I wanted to be really good about this. I had visions of trawling the antique and charity shops, picking up old cups and saucers and assembling them into shabby-chic mismatching tea sets, or of learning to make candles. In the event - with a few 'vintagey' exceptions - I did the usual last-minute consumerist splurge, replacing thought and time with excess generosity. It'll be different next year.
However, there were a couple of good ones: for young children, The Lorax by Dr Seuss, first published 50 years ago, and about as perfect a metaphor for what's happening now, to our environment, as it's possible to find. Everyone should read it. It should be put on school syllabuses and turned into a film or puppet show.
For grown-ups: fruit trees from the gluttonous gardener.
The gifts we received, on the whole, did not reflect our green bent - with the exception of Jonathan's uncharacteristic 'Save the Children baby kit'. It was a relief to get two pairs of Agent Provocateur knickers from one sister, and the most beautiful (Daylesford) breadboard from the other. I suspect I will appreciate the finer things in life even more next year, if I plunge - as I plan to - into a year without shopping.
I've been thinking about it for a while, and though I'm not sure quite how to make it work - are kids' birthdays exempt.? And how about their friends' birthdays? (It might not be so bad in practice; in anticipation of this monumental - for me - move, I have assembled a hefty present stockpile under the kitchen window seat, to the extent that it no longer closes!) I'm not sure if I'll make it, but I think I should try. It can't be worse than giving up chocolate - which, for that matter, I've never managed to do successfully for more than about four days. We shall see...
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I too have decided to take the plunge and give up shopping for non-essentials in 2008.
Like you, I think the trickiest bit will be presents for others – but this Christmas has yielded the usual haul of inappropriate stuff which can be re-gifted with a clear eco-conscience. (Your talk of Agent Provacateur underwear made me very envious. Sudoku puzzle book or Lazy Susan anyone?)
I’ve decided that while a daily newspaper is a non-essential, the weekly local paper is a must-have, to keep up with local politics in particular.
As for books, luckily we have a lovely local library in cycling distance – and nowadays you can get just about anything second-hand from Amazon. I’ve just bought Not Buying It by Judi Levine in my final Amazon splurge for, I hope, some inspiration and encouragement.
At the end of the year I will compare my 2008 credit-card statements with 2007’s – and the money saved will go towards our long-term project of installing a wind-turbine at the top of our hill.
The main aim, however, is to get others to think more carefully about how they choose to spend their money – and to that end I can claim a small victory already. My mother and godmother today cancelled their plans to hit the Bath sales together next week. And I haven’t even started not shopping yet.
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