108+ Things to do Instead of Shopping

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At times it seems that the all American pastime is shopping. If we are bored, there is nothing on TV, or we just feel like getting out, all too often we go shopping. What else is there to do? I have created a list of things you can do instead of shopping. Some are fun, some practical, some silly. All of these ideas should cost little or no money. Not all of these ideas will apply to everyone, but I am sure many of these ideas do.
Note: My DH helped me with these ideas, perhaps you can tell which are his :)

108+ Things to do Instead of Shopping:
1. Work in a garden (your own or the community garden - container gardens count)
2. Play a Board Game
3. Hike a nature trail
4. Read a Book
5. Walk
6. Woodworking
7. Sharpen your Kitchen Knives
8. Visit a Park
9. Play a Video Game (do you still have that 8-bit Nintendo lurking in the back of a closet)
10. Bake from Scratch
11. Go to the Library
12. Run
13. Practice for NTN trivia
14. Spend Quality Time with Friends and Family
15. Bike
16. Yoga
17. Sew down the fabric stash
18. Knit down the yarn stash
19. Spin down the fiber stash
20. Draw
21. Paint
22. Detail the Car
23. Lounge
24. Watch an Old Movie
25. Listen to the Radio
26. Swim
27. Dance
28. Have Sex
29. Catch up on your favorite sports team
30. Go Surfing or skateboarding
31. Repair something that is broken in your home
32. Audit a class at the local college
33. Mentor a Kid
34. Give the Dog a bath
35. Send a kid in the 3rd World $0.25/day
36. Practice the Instrument you used to play
37. Clean out the Garage
38. Humanely trap a household pest, and release it next to a big box store
39. Plan your Next Gorilla Gardening Expedition
40. Fix and sell the car on blocks in the front yard
41. Collect old campaign signs in your neighborhood
42. Pick up Litter
43. Write a letter to your senator or congressman
44. Read the Onion
45. Play fetch with the dog
46. Drink a beer in your front yard and wave and/or yell at the kids that walk by
47. Develop a working knowledge of a language you always wanted to learn
48. Listen to the "Dark Side of the Moon" while watching "The Wizard of OZ"
49. Churn your own butter
50. Learn to juggle
51. Write Thank You Notes
52. Clean behind the fridge
53. Make Pizza
54. Spend more time naked (inside the house)
55. Make crock pot caramel
56. Plan a party
57. Do Push-ups
58. Do Sit-ups
59. Hold a potluck
60. Mow the Lawn
61. Clean the Dryer's Lint Trap
62. Make new friends on the internet
63. Write a fanfiction
64. Learn to Weld
65. Ask the utility company to perform an energy audit on your house
66. Write the next great American novel
67. Volunteer at the Animal Shelter
68. Visit your town's poorest area, and see if you can help
69. Find a homeless person, and give them $5
70. Polish your shoes
71. Stretch
72. Bring your stash of mini soaps and shampoos to the homeless shelter
73. Climb a tree
74. Plant a tree
75. Bird Watching
76. Paint your Nails
77. Have a Scavenge Hunt
78. Sing a Song
79. Take a Nap
80. Feed the Birds
81. Go to the beach
82. Start a Digital Scrapbook (No paper, and a lot of freebies)
83. Visit a Public Garden
84. Make a Bird or Squirrel Feeder
85. Play Dress Up
86. Get a Hair Cut
87. Tell stories or Read Aloud to Kids
88. Visit a Museum
89. Go to a Cultural Event
90. Take a Self Defense Class
91. Make a Rain Barrel
92. Make or Fill a Compost Pile
93. Star Gazing
94. Teach a child arcane slang
95. Change the Oil in your Car
96. Create your own home spa day
97. Rearrange the furniture
98. Have a tea Party
99. Scrub the Baseboards
100. Make Presents (DD's suggestion)
101. Begin working on the project you got supplies for two years ago, but never got the time to start.
102. Cloud Watching
103. Target Shooting
104. Go Fishing
105. Visit your friends and family
106. Make a scrap paper Hat
107. Take some Photos
108. Make a time capsule

Any other suggestions? I will add them to my list.

July No Buying Challenge

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Nearly every eco-friendly blog or website I visit focuses a lot of it's content on the cool new green stuff you an buy, so that your consumption leaves a smaller footprint on the planet. They forget to mention that an even smaller foot print is left by NOT buying the cool new green stuff. Keeping and using your old stuff, even if the old stuff was not produced in an environmentally friendly manner, is almost always better for the environment then buying new green stuff (see note at bottom). Using your old stuff has the additional advantage of keeping a lot of green in your wallet.

This observation has led me to focus my blog on reusing products whenever possible, but I would like to do more. That is why I am officially issuing a challenge to friends, family, and readers. I challenge everyone to limit their purchases to necessary items only for the entire month of July. Lets try to do what is right for both our world, and our bank accounts.

Who: All of you, your friends, family, friendly strangers, whomever will listen.
What: Limiting purchases to only necessary items.
When: July 2008
Why: To open our eyes to truly sustainable living, both environmentally and economically.

What do you win? Potentially hundreds of dollars, and a new perspective on what is really needed, and what really contributes to our overall happiness and wellbeing.

What is necessary? I will leave this distinction up to you. My list of necessary items includes food (minimally processed, not including take out or eat out), prescription drugs, gas, personal higene products, and anything required for work, or basic home upkeep. It does not include shoes or clothes, craft supplies, or even gifts. I also plan on using items that have been building up in my house, like the speciality lotions that are often received as gifts, before I buy new ones.

Through out the month I plan on giving tips for buying less, and spending less, while living a eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle. This will include eliminating many convenience items from your life, reusing items that would otherwise be discarded, and making or repairing items that would otherwise be bought.

I hope to hear from everyone that takes on this challenge. Please share both success and failure, as well as your own tips and tricks.

~Gerwerken

Note: When something must be replaced it is better for the environment to buy an environmentally friendly product; however, products are often replaced when they could be repaired or reused.