Ten Insights from Our Year without Buying:

1. When we shop less, we free up time, energy, and money we didn't even know were available. Our former “Gotta find it!” lifestyle would fill our afternoons with exhausting quests to make our home look picture perfect. Our lived-in living room shows the signs of our redirected enthusiasm with our cat-frayed rug, threadbare pillow-fight cushions, and handmade curtains.

2. Fixing items we already possess is not only frugal but creative and empowering. Now when the handle falls of a mug, our jeans rip, or the futon collapses, the first question we ask ourselves is “what should we use to fix it?” Some of our patched-together projects are more Frankenstein than fashionable but somehow we are always proud of what we have accomplished.

3. If we don't fill all our own wants, things often come to us in surprising and fun ways. Some of the items which have magically materialized from our silent wishing are garden decorations, diamond earrings, patio benches, chocolate chip cookies and cotton balls. Friends of ours who engaged in shortened versions of our no-buying experiment were delighted by the same magnetic attraction and would regale us with stories of “Guess what came my way!”

4. Envisioning our home as a free-store allows us to discover the potential in what we already own. During our yearlong shopping hiatus my husband and I vowed to read every book in our house, which even our steady bedtime reading failed to accomplish. Five years since the end of the experiment, the Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain, West with the Night, Angels and Demons, and numerous other unread treasures await us in the ready bookstore which is our den.
5. Our desires often disappear when they are not fulfilled right away. When I find myself really wanting something, I right it down on a piece of paper and tuck it away for a month or so, just to see what happens. Most recently I read that I had desperately wanted couches for our basement playroom, though now our restructured futon seems to fit the bill just fine, and I don’t mind the kids jumping on it!

6. We can promote connections with others by the borrowing, bartering, and lending of goods. The lawn mower that we share with our neighbors, Joan and John, is a constant source of bonding as the passing from hand to hand often results in impromptu conversations and get-togethers.

7. Cleaning out our things and donating them lightens the burden of our possessions while helping others. My friend, Kami, felt so inspired by our de-cluttering agenda that she cleaned out her whole house and found needy sources for all her items. An old friend bumped into her and commented, “You look great! Have you lost weight?” “Uh, I don’t think so,” Kami replied, “But I lost a bunch of stuff!”

8. By refraining from filling all our children's desires, we learn how creative and resourceful they can be. Recently our thirteen-year-old daughter, Sage, transformed a long black skirt worn by my grandmother into a cute mini. When I asked her where she learned to alter clothes, she replied, “Nowhere. I just did it.”

9. Refocusing our attention on purchase-free places, allows us to see libraries, museums, and parks anew. On a school holiday, my youngest daughter, Laugan, and I acquired a free pass from our local library to visit the Chinese Gardens, where she discovered “giant goldfish,” Mandarin symbols carved in stone, and tea buds that opened like a flower.

10. De-emphasizing shopping lets the true spirit of holidays, birthdays, and special occasions shine brighter. Instead of presents, family birthdays are celebrated by giving each other a “special day” in which the “Queen” or “King” can dictate the day’s activities from wake-up to midnight. Some of the more popular “commands” are donuts for breakfast, double feature movies, go-carting, being chauffeured (without complaint!) to random destinations, and ice cream for dinner.

Always remember to ask yourself: "Is the way I'm acquiring things contributing to my profound happiness?" You deserve to feel joyful, invigorated, and fulfilled and changing how you buy can help!