Cattāri Brahmavihārā

The Challenge
For one year, we will buy nothing.

Except for groceries … and a few other things.

***

From January 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2014 we will adhere to the following purchasing rules:

RULE #1: We are permitted to buy:

groceries (including pet food)
toilet paper
toothpaste, floss, and toothbrushes
ingredients for making soap (Santa gave me lye in my stocking!) and other hygiene/cleaning products

RULE #2: We are NOT permitted to buy:

soaps, detergents, deodorants, hair products, cleaning products, etc.
other personal hygiene “necessities” (razors, razor blades, creams, scrubs, make-up, etc.)
elastics, tape, string, paper, tin foil, ziplocks, pencils, craft supplies, etc.
clothing attire, shoes
household items/products, decorations, furniture
appliances
toys/electronics
sporting goods
books (but borrowing from the library is great!)
tools
hair cuts/personal care
activities and programs (with the exception of Aurora’s cello lessons)
presents (but we can make them!)
RULE #3: Rule #2 may be broken if:

A family member’s physical well-being is threatened
AND:

The item is purchased used if possible
AND:

The purchased item is disclosed in this blog along with the reasons for buying it, the monetary cost of the item (to us), the social and environmental cost of producing the item, the estimated lifespan of the item, and the item’s most likely ultimate destiny (i.e. the dump, recycled into a new product, etc.)

RULE #4: The following other expenses are permissible:

essential medical, dental, and veterinary expenses
utility bills and housing
the occasional dining-out treat (disclosed in this blog)
public transportation (for work)
the occasional rental/borrowed car (and gas) for short vacations
items needed to repair something we already own to its original condition (as of January 1st, 2014) – NO upgrades! So, if our bicycle has a flat tire, we can purchase patches, or, if all else fails, a new inner tube, but no new (and lighter) handlebars, more aerodynamic helmets, etc.

https://thefastingconsumer.wordpress.com/the-challenge/

The above I found on a blog and am inspired to take up something similar. I will need to make some exceptions for dana but I am sick of buying things on a whim (despite how blessed I realize I am to be able to do so). I hope to expand on this theme and come up with something shortly.