Looking for a hiatus from consumerism? Join others in the region through the Compact, a network of individual groups committed to not buying new products of any kind for a 12-month period.
Sound impossible? Check out their blog at sfcompact.blogspot.com. Host a swap party with your friends or in your neighborhood, or trade or loan your no-longer-useful items with someone who can use them. We found these web sites useful in recycling and repurposing our unwanted items: freecycle.org, craigslist.org, swapagift.com, and lendlist.org.