I just signed up for the No Impact Experiment Week. To find out more information and sign up, click here. I remember getting into the No Impact Man website when I was in college and he was still running his experiment with his own family. I felt like I learned a lot from his posts and experiences. I also saw the movie, which was very interesting, so I thought doing this experiment myself would be interesting.
The first day starts today, Sunday, and it is all about consumption. Today I am suppose to consider my purchases and how I can reduce them. I think I have already done this to a degree in the past year but there is always room for growth. I do need to be better about when I make a purchase on trying to buy it used first before just going to a store and making a purchase. Also finding local shops to make my purchases at, I am lucky that living in a big city there are these options and many of them. Because in doing this you are most likely being less stuff overall, less packaging, plastic, etc.
I am proud to say that I plan on getting a book this afternoon, and after looking at local library branches, and they didn't have it available, I am going to go to the neighborhood book co-op. This co-op is great, you pay a $10 membership fee and then you get 10 credits. For each credit you can go in a get a used book. You can also earn more credits by taking in books or returning books, which I have done and plan on taking more. I love books, so I have easily collected more than enough over the years. I love that I really don't have to spend money for these "new" books that I get. When I don't go to the co-op there are a couple of used bookstores that I like to go to also.
So on the No Impact journey, I plan to be better about my purchases. Trying to buy used first on all accounts and then if not used, from a local store. The hardest part out this is going to be clothes. I have reduced my clothes purchases a lot in the past 6 months, but when I still do go clothes shopping on the rare occasions I don't buy used. I really need to be better about this, and I plan on being better about it the next time I go shopping for clothes.
Do you have any suggestions on how to reduce consumption?
How was your first week of class?? I hope you feel better prepared than you thought you would. I would like to recommend Clothes Mentor. They are a used clothing store, but the clothes are all under 2 years old and from stores like JCrew, Banana, Gap, Ann Taylor etc. Also if you have any clothes that you don't really like any more, and they fit the above description, you can take them there for cash. I have only been to the one in LS but it was great, I got two brand name skirts for 14 dollars. This is more expensive than a normal thrift store but the clothes are all in really good shape. There is one in Fort Collins but I bet there is one closer to you too.
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