Nothing New For 12 Months! Oh, my!

I've given this a considerable amount of thought and have made the decision to simplify 2013 by trying not to purchase anything new for an entire year.

There are groups of people on the internet who join together sharing this goal to be "non-consumers", and I'm joining their ranks.  I'm not sure of each person's reasons for adopting the goal of dropping off the consumer grid, but mine are these.

• I already have more than I need.
• My world is lighter, happier and fuller with less clutter.
• We are a "throw away" society and it really bothers me that instead of recycling, repairing or repurposing, we mindlessly toss our junk in landfills.
• Living simpler and on a tighter budget will free me to retire sooner and have more financial resources to give to charitable causes.
• I hate waste!

One group that I've joined is called The Compact.  We individuals who join pledge to 1) not buy new products of any kind (whether from a store or the internet), and 2) borrow, barter or buy used.  So, those 2 principles will influence my decisions this year.

There are exceptions (thankfully) to not buying new products.  But, even these I will only buy if needed.  I can buy new undergarments (whew!), socks, athletic shoes, toiletries and food.  I've also decided that I will allow exceptions for some gifts for other people and for our grandson.  Though I have and will continue to shop for baby clothes and toys at consignment sales.

Another part of this pledge is to support local businesses instead of corporate giants.  I already do this quite frequently and have boycotted that giant unnamed "superstore" whose name begins with "W" for the past few years.  So, this isn't all about money, or I would be shopping at so called "superstore" because they certainly do have the lowest prices. 

But, what is sacrificed here and around the world for those rock bottom prices?  In my humble opinion, "W" delivers low prices at the expense of it's own workers who are paid low wages and many are not provided with health insurance or other benefits, making them part of the "working poor."  "W" can do better by its employees than that!

They also sacrifice quality for low price.  Most items I've seen are cheaply made in China and many items are deceptively marketed as a certain product when in fact it is made to this store's own specs and not the original manufacturer's specs sold at other stores.

How much does superstore beat up their vendors to provide these low prices?  Do they pay their suppliers a fair price?  Do they care about unfair labor practices in other countries?  Do they promote the advancement of women and children living in poverty in the countries from whom they buy?

Well, I'm off my soapbox for now, but stay tuned.  I promise to keep you posted on my progress with "The Compact".  Let's see how I feel in a few months when I'm dying for some new summer clothes!

Be love and be blessed,