Conversations, some actually in real time...

The interesting process this week has been telling people my Big Plan to Live Small. My stepfather (Uncle Dad, as he was once an uncle but married my mom so now we've got the Deliverance theme going...) immediately responded with "That's not going to help the economy, you know." And, that's true. But I don't know if it's going to be a negative impact either. I wasn't spending a huge amount, and we were living small-ish before. Or so I tell myself, with apparent smugness, as I look at our small urban house (new windows and furnace), fuel-efficient cars, minimal commutes, little debt, and general aspirations toward non-materialistic lives. So perhaps this isn't too drastic, just a bit rigid. And I've had several people wonder if I can actually go a year without buying new - which of course makes me more stubbornly determined. Ornery, even.

Bob has been mostly supportive, and is signing on as well, although we haven't talked specifics as yet. He was hoping that I would exclude clothing purchases for me, as apparently I am too frumpy and chances are that won't improve much. (This is the time of the year where I hate my wardrobe anyways and notice all the cute stuff I can't fit into anymore, so I'm kind of sensitive to criticism. I'm funny that way. ) Yet I'm wearing my favorite outfit, bought this fall at ValuVillage, and I feel pretty good about my ability to find some decent clothes for all of us second hand. Or at least I did, until he sent me this article:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thrift2-2009jan02,0,2083247.story

In a nutshell, due to the recent spate of lead found in children's toys, some far-reaching federal reforms have been put in place that mandate lead testing on all sorts of items, including used children's clothing - effective this February. Initially, I heard about the rules being so rigid that small craftspersons wouldn't be able to make even natural material toys without having to pay ridiculous amounts for lead testing, but I hadn't realized the reforms would impact the second-hand sector as well. So the best intentions have created some pretty ugly consequences - with complicance impossible, thrift stores may simply discard tons of clothing as it would be illegal to sell it without being tested for lead. (I know you're thinking lead? In clothes? Not a huge problem, although the odd sparkly paint and metal embellishments have been found to contain lead. There was a boy in Minnesota who died from lead poisoning after ingesting a charm from a pair of sneakers - just last year.)

Considering the number of layoffs just this week and the lack of living wage jobs, I'd have to say that thrift and consignment stores are probably the only retail growth opportunity left. The timing for this rule couldn't be worse. It's worth writing your representatives about. I'm planning on requesting that they push back the timeline for implementing the rules until the repercussions can be worked out.

As to the ongoing 'cheap vs. idealistic?', 'vanity project vs. lifechange?' debates on this endeavor - it will have to wait for another day. And it might just take me all year to figure that one out.