Buy Nothing New Month 2013

Suddenly, it is October. That means two things: it's almost a year since I started this blog, and it's Buy Nothing New Month. I only realised this yesterday when I received an email from BNNM. Browsing last year's posts on BNNM I realise how much my shopping habits have changed since participating last year. I think have spent far less time shopping and bought less stuff. I tend to make most of my purchases when I am travelling (having made work-related trips to Sydney and Adelaide this year).

Over the past six months, excluding food, drink, hygiene products and medications, goods I have purchased include:

Gifts

• organic cotton fair trade baby booties
• locally handmade books made from vintage maps
• locally made teatowel
• Australian-made baby ugg boots
• toys made of recycled plastic
• locally made baby pants
• books
• cut flowers
• an Austrian-made wooden trolley with blocks
• a Swell bottle
• two pens shaped like hip bones (for my geriatric friends)
• a helium balloon (oh no! Least ethical purchase this year?)

Clothes and accessories

• very versatile, Aussie-made black shirt (to replace a shirt that was beyond mending)-very versatile, Aussie-made blue wool dress
• vintage shirt ($5!)
• NZ made shirt (to replace ten donated shirts)
• three pairs of Aussie-made trousers (to replace trousers that had worn out)
• fair-trade scarf
• scarf by up-and-coming Aussie designer
• locally-made necklace
• locally-made earrings

Other stuff

• books (I'll post about some of these, and local book shops, later)
• German-made wooden broom (expensive luxury I will have for decades)
• fresh flowers (not often enough)
• organic coriander seeds (a school fundraiser for a work mate's daughter)
• a replacement battery for my bathroom scales (I couldn't find a better alternative)
• lipstick (cruelty-free, Aussie made)
• eyeshadow pencil (By Terry, from Mecca Cosmetica. Possibly tested on animals)
• hair elastics (made in China)
• Vogue magazine (featuring Advanced Style)
• Frankie magazine
• four car tyres - the most expensive and potential most toxic thing on this list?

All were purchased from independent stores, markets or directly from the designer (unless otherwise stated). Only one item (the vintage shirt) was purchased used.

It is helpful to see what I have purchased over the past year, and what a long list it makes when all put together! It also emphasises room for improvement (buy fewer books! Find alternatives to batteries and hair elastics! Stop buying make-up when you only wear it once a fortnight or less! Don't buy magazines and not read them! You don't need any more jewellery - you hardly ever wear it! Stop wearing out all your favourite trousers!!!)

I hope to learn some new lessons, and form new habits, this Buy Nothing New Month.