One year of not buying anything

Accumulating sunsets, not stuff.

I had my rules: You can replace an item if it breaks down and I can’t fix it. I can buy gifts to friends and family.

Intention is not to save money but to reduce my material consumption, become aware of my choices and maybe encourage recycling, upcycling and reuse of what we already have.

I have my rules: food & drinks ok, services like massage and osteo yes please, if something breaks I can replace it. Second hand is great!

Doesn’t matter how much you mariekondo it, stuff doesn’t disappear from the planet. Trust me, I know by looking at my folded tops!

Month 6 has just started and I think I’ve done ok for the first 5 months (except an ‘almost’ in Bali in July) and just when the 6th month begun the kettle broke down! Let’s be honest, fixing it is beyond me. Northern Beaches council organises small electricals repair cafe every now and again but next one is almost 3 weeks away. I need hot water and coffee (prana if you know what I mean) so I had to go and replace the old one. I do trust that my handy partner will be able to revive the old one once he’s back home….

But more importantly, I didn’t buy the monthly supply of female sanitary items (yes, that tampons and sanitary pads) but instead I got a moon cup! Instead of annual load of around (research suggests) 240 tampons and Mother Earth knows how much plastic packaging, I now have an alternative that will last years.

I had my first moon cup around 13 years ago and I gave it a shot but it (literally) feels that the design has improved since, material is softer and maybe I’m also more familiar with my own body’s design (that’s anatomy)!

Thanks for the inputs to my mooncup reseach friends (you know who you are) and Jetsetmama for fearlessly (and funnily) talking about the topic that some might consider a taboo.

And sunsets take no space in the closet.