So it seems 2017 will become the year of challenges, in a good and fun way. Pushing me out of the comfort of the usual. Good!

As 2016 came to an end, my mom offered a challenge for 2017. A year of buying nothing new.

I accepted.

But what does that even mean?

A few years ago I interviewed Bea Johnson (listen to that interview here), she is the Queen of Zero Waste and author of the book Zero Waste home (2013).

I was interested in the environment and my impact on it. How could I change the way I live to have less of a negative impact.

I have a post coming up about Zero Waste later, so I won’t get into that. But this interest has led me, and my mom, to the 2017 buy nothing new.
In our house, we have A LOT of stuff. Things we need, things forget we have, don’t use, don’t need.

There is a tendency to buy more of all the stuff, and dump it in a cupboard and then it just sits there until I go nuts and declutter.

I have never been a huge shopper, but even so - things sneak in.

This isn’t just a money saving ordeal. I really want to explore how much stuff and needs dominate my life. And if this can be liberating to eliminate from our day to day hustle.

What does this challenge consist of?

I won’t be buying anything new for 2017, no electronics, clothes, thingies, kitchen gear (even mason jars… arghhh)
If people want to give me presents (I love presents…), I ask for experiences or something used
I can buy things from thrifts stores, friends, yard sales, DBA and trend sales and places like these.
I can buy food… no brainer… But will by as locally as I can, organic
Toiletries - well the essentials and will commit myself to buying the ones that don’t come in plastic.
Cleaning products, in bulk from LØSmarket
And more on plastic, I will do what I can to find the non plastic-warped foods etc. But this will be impossible in some cases. But the intention is clear - as little plastic as possible.
No free samples, these are also new, highly wasteful and most often not really needed
Hauling out the sewing machine and repairing what I can, before tossing it out
Books… I have a book fetish, which means I have shelves of books I haven’t read yet. Also the library is amazing, I can get any book I need here. So no books this year.
Art supplies… I have enough at the moment to last me a life time. But I will be using them I’ve decided.
Courses… the online ones. Not really that wasteful. But an area where I have spent SOOOO much money. I signed up for many I haven't completed and I don’t need more to not finish. So 2017 I will not buy any online courses. I can do live workshops though.

These are the basics. As life continues I'm sure questions, needs, demands will arise. So I will do status posts now and then throughout the year.

Do I think this will be easy, not at all. Even though I don’t consider myself a big spender, I think I will be shocked by how often I have gone to store off- and online to scratch the shopper itch.