#No-buy November

I'll be the first to admit I love shopping a little too much, and am undoubtedly guilty of buying a lot of things I don't actually need - particularly in the fashion department. I am making a conscious effort to change this behaviour, starting with a whole month without purchasing anything new. I love a great hashtag, so let's call it #nobuynovember.

Why?

Consumerism, fast fashion and a throw-away culture are more prevalent now than ever before, and this is problematic for a number of reasons. Gone are the days when we fix our possessions - whether that be a sock with a hole or a smartphone - and instead we are throwing them out and buying new ones.

Our constant demand for unnecessary items is wreaking havoc on the environment, animals, and human beings, and I'll be the first to admit that I've been engaging in this kind of behaviour for far too long. When we make purchases on impulse, we don't take the time to consider whether we actually need what we're buying. We don't think about who has made it and under what conditions, what t's made of, how long it will last, the impact on the environment when we discard it mere months later like a child bored of a new toy.

By going a full calendar month without buying anything new, I'm aiming to highlight my own behaviours, and reinforce more positive ones: making do with what I already have, taking care of what I own, and letting go of the constant need to have the newest, best, most fashionable possessions. Because after all, they are just that - things - that deep down I know I don't want or need.

I'm going to stay conscious, and write down the details of anything I have to stop myself from buying - what, where, how much, who I'm with and how I'm feeling at the time, what I do instead of buying the item.

This way, when I look back at the end of the month, I will hopefully be able to draw some conclusions about my spending habits, and prove to myself that almost every month could be a month without buying anything new.

What is included?

I will not be purchasing any brand new items: electronics, clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories, skincare, makeup, homewares, fitness equipment, and so on. 

Anything purchased second hand (ie. from an op shop), food and drink, and feminine hygiene products are allowed. 

Give it a go

I'm sure I'm going to need some moral support, so why not try it with me? I'd love to include everyone's results and lessons learned at the end of the month, so let me know in the comments, on Twitter or via Facebook.