Scott Dannemiller - The year without a purchase: one familys quest to stop shopping and start connecting

2015 Scott Dannemiller

First edition

Published by Westminster John Knox Press

Louisville, Kentucky

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2410 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

All Scripture quotations marked The Message are from Peterson, Eugene H. The Message:
The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002. Print.

Book design by Sharon Adams

Cover design by Barbara LeVan Fisher/levanfisherstudio.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dannemiller, Scott.

The year without a purchase : one familys quest to stop shopping and start connecting / Scott Dannemiller. First edition.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-664-26068-2 (alk. paper)

1. Consumption (Economics)Religious aspectsChristianity. 2. WealthReligious aspectsChristianity. 3. FamiliesReligious life. I. Title.

BR115.C67D36 2015

241'.68dc23

2015002767

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.

Most Westminster John Knox Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, and special-interest groups. For more information, please e-mail SpecialSales@wjkbooks.com.

This book is dedicated to all those without enough.
May these words help us part with plenty
to make the world a better place.

Contents

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my wife. She is the one who makes me a better person, constantly refocusing our attention on God and on doing the right thing. Without her, this book would never have been finished. She is my most vocal cheerleader and critic, happily editing with her red pen and offering suggestions. Thank you for your dedication to me, our family, and this project. I also must thank our kids, Jake and Audrey, who are the pride that swells my heart, the muse behind my words, and the givers of my headaches. May these words one day remind you of your beautiful childhood and the love we share as a family.

And to my mom and dad, I could never repay you for all the gifts youve given me. I only hope my life makes you half as proud as I feel every time I remember that you are my parents. And to my brother and sister for setting the bar high and always showing love. Thank you.

I also acknowledge how my life has been shaped by my spiritual guides: Nancy Marroquin, Kristi Shay Moore, Rob Mueller, Alastair and Catherine Rundle, the Presbyterian Churchs Young Adult Volunteer Program, and especially the beloved BAVs. Thanks for fortifying my soul.

And to our family in Guatemala: Martin, Graciela, Edwin, Francisco, Marlon, Eduardo, Josesito, and Yadi. Thank you for opening your home and your hearts and showing us what true generosity can be.

I thank our church family who supports and inspires, and our friends near and far who encourage and entertain. You provided us with both material goods to sustain us during the year and a fountain of inspiration to fuel my writing. I am so very grateful.

To Seamus McKiernan at the Huffington Post for being the first to publish my stories to a wider audience, to Lindsay Ferrier (Suburban Turmoil) for her encouragement and awesome video spot about our project, and to Glennon Doyle Melton (Momastery) for helping me go viral. Each of you has made a huge impact on my life with one small act of kindness. I only hope to be able to pay it forward someday.

And to Jessica Kelley and the good people at Westminster John Knox Press, thank you for your vote of confidence and your helpful critiques and feedback. Its been a blessing.

And finally, to our God who calls each and every one of us into a purpose greater than ourselves. May we always be listening.

T hanks for buying this book. I hope you keep reading, but I suspect theres a good chance that youll stop after the first couple of paragraphs. And its not because youre not smart enough to decipher big, fancy words.

Words like decipher.

No, I think youll stop reading because this book isnt for everyone. When we told people we were not buying anything for a year, we had mixed reactions. Some folks thought it was a great adventure. Others? Not so much.

My best buddy Marty simply asked, Why? The expression on his face was the same look he might give if, say, I had just told him I was moving my family to the Amazon rainforest to open a restaurant that sells nothing but corn dogs.

Complete bewilderment.

When I told my brother, he asked, Are you going to write a book about it?

I shrugged. Maybe.

He paused for a moment, then added, That sounds like the worst book ever. Chapter 1: Didnt buy anything today. Chapter 2: I want a new shirt. Not gonna get it.

Thanks, I said. Ill make sure to quote you on the dust jacket.

Big brothers are full of awesome.

Sadly, I cant fault their skepticism. I feel the same way, but for different reasons. For starters, why would anyone want to write a book about not buying stuff? Anybody who actually buys the book would probably feel like a failure from the word go. But Im sure you picked up your copy at the local library.

Second, and more important, the vast majority of the people on the planet dont have excess spending money. Buying necessary items such as clothes,

Those struggling to buy the basics will find our challenge laughable at best, and extremely offensive at worst. And justifiably so. I would feel the exact same way if I heard of a family experimenting with my harsh reality just for grins. So feel free to throw this book across the room. Just make sure there is no one standing in your way when you take aim. We dont want anyone to get hurt, and we dont have liability insurance for that kind of thing.

Now, if you have made it this far, there is a good chance the concept of not shopping for a year has some appeal to you, but youre not sure why. You just know that a vacation from consumerism somehow sounds like a good idea.

Thats how it started for us.

Our situation is the middle-class American dream. We live in a modest, three-bedroom, two-bath house in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. We have two kids. Our boy is six, and our girl is five. Jake plays little league, and Audrey is in Girl Scouts. Im a self-employed corporate trainer. My wife, Gabby, works part-time from home. We have a gym membership. We drive a fourteen-year-old Acura Integra thats paid off and a seven-year-old Honda Pilot thats not. Look up Cheesy Suburban Doofus in the dictionary, and youll see a picture of me in my driveway. Im the one trying to start the lawnmower, wearing Crocs and socks, and whistling a medley of 80s-hair band ballads.