Out With The New – How to Get Involved in Buy Nothing New Month!

Local Community

October is Buy Nothing New month. Across Australia, people will be reigning in their spending habits and vowing to ‘buy nothing new’. Only recycled, pre-loved or renewed items are allowed (including houses!), so in today’s blog, C&G have compiled all the details – and the best tips to help you make the most of it! 

If you’re a self-confessed shopaholic, or you just know you’re terrible at making purchasing decisions – Buy Nothing New month could be for you. Promoting collective, conscientious consumption habits, BNN month might help you unlock your creativity, get into swapping and recycling and reducing the amount of unnecessary expenditure in your life. So, here’s how it works. With the exception of food, medicine and hygiene products, you vow not to buy anything ‘new’ for the whole month of October. Sounds hard? Don’t’ sweat. We’ve got some top tips to get you through.

Ask yourself, “do I need that?”

Asking yourself questions about your potential purchase can change the way you feel about it. If you’re tempted to buy something, ask yourself how much you really need it. If you do, think of other ways to get it, or make it yourself!

Garage Sale Trail 

24th October 2015 sees the annual Garage Sale Trail return to Australia. You can search your neighbourhood for registered garage sales, or hold one yourself. Get rid of gently-loved clothes or household items, or pick up something you’ve been looking for. You can find great pre-loved clothes, furniture and accessories and bag some top bargains. 

Clothes swap

Arranging clothes swap parties with your friends is great, as often you’ll have similar taste. Get everyone to do a clear out and bring their pre-loved threads along. Have some drinks and dinner, and help each other style outfits out of the pile!

Get creative

Got clothes that don’t fit or suit you anymore? Fancy some new shorts for summer? Get creative. Attend a craft class or watch some online tutorials and transform your old clothes and household items into new things.

Exchanges

Melbourne is full of great clothing exchange options. At Penny Lane Exchange in Brunswick you can trade in quality old clothes for cash or credit, or at the Clothing Exchange you can upload pictures of clothes and arrange swaps.

Rent

Not found what you’re looking for? We have a loophole for you! Renting clothes is a far more economical (and space saving) way of wearing new outfits to events. You often don’t have the space in your robes for a new outfit every time a friend has a birthday. Rental companies like Dressed Up or Something Borrowed have designer outfits for hire.