"It began as a simple, or simply terrifying, pledge taken by a small group of friends feeling overwhelmed by all the things in their lives," writes Elizabeth Weise.  She explains, "Over a potluck dinner two years ago, they made a pact: Buy nothing new except food, medicine and toiletries for six months."[1]  When a major newspaper did a feature on the unique experiment, the idea exploded. In a matter of a few weeks more than 700 people from countries as diverse as Japan, the Philippines, and Brazil have put their names on an Internet list to do the same thing.

 

[1] Elizabeth Weise, "USATODAY, March 23, 2006, March 26, 2006, D-1.