Nothing New there then!

So, since January 1st 2010 I have been on a self-set challenge to buy nothing new. However if you read my last update on this challenge you will be aware that I did rather intentionally buy somehting new (some fairtrade christmas crackers for next year) and somewhat accidentally and without thinking about it a bottle of water, although this remains arguably within the rules as I didn't state anything about water consumption. I do however have some vaguely coherent internal rules about buying bottled water, and such a purchase would normally be one I would try to limit, however on that particular day I had forgotten to take a bottle of water with me, and I did need a drink, so is it better or worse to buy a bottle of water or a bottle of fizzy pop? There weren't a great deal of highly ethical options in the motorway services shop.

It is also rather dolefully that I admit to accidentally buying an umbrella. I know, I know, how can one accidentally buy an umbrella? Well, my umbrella has been around for a good few years and has been half way round the world with me and back again, it has been well loved and well used for some time now, but is also broken. One of the arms/spokes? won;t extend. It catches in my hair, and drips onto my neck, and the taggy bit then hangs in my face, trying it the other way round seemed far worse in terms of how dry i was keeping, or rather how wet I was getting. This I have been putting up with, but now it is getting tempramental in whether it will actually let me open it up and stay opened. The mechanism seems to be gone. It's a shame because it has been good for not turning itself inside out in the wind, it also folds up really small making it not only a great companion for travelling, but also an easy addition to my bag.

So, I saw this teensy umbrella reduced in (argh, dare I say it? I am reducing the amount i go there) Tesco, it was perfect. I left it on the shelf thinking of my (not ethically related) new year's resolution of having a budget per month, and thinking an umbrella was a particularly unsexy way to spend my limited budget. Then at the cash desk I decided that I do in fact need an umbrella and so should get it. Proceeds to Marie Curie too (although I do know that it's probably about 10p they got). It was only on the way home that I realised my mistake.

Still, I was going to buy a replacement umbrella soon enough, resisting buying it wouldn't have really changed anything about the world, just ever-so slightly delayed it.

There are some things on my want list though, they will have to wait til February though. 12 days to go until I can have:
-a glass drinking straw from http://www.glassdharma.com/straws.html
-the good shopping guide. This year I want to get a lot better at avoiding products from unethical companies