Will I continue with the Compact?

The past few weeks I've been getting a lot of questions from readers about the fact that it's the end of the year and so my experiment is coming to an end. I've received questions about whether I'll continue with the Compact, whether I'll keep blogging, what I've learned from the whole experience, and is there anything I'll be buying new in January, amongst others.

Over the next few weeks, I'll try to answer all your questions in detail. Right now I can tell you that doing the Compact and blogging about it have become so much a part of my regular lifestyle that I can't imagine stopping now. So I will definitely continue blogging into 2010, with a few changes. I'll continue with Thrifty Threads and Food Waste Friday and some of my regular features, but I'll also be adding new challenges, conducting interviews, and reading more simple living books and telling you about them.

I embarked upon this experiment with a definite end date in sight, but sometime around September it dawned on me that not only was there nothing I was dying to buy new, but that my new lifestyle was very satisfying to me. It occurred to me that I didn't want to give it up, that I'd become a die-hard Compacter. That is to say, I will still make exceptions and occasionally buy new things, but I will always make a conscious effort to borrow, buy used, or do without first. And I like that. It feels right to me.

There's no way to say everything on the subject in one post, but I think the most important element in my decision to continue with the Compact and writing this blog has been the support of my readers. I've gotten great support from my husband for doing the Compact, but writing the blog has been so much more valuable than I'd ever imagined. It's much more than just a document of my year, because of all of you out there reading and commenting and writing emails to me. It's become a whole conversation about living a non-consumer lifestyle. And that interactive element is what I've enjoyed most of all. I can't express how much I appreciate your support and involvement, and that goes for those of you who challenge me as much as those who say I've inspired them to make similar changes. There is nothing that makes my day like having someone tell me that what I've said or done has meant something to them or made them think of things differently. So thank you all so much for joining me in this journey.

Tomorrow I'll answer the question, "Is there anything you plan on purchasing new in January? Something you've realized that you can't find used, or just really have been wanting to splurge on?" If you have any specific questions you want me to answer over the next few weeks, feel free to leave them in the Comments section.