Do you ever look around you and think gee I own a lot of stuff??

Don’t worry you are not alone – a recent report (The ‘Gumtree Australia Second-Hand Economy Report) found that on average, Australians estimate that they have $3,772 worth of unwanted items in their household, which equates to almost $43 billion worth of stuff!!

This month is Buy Nothing New Month and it isn’t about making us feel guilty about having all this stuff or making feel like we have to go without! But rather it is about encouraging us to take a break from our usual spending habits and reassess what we really need to buy and own.

Lets be honest, the worlds finite resources really do mean that our hyper-consumption can’t continue on unabated. So isn’t it better for us to chose what we can do without rather than having that thrust upon us?

Conscientious consumption or mindful spending really fits within the 10thousandgirl girl philosophy. By not spending money on stuff we don’t need, we have more money to spend on things we really do need and life experiences that will provide longer lasting joy than that third pair of summer sandals you bought on impulse.

So take this month as an opportunity to think about what you really need and want to experience.

If you don’t think you can get through the month without adding something new to the wardrobe why don’t you give a clothes swap a go? Its National Clothes Swap day on Monday, 17 October and there are a number of big swaps planned. You can find details on the swap closest to you here.

Swaps are heaps of fun and you never know what you will find! Grab a friend, take along 6 items that you no longer wear, swap for buttons and go shopping!

About the author:
Lisa Fox is passionate about collaborative consumption – the modern take on the age old behaviours of swapping, sharing, bartering and trading.

She is the co founder of a new Australian peer-to-peer rental site, Open Shed, launching in early October. Open Shed will be the place for Australians to rent each other’s stuff with confidence. Helping you to:

•    make better use of the stuff you already own (and a little extra cash) by renting it out  to people in your community.
•    rent instead of buying (“Everything you want, but don’t need to own. Rent it. Use it. Return it.”)

You can find out more about Open Shed at:
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twitter: @openshed
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