Buy Nothing groups: spend less, share more and live generously
By Amy Paradysz
One person’s trash is another’s treasure.
That’s the basic premise behind the national Buy Nothing movement and the book Buy Nothing, Get Everything: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller, founders of the Buy Nothing Project.
Buy Nothing groups have been thriving in Maine over the past year, with three dozen of them so far from the New Hampshire border in Kittery all the way up through the Moosehead Region (there’s a statewide map at www.buynothingproject.org)
“Just as the pandemic started, our group exploded,” says Deanna Duffey of Buy Nothing Scarborough, which has nearly 2,500 total members.
One member posts a photo of something that they would like to give away—it could be lightly used crib mattress, a slightly too-small pair of hiking boots or a bag of cat litter that just isn’t the right brand for a finicky feline. Someone else—often, several people—express interest. The first person to say they are interested communicates with the giver and arranges for pick-up (often contactless porch pick-up). No money is exchanged. In fact, offering to pay goes against the mission.
“The idea is to strengthen community ties,” Duffey says. “I’ve met so many neighbors, people who live a half mile down the road. It’s the new equivalent of going across the street for a cup of sugar.”
In Scarborough, a string of HAPPY BIRTHDAY balloons were regifted so many times over the few first months of 2021 that Catherine Crockett decided they needed their own Facebook page. After a few months, two strings of balloons started traveling around town—one in silver and one in golden rose rose.
“The first person almost didn’t even share them, and look at the joy this brings,” says Crockett, who has met several women in town with birthdays coming up in their families. “I’m writing down who wants it when, and we’re all part of this happy balloon craziness.”
This balloon chain has been making the rounds in Scarborough for months, thanks to the Buy Nothing Scarborough group. Photo courtesy Catherine Crockett.
