My challenge to myself was to buy nothing new for the whole of January. My self-set rules allow me to buy used second-hand.
15 days into January, what have I bought? Have I bought anything new? How is the challenge going?
Well, disappointedly I tell you I did in fact buy something new only 4 days into the challenge. I was in Oxfam, and saw the fairtrade crackers I wished I had known about before I had bought non-fairtrade ones for christmas just gone, but also kind of pleased I hadn't known about, cause if I had have done I would have bought them, and at twice the price for half as many it would have been 4 times as expensive. So there they were in the January sale at half price! So, 2 boxes in hand ready for christmas coming which I will no doubt be hosting (hopefully with a BabyOrganik) I remembered my challenge. I left the queue to put them back. Then decidedly stepped back into the queue. I thought that if there is a BabyOrganik at christmas I may decide not to spend the extra cash and so no fairtrade crackers would get bought, I also thought I didn't want them to go to waste and wanted Oxfam to sell them. I basically decided on the spur of the moment that fairtrade of somehting you actually *want* to buy beats self-set challenge.
On the day before that I also bought some things, but I don't think they can count - I bought screenwash and deionised water for the car... as I had been driving along at 70mph I got a load of snow on the windscreen, so went to clear it and smeared muddy slush all across the windscreen hampering visibility. Pulled the wash stick to squirt it and nothing happened. Cue mega anxiety and semi-immediate (as soon as safely possible) stoppage to resolve the issue, hence screenwash and water. Surely safety also beats self-set challenge? Stop me if you think I am just talking myself out of all my purchases and therefore rendering my challenge void.
What probably wasn't okay was the bottle of drinking water I bought at the same time to try and cure the anxiety induced dry mouth I was suffering from. I didn't specify at any point to what level foods and drinks would count.
I have made a few other purchases this month, but they have all been used items, or experiences, or consumables - a used purple cord skirt, 2 cinema tickets, a drink in a bar, a used white stuff gilet, that's all I think. Although, now I come to think of it, one of the cinema tickets was for Avatar 3d and I had to purchase 3d spectacles. I think that probably counts. That only just occurred to me.
So, now we know the mistakes I have made, has it made any difference at all? Have I avoided buying anything or are these the only things I would have bought anyway?
Well, I said "no" to curry at from the take away across from work today, partly based on the excess packaging issue, although that isn't strictly in this challenge. I have avoided bidding on ebay on a few things I actually would have quite liked - a pink spotty cord skirt, some ethnic style leggings and a pair of fairtrade gloves as a present for Mr Organik. I really need a new measuring jug, but for now I am making do with guestimating multiples and fractions of tea mugs! I also nearly bought a replacement for my waning eyebrow pencil, until I remembered. I will have to eke that one out!
So half way through and my fails are as follows:
- 2 boxes of oxfam fairtrade crackers
- bottle of drinking water
- 3d glasses at cinema
