Here's a really interesting read about a group of folks who have made a pact not to buy anything new (within reason) for the past year.

I found it interesting because I already do this (for the majority of things). I thrift fabric and notions and clothes and dishes. We don't tend to buy much other than food (okay, and the occasional electronic gadget ... and maybe an impulse purchase here and there) from regular stores. I hold magazines to be my biggest downfall in the new-purchase area (but I sometimes get these used at the library, too).

This probably explains why Christmas shopping has been such a bear this year. I'm making some stuff, but I think next year will be a reuse, renew and recycle holiday season (family and friends, consider this your warning). People just don't need more clutter, and I can make tasty or thoughtful gifts with my own hands.

Addendum: After reading through this again, I realized I forgot to say a lot of what I was thinking about this group's choices and how they compare to how I live now. I certainly don't meet their criteria of buying everything used (except in cases of health and safety), but I was surprised to learn how much I do buy used. Now, I just need to figure out how much farther I can go, and where else I can apply these standards (i.e. barter instead of buy, make instead of buy, etc.).