We Tried to Buy Nothing New for January — Here's How It Went
Positive News staff took on the challenge of buying nothing new for an entire month. The experience revealed surprising lessons about consumption and creativity.
CultureGNGV Editorial Team5 min readLast reviewed September 28, 2026
Positive News reports on their team's experiment: a full month without buying anything new. Staff members discovered creative alternatives — borrowing, repairing, buying secondhand, or simply going without.
The challenge revealed how much unconscious consumption happens daily and how many purchases are driven by habit rather than need. Participants found themselves more resourceful and more connected to their communities through borrowing and sharing.
