The Compact

I am kicking around some ideas for my next big challenge/lifestyle experiment. The Compact, where you don't buy anything new for a year, seems like the most intriguing to me. I tend to be better at "not doing" things than at "doing things." So The Compact has that appeal.

Here are a couple links on it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Compact

http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/2006/0...esolution.html

Anyone on here done it? Attempted it? Know anyone who did?

Thoughts in general?

Better get a lot of bait together and be good at gardening/canning. Anything new involves food as well, and that would be tough.

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Originally Posted by ToomuchStuff

Better get a lot of bait together and be good at gardening/canning. Anything new involves food as well, and that would be tough.

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Oh, The Compact allows for buying new food, also for things like toothpaste. So it is not that impossibly hard to do. Families with a wife, husband, and kids have done it successfully.

You can also buy used, like get a t-shirt from Goodwill or whatever.

I know some Compacters also make an exception for new underwear.

But I have plenty of boxers. haha

I'd like to have the fewest possibly exceptions, but I will make an exception for food. haha

Essentially you stop buying new clothes, new toys, new gadgets, etc.

Link?

How specific are the "No spending" rules?

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Originally Posted by Dhiana

Link?

How specific are the "No spending" rules?

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Compact

The might include a better description of the rules and such. http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/2006/0...esolution.html

Interesting.

I've participated in the Really, Really Free Markets in San Diego a while back. Didn't realize it was part of a larger movement.

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Originally Posted by Dhiana

Really, Really Free Markets

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Charming name for them! haha

I'd struggle with clothes. Not because I like clothes shopping but because there is little I hate more. And it is easier to just get in and out as quickly as possible buying new clothes which is usually just enough to replace the ones growing holes. I guess with something like ebay you could probably get exactly what you want maybe without spending much time on the dreaded clothes shopping, but I seldom use ebay and I'm not sure it's an improvement.

Although I found the allows and restrictions on that particular website odd, but I suppose that was just their strange interpretation (ok it's humor apparently the comments say - who would have known).

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Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore

I'd struggle with clothes. Not because I like clothes shopping but because there is little I hate more. And it is easier to just get in and out as quickly as possible buying new clothes which is usually just enough to replace the ones growing holes. I guess with something like ebay you could probably get exactly what you want maybe without spending much time on the dreaded clothes shopping, but I seldom use ebay and I'm not sure it's an improvement.

Although I found the allows and restrictions on that particular website odd, but I suppose that was just their strange interpretation (ok it's humor apparently the comments say - who would have known).

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The Compact and its rules seem informal. I think the key is to be honest with yourself and true to the sentiment of the project. Buying nothing new for one year cannot be that difficult for most middle class Americans. It'd be a breeze for most upper middle class folks (and those even higher on the economic ladder). I also think this is fairly doable for working class Americans.

Strangely, I think my minimalism will hurt me as well as help me in this project (if I decide to do it, which I am leaning toward).