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Dec 24, 2008

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions but in having few wants." --Esther de Waal

A Year of Secondhand Shopping

A middle-class couple is trying to follow an unorthodox lifestyle even for these frugal times: They are attempting to go a full year without buying anything new. That's right, a full year. Whatever they need, they try to borrow, buy secondhand, or do without. Eleven months into their social experiment, they are largely adhering to their commitment to the simple life. What started out as largely a green initiative -- to live more in harmony with the environment -- has since transformed into something more fundamental: a journey into what the couple considers a "socially responsible" lifestyle. Tringo says they want to set a good example for their newborn son. Along the way, the couple has learned a lot about their own values, as well as the nation's.