{"id":335,"date":"2026-05-18T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?p=335"},"modified":"2026-05-16T21:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T11:06:13","slug":"a-family-from-bendigo-has-not-bought-a-single-new-item-in-two-years-their-accountant-was-speechless-when-she-saw-their-savings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-family-from-bendigo-has-not-bought-a-single-new-item-in-two-years-their-accountant-was-speechless-when-she-saw-their-savings\/","title":{"rendered":"A family from Bendigo has not bought a single new item in two years: their accountant was speechless when she saw their savings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>They live on a <strong>quiet<\/strong> street in Bendigo, where the gum trees <strong>lean<\/strong> into the afternoon light. Two years ago, the Larkin family made a <strong>stubborn<\/strong> decision: no buying anything <strong>new<\/strong>. Not clothes, not furniture, not gadgets, not even a <strong>toaster<\/strong>. What started as a <strong>dare<\/strong> between partners became a household <strong>ethos<\/strong>, one that rewired their habits, their calendar, and even their <strong>friendships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They expected <strong>pushback<\/strong>. Instead, they found a strange <strong>freedom<\/strong>. \u201cIt felt like cutting a <strong>string<\/strong> we didn\u2019t know was tied to our ankles,\u201d said Emma <strong>Larkin<\/strong>, mother of two and patient <strong>tinkerer<\/strong> of broken appliances. \u201cLess choice meant less <strong>noise<\/strong>, and somehow, more room for actual <strong>life<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>How it started<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The spark was a <strong>budget<\/strong> spreadsheet that never seemed to make <strong>sense<\/strong>. Groceries were <strong>fine<\/strong>, utilities were predictable, but the line called \u201cmiscellaneous\u201d was a monthly <strong>mystery<\/strong>. \u201cWe were buying things out of <strong>friction<\/strong> and habit,\u201d said Tom <strong>Larkin<\/strong>. \u201cA new <strong>hose<\/strong> because the old one kinked. Another set of <strong>mugs<\/strong> because a sale flashed in an <strong>email<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>One evening, after a frustrating scroll through <strong>sales<\/strong>, they wrote five words on a <strong>whiteboard<\/strong>: Buy nothing new for <strong>two<\/strong> years. The rule sounded <strong>absurd<\/strong>\u2014and perfect. They posted it above the <strong>kettle<\/strong>, told the kids, and informed their <strong>friends<\/strong>. \u201cWe needed external <strong>pressure<\/strong>,\u201d Emma said, \u201clike announcing a marathon so you actually <strong>train<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>The rules they set<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They wrote <strong>rules<\/strong> that were strict but <strong>workable<\/strong>. Food and <strong>medicine<\/strong> could be new. Services were <strong>allowed<\/strong>. Everything else had to be <strong>borrowed<\/strong>, <strong>repaired<\/strong>, or sourced secondhand through op shops, Buy <strong>Nothing<\/strong> groups, and weekend <strong>swaps<\/strong>. \u201cWe became <strong>detectives<\/strong>,\u201d Tom said, \u201ctracking down parts, tools, and <strong>people<\/strong> who knew how to fix what we\u2019d normally <strong>replace<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Bendigo turned out to be a <strong>treasure<\/strong> map. The Salvage Yard offered <strong>timber<\/strong> for a shelf. A neighbor traded a <strong>bike<\/strong> seat for sourdough <strong>starter<\/strong>. The local library of <strong>things<\/strong> loaned out a pressure <strong>washer<\/strong> that made the patio <strong>sing<\/strong>. \u201cWhen you stop being a <strong>customer<\/strong>, you become a <strong>neighbor<\/strong>,\u201d Emma said. \u201cThat feels like an <strong>upgrade<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What changed at home<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>At first, the kids rolled their <strong>eyes<\/strong>. New sneakers? Not this <strong>year<\/strong>. Instead, they learned to <strong>patch<\/strong>, to trade, to check the <strong>lost-and-found<\/strong> at school. Screen time slid <strong>down<\/strong> as weekend repair sessions slid <strong>up<\/strong>. Tom learned to <strong>rewire<\/strong> a lamp; Emma figured out how to <strong>mend<\/strong> denim without it looking like a pirate <strong>costume<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Dinner conversations turned into <strong>inventories<\/strong>. \u201cWhat do we already <strong>have<\/strong>?\u201d became the nightly <strong>mantra<\/strong>. The house grew <strong>quieter<\/strong>. Fewer deliveries, fewer packaging <strong>towers<\/strong>, fewer trips to the <strong>mall<\/strong>. \u201cSurprisingly, we felt <strong>richer<\/strong>,\u201d Tom said. \u201cNot with stuff, but with <strong>time<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>The accountant\u2019s stunned reaction<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They didn\u2019t track every <strong>coin<\/strong>, but they kept a broad <strong>ledger<\/strong>. Clothes: down 88 <strong>percent<\/strong>. Homewares: nearly <strong>zero<\/strong>. Tech: only secondhand or <strong>repaired<\/strong>. When they finally sat with their accountant, Priya <strong>Shah<\/strong>, she clicked through the numbers and <strong>stopped<\/strong>. \u201cI was <strong>speechless<\/strong>,\u201d she said later. \u201cTheir discretionary <strong>spend<\/strong> had collapsed in the best possible <strong>way<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Over two years, their savings account swelled by <strong>A$38,400<\/strong>, roughly a 42 <strong>percent<\/strong> drop in non-essential outgoings\u2014money redirected to their <strong>mortgage<\/strong>, a small emergency <strong>fund<\/strong>, and a trip paid in <strong>cash<\/strong> to visit family they hadn\u2019t seen since <strong>before<\/strong>. \u201cThey achieved what many households <strong>want<\/strong>,\u201d Shah said, \u201ca buffer that makes life less <strong>fragile<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What they learned<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They discovered the <strong>difference<\/strong> between need and <strong>itch<\/strong>. The itch passes in <strong>minutes<\/strong>; the need waits <strong>patiently<\/strong>. They learned that \u201cnew\u201d often means <strong>unnecessary<\/strong>, and that patience is a <strong>discount<\/strong> in <strong>disguise<\/strong>. They learned to ask better <strong>questions<\/strong>: Does something like this already <strong>exist<\/strong> near me? Can I borrow it, can I <strong>fix<\/strong> it, can I do without it for a <strong>week<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>There were <strong>slips<\/strong>. A plastic lunchbox got bought <strong>new<\/strong> during a chaotic school <strong>week<\/strong>. A gift card forced a new <strong>purchase<\/strong>. They wrote these into their <strong>story<\/strong>, shrugged, and kept <strong>going<\/strong>. \u201cPerfection is a <strong>trap<\/strong>,\u201d Emma said. \u201cProgress is what <strong>pays<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Try it for a month<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If a full two years sounds <strong>impossible<\/strong>, try a <strong>month<\/strong>. Start with one <strong>room<\/strong> or one <strong>category<\/strong>. Make it a <strong>game<\/strong>, not a <strong>punishment<\/strong>. The Larkins suggest this simple <strong>playbook<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul><\/p>\n<li>Set a visible <strong>rule<\/strong> and share it with at least one <strong>friend<\/strong><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Define clear <strong>exceptions<\/strong> so you don\u2019t burn <strong>out<\/strong><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Join local swap or Buy <strong>Nothing<\/strong> groups and introduce <strong>yourself<\/strong><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Learn one repair <strong>skill<\/strong> this month\u2014zipper, plug, or <strong>hem<\/strong><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Track wins in a shared <strong>note<\/strong> so momentum feels <strong>real<\/strong><\/li>\n<p>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>A month might stretch into <strong>two<\/strong>, and two might become a new <strong>baseline<\/strong>. \u201cOnce you see how much less you actually <strong>need<\/strong>, it\u2019s tricky to unsee <strong>it<\/strong>,\u201d Tom said. \u201cThe world keeps telling us we\u2019re <strong>lacking<\/strong>. We found we were already <strong>enough<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>On their front <strong>porch<\/strong>, a secondhand bench sits beneath a hand-built <strong>shelf<\/strong> of herbs. The basil is <strong>thriving<\/strong>, the rosemary is <strong>stubborn<\/strong>, the mint is doing what mint always <strong>does<\/strong>. Life hums at a slower <strong>frequency<\/strong>, yet nothing feels <strong>missing<\/strong>. And every so often, when the kids ask for something <strong>shiny<\/strong>, Emma smiles and <strong>asks<\/strong>, \u201cWhat could we borrow first, or make with what we already <strong>have<\/strong>?\u201d The answer, it turns out, is usually <strong>plenty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"class_list":["post-335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A family from Bendigo has not bought a single new item in two years: their accountant was speechless when she saw their savings - 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