The Rules

 

1. I’m not buying new manufactured consumer goods in 2007.

  • I already have tons of clothes, furniture, books, etc. that I can use and enjoy.
  • I'll fix broken stuff, learn how to make stuff from scratch, or borrow stuff I don't need to own.
  • I'll buy used things or refashion old things for new purposes.
  • Buying tools and raw materials like thread is acceptable, though I will attempt to recycle or buy used, if applicable.
  • When things like tampons and toilet paper run out, I’ll buy the brand with the most recycled content.

If I learn how to make and restore things, that’s all the fewer things I’ll have to buy new in the future. I don’t think I’d commit the energy and time to learning how without this structure.

Last year I spent $5591.70 on manufactured goods (exludes any food). If that number goes down to half, that’s $2800 I can put toward my staggering credit card debt – another fix I’m in.

2. I’m not buying food from restaurants in 2007.

Two hipster friends visibly blanched when they heard this one. But I've got to learn how to regularly plan and prepare meals - for the sake of my health and my finances.

This portion of the project absolutely depends on my employment at a generous firm that provides two meals a day as well as leftovers. I'll partake in these meals, but my work schedule means that 13 meals a week are unaccounted for. None of the food I buy for myself will be restaurant food, and I’d like to learn how to prepare some of the basics: bread, hummus, ice cream, etc. Once I learn how to make these things, I won’t buy them prepared for the rest of the year.

I'm sure someone will offer to buy me dinner at some point - I'll do my best to say no and try not to make a habit of it!

3. I will allow myself to buy coffee and drinks, which I could easily make at home.

The purchase of coffee and drinks from cafes and bars is usually the purchase of a social experience -- and often the purchase of career advice, networking opportunities, and critical feedback. I’m already eliminating restaurants, which constitute a major part of my social life - I guess I’m not willing to reduce my interactions solely to people interested in and/or helping me with Fix.

4. I’d like to take better advantage of the free and community-based resources available in New York City.

While the purchase of experiences and services are allowed in Fix, in the project’s spirit of resourcefulness, I’d like to examine my habits of consumption in these areas, too. For example, I’d like to make better use of the public library and attend more gallery openings, as well as explore what's happening in the streets and parks in my neighborhood.
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