Month 2 – I Am Still A Spender

I’ve officially spent thirty-eight days wearing the same clothes, working the same accessories and walking in shoes that are a year behind my time.  I survived without making a spontaneous trip to the mall or even a midnight shopping spree to Wal-Mart, but I am quickly learning that I didn’t necessarily have a love affair with clothes and shoes, but on spending money on ANYTHING.  What was my major purchase in January?  I bought myself some beautiful, expensive hair.

This month will probably be the first month that I stick to my budget that I create faithfully on Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover monthly.  If I am truly going to conquer my former consumption habits, it has to involve some hardcore reconditioning.  Overconsumption involves a variety of things such as food, finances and resources.  It has become clear to me that I spend too much money, eat too much food and need as many resources as possible to get me through this year.  Wow!!  I am truly a work in progress!

24 Days of Nothing New

24 days and I have purchased absolutely nothing new.  This may seem easy to some, but for a girl that loves her “stuff”, this is definitely a monumental moment to be celebrated.  How did Ido it?  Well I have not been to a mall in 24 days, a Walmart in 24 days, a shopping center, drug store or any other area of temptation.  My trips to the grocery store are even far and few.  The funny thing is I don’t feel like I am missing out on a thing because it has forced me to be creative and resourceful.  Whereas, like many I would instantly go to the store whenever I had a want or a need, I am finding myself getting clear about what my needs truly are and finding other ways to fulfill them. 

For me, my shopping craze was fueled by so much more than just wanting a new shirt or needing a new pair of shoes.  Many times there was always a void, or a feeling that I never took  the time to acknowledge because in a society where you can “buy everything to fix anything”, atleast for the moment, it so much easier to drop by the store and buy a new outfit to make me happy than to address whatever I was allowing to get in the way of my happiness.  If I am not happy with myself, then the television and magazines would inform me of all of the products that I could buy to create the image  and the person that I desired to be, as opposed to me working on myself and dealing with what is within.

No wonder the group of consumers that are growing the most are teens and tweens.  Going through a period of their lives, where they are searching for an identity, while seeking independence and acceptance from their peers,  marketers are discovering there’s lots of money to be made.  Corporations capitalize on the age-old insecurities and self-doubts of teens by making them believe that to be truly cool, you need their product.  Some companies hire “cool hunters” or “cultural spies” to infiltrate the world of teens and bring back the latest trends. Trying to stay ahead of the next trend can be a tricky business however, as cultural critic Douglas Rushkoff explains. “The minute a cool trend is discovered, repackaged, and sold to kids at the mall—it’s no longer cool. So the kids turn to something else, and the whole process starts all over again.”  Talk about massive consumerism and waste!!!

This thought lead to my desire to learn more about this area of consumerism and the long-term affects of exposing our children to this media frenzy.  I found this alarming quote, ““Advertising has always sold anxiety, and it certainly sells anxiety to the young. It’s always telling them they’re losers unless they’re cool.”(Mark Crispin Miller, The Merchants of Cool, 2000)  There is a packaged child-hood that is sold to youth through ads, advertisments, magazines, movies, video games and the internet.   To have a healthy, body-image,  attitude towards sexuality and view of their place in this world is almost impossible, while they are bombarded with stuff to cure their fix and a commercial with all of the answers.   “Girls are mini-fashionistas who are pretty and sexy and who are obsessed with boys, friends, shopping, pop stars and celebrities; boys are independent and strong, and preoccupied with sports, video games, adventure, cars, music, and hanging out with friends”, it’s all a part of the package.  No wonder I have spent so much of  my life buying and spending.

At the end of the day, our problem of mass consumption not only has long-term enviornmental and  financial effects, but may also involve alarming emotional and identity issues. For me “24 days of Nothing New” marks 24 days of being committed to myself and looking within and 24 days of investing in me.  341 days to go.

Sacrifice a Day for Haiti

This week, our neighboring country endured unimaginable devistation.  As I continue my journey to reduce my consumption and to be mindful of the careless use of our resources, I am reminded once again of those that are FORCED to do this everyday of their lives because it is a matter of  life or death for them.  It is heart breaking what is happening at this very moment so close to home.

We spend each day spending, while so many people around the world are simply trying to make it to the next day on what they have.  My challenge to you is to take a break for a day and to sacrifice what would have been wasted to save a life.

Visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-americas/?gt1=43001 for a list of organizations that are supporting in the relief efforts and are in need of your help.  You may also simply text 90999 and $10 will automatically be  donated to the Red Cross.  A country is in ruins and every little bit will make a huge difference.

8 Days of “No New Things”

The last time I wrote, I eagerly boasted about my last purchase of 2009, which I guess is also my last new purchase for myself until 2011.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but I still think it was the best investment ever!  I have gotten so many compliments on my gift to myself and I guess if I am looking a hot mess due to my inability to get creative with me current closet gear, my Coach bag makes up for it.  At least that is the story that I made up in my had to justify the obvious “image consumption” of this expensive accessory.

After 8 days of this challenge, I will have to say that there is freedom in knowing that there is nothing that will call me to the mall this year,or if I go to the local Wally World, I can bypass all the extras that always seemed to end up in my cart to get the necessities that I came for.  I receive coupons and promotional codes all day long virtually through my email or as the only ”good news” in my mailbox.  Whereas, it used to be a reason to jump in the car for an impromptu shopping trip, I immediately hit delete, send it to the  recycling bin or pass it along to a fellow shopper that can use it.  It’s amazing how powerful a coupon can be,  but I have defeated them all!

2010 for me signifies transformation and a opportunity for me to create another chapter of my book that will be completely different than the rest.  I am starting school and committed to building a solid foundation for myself that is in line with who I am and my core beliefs.  I am out to save and erase the scarcity conversations that I have had from a financial standpoint, while living with respect for our scarce resources. I choose to make investments into myself that are bigger than what we experience on the surface when we are wearing the latest gear, or driving the fastest car or  living in the mansion on the hill.  My dreams are so much greater than that.  Therefore, this challenge is an opportunity to eliminate the distractions and to get back to the basics.  For me, that means to get back to my Passion and Purpose and the Pursuit anything green to include money and food. 

I Have My Coach Bag, I Am Officially Done

Call me crazy, but my one guilty pleasure in life is my obsession with my infamous Coach bags.  It has been a lost tradition of mine, due to my own personal recession, to treat myself to a brand new Coach Bag annually.  Although, I have always been money concious about this splurge  of mine by selling the old one to put money towards the new shiny replacement, as well as shopping the Outlets only for a discounted purse, I am well aware that $300 plus purses are ridiculous.  But guess what?  I DON’T CARE!!  I WANTED IT AND I GOT IT!!

Don’t get me wrong, I had much anxiety along with excitement behind this purchase.  I know my partner in crime is going to speak her mine big time about this one.  I also know that I cry broke every other day and this purse is definitely going to hit me hard.  I have visited the Outlets on numerous occassions this year and passed up the temptation to spend.  This time around, I had it all planned out the moment I knew I was headed to Gaffney, GA.  I was so excited that I practically dragged my 3 year old from the car through the outlets, to (music in my head)  the  COACH store. $200.00 later and a savings of $377.00, I left the store with my bag.  YES!!!  I know I preach overspending and never ending overconsumption in this blog, but this is IT for me and I am going to be so happy going to work tomorrow with my brand new bag and my year of “No New Things” has officially begun.

This is my magical bag that is going to get me through a year of frugal living and no new things.  Some of us need a coach, some therapy and there are those of us that turn to numerous of ther people and things for support.  I turn to my bag  that is large enough to store all of the money that I will be saving in 2010.  So the journey begins.

Good Morning World!

What better time of year to examine the terribly broken cycle of consumerism that we Americans so heavily contribute to? If there is a true spirit of Christmas in America today, it’s overconsumption.  Overconsumption of goods, food and gifts that NO ONE wants.  I am clear that I can easily fall in either of these traps, due to my constant desire to fill voids and gaps in my life with various new items and food.  If I am not shopping I am eating.  It’s the American Way.  While, it is so easy to say we are going to do something about it, but how do we break the cycle and kick these habits?  Our lives have been set-up in a way that makes hyper-consumption not only a seemingly necessity, but also easy to maintain.  So to start for me, the credit card and debit card that is always so quick to jump out of my purse and swipe for all the little things that add up, are now officially on punishment and staying home.  Statistics show that half of the world lives off of $2 a day, let’s see how well I do.  As a disclosure to set myself up to win, I do have plans this weekend, which may require a little more than $2, but I guess that just means that I won’t be spending my $2 on some of my other days.  Think  you can handle the challenge?

I Could Be A Millionaire

Why not buy anything new in 2010??  The statistics speak for themselves.  It’s called hyperconsumption.  Not only are Americans loosing their jobs, homes, cars and retirement savings, but we have lost our minds!!  Check out these statistics.

• 12 percent of the world’s population lives in North America and Western Europe and accounts for 60 percent of private consumption spending, but a third of humanity that lives in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa accounts for only 3.2 percent. WorldWatch Institute
• Half the world lives on less than two dollars a day – source: GlobalWatch. 
• In 1950, the global population was 2.6 billion people. We had 53 million cars- which works out to be one car for every 50 persons. Today, there are over 6 billion people and 500 million cars-more than one car for every dozen inhabitants. Sierra Club (lots of fascinating facts on that page)
• If the Chinese consume resources in 2031 at a level that Americans do now, grain consumption per person there would climb from around 600 pounds today to around 2000 pounds needed to sustain a typical western diet. This would equate to 1,352 million tons of grain, equal to two thirds of all the grain harvested in the world in 2004. OneWorld
• In 1950, Americans consumed 144 pounds of meat and poultry per person on average. In 2007, that shot up to 222 pounds. Factory Farming Campaign.
• Global oil production is currently about 81 million barrels a day and is predicted to fall to 39 million barrels a day by 2030 due to diminishing resources (see Peak oil). Source: Energy Watch Group via Guardian
• In 2003, gasoline consumption per capita in North America was 1,593.1 litres per person, whereas in developing countries it was 59.2 litres per person. World Resources Institute.
• Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in November of 1958 were at 313.34 parts per million. In March 2009, levels were at 387.41 parts per million, an increase of over 20%. Carbonify.com
• Industrialized nations, representing only 20% of the world’s population, consume 87 percent of the world’s printing and writing papers and global production in the pulp, paper and publishing sector is expected to increase by 77% from 1995 to 2020. The pulp and paper industry is the single largest consumer of water used in industrial activities in OECD countries and is the third greatest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, after the chemical and steel industries. Co-op America
• The average American buys 53 times as many products as someone in China and one American’s consumption of resources is equal valent to that of 35 Indians. Over a lifetime, the typical American will create 13 times as much environmental damage as the average Brazilian. Sierra Club via CNN
• South Australia is the driest state in the driest continent in the world, yet it’s water consumption is 445 litres per day per person (2001/2002) according to Environment SA. Australia’s average per person water consumption was 493 litres per day.  In the USA, average water consumption per person in 2008 was 575 litres daily. China’s daily per capita consumption in 2006 was 86 litres according to Data 360
• The world’s annual consumption of plastic materials has increased from around 5 million tonnes in the 1950s to nearly 100 million tonnes today. WasteOnline
• The USA’s electricity consumption per capita is 12,343.098 kWh per year and 71.4 % of that electricity is generated via fossil fuel. Australia’s consumption is 10,252.432 kWh per capita, with 90.8 % fossil fuel dependent. German consumption is 6,366.428 kWh per capita with only 61.8 % of that fossil fuel generation dependent. NationMaster
• Between 2000 and 2005 around 10 million acres of forests were lost per year in South America, which incorporates the might Amazon forest. The land is cleared primarily for cattle ranches and soybean plantations. Only 20 – 25% of  Brazilian soybeans are used domestically; most is exported overseas for use in food, textiles and increasingly – cattle feed. Choices Magazine and Monga Bay
• The food we eat now typically travels between 1,500 and 3,000 miles from farm to our dinner plate (also known as food miles). The distance had increased by up to 25 percent between 1980 and 2001. Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University
• To grow a pound of wheat requires around 130 gallons of virtual water. For meat, depending on the type – multiply that by five to ten times. Water Footprint
• Global coal consumption in 1980 was 4,129.498 million short tons. In 2006, it was 6,743.786 million short tons. Coal consumption is projected to grow at about 2.5% per year over the next 20 years. US Department of Energy

Simply put, we could learn alot from other countries.  Sounds to me like we are the richest, poorest country and we are quickly diminishing our resources.  I could truly be a millionaire if I adopted greener and more resourceful habits. How about you?

Preparing for My Challenge

I am definitely the spender in this relationship.  I just love new shiny things, whether I need them or not.  If there is money in the bank, its meant to be spent so not only has this become a wasteful habit as I am constantly replacing the old with the new, but it has contributed to the big D….DEBT.  So as I prepare for my year of reducing, reusing and saving money, I have found the following tips to live by for the next 30 days leading up to 2010:

1. Examine your spending habits. Are your buying decisions motivated by your own values or by advertisements? Don’t be influenced by consumerism and an obsession with spending.
2. Stay home. If you don’t need to shop, don’t go shopping simply because you are bored. Don’t use shopping as a recreation or amusement.
3. Leave the money at home. The easiest way to not buy anything is simply not to take any cash, checks, debit cards, or credit cards with you when you go out. At most, take a small amount of cash with you for emergencies.
4. Avoid plastic. Try putting your credit card in a container with some water and freezing it. That way you have it for holidays and emergencies but not just to go buy stuff. Or, better yet, give it to a relative you can trust.
5. Buy used. If you really need something and haven’t been able to beg, borrow, or dumpster-dive it, go to a thrift shop and get one for pennies on the dollar. Online auctions and yard sales are also good, although there is still the temptation to buy “stuff” you don’t really need.
6. Pay cash. Studies show the average person spends less when paying with cash and much more when paying with credit, possibly because when you use a credit card it feels as though you are not parting with “real” money.
7. Make a budget and stick to it. Don’t treat your budget like a New Year’s resolution. While creating and sticking to a budget requires self-control, it’s a really good way to get your finances under control and avoid accumulating a pile of crippling debts and a bunch of worthless crap in the process of destroying your self-respect.
8. Make a list and stick to it. Make purchasing decisions at home, where your needs are apparent, instead of in stores where shelves full of other products will distract and entice you. A list can also help you postpone and consider purchases and consolidate trips out.
9. Ask yourself some questions. Will I use this every day? Will I use it enough for it to be worth buying? How many hours did I have to work to pay for this? Employ the 3-month forecast. Ask yourself if you’ll still be using the product regularly in 3 months. If you have lived this long without it, do you really need it? If you move frequently, contemplate whether this purchase is really worth hauling around each time you move. If you don’t, ask yourself if it’s worth sacrificing some of your precious living space to own it.
10. Repair, don’t replace. If you shopped carefully and got good service out of something, don’t assume you have to replace it when it breaks. A good repair shop might be able to restore it to “near-new” condition for less than the cost of a replacement, and you won’t be adding to the landfill problem.
11. Try to get things you need or want for free. In a surprising number of cases you can get whatever you need without spending a dime.
    • Check local “free sales”. Visit websites such as freecycle, Freesharing or Sharing is Giving. These sites are so useful precisely because so many people buy things they don’t need or replace perfectly good things with similar but newer things. You can decide to be smarter than that.
    • Borrow. If you need a product for just a short time, why not borrow someone else’s? There’s no shame in borrowing as long as you are willing to reciprocate when someone needs to borrow something of yours.
    • Try bartering. Your past extravagances have probably left you with a lot of things you no longer need, but which other people may want. Experience some of the gains from trade that economists are always talking about.
12. Oh, my! This would look nice in the bathroom.

    Avoid shopping malls, if possible. If you need to purchase something, go to a store that sells that thing. Don’t automatically head for the mall, where you’ll likely get lured into buying things you don’t need. Also, mall stores tend to be high-priced since the rent is high for those spaces. If you go to the mall just to hang out with your friends, consider finding new hobbies, or new friends. If you have to walk through a shopping mall to get to a restaurant or a movie theater, keep yourself engrossed in conversation (either with yourself or your companions) so that you don’t focus on your surroundings. Concentrate on where you are going, but pay no attention to the stores along the way.

13. Use the buddy system. If you go out with friends, you may find that you enjoy yourselves so much that you don’t even feel like buying anything. You could all make a pact to prevent purchases. It’s kind of like a 12-step program to escape the consumer culture.
14. Avoid unnecessary upgrades. Yes, that new toaster has a little chime and can toast eight slices at once, but seriously, how often do you need eight slices of toast at once? Our consumer culture pressures people to replace perfectly good products with newer products for silly reasons, like fashion. Remember, an avocado-colored oven works just as well as one that’s mango-colored.
15. Buy for durability. If you decide to purchase something, choose something that won’t wear out, or won’t wear out quickly. Also avoid purchasing items that will go out of fashion. Think through how you will use the item and how your choice will meet your needs for as long as possible. Thinking in the long term, a more durable item costing 30% more up front will still save you money if you can use it twice as long.
16. Buy for easy compatibility. If you really like an item, think carefully about how well it will work with what you have already. Maybe a clothing item is fresh and flattering, but if it doesn’t coordinate well with at least two or three pieces you own, you’ll either get limited use out of it, or worse, you may ‘need’ to buy more to use it at all.
17. Use the “Rule of 7.” If something you want is over 7 dollars, wait 7 days and ask 7 trusted people whether this is a good purchase. Then buy it if you still think it is a good idea. This rule will curtail impulse buying. As you get more financially secure and have a larger disposable income, you can gradually increase the threshold upward from 7 dollars.
18. Make gifts for people. Use your own skills (or learn a new skill) to make gifts that people will remember long after they’ve forgotten store-bought presents. Don’t forget that gifts needn’t be wrapped. You can make a gift of time or skills, too. Remember the lesson of The Gift of the Magi: it really is the thought that counts. Money can’t buy you happiness or self-respect or any friends worth having.
19. Tax yourself. Every time you make a purchase over $10 (or $50 or whatever limit you choose), take 10% of the price and put it into your savings or your investments. This way, you discourage yourself from buying something just because the item is “marked down” or “a bargain” and boost your financial security every time you make a significant purchase. If you use a debit card or a credit card, try using one that has a savings program, American Express offers a card with a savings account and Bank of America offers their “Keep The Change” program to automatically transfer money into your savings account.
20. Grow your own food. If you have even a small garden, it’s easy to grow your own food.
21. Ask Yourself the 3 Questions – WANT, NEED and AFFORD Can I afford it? Do I Need it? and Do I Want it? If your answer is YES to all the 3 questions then you can buy it.  

We’re on mission

Is this all there is?

And it’s simple in theory: Do not buy anything new for 1 year.

This does not include underwear (although I’m sure bleach would kill all the yuckies), food (I am not opposed to Freeganism but that will be considered a bonus if I can actually find edible food that has been discarded) and items required to keep our business and family alive and well. If my girlfriend says a new sweater at Express is vital to her survival we’re going to have to have a talk.

And who are we? Tif & Tamarah, Chloe & Siera. Yes, I typed it like that because it rhymes. More or less we’re moms, girlfriends, vegans, soon-to-be students and chicks who are getting sick and tired of being wooed and sucked in by the Shopping Monkey that currently lives inside our wallets.

We also LOVE a challenge and feel like 2010 is the year we can accomplish something that most people can’t imagine doing. As a disclaimer we’re not opposed to buying used but at least we won’t be contributing to the plague of trying to fill the void with NEW.