The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously

by Liesl Clark, Rebecca Rockefeller

Overview

In the spirit of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Joy of Less, experience the benefits of buying less and sharing more with this accessible 7-step guide to decluttering, saving money, and creating community from the creators of the Buy Nothing Project.

In their island community, friends Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller discovered that the beaches of Puget Sound were spoiled by a daily influx of plastic items and trash washing on shore. From pens and toothbrushes to toys and straws, they wondered, where did it all come from? Of course, it comes from us—our homes, our backyards, our cars, and our workplaces. And so, a rallying cry against excess stuff was born.

In 2013, they launched the first Facebook Buy Nothing Project group in their small town off the coast of Seattle, and they never expected it to become a viral sensation. Today there are thousands of Buy Nothing groups all over the world, boasting more than a million members, and 5,000 highly active volunteers.

Inspired by the ancient practice of gift economies, where neighbors share and pool resources,The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan introduces an environmentally conscious 7-step guide that teaches us how to buy less, give more, and live generously. At once an actionable plan and a thought-provoking exploration of our addiction to stuff, this powerful program will help you declutter your home without filling landfills, shop more thoughtfully and discerningly, and let go of the need to buy new things. Filled with helpful lists and practical suggestions including 50 items you never need to buy (Ziploc bags and paper towels) and 50 things to make instead (gift cards and salad dressing), The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan encourages you to rethink why you shop and embrace a space-saving, money-saving, and earth-saving mindset of buying less and sharing more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982113803
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	01/12/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	430,626
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.38(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Liesl Clark is an award-winning filmmaker and cofounder of the Buy Nothing Project. She has traveled the globe writing, directing, and filming many of the world’s most remote places. For the past two decades, Liesl has filmed for National Geographic and NOVA, covering science stories in extreme locations. By using her storytelling and photography, Liesl’s cofounding of the Buy Nothing Project has initiated a social movement necessary to bring about change and a positive impact on our homes and the environment.

Rebecca Rockefeller launched the Buy Nothing Project with its first local Facebook group on Bainbridge Island. Since then, she has been the force behind the movement’s unique online culture. Rebecca has translated her social media skills into a consultancy, helping artists and nonprofits promote themselves and their social movements online.

Table of Contents

Introduction: How We Came to Buy Less and Share More 1

Why We Should Buy Nothing 12

The Plastic Age 12

A Clean Solution 17

The Psychology of Consumerism 19

Drowning in Stuff 20

The Unexpected Joy of Buying Nothing 22

An Invitation to Buy Nothing 26

Try Our 7-Step Buy Nothing Challenge 26

The Rules 28

Exceptions 29

Step 1 Give 31

Himalayan Teachings 32

The Importance of Having Something to Give 36

An Economy Build on Giving 38

Step 1 Give 41

How to Give 45

Regarding Gift Economies, Women, Poverty, and Wealth 49

How to Create a Gift Economy Group 52

Gift of Self 55

We Invite You to Give 57

Step 2 Ask 60

Money Separates Us, Gift Economies Connect US 61

We've Forgotten How to Ask 64

A Buy Nothing Wedding 65

Step 2 Ask 67

All Gifts Have Equal Value 72

Unexpected Connections 75

We Invite You to Ask 77

Step 3 Reuse & Refuse 80

An Experiment in Buying Nothing 85

Why Shopping Feels Good and Buying Nothing Can Feel Better 87

Life Less Groceries 90

Step 3 Reuse & Refuse 96

50 Things We Never Buy 96

Make Every Day a Special Occasion 121

We Invite You to Reuse & Refuse 124

Step 4 Reflect 126

The Thrill of Shopping 129

Step 4 Reflect 132

We Invite You to Reflect 138

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Something 139

Step 5 Make & Fix 141

Be a Producer, Not a Consumer 142

Step 5 Make 144

Fix It! 145

50 Things We Make 147

We Invite You to Make & Fix 168

Step 6 Share, Lend & Borrow 170

Create Your Shareocracy 172

Step 6 Share 175

50 Things We Share 183

50 Things We Lend & Borrow 195

We Invite You to Share, Lend & Borrow 205

Step 7 Gratitude 207

Step 7 Gratitude 207

The Ultimate Gift 210

We Invite You to Express Gratitude 212

Just the Beginning: Buy Nothing for Life 215

Share Your Experience 215

Start Over and Over and Over Again 216

Challenge Yourself to Buy Nothing Longer 217

Buy Mindfully 219

A Vision for the Future 222

Giving Networks as Aid Organizations 223

Saving the Earth, One Give, Ask, Share at a Time 226

Real-World Sharing 227

Acknowledgments 229

Appendix 233

References 241

Index 247

Editorial Reviews

Their approach is not about bartering, but about giving and receiving...My favorite [example]? A quarantinee, stuck at home, gifted her monthly MetroCard to a health care worker. The original owner of the card didn’t need it. A nurse on the front line of the crisis benefited. And our community was enriched. Simple.”—Judith Newman, The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

03/01/2020

Cofounders of the Buy Nothing Project Clark and Rockefeller offer a seven-step manual that teaches readers how to buy less, give more, and live generously. Based on a project in which neighbors actually bought nothing but shared and pooled resources, this guide presents concrete suggestions on how to avoid buying plastic, create a gift economy group, and find inventive ways to lend and borrow different items. This book not only enlightens readers on the consequences of using disposable goods but encourages them to think outside the box and envision the unforeseen blessings of sharing and using less. VERDICT A great springboard to finding an antidote to consumerism.

Library Journal