Buy Nothing New in October

by Katie Mae Kohlbeck (subscribe)

Event: 01/10/2011 - 31/10/2011

Here's a great way to save in October - buy nothing new! Before you navigate away from this page and go shopping on Amazon, let me explain.

In an increasingly environmentally aware culture and everyone becoming more conscious about their purchasing, it's important to identify the ways we can contribute to the sustainability of our world. Buy Nothing New is a campaign, supported by Salvos, Brotherhood and Gumtree, throughout the month of October that ask people to use this time to reassess what they really need, where all of our "stuff"comes from and will end up.

To be clear Buy Nothing New does not equate to never buying anything new. The exercise of giving up purchasing new items for thirty one days is meant to give you insight into where you're spending your money and thinking about how you shop. You could end up with extra time and coin in your pocket - both well enough reasons to pledge to buy nothing new in October.

Buying the essentials is fine (food, medication, hygiene etc) but rather than shopping for new clothes at the shopping centre, consider other ways you can shop whether it's finally learning how to use the sewing machine to fix up what's already in your wardrobe, organising a swap party with friends or poking around the second hand shops.

As an extra incentive, the sponsors are offering up a cool $5000 prize inviting those who make it through October successfully to submit entries about how they abstained from purchasing new. Make, create, bargain, swap - however you want to go about it, get creative and you could end up with a little bit more than extra time on your hands.

If you're unsure if you can get through a whole month without a session of retail therapy, think about using the extra time with a class that will inspire and teach you to become more self sufficient which is rewarding for you and healthy for the environment. The City of Sydney offers several free Green Village workshops to help bring more green into your life, from worm farming to organic gardening to turning old bits around your house into usable housewares.

So to recap, buy nothing new in October and you could end up with more money, time and if you choose to use that extra time to enrol in a workshop, you could come out with a greener and more sustainable lifestyle.

To join the pledge and give yourself a challenge, visit www.buynothingnew.com.au

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Why? Re-think what you're buying and how it could be impacting the environment.

When: 1-31 October 2011

Website: www.buynothingnew.com.au

Where: Everywhere

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