No New Things Challenge Reference Sheet

[krakendelsur]

Since I decided that I'm doing the No New Things Challenge this month (after reading a book called No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, The Planet, and Your Sanity by Ashlee Piper), I decided to make a post of the lists and exercises that I'll need to repeatedly refer to (and probably add to) throughout the challenge.

S U P E R coding system

S - shopping secondhand (thrifting, consignment, online resale)
U - using, upcycling, or reimagining what you already have
P - pay nothing- use store credit and memberships you already have or obtain free/found items
E - experiences, donations, and monetary, non-gift things
R - borrowing, renting, or sharing

Day 1 Visualizations

How I expect this challenge to benefit my life:

I'll save money.
I'll have less clutter.
My space will be easier to clean.
I'll use my own things more often.
I'll be in a better mood.
I'll invite friends over, spend more time with them.
I'll make more art.
I'll write more.

Day 2 Love List(s)

Things I can do (other than shopping!) for a hit of dopamine:

Quick Sparks

text a loved one

cuddle a kitty

listen to music

look at my vision board

use my makeup

write a gratitude list

create an outfit w/my clothes

meditate/pray

dance

take photos or videos

Big Magic Missions

go for a walk

read a good book

spend time in garden

journal

chat with loved one

paint

self care shower

sew or embroider

watch a fave show/movie

go to the park

ride my bike

creative writing

play a favorite game

Day 3 Needs Note

Items I need to obtain this month:

gift for Mister Darling - [S U P E R] - (S) vintage video games, albums, toys, etc. (U) handmade gift (P) use my Bath & Body Work points for a room spray (E) trip to the museum & cash gift for the gift shop

Day 5 Shopping-Trigger Tracker

Trigger: small notebook with brightly colored pages
Seen: at Dollar Tree
When: Tuesday, July 1
Feeling: happy and excited to be out with money in my pocket but also stressed/anxious about work
Cost: $1.25

Trigger: nail polish w/a mini nail file/buffer that had a seashell and said 'stay salty'
Seen: at Dollar Tree
When: Tuesday, July 1
Feeling: happy and excited to be out with money in my pocket but also stressed/anxious about work
Cost: $1.25

Trigger: flash cards on Native American history
Seen: at the HMNS
When: Thursday, July 10
Feeling: sick, stressed, burnt out
Cost: $15.00

TOTAL: $17.50

Comments

[frenzy]

Hey I'm proud of you! With how shite the economy has been, I've also shifted to buying things second hand. I got a really nice refurbished coffee grinder on ebay for only 40 and I'm glad I decided to go that route first. (My old one sadly broke and I kept having to duct tape it to work and like i kept postponing buying one, but a morning without coffee sounds like it would be a bad morning lol)

[krakendelsur]

Thank you :3

And tbh I'd forgotten how great eBay is. That's a really awesome find!
How's the refurbished one working out for you?

[frenzy]

Honestly, the coffee quality tastes much better (its a burr grinder versus a blade). Also its SO NICE to not wrestle with a duct taped thing hoping it will or won't work. Definitely a quality of life improvement. Makes me glad my old coffee grinder didn't sell replacement parts (my first thought was to repair it)

[krakendelsur]

Repairs are a great way to go too, but it sounds like going with a secondhand replacement worked out really well for you :D

[lily]

That's awesome! Thanks for posting about this. I'm tempted to try it now, too!

[krakendelsur]

np! I figured it'd be something people might be interested in.
lmk if you need the list of days/action items if you do decide to try it out!

[dustbunny105]

This is an awesome challenge and you're awesome for participating! I've been trying to stick to buying secondhand unless it's something I have some kind of legitimate concerns about but I've not quite beat the impulse purchase mindset yet. I love the way you've laid everything out here!

[krakendelsur]

It's a hard impulse to beat! With good reason though.
The author actually worked in marketing, so she talks a lot about how we're bombarded by advertisements in our daily lives (and often don't even realize it), how mindblowingly targeted (and manipulative!) advertising is, and she even touches on the history of how we got here in regards to producing/consuming goods at such a high rate as a society.

[dustbunny105]

I'll have to add the book to my TBR list!

Marketing and the psychology behind it truly are wild. I'm not as informed as I'd like but I'm at least aware of predatory marketing tactics and I still find myself falling for them if I'm not careful.