It's funny - since beginning this not-buying-anything-new-for-a-year idea - after the first initial practical needs (the shammy and scissors see 1st blog below!) I have relaxed into it - and a suprising side effect is that when I was free to buy new things - looking back on it - t'was as if I was in a mild panic - and now I have relaxed - like I have ducked out of a competition that I had no chance of winning - and infact had never knowingly begun.

Part of the whole idea for me, as well as the eco side of things that began this - is that I knew I was using 'buying new things' - indeed 'getting' new things as a way to make me happy.

Indeed it is the 'getting' most of the time not the 'having' - the high of having something new is the zenith - unless you find that rare thing that makes you inordinatley happy whenever you look at it or use it (I have an Orla Keily bag that does this - making me ponder for the past 2 years of owning it if only expensive things make me happy!!)

Stemming back to the 'gatherer' in women I can see why I would have a huge buzz finding the perfect 'something' - indeed my ability to find treasures in charity shops has always put me in mind of my female ancestors who must have been lucky in their foraging and always found the fattest berry in the unusual crevice !

Surely something to be proud of and makes me an alpha female?! ;)

Is shopping for 'stuff' utilising this gene in us - giving us the reward of a thing well found - when supermarkets have taken it away from us?

...And so to the charity shop question - I think it should be a NO as it is still 'new' to me and so is filling the craving - although I have to buy stock for the dressing up tent so does this count?

I will still have the 'getting' buzz if not the 'having' buzz!!

Worryingly I think that is what started the habit of buying in the first place - when I used to buy vintage clothes in the 80's and 90's it was the accumulation of these tons of cheap and orginal costumes that led me to open an Antique Clothes Shop in Wandsworth Common (The Emporium) in the first place - turning a shopping habit into 'buying stock'!! and morphing into the Dressing Up Tent at parties and festivals back then and continuing into the present... a very long term habit!

So the reults of 12 days without buying anything new?

PEACE so far! .......

I have a guilty secret though that I am worried is keeping me going - my friend Katherine is making boots in India - I was measured for a prototype pair last year - very exciting as I cannot buy long boots due to one leg much bigger than the other after contracting septicemia as a child... and paid a deposit of half of the price of them - and due to snow and post they haven't arrived yet. So in the back of my mind I know that I have a 'new' thing coming that will 'transform my wardrobe', 'make a multitude of new outfits out of all my old clothes', 'make me happy to look at them and wear them every day....' - in short - A NEW THING!! I will of course have to pay the balance - which is of course not playing the game at all - but a hand made personal fit pair of boots based on argentinian riding boots with silk panels from India - judge me if you dare!!!!

Sophie says, "Kate, in respect for your not shopping for a year, I'm doing it for Feb. X.".

pants. I thought the little old lady argument was a really good one ; ) X  Jax

Hi Kate  Proud of you girl!  Keep it up Chris x

Kate does this mean you will not be smoking? or does that count as food? I only ask because i gave up last week and it was one of the hardest weeks of my life!Well it's sort of food... it is consumed by the body... there are lots of things we consume that we call 'food' that barely  constitute food... like vodka jelly... technically a food.... but lets be honest... man cannot live by vodka jelly alone... so you decide i reckon..!
Cara xx

Love the blog, good idea, here's my response.

My question, re Charity shops being included in your steep yet fantastically brave new years resolution would be to  consider why?
Your resolution stated 'buy' and 'new' so to clarify this combined with your hearts intent for doing it, I reckon you can make your own desicion.
Whenever I take a moment to contemplate how ever are we to get out of this complex web of consumerism, I often look to the depth of what needs to change, currently my initial answer is our intention behind what we do. Why are we consuming? As a race I think it's a misplaced urge to survive, our core programming needs to re-adjust, we no longer need the basic human needs, shelter, water, food etc but we are still operating as seperate beings that need to survive, I must buy my own car, I must have my own house, survival has bizarrely created seperatness. Sadly it has bought greed (a very raw human emotion) to the front of our motivational emotions and a false desire that buying/having these things will satisfy/fulfill us, altemately make us happy (the emotion most are currently seeking).
So we need reprogramming, this needs to happen on a mass scale, I get excited here and think if we can do it soon enough, we can show the developing countries the way and they can by pass the total over consumerism bit, afterall they are following our lead (? another debate, I know). If your looking at reprogramming your consuming desires then I suppose charity shops should be included and ruled out, unless of course its an essential item to your survival? I don't know these are your rules, if I was doing it I would need to be very honest with myself and go within when it comes to a purchase and feel into whether it resonates with my intention or not. There's a huge message in buying already used things, but ultimately the message has got to be why are we buying these. I can now see a very complicated series of questions, say you wanted to buy a centrafugal juicer, an extremely useful, very healthy and if taken care of a sustainable item to support your wellbeing. Do you consider it's carbon footprint, do you consider it's £'s per use, do you consider it's happiness giving ratings and then do you pledge to use it daily to justify it? Tricky another thing on the daily must do list, but what a great invention, technology definatly has it's place. I'm conviced that unity, sharing, joining forces has got to be a worthwhile possibilty, but I have always loves the idea of a commune.
Remember we mustn't be harsh when it comes to reprogramming, it's like coming off an addiction, slowly, step by step the new outlook becomes part of your core being, and just like Jesus, being at the front of such a great lifestyle changeing solution, it will feel lonely and at times pointless, maybe at certain times of the month very unfair, but keep it up, stick to your intentions and remind yourself of the vision. You might even inspire me to join you, I can see the attraction of taking this pledge with like minded others, it creates a warm fuzzy feeling......who knows what will happen, but you definately rock for giving it a go and reminding me of some core truths. Thanks honey x

Big love Steph xxxxx