Buy Nothing Project

I love my local Buy Nothing group. I gush about it to someone at least once a day. It's satisfies my shopping urge without spending any money. It's great for the earth, a lot less waste. I've found some much needed items I never could have afforded on my own. I've found help when I needed it.

See this bumbo with tray? Totally gifted. Oh ya, and that bowl in his hand AND the toy in the back ground.

Giant bouncy chair? Gifted. And tasty, apparently.

Amber teething necklace? GIFTED.

Crib and mattress?????? FREAKING GIFTED!

But the best part, are the people I've met. Never in my life have I ever known so many people that live within 5-10 mins, some just walking distance. I grew up in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX where it is not uncommon to live 30 minutes to an hour away from your church, your job, or to drive that far to shop at a particular shopping mall or go to your favorite restaurant. I knew my neighbors but I didn't know my neighbors. And it was always a surprise if someone said they lived in the same suburb as me.

It is just too big of a place, too spread out to ever know very many people in your community, unless you didn't work and happened to go to church around the corner. Because there is literally a church on every corner in Texas. Why did we drive past so many churches every Sunday on our way to our church? I have no answer. Foolishness I tell you, foolishness.

Anyway, I have been challenged to be more generous and loving towards strangers by the women I've met in this Facebook group.

What is the Buy Nothing Project?

We all have stuff, whether too much or not enough, and in this modern world where we’re increasingly tied ever more tightly to our internet devices, we have opportunity at this moment in history to use social media at its best to share the bountiful material culture around us with our neighbors. At its core, The Buy Nothing Project is an experiment in gifting what we have, to prevent the overproduction of unnecessary goods. It’s also an opportunity to seamlessly move goods as gifts from the haves to the have nots with zero cash in the transaction.

The Buy Nothing Project started on Bainbridge Island, here in Washington. Over the years, a couple women had started various groups that gifted produce and traded plants. After several years, and sensing a greater need in their area for a larger degree of gifting, and after creating the app Trash Backwards, these women launched the Buy Nothing Project...just a year ago.

Today, there are Buy Nothing Groups in 29 states and 5 countries (other than USA) with over 25,000 members.

YOU GUYS.

This is exploding.

There is a need being filled.

It's a chance to be generous.
It's a way to know your neighbors.
It's a method of ridding yourself of excess.
It's a fight for simplicity.
It's the growth of community.

I have seen women open up and be vulnerable about their needs, about their struggles, about their lives. I have seen those needs met in overwhelming ways. Some women, who would normally have to seek government aid (so many forms!) or skulk off to a church to ask for help (beg, really...who are we kidding, most don't make it easy), have seen dozens of other families living right in their neighborhoods step up and provide for them in need. Through chemo. Through job loss. Through disability. Through pregnancy. Through motherhood.

This is what LIFE is supposed to be about. Saving the environment is cool, saving money is nice, and clearing out the clutter is awesome...but this community, this vulnerability, this is life.

Many women post "gifts of self" and offer up their homes for parties, their time to teach skills they possess (cooking, gardening, etc), and things like free physical training session or photography shoot.

I just...I mean...what?!

It doesn't feel like real life.

But it is! This can be life for you too! Click to see if there is a group near you or click here to start your own. And if you want to jump start your life into more simplicity, I recommend Jen Hatmaker's books Interrupted and 7.