A No-Buy-Lent

Lent is a time for contemplation and reflection, and I want to challenge you to a “No-Buy-Lent.”

The trend of having a “No Buy Year” or a “Low Buy Year” has started taking over on YouTube by young creators hoping to reduce their carbon footprint. Beyond the idea of saving money, a “No Buy Year” helps offer insight into spending habits and build new lifestyle habits that promote family time, priorities, and curb wasteful spending.
 
A year is a very long time (if you want to join me, please do), but a No Buy Lent is definitely more reasonable for the adults and children in our midst. We can examine options for using up items in your home you already own, and reduce waste by replacing used up items with sustainable options. 

The Rules: 

No purchasing of New Items like clothing or household stuff, toys, etc. 
· If an article of clothing is damaged, try and mend it before discarding.
· If a clothing item is not able to be repaired and you have nothing to replace it with, look for secondhand replacement items first. 
· When toiletries/paper products/plastics run out, look for a sustainable replacement product

No purchasing back-up toiletries or cosmetic items
· Instead of paper towels, try using cut up old t-shirts instead, or dishrags
· If your foundation runs out, mix some concealer with your face lotion or try going “au naturale” for a few days
· Use reusable water containers vs plastic water bottles, reuse glass jars instead of
plastic baggies, and use washable reusable mesh produce bags like from Ecowaare.

Instead of purchasing books online or from bookstores, look for downloadable library books or go to the local library
· Hoopla, Overdrive, and Libby offer free library ebooks and audiobooks with your library card

Cancel subscriptions to things you do not use. 
· Cut back to one TV/Movie streaming service or get rid of all of them
 · Spend time that would be spent bingeing with a book or taking a free online course. 
· Go outdoors or to public free events instead. Check local listings.

Make restaurants a Special Occasion activity (Birthdays, Anniversaries, Major Achievements)
· Spend time cooking whole ingredients, teaching younger family members to cook favorite recipes, and purchasing healthy meals to share and eat together
· Wait on alcohol purchases until there’s a special celebration (good for your wallet and your waistline)

That’s it! You can buy gifts for others, but try to offer them gifts they either need or experiences you can share together (like play tickets or a museum trip)

There’s not a lot to it, you just refrain from buying new stuff and focus more on time with family, time learning, and getting back in touch with yourself and the Planet (and God!)

Other tips:

· Keep a spreadsheet of what you do spend, or did spend last month and compare at the end of the challenge

· Unsubscribe from advertising emails that constantly bombard you with “sales”

· Create a “wishlist” of the things you think you want to buy and wait a week (or until the end of Lent) to decide if it will really improve your life or if it’s an impulsive want

Some videos:
Lara Joanna Jarvis: https://youtu.be/ua-BMAtw_4g
Personal Philosophy Project: https://youtu.be/SBfIiCwRtUk
Use Less: https://youtu.be/COXvDd_3Yjg
 
~Liesl McPherrin