Progress report for 2008

What have we bought new so far this year?

I thought I should do a list of the times we have broken our consumption challenge. Perhaps you guys could give suggestions for how to avoid these pitfalls in future?

Razors. What am I supposed to do? Go Amazonian? I can't think of a consumption-less alternative for me, and I am not about to suggest that Andrew should grow a full beard.

Glue, varnish, nails. Andrew has bought a few sundry woodworking supplies. He has restored a number of pieces of furniture and picture frames from op shops and garage sales (I really should be blogging about his stuff too, eh?) and there doesn't seem to be a way around buying a few consumables. It's not like these things can be bought second-hand since glue and varnish actually go off.

Hair ties. No, they're for Andrew. This one might have a solution. Any ideas? He uses pretty heavy-duty elastics to tie his long hair back.

Shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap. I'm going to be trying the no-shampoo challenge soon.

Deodorant. Oh dear. A "must have". It's the only part of being European that I dislike. Any consumption friendly alternatives which actually work?

Toothbrush. We've each had a new brush (and Elliot has his first) because I couldn't find any alternative which wouldn't send us broke.

Disposable nappies and wipes. Back in Jan/Feb Elliot got a staph infection and we had to use disposables for about 6 days so I could wash his nappies in a special solution.

Hot water system. Our 26 year old system finally died in the new year. Can't really go for a year without hot water just to prove a point. We got an energy-efficient system to replace the horrid old storage tank system.

Cleaning supplies. Well, technically these aren't "bought" because we don't pay for them, but they are still consumed by us. My mum is a distributor for a little company which makes perfume-free, colour-free dishwashing liquid and laundry powder and other cleaning items (I think shampoo and conditioner too) for people who have chemical sensitivities. Given my family's history of chemical issues my mum likes to bless us with free cleaning stuff. I haven't paid for dishwashing liquid or laundry powder in 11 years.

What if?

I have noticed a few things which may need to be bought one day.

Cds. I have been using my usb and mp3 to give information to other people wherever possible, and have barely used any cds. But I do need to backup info and photos. Any alternatives?

Unpicker. Bet you weren't expecting that. I used my unpicker to cut a hole in leather yesterday and it broke. I have another, but I'll be looking out for one at the op shop now. What will I do if I have no unpicker. I have a love/hate relationship with it, but I am not stupid enough to think I can live without it.

Consuming or not?
It's interesting for me to ponder the "consumption" issue. For instance, when I try the no-shampoo challenge, I will still be consuming something (bi carb, apple cider vinegar) instead. If I tried going without the few cleaning products I use, I would have to use something else. I love my bi-carb as a cleaner, but it can't wash laundry. And if it could I would need to purchase much more bi-carb. There are many things I am finding it easy to go without (new clothes, toys, entertainments, sewing supplies) but there are some things which seem vital to a healthy and hygenic existence.

I'm not sure what m point is, so if you know or you want to weigh in on the topic, please leave a comment.

Oh, temptation!
A quick thought to leave you on. I am having a great deal of trouble coming to terms with another 7 months without one of these.

This is the only thing which is testing my resolve about the challenge. What am I to do. I can wait, but it's going to be a tough road.

Update, questions, and chocolate

Mini-challenge:
I have finished the linen cupboard, and have started on the study. I have cleaned the study numerous times, but it will never stay clean until I get rid of enormous amounts of 'stuff'. So, I have decluttered my yarn, fabric, and sewing things. Probably got rid of about 35%.

Currently I am working on my Scouting stuff. I have stepped aside from my role as Andrew's assistant so now it's time to clear out all the stuff I no longer need. Lots of stuff can go to the Scout Hall or go to Andrew or be chucked. There will be very little which I will want or need to keep. Hooray!

After that I'll be starting on my light table. It's such a handy piece of furniture, but I keep using it to dump boxes of 'stuff' on.

And at some stage I may have the courage to tackle the desk.

I have 'before' shots, but lack the courage to post them just yet.

Consumption Challenge:
We are coming to the realisation that we will need to set a small budget for household-repair-type-spending. It simply isn't possible to purchase a second-hand plastic light fitting thingy, or a very specific lock gadget which we need to keep Elliot off the back steps. With a 30 year old house, repairs are inevitable and unavoidable.

Currently our bank balance is looking extraordinarily healthy which is such an encouragement. I think we may have our credit card paid off in record time at this rate.

I am discouraged by a number of things I was previously unaware of or able to ignore:
Like sour cream, which I buy lots of, has a recycle number '5'. In our area we can only do 1, 2
and 3. :( I hate it every time I chuck a container in the bin. I'll have to find some glass sour cream containers.
Like the amount of junk mail we get which is urging us to buy. I am not tempted by the catalogues, but it saddens me to think of all the spending we used to do just because. I will be putting up a 'no junk mail' sign on our letterbox.
Like advertising in general. It makes me sad to think of people buying stuff because they are told to. I left graphic design out as a career option because the same issue made me sad.
Like hearing that Chadstone (bl%*&y enormous shopping centre) just broke the record as being the first shopping centre in AUSTRALIA to top $1,000,000 (yes, that's one million dollars!!!) in sales in one year!!!!!! They're already talking about how to top it this year.

Questions:
I am able to find many sewing supplies (velcro/zippers/bias tape) in op shops, but what should I do about things I can't find and aren't reusable? Eg: fusible webbing/interfacing.

Where do things like toilet brushes and toothbrushes fit into the grand scheme of the Challenge? I can easily crochet up some dish cloths when we need more, but my skills are limited when it comes to making brushes. Buying new ones seems to go against the Challenge since they are poor quality, not recyclable, and have a very short lifespan. Any ideas?

Chocolate:
Have I mentioned that I'm doing the slave-free chocolate thing too? I can't justify my own pleasure causing children in another country hurt, lack of freedom, and worse. I am usually addicted to choc, but after reading some of Eilleen's posts I seem to have lost my infatuation with it. Still trying to find a fair trade choc which I like. I'm sure there's one out there.

Linen make-over

The highly anticipated results of my 50% off challenge on my linen cupboard are in...

Drum roll, please...

I reckon I got to about 45%. Not bad, eh?

Now for the before and after pics...





This is the lower two shelves of my linen cupboard before my 50% challenge.


Fairly representative of the entire cupboard, but I didn't think to take pics until I had already started. D'oh!





Ta-da! Labels below each item. All neatly folded. All have a home. I've even got the sheets sorted according to bed-size! Wonders will never cease.
Lots of spare room for op-shop bargains!!! (And I now know what I need/don't need which is very handy).
Finally a home for the vacuum cleaner and its accessories. (It's been living in the laundry/study/middle of the hall...)
And there's even enough room for all of Elliot's sheets/blankets/towels. Now Elliot's shelves are full of cloth nappies and toys and books. Just like they should be.
A few items have been transferred to my sewing pile (fun 70's prints), a few are getting sent to the rag bin in Watsonia, but most is going right on to the op-shop. Hooray!