Buy nothing

Until now, I've had no interest in the "buy nothing" piece of the sustainability movement. But my motivation has changed. So today begins my year of buying nothing. And I'm stating it here to help hold me to my commitment. Whether or not anyone actually reads this blog, it's still a visible declaration.

So this post isn't about the garden, but it is about being more self-sufficient and sustainable, primarily personally but also because of my commitment to doing the right thing for the planet wherever possible. I'd say this is one area I've been out of integrity.

There will be exceptions - house emergencies, cat requirements - and food and household items are of course necessary. But I have to be careful about what I consider necessary - it's far too easy to stop at the local drug store for allergy pills and pick up a new tube of unneeded lipstick or jar of lotion. I'm not a spendthrift by any means and I'm fairly frugal, but when I do shop, it's often for the wrong reasons.

Why today? My life has taken a new turn.

For most of my life, I equated "stuff" with safety and love. Shop therapy served me for a long time, but no longer. Sometimes I consider shopping as entertainment or my clothes as part of my creative self-expression. But it's really more than that. When I'm feeling insecure, or unsafe, or scared, these purchases offer a momentary lift.

I no longer want the distraction of the "treasure hunt" or "something new," the false sense of being whole and complete. It's time for me to address my underlying safety and insecurity issues, thanks in large part to the baggage of my youth, so that I can come to a new place of power and choice.

For the last several days, I've been purging. I have donated about 20 bags or boxes of house and personal goods to Goodwill, and taken about five bags of food to the food bank collection boxes. My recycling containers are overflowing. I hope to never have so much stuff - ever again. And I'm not done. I would like to live life more lightly. My last purchase was a new camera, which for me is an important tool for living.