking magazine. I pass on all of the others to avoid the advertising.
Thanks for this reminder. I also am receiving several free magazines this year. While I’m grateful to receive them, I think I may not watch for another offer when they expire. Not seeing the advertising makes it so much easier to not fall into the want, want, want trap!
I feel like we’ve been doing this for some time now. Ever since we entered full-time ministry in August 2007, our entire income has depended on fundraising or odd-jobs for a living. Although we have some job security, if we don’t raise enough money our salary can be cut by 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% at any time. We’ve been living on so little for so long that I forget what it was like to buy something without a great deal of deliberation. We have also been following Dave Ramsey’s plan for the last 2 1/2 years and paying off all of the debts we acquired prior to 2005. We still buy a few things new on occasion, but certainly not very often. Our greatest luxuries are airplane trips home to visit our families, 2700 miles away.
We’re $26,000 from paying off our last student loan, and in the process of refinancing our house. I’m looking forward to decreasing our debts/expenses and increasing our cash-flow!
I have to honestly say that I can’t think of much other than toiletries, food and such, that we don’t buy used. We’ve never had the choice, so we’ve never really thought about it. We don’t feel deprived, in fact it doesn’t make sense to buy new what you can buy used (and usually is in great/ like new condition). Buying used generally means buying local, which keeps money in the community, which is a really good thing. Buy used, save the difference! Why wouldn’t you??
I remember growing up when we went months without buying something new. I don’t really keep track of this but I’m sure even now I go a month or two without buying something new. Even now as I’m starting to plan for Christmas I can’t really think of anything we need. I do think we consume far more then we used to.
The Non-Consumer Advocate is one of my favorite blogs. Katy does a great job writing about how she enjoys life even while not buying new items. She also shares some of her DIY projects based on repurposing items gotten for free or from a thrift store.
I love this. Sitting here looking around my living room, I have decent things but MOST items here are used.I have got items from garage sales, items have been unwanted and given from family members or even picked up from the side of the road! I’d say even 80% of my DVDs are used (found many cheap at a closing rental store). I do not think I would do well buying all used items though. I also have just got the best deal on things on clearance. I would not be able to pass up an item I NEED on clearance for cheaper than I could buy used. A few years ago I bought a beautiful bookshelf on clearance at Target for $5……but wait, it was the display model….does that count as used? 😀
I love the idea of this being a challenge! Do you think that maybe when the getting up early in the morning challenge is done you could set up a “not buying anything new” challenge?
It’s something I’ve been considering for awhile. However, I’ve been trying to figure out how I’d set it up… and what daily challenges could go along with it? I’m open to suggestions and ideas!
A couple years ago I decided to see how long I could go without buying new soap. I found that between full size bars, trial sizes, hotel samples, and various bottles of body wash, I made it 7 months. Maybe something along those lines? Gather all the shampoo in the house and decide not to buy any more until it’s all gone?
I’ve actually just done this with shampoo. I was getting ready to move and was trying to limit what I was buying so that I wouldn’t have to move it. When my shampoo ran out, I started using up all the shampoo samples I’ve received and they lasted me over 2 months! As an added bonus, I tend to save the really nice samples, so my hair has looked better than ever since I’ve been using them. 🙂
All the motel soap/shampoo went to the women’s shelter.
Ideas: Fix one thing to make it last longer – a button, patch (Got to love Iron ons/ Jo-Annes one item 40% off) , hem or cut something off to fit. Of the – totally trashed items: Salvage a button or zipper or decoration (Used them for pockets and patches.) Make some rags for the garage or house. Don’t forget a couple for the car. Sock puppets were fun as kids too.
Use the left over paint to touch up something to improve the appearance.
Gather the old hidden cleaning supplies and use them up.
Check out the baking supplies/include package mixes here too and use up the ones getting “Old.”
How about some challenges like finding birthday and Chistmas gifts, free entertainment for couples/families, how to throw parties, etc.?
In my experience teenage girls and young woman are the easiest to find free or super inexpensive gifts. BBW has several coupons during the year for totally free travel size bottles of lotion. I usually get 3-4 coupons year for free panties from VS. Target has their fall and spring makeup bag free. And of course there are all the items that are free after sale price and coupon at the grocery and drug stores.
It kinds of reminds me of your eat from the pantry challenge. I think, to a degree, it would be good for almost all of us (if not all). Of course we all have things we have to buy new and I will keep buying new running shoes but I definitely am trying to do more crafts and homemade Christmas presents (just barely getting started on ideas and mostly leftover ideas that I didn’t get done last year so really I’m not that organized).
Perhaps have one category in the challenge for earned gift cards/Christmas/birthday gifts via surveys, My Points, Swag Bucks, etc.? A “craft room challenge” section for readers to use up their supplies for homemade gifts, be it sewing knitting, paper crafts?
hmmn…maybe during the challenge, you could do an intro post and then just more posts about making do and using what you have for specific situations when we would regularly be tempted to run to the store (be high end, discount, dollar, amazon, whatever) or posts about still being “happy” without the stuff we so often think we need to buy new?
I’m not sure that you could write entire articles but maybe just brief posts on the topic.
Here are some ideas:
What items you might want to purchase new like underwear
Have people write about the challenges they faced while trying to find things used and how they solved the problem
Have a “spend no money on anything” day
Creative ways to repurpose something and/or simple tips like taking the papers kids get from school and using the other side as printing paper in your printer
Ideas for Christmas and birthdays
Sources or ideas to find things used or things that can be shared. For example, neighbors setting up a tool sharing coop or using services like zipcar.
I have also found a way to get free kitchen gadgets. I use my credit card for all basic purchases like food, school curriculum and any monthly bills that allow me to pay that way. Then, when I rack up enough points, I get gift cards to wherever I want to purchase my gadget. I now have a food processor, food dehydrator, a grain mill, and soon I will have my final gadget….an Omega juicer. It usually takes me about 12-18 months to save up enough points for these big kitchen gadgets but its worth it when I get it free! The big trick here though is to not overspend on the credit cards buying things you wouldn’t normally buy. Otherwise you might as well have just bought it outright. This can be hard to do when its just a piece of plastic and not real money.
What a neat experiment or lifestyle. In keeping the clutter in our home to a minimum, I am picky about what is purchased. However, I have not considered not purchasing new items. Good food for thought. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a great concept! I try to not buy new as much as I can.
I’ve gone a year without buying anything at all in the states (except consumables aka food, gas, printer ink for work). It was not at ALL as hard as I anticipated. I try to freecycle and barter and not buy new if I can. I hate all the packaging. We just moved back to the USA from Africa and I am hoping we can continue with the contentment with less which is much easier there. Except for food, gifts for others, and books (no public libraries where we were) I barely ever shopped at all for the past 2 years in Africa and that was great! I really realized how little one actually NEEDS and how you can make do with so much less stuff. We just moved into a 1200sqft home (4 of us) and I’m excited to see how little we can accumulate in the land of plenty and Target LOL :-).
I try not to buy new if I can help it. We buy most of the kids clothes at Goodwill and only buy new if its on sale and we need it. Same for toys and furniture. My husband even looks for free or cheap fencing and building materials for our projects on the land we hope to move to someday. He hopes to get free animals too when the time comes. So many people give away, throw away, or have garage sales, there is not much we need to buy new. We have a local swap shop on fb for people to sell or swap things and sometimes Craigs list is even useful. Just have a list of things your looking for and watch and wait. Since we homeschool our kids have no need for fashion designer clothes. Anything cute and to their taste will do. Now if that would only work for our electric bill, gas for the car, etc..
Free animals ~ Check with your local dairy farmer if you are looking for calves. Often they are destroyed or very cheap.
Of interest: I know of a “Summer Farmer.” He winters in Florida. Comes up in early spring. Fixes his fences and gets bull dairy calves (Cheap/free) and castrates them ~ so steers. Raises them all summer into the fall along with making hay to sell. (Poor year here for hay too.) Sells the calves for his “Florida” money and heads back for winter.
We have been doing this for years….After I got laid off from a very well paying job with a great buy out and then my husband got laid off so when our living room suit of 15 years was finally wearing out, a great friend of mine ordered a new one and sold me her $3000 and only 5 year old set,( non smoking, non pet, non child) for only $400 then we yes, we built a 3 season room for only $400 my same friend sold me her $5000 patio furniture (sat on maybe a dozen times) for $500, my SUV broke down and I went to an estate auction and bought a beautiful car 12 years old with 17,000 miles on it…for $8,000… I buy most of my clothes at garage sales, consignment shops and thrift stores….We are both back to work full time and can afford to buy new now, but why??? I can find great stuff especially at estate sales for 75% off…..and I now have 70,000 miles on my still beautiful car and no plans of ever financing a new one….
It really does become a habit, doesn’t it?
There was a time in my life when I went years without buying anything new for myself and I bought very little new for my kids & husband, though they did at least get some new things every year especially the kids. It sure wasnt much though.
I had to live like that, not having a choice. If I got something new, it was because my mom, grandmother, or sister bought it for me.
These days, I go thru phases where I dont buy anything at all for months at at time… I have more than plenty in my life already… then I’ll go on a shopping binge.. Mostly season end clothing sales & clearances and the occasional kitchen tool I think I need. 😉
I did not read the article, the one thing that came to my mind when I read the title was “Life is too short!”
For me, life is too short to fill it up buying, storing & maintaining stuff I don’t really need. Of course, I like new things, but I only buy (new or used) what I think I actually need. That way, when I do get something it means so much more.
I like the post!
It definitely has got me thinking. I definitely could not do this.. but I will say that I have come a far way from what I once was and how careless I used to be with my money.
Articles like this just help incourage me to be better and spend wiser!
I’ve been doing the same thing for 5 years, too.
My only exceptions have been food, personal items, underwear, socks, athletic shoes (used just don’t cut it for running), and clearance items that are the same price or cheaper than thrift store prices.
It’s not as hard as you might think. 🙂
I agree with buying athletic shoes new. I’d rather spend a few extra dollars on those rather than spending lots of money at the Orthopedic.
I love it! I hardly ever buy new except when I have to have something specific for an event. In fact my Daughter is getting married next month and I just bought my dress and shoes at the discovery shop (American Cancer Society) grand total dress and shoes? $30 you can bet we aren’t paying a caterer to cook either! Think about what you pay for!
Well, I can say that with the financial situation my husband and I are in, we are forced to live in this situation. I would even eliminate socks from the list, because I basically don’t wear out socks! We do not go out to eat. I have not bought one piece of new OR used clothing, (other than unmentionables) in at least 3 years. We have no medical insurance. We have to get help to buy food. We are living on a bare-bones existence.
I will say our only consumer debt is our mortgage. I would much rather be doing it by choice, but the Lord is teaching us to fully rely on Him for all of our needs.
You said what I was thinking .It really isn’t the same when you are forced to do live one thing then when you choose. It reminded of when I first came across Crystal years ago.She and Jessie chose to live the way they did because they wanted Jessie to go thru law school without debt.
From September 2005-2010 my husband was unemployed more then he was employed.A very rough time and wished I could choose to live frugal rather then being forced to do without.A big difference that many do not understand.
It’s a lot harder when you’re in a situation where you don’t have a choice.
As I was thinking about it today, I’m pretty sure we went for *months* at a time without buying anything new other than groceries and Jesse’s law school books… we couldn’t even afford to shop at thrift stores during much of the law school years!
I well remember the few dollar day thrift store shopping trips I made during those years and what a big deals those were. Going to the library to check out books and DVDs for free was a weekly thing — because it was one of the free fun things we could do that didn’t cost us a penny (other than the gas to get to the library), but it sort of felt like we were shopping! 🙂
{Hugs!} to those of you who are in a season of life where you are being forced to take extreme measures in your spending. It is hard and my heart goes out to you!
We have had to live frugal for many years ,as at times we wouldn’t be paid for months and the dollars needed to keep the mortgage payments up, but we chose to see it as a challenge rather than a difficult situation….Now, it is a lifestyle…. I suppose it is how you look at things. Travelling in my teens taught me how to appreciate the simple things. Brought up 3 lovely and savvy teens and be mortgage free. (which is the only debt we ever had) If we wanted anything else it was save up (second hand) or go without. Our simple life brought about good friends, a great community involvement, skills learned in growing foods, herbal medicines, sewing, wood crafts and chopping wood, winter prepping, basic mechanics, and other interests. Wouldn’t change a thing 😀
I think we buy a lot more stuff used than most people do. I yard sale and shop thrift stores. However, I think I tend to buy MORE than I would if I only bought new stuff because of the cost difference. Therefore, I have MORE clutter than I would probably have if I bought everything new. My plan this year is to declutter for all the reasons stated in the article referenced, and to limit my purchases whether new or used.
I’m guilty of this too, especially with clothes, toys, and books for my kids.
I make a list for when I go to garage sales and thrift stores. Only needed items go on the list. If you stick with your list you won’t end up with so much clutter. I admit it’s really hard to stick to the list at times because you can find things so cheap but I’m getting better at it. Maybe a list would help you too. Just an idea.
Another thing our lives are de-cluttered from: technology. We don’t have Cable; we go with the digital channels we get with the antenna. Our kids don’t have aDS. We don’t have iphones or smartphones. We don’t have an ipad or an ipod. Do I think those things are bad? No, but if we bought the, we couldn’t have done things like the city pool pass this summer or putting money away for retirement, etc.
We also save by living close to work. Most days my husband bikes. I will be walking as I start a new position this fall. We still have the vehicles, but we are happy they are old-low insurance, no depreciation. These are the kinds of choices that de-clutter our time and our space and our finances!
I’m guessing she doesn’t home school, LOL.
She says in her article she sends her children to public school.
I have been on a de-cluttering mission for a few years now, and I am finally starting to see the rewards! My house is so much more relaxing with less stuff in it! It motivates me to keep getting rid of stuff.
On the fiscal side of it: We went for years not buying much of anything largely because it was the only way I could stay home with the kids. We have been blessed with hand-me-downs for the kids, and we asked both sets of grandparents for winter jackets, boots, shoes, those kinds of things for kids’ birthdays and Christmas. Our kids have enough toys, and they are very happy. I have learned that you don’t have to have new clothes to make you happy. I no longer care if my kids get stains on their clothes, b/c they were free hand-me-downs.
My husband and I have finally had to buy clothes: I have learned that I can get beautiful clothes at the thrift store even cheaper than end-of-season-clearance at the mall. I love this more frugal lifestyle! We finally have a little bit of money in the bank and no consumer debt-just a small student loan and the mortgage. I also love that our home is so peaceful. Everything has a place; nothing is crowded, (we even got rid of a dresser this summer), AND because I don’t shop much, I have time to keep up house, etc. I am hoping to keep getting rid of even more stuff. It is such a good feeling!
When we moved to China from 2007-2009, I just couldn’t find any clothes I liked in China and the quality was so poor compared to the quality here in the States. When we would return home, our Chinese salary didn’t go far in American stores. So I didn’t buy clothes then either. When we moved back to the States I became a stay-at-home mom while my husband worked for various non-profits for a very small salary. Suffice to say, I scarcely bought myself any new clothes from 2007-2012. I finally had to break down and buy some new shoes and a dress at Kohl’s this spring…but I used Kohl’s cash for almost all of it! 🙂
It’s ironic that it would be so difficult to find clothes in China when that’s where it all comes from here in the states!! Gotta love the Kohl’s cash!!
That is too funny. When I started reading the title of this post, I thought to myself ‘is something wrong with her website or did she repost this story?’ Then I realized I had JUST read this article yesterday through msn.com! Funny! It is a very interesting concept and has made me think about how much junk we have sitting around our house. We are about to move and I keep telling myself that when we move into a new house, I am going to purge like crazy and see what all we can get rid of and how ‘lightly’ we can live without so much stuff sitting around!
Hey Sarah,
I just made a 10 hour move and decided to have a garage sale with all the unwanted ‘junk’ so I didn’t have to move it and ended up making over $600 which definitely helped with moving expenses. If you have the time I definitely suggest doing this!
We did that too! When we moved from Minnesota to Maryland in 2010, we had a giant yard sale. We made enough to cover the cost of the U-haul truck for the trip!
Don’t truck the “junk” with you, try and yard sale before you move. I said I would declutter when we moved, and low and behold we are going to be moving in a year and the same stuff is sitting in the garage. LOL I plan on taking it to the swap meet this time.
What a great concept! The thought has crossed my mind before, but I’ve never actually seen it done. Thanks for sharing the article!
I wouldn’t be surprised if we unintentionally did that for a month or two during the first few years of our marriage.
Now… I’d like to see us try it for a month or so.
Can I say that this actually sounds like a great challenge? I can’t imagine doing it forever but I’d love to do something like this for a month or two and see what habits change. Right now we need to purchase an auto battery…I don’t know how practical it would be to buy something like that used but I wouldn’t have even considered it before reading this.
I’ve read Katy’s blog for years and can say with confidence – she’d buy a new auto battery. A used battery just isn’t useful, ya kno? It’s kinda like used gum.
I’d say it depends on how used the battery is. When my first car died on me, I had just bought new tires and a new battery for it, thinking I’d get a few more years of use out of the aged car. That battery had years of life left, whether in my car or someone else’s. A charity ended up hauling away my car, so I don’t know what happened to the parts in the end.
I would strongly advise you NOT to buy a used auto battery. If you do it might fail you at a very inopportune time. There are some necessities in life & a good auto battery is one of them.