"The average American household has 300,000 things," according to sustainability expert Ashlee Piper. "We have more storage units than subways, McDonald's and Starbucks combined."
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To save time, money and help the planet, Piper took on a "No New Things" challenge.
"When I was needing clothing, things for my home supplies, makeup -- things like that -- I was using what I had first," said Piper.
If Piper did need something, she said she could shop -- as long as it was secondhand. She said she turned to platforms that sell or trade used goods like Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Freecycle.
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Challenge participants begin by writing down all the things each individual or household will need. If it's an item that's traditionally purchased new, then write that down and make a note next to it detailing how it could possibly be acquired in a different way.
Piper said she saved more than $16,000 in doing the challenge for a whole year.
"Every way that we purchase things, especially nowadays, is geared towards that immediacy," said Piper.