10 Friends Live Secondhand For A Year

**staceyy** · 12-19-2006, 10:15 PM

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16259064/from/RS.4/

**Early Bird** · 12-19-2006, 10:42 PM

Interesting story.

**favesis37** · 12-20-2006, 07:30 AM

wow, i wonder how many of us could do it?

**nuisance26** · 12-20-2006, 08:42 AM

~Um I pretty much do this already. The only time I do buy new is when it's cheaper than used. I just got a used toy I'm giving to my son for his birthday next week, just like I did last year. DH is not completely on board with it. His clothes and toys are usually new. And I buy used sheets. Not gross at all. Hot water and sunlight will kill anything. I won't buy something used just on principle. It must be less expensive than new. Our budget is too tight to buy on principle. But if we made more I'd do this. And eat organic and free-trade too. It's ridiculous these people got on the news! But then again 'news' isn't really news anymore is it?~

**i.m.cheap** · 12-20-2006, 09:05 AM

This is pretty much the way we live too. We even have some gifts from the thrift store under our tree. Some of our gifts are homemade, and a few are purchased new at the lowest possible prices. For example, I received a $10 off coupon from JCPenney, good on any purchase of $10 or more. I found a very nice chamois cloth shirt for DH (he requires a special "TALL" size) on sale for 50% off. The regular price of the shirt was $40, I purchased it with the coupon for $10 plus tax. Then I got him a pair of new Wrangler jeans at Target on clearance last summer for $6.24 and I saved them for Christmas. A new belt was purchased off ebay for 25¢ plus $3.25 shipping. This is a very nice men's leather belt, new with tags, that would retail for more than $25. So for about $20 he is getting a nice new shirt, jeans, and belt. Most of our clothing with the exception of underwear and socks is purchased second hand. Almost all of our books are purchased used also. We don't buy a bunch of other stuff. We just don't buy it if we don't need it. With the exception of the used books, which are my weakness. LOL. But I spend less than $5 a month on books.

**Canongirl** · 12-20-2006, 02:18 PM

This has been on my mind already for the new year. Yes, we already do a lot of thrift shopping but we are obviously in debt because of the "new" things we thought we had to have. There's room in our life for more cut backs.

I plan on posting my guidelines for how I'll be compacting in the new year over on my blog in the next few days.

**EmilyD** · 12-20-2006, 02:52 PM

There was a book written a while back, Not Buying It: My Year without Shopping written by Judith Levine. She told her story about doing this for a year. This group is probably based on her book.

It was a pretty good book, preachy at times, and really not as frugal as we are here. Since she had a closet full of clothes and shoes it was pretty easy to not buy clothes.

I would love to do this but doubt I could. Maybe I will think about it.

**favesis37** · 12-20-2006, 03:18 PM

i would love to see if i could do it. we buy most used stuff anyway , socks and stuff like that don't bother me, as i feel a good washing is all that is needed. i buy used books or go to the library, hmmm thinking i could make this a goal

**FrugalMomof3** · 12-20-2006, 03:32 PM

Very interesting story.

**FrugalWitch** · 12-20-2006, 03:36 PM

Sounds like what most frugal people do already.

DH is hard to find used clothing for, however. His pants are a 44 waist, 38 (ideally) inseam....36 inseam if that's all I can find in the stores. I'm fat and he's tall which makes used clothing tricky indeed, the nearest thift stores are over 30 minutes away (one way) as well.

**hollyhill** · 12-21-2006, 01:53 AM

Great story. I feel a new challenge come on....how about logging not buying new days....along with our no spend days.....?

**rebecca** · 12-21-2006, 06:31 AM

Do most of this myself already. Want to try a little harder to continue doing this.

**DixieJ** · 12-21-2006, 07:45 AM

I've found that I can buy some new things cheaper than used around here.
We have one consignment store here in store and lots of times I find new cheaper. Last year at the end of winter I found hubby some really nice long sleeved shirts at J.C. Penneys marked down to two dollars--most were orginally $35-$40 dollars. I also found short sleeve shirts this way at the end of summer. I find lots of my clothes marked way down like this also. I'm known at work as the "Bargain Queen"

Dixie Jean