It has been 2 months since I started my shopping ban! November has been interesting too. I stayed under my two week budgets, did not purge any items, contemplated ethical zero-waste gifts for holidays, and purchased a few things on my approved shopping list.
I get disgusted by the level of consumerism, and the peak worst is Black Friday. So I did not participate. Not that I ever participate, but I was even more aware of it this year than previously. And I've been striving to purchase things in the best way possible when required.
So I did purchase 2 clothing items for my upcoming NOLS course that are required and that I did not own. I needed baselayer bottoms and a long sleeved top that were wool or synthetic. So I went ahead and purchased them this month.
But the clever part is that I bought them from REI's Used Gear Store! So while I did buy 2 things from my approved list, I bought used items. They look brand new though and are perfect and I only spent $50 total, when new that would have cost me closer to $100. Also they are multi purpose because I will use the baselayer bottoms throughout the winter for field work, and wear the wool shirt regularly as it's very comfortable. Success!
I also purchased a few gifts for upcoming celebrations, and did it in a zero waste manner. I was able to use the ethical hierarchy of gift giving to come up with some clever ideas for friends and family. I focused on experiences, and did not buy anything new when I did buy an object. Also success!
Also I put used books on my allowed shopping list, because I run the Outdoor Conservation Book Club and some of the books I've chosen are hard to come by or have long wait lists at the library. So I purchased 5 conservation books online from Thriftbooks! These books are all for the OC book club or recommended reading ahead of the NOLS course.
- Outdoor Leadership, by John Graham [NOLS]
- Sea Change, by Sylvia Earle [OC Book Club]
- Wilderness and the American Mind [NOLS]
- The Sixth Extinction [OC Book Club]
- How Remarkable Women Lead [NOLS]
I also this month acquired a few other used books. A handful of books came from a friend who was donating boxes to Goodwill, so I picked a few out to take. And I acquired one book that was originally purchased as a gift, but the dog ate the cover, so it's mine now and the gift version has been replaced with another used book.
Also this month, there was 1 flaw in my plan. Winter. We had previously gotten a new, larger bed and never bought any kind of comforter or quilt for it. And winter is coming and it's getting colder, and dogs aren't exactly enough warmth to get us through the winter. So I had to purchase a new quilt for our new bed, but that's a necessity I just didn't foresee.
There's one other thing I purchased: Fabric scraps from Hobby Lobby to make into tissues. I had run out of throwaway tissues, and in the spirit of zero waste, did not buy a new box. Instead I had cut up some of my thinner and softer cleaning cloths (which were already scraps of old clothes) to use as tissues. But I didn't have enough. I scoured the house looking for fabric I could turn into tissues but no luck. So I spent $9 and bought a bundle of cotton squares with cute woodland creatures on them to use as tissues. They're reusable, washable, and will last for ages. I classified this as toiletries, but thought my solution was clever!
Everything else has gone swimmingly. I'm still unsubscribing from marketing emails when I get them, actively being aware of impulses, and thinking about the impact of all of my purchases. It sounds overwhelming but it's really refreshing.
On to Month 3!
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