buy nothing, swap something

We’re over the moon with the response we’ve had to Buy Nothing Day. Lots of people took the time to visit OurSwaps, with loads of new sign ups and heaps of new things being added to the site every day.
When we started OurSwaps, it was for the simple fact that we wanted to make swapping easy and fun. And now, 6 months since we launched, even we’ve been surprised by how the concept of swapping has taken hold. Looking back now, it makes perfect sense - we’ve become more and more aware of our impact on the environment as consumers, with recycling reaching the crucial tipping point and most of us looking for ways to avoid waste.
We’re all guilty of having more than we need, of hanging onto things for ‘that bit too long’ and basically spending a lifetime hoarding (until the odd spring clean when we go a bit mad and clear out some of what’s hidden under the bed!) Well I, for one, hate seeing things go to waste… and the fact that my desire for things regularly outweighs my bank balance is what led me right here.
What’s more- there’s nothing like a global economic crisis to get everyone thinking about how to cut back on spend, but none of us want to give up on treats (well I don’t anyway- what would I have left?!).
I could go on about this subject for ages, it’s one of my passions (hence why I’m here!), but I’ll spare you the pain. As a good friend of mine put it ‘swapping’s like getting something for nothing when you think about it’, and that phrase struck a real chord with me, as that’s what sets swapping apart from shopping; the fact that money doesn’t have to change hands in order for you to get something you really want. Other than winning the lottery, I can’t think of another way of reaching the same high.
Buy nothing, get something. Swap, don’t shop. The revolution is here.