A week or so before my partner and I began our quest to buy nothing new for one year, we found a bicycle outside our door. It had obviously been stolen or abandoned some time ago, as it was quite rusty. But this was no ordinary bike, and my partner saw its potential right away. She brought it in the house and posted found notices on craigslist and in nearby bike shops. No one claimed it. Read More »
reuse

Day 10 Off the Retail Grid: A Tale of Two Bicycles
Saving Money and Being Green in the Kitchen
Earlier, I discussed some of my own money saving tips and ideas. to help keep your bathroom clean, eco-friendly, and cheap. Let’s move on to the kitchen. Read More »

Day 5 Off the Retail Grid: How Important Are Bike Helmets, Anyway?
I've decided that I was being way too strict in my self-imposed guidelines on the purchase of consumables. The Pact, on which this endeavor to buy nothing new is based, allows for the purchase of consumables like toothpaste and toothbrushes. I think my goal where toiletries and the like are concerned will be to buy as ethically as possible. Read More »

My Pledge: One Year Off the Retail Grid
I am pledging right here, right now that I will buy nothing new for the next year. I just watched a film called The Story of Stuff and it has cemented my conviction that consumerism is among the worst problems the world faces. If we don’t experience a major paradigm shift soon, we will hasten our demise. Read More »

This Alternative Sounds Good!
After reading this blog about the importance of music in our society, I'm proud to say on Earth Day that one of the reasons I work in the grooviest music store in Montana is simple: we have all the airwaves we'll ever need to sustain the soul of our ears; it's time to recycle them through the use and abuse of turntables Read More »
DIY
I am part of the 12:01 arts collective in the coachella valley. We encourage people to buy less, create their own things, reuse, question authority, and be artistic. We have a few different zines since we have branched out from the Coachella Valley into the Santa Cruz area. Any of which can be mailed by request to a reader for free ( we'd be honored!). Read More »



