The Compact
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I joined a Yahoo group last Spring that I had read about somewhere online. The group’s premise is/was quite simple: buy nothing new for a year. In a quest to simplify their lives, Compacters agree to not buy new products of any kind from stores and to borrow, barter, or buy used. Over the course of almost a year, I have seen LOTS of people join the group and LOTS of press about the group. The Compact started in San Francisco, but has obviously grown immensely (as evidenced by my membership here in evil little SC). The discussions on the Yahoo list (where I admit to being mainly a lurker) have been interesting. Everything from politics, to whether or not Compacters could buy razors and art have been topics of discussion.
Now… How have I done with The Compact? Honestly, not very well at times. You see, I am a recovering conspicuous consumer who adored wretched excess. Seriously, I have been suffering with depression basically since Tony’s birth. And, unfortunately as a child I was over-indulged at many times and thusly I thought that buying “things” somehow equated to happiness. Of course, I don’t blame my parents for this. They were and are great parents and grandparents. It’s just that sometimes they tend to buy too much stuff. So, when I was depressed I would shop. When I was happy, I would shop. When I was angry, I would shop. You get my drift. It’s not that I spent a lot of money though… a trip to Goodwill, Marshalls, or even The Dollar Store was just as fulfilling to me as a trip to a department store. In fact, in many ways it was more fulfilling because I got more for my money and I am one hell of a bargain shopper. One day I sort of woke up though. I can atribute this to many things…. getting older and watching my parents try to decide what to do with their 40+ years of crap accumulation, living in our overstuffed (yet not small by the world’d standards) townhouse, watching my daughter pick-up my hoarding habits, watching documentaries about evil big box retailers, becoming even more environmentally conscious than I was before, getting REAL help for my OCD and depression (I used to obsess over specific items until I had them), constant nagging from my wonderful husband to change my lifestyle, etc.
So, while I haven’t been 100% faithful (and many times not at all faithful) to my Compact vow in 2006, it has been a HUGE year of growth and learning for me. I am simplifying my life. I can now get rid of things almost without a second thought. I enjoy donating unwanted items or posting them on Freecycleâ„¢. I no longer want 100 bargain priced decent shirts. Instead I now want 10 great shirts that are well-made, go with everything, fit perfectly, look great on me , and are PRACTICAL. I no longer buy things made in China (I’ll save that rant for another post). I avoid big box retailers like The Plague. I seek out smaller shops and buy many things online from individuals. I try to buy used as much as possible. And, mainly, I have simply learned that many of the things that I thought I wanted weren’t needed and then weren’t even enjoyed after they were purchased.
Other successes for me in 2006 related to The Compact include: starting a compost bin, growing my own vegetables, having the kids make Chanukah and Christmas decorations this year instead of buying them, building a back deck of sorts for our townhouse from recycled pallets found on Freecycleâ„¢, learning to buy quality instead of quantity, waiting to buy used many times when it would have been easier to just buy new, learning to carefully consider each purchase before slapping down the debit card, and many more that I am sure I am forgetting now. In fact, last night I even managed to convince my husband that he didn’t need to keep a holiday gift that would simply add to our clutter problem (it wasn’t a personal gift at all and we actually already had better than what we were gifted). So, that item will go into the re-gift box where someone who will love it and use it much more than we will can enjoy it. A small success, but still a success since several years ago I would have been the one saying thatwe must keep the item.
Part of my goal for 2007 is to do even better than in 2006. I am mentally more prepared this year than last. I now know the difference in a need and a want. I have learned valuable lessons about downsizing. I have several items that I MUST buy soon (like the camera my husband wanted for a gift but we were waiting until we received payments from clients to buy) but you can bet that I will be doing even more research than I would have done before. Plus, I don’t feel badly about purchasing it for him since his other camera is 5+ years old and he got it used and has now really made it last for the past four years. I also have to purchase some supplies to start homeschooling my brilliant 11 year old. I am trying desperately to find used things but if I can’t I won’t feel badly about it since her education is number one on my list. I’ll be updating regularly about how this is all “working out” for us. It’s certainly the continuation of a journey and I am looking forward to it.
Links for The Compact:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/
http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/