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In reality I can't avoid spending any money in 2012, so I've been thinking of some principles to try and work to, and tried to prioritise them.
Double-check do I really need it, and if so can I reduce the amount that I need?
Borrow is it something that someone else has, that I could share/borrow etc?
Recycle is it possible to use something that I or someone else is getting rid of? (Freegle is great for this!)
My experience so far is that I'm more successful with the above if I endeavour to remove the impulse and immediacy of a purchase, and if I talk about it with others and give myself time to think up alternatives and spread the word about what I'm looking for.
When I have to purchase something, I'm going to try and use these as priorities (would be lovely to manage to achieve the top 4 in all purchases of course :-)
- Previously loved (charity shops, ebay, NCT sales etc)
- Fair Trade (in my world, humans come first)
- Organic
- Local
- Oh well....I tried and have to give in to what's available
Mel Ray sent me the link to your blog - great stuff! Was thinking about the process of whether to buy something or not and how to avoid cluttering the world with new stuff and I came up with these steps:
ReplyDelete1) Can I be without it?
If not...
2) Can I repair/modify what I already have to meet my need if I do need it?
If not...
3) Can I borrow from a friend and return when done?
If not...
4) Can I get it from freecycle?
If not...
5) Can I get it from a charity shop?
If not...
6) Can I get it second hand? (from Ebay etc)
If not...
7) I give in and buy it new from a shop.