Old is the new new this October!  In Salvos Stores in Australia, October is BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH. You don’t have to travel around the world to get on board for having more money in your pockets, more time on your hands and  leaving a lighter carbon footprint.

Instead of a short-term, throw away attitude to “stuff”, BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH extends the life cycle of goods, maximizes the embedded cost and resources in the stuff we buy, and gives an introduction to the re-cycled, free-cycled, up-cycled, secondhand and sustainable alternatives that are better for you, your wallet and the planet.  BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH doesn’t mean going without.  Make  a BUY NOTHING NEW pledge and you can beg, barter and swap – even buy – what you need, as long as it is pre-loved.  This of course excludes necessities like food, drink, hygiene products and medicines, but you get the idea.

BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH also shows that going green doesn’t have to be expensive.  By adapting our attitudes and approach, going green can be a money saving path to socially responsible consumption.  According to Affluenza author and BUY NOTHING NEW supporter Clive Hamilton, “…consumption today often involves buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like!  BUY NOTHING NEW is about spending our time and money more thoughtfully.

This October, think about where stuff comes from, where it’s going, its embedded costs and what are the alternatives.  Make a point to do something green each day.  Your wallet will thank you and  your planet will thank you.  You might even become more creative.  What do you think?   Could you go an entire month without buying something new?