My Year of Stuff

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[saynotostuff-blog]

Buy good things - own them a long time

So it has been a wee while since my last stuff purchase. It was my birthday in late May and I didn’t go out and buy myself stuff. This was a reasonable accomplishment to be fair. My family did give me cards, thats fine with me, they can be recycled or reused, and my father gave me a gift card, though made out of plastic, was better than a gift that I would not like/use...I am bringing my step-mother along on this journey (actually to be fair, she is taking herself).

I did spend some of the money off the gift card on a new handbag...actually more like a Mum bag, you know the huge type of bag that fits everything in it that a Mum needs. The bag that I was using was falling apart. It had been a gift from a very good friend, and had been loved to death, but, unfortunately, as it was made out of PU, had begun to peel and flake off, and was just literally falling to bits. So I went to the department store of which the gift card came and bought a $200 handbag that was on a 50% off sale. 

I have never spent that much on a handbag in my entire life, and it was 50% off. But again it got me thinking, what was the real cost of my previous bag? This new hand bag is made out of ‘real’ leather, and as such should be a lot more durable than my previous bag(s). It has steel clasps and fittings that could be easily replaced, if necessary, and should have a much longer lifetime than a few years of daily use. Though this remains to be seen it made me think of the link to poverty and environmental sustainability.

When we are affluent, we can afford to buy better things, case and point my ($200) bag. Budget restrictions are not forcing me to buy a $30 handbag that may have a limited lifespan and end up in the landfill. Having a reasonable income allows me to make a considered decision when making necessary ‘stuff’ purchases, rather than having to settle for ‘what I can afford’ which is generally made of ‘cheap’ synthetic materials that will not last and due to the synthetic/cheap nature will end up in the land fill.

This is something that I intend to ponder on more. I just read on facebook today that former New Zealand Prime Minister and current UN Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark is working on projects investigating the connection between poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability. I will make this a point of research over the next little while. There has be to be a better way.

Still working towards ‘no more stuff”!

[saynotostuff-blog]

It's not as easy as all that.

I have been pricing the re-covering of my sofa. To get someone to upholster it will cost between $700 - $900. To buy the fabric and cover it myself will cost from $300 depending on the fabric I choose. To buy a replacement couch is $299 and there is no work involved and I can have it delivered.

I am conscious about these decisions, and take all things into consideration before purchasing anything, but what about those that aren't as aware of the issues relating to sustainability as I am. No wonder we are struggling. Why would you pay 3 times as much to have something fixed when you can get a new one? What is this throw away culture that has been designed for us?

And I am not saying that people shouldn't be able to afford to purchase things for their home, but what is the real cost of a $299 sofa bed?

[saynotostuff-blog]

27 Ways Not to Be Inundated With Trash at Home - Sustainable Green Homes

On average everyone in America (including babies) generates as much at 5 pound of trash every day! How can that be? For every garbage can emptied at the curb, the amount of waste generated by obtaining raw materials (including oil … Continue reading →

Found this interesting article today.Pretty much sums up what I am working on this year, with the addition of trying to find a butcher that wraps in paper (not plastic). Happy reading.

[saynotostuff-blog]

First Things First

To avoid adding "stuff" to my life this year there are a few things I need to do to be more sensible about accumulation. Following are five things that are helping me to get started:

1. Use lists

So I have started a list. And on that list are things that I "need". I am making a rule for myself that if it is not on the list, then I am not allowed to buy it. But I have found in the past that I have just written things on the list so that I have an excuse to go out and buy the things I need (want). So new rule: Items must sit on the list for at least a fortnight before I am allowed to buy them. (Obviously this excludes essential items like staple groceries, fuel, etc.). This will give me time to think about whether I really do "need" the item or not, and it will give me time to research the item, find the best price, and even allows me to trawl through thrift stores and auction websites to find the item before buying it new with all the packaging that goes along with buying new items.

2. Unsubscribe from mailing lists

So it is almost impossible to get rid of all advertising but there are some ways that I can minimise it's impact such as unsubscribing from all email lists. Over the years I have in one way or another managed to subscribe myself to a number of email lists for online sales websites, local stores, and the like. This is a great way to find out about sales, new products etc. but also can entice you into spending money you wouldn't normally spend. I quite often just delete these emails without reading (Thank you gmail for your new email filters) but every now and then one will sneak through. For example, just the other day I saw an email advertising a sale on havaianas jandels (thongs/flipflops). Down from $29 to $15. What a bargain. And I really want some new jandels. But I don't need them. It was a struggle. I even put them in my cart. And then promptly closed the web browser and made a cup of tea. But it was hard. So no more mailing lists. Problem solved.

3. Do something else during TV commercials

OK so the best way to avoid TV commercials is to not watch TV. And I don't a lot of the time. But I do enjoy renovation and gardening programmes, and the occasional TV movie. So my new way to avoid the blaring noises and images are to get up and do something during the ads. I can see the TV from my kitchen (but can't hear it) so use the ad breaks to finish the dishes, do some baking, make a cuppa, etc. Another way to avoid the commercials is to mute the ads and read a magazine, search the web, read a book, etc. My son hates it when I mute the ads. This is just an example of how well TV commercials work. We will also be reducing screen time this year so TV time needs to be planned, in addition to our already introduced "TV Free Tuesdays".

4. Plan for gifts

So having a 7 year old boy I still need to plan for gifts such as birthday and Xmas. So this year I am going with experiences more than possessions. I have already bought him some second hand Lego for his gift (no packaging and an investment as far as I am concerned) and tickets to a local music festival. I have also decided that friends and family will be getting my preserves and homemade gifts this year. Everyone loves my 'Tomato Relish', and after getting a selfie stick for Xmas last year (???) I have decided that I am only going to give gifts that I know people will like, use and need. And if I have to spend money (Thank you again society for making me feel obligated to spend money on gifts otherwise risking friends and family thinking lowly of me) I will be giving gifts of experiences, or gift cards from reputable departments stores, so that the receiver can at least spend the money on something that they actually need.

5. Get crafty

It can actually be quite fun making things you need out of stuff you already have. My new project will be reupholstering a PU sofa bed  I bought a number of years ago.The PU is now starting to peel off (serves me right for buying PU but it was cheap, and at the time needs must). So my project will require me to buy some "stuff" but in reality will have a lot less packaging, and will become a one-of-a-kind that no one else will have. Expect to see a blog on this project at some stage in the future.

So there we go. Getting started. Roll on 2015.

(Below:View of the Far North of New Zealand from the ocean #experiencesnotstuff)

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My Year of Stuff - the Background

So this is the year when I am really going to try to reduce the "stuff" in my life. 

I have had an avid interest in protecting the environment since I was a young child, and more recently have been really involved with all things sustainability, including teaching sustainable business principles at the local polytechnic. Now it is really time for me to start practicing what I preach.

Since leaving my husband a couple of years ago, I have had to start again. This meant purchasing basically an entire house load of "stuff". I have a good job which gives me the means to be able to buy "stuff" and I lived very frugally when I was with my husband so this new found freedom was bliss. But then it became a habit, and now two years down the track I am still buying "stuff" telling myself I need it, without actually looking any further in to whether I do actually need it or not.

Thanks society and upbringing for convincing me that surrounding myself with "stuff" will: make me feel better, make me happy, make other people like me, make me as good/better than my neighbours, etc.

I have always bought "stuff" as ethically and sustainably as possible, including getting most of my furniture and household items from auction websites, thrift stores and the like. And I am pretty good at giving stores back their packaging at the counter, and NEVER take single use plastic bags. But the best way to avoid more "stuff" is to just not accumulate it.

And I have a 7 year old boy, that I don't want to grow up thinking it is his right to surround himself with "stuff", without having to think to much about it or even earn it.

So this is the year. No more "stuff".

We'll see how it goes.