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While the average Australian buys about 14.8 kilograms of clothing every year, Tamara DiMattina hasn’t bought anything new for more than 20 years — but she doesn’t consider herself a ‘minimalist’.
She’s an avid op-shopper, and will spend days, months, and even years hunting down a pair of shoes she loves through online marketplaces.
‘You can either go into this shop where they sell new stuff, or next door there’s a shop where they sell, not new stuff,’ Tamara says on the latest episode of our podcast TDF Talks.
‘Go into that one and then you still buy amazing, better quality things than in the new store, but you’re getting it cheaper and your money is going to help the community. To me, it’s literally a no-brainer.’
Why she started shopping exclusively second hand
It all began when Tamara was living and working at a ‘posh’ job at Sotheby’s auction house in London. She didn’t have much money to spend on new clothes, but had to look smart, so she turned to what was (then) a ‘tiny little startup called eBay’.
She bought a second-hand sewing machine and started learning how to make her own clothes, inspiring her to rethink the ‘normal’ way of consumerism and fast fashion. By 2010, she travelled to Antarctica to learn more about climate change, which opened her eyes to how humans’ ‘wasteful’ consumption was ruining our environment. Then she launched Buy Nothing New Month — urging others to make a pledge to shop second hand during the month of October.
The huge savings she discovered
‘I was saving so much money, I honestly thought that there had been a bank miscalculation,’ Tamara says of her shock when she stopped buying new items. And the best part was that she was able to buy more expensive, better-quality, and longer lasting pieces just by shopping second hand.
‘It’s really good for my pocket, it’s really good for the planet and it’s really good for our people as well — if you ever wonder why things are so cheap, it’s because we’re not paying the true cost.’
Her advice for buying nothing new
Checking your local op-shops regularly is one of the best ways to find a hidden gem. When it comes to making the most of Facebook Marketplace or eBay, Tamara says the search function is key, having filled her own garden with plants she’s propagated from Marketplace purchases.
‘I still buy beautiful furnishings. I’ve got gorgeous Jardan couches that I bought online on eBay. It can take a little bit more time and thought, but I just don’t find it challenging.’
Why it’s important to vote with your dollars
Tamara is also the founder of The New Joneses, which is now a web series that encourages people to consider their broader impacts on the environment — reminding them to think beyond the pressures of ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’
It’s about changing your bank, superfund, and electrical provider to one that supports sustainable initiatives, working out how to improve your home’s insulation, or buying an electric vehicle. ‘It’s a little thing to you, but those things really do make a difference,’ she says.
Find out more about Buy Nothing Month here, and visit The New Joneses to watch their free videos about sustainability.
This episode of TDF Talks is brought to you by Momentum Energy. Listen to the full episode below, or find TDF Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
