A Day in the LIfe of the Austin Unshopping Challenge: Interview with Melissa Rothrock

from Yerdle:

Take the Austin Unshopping Challenge!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’ve been living in Austin for about eight years. I’m originally from Arkansas. I love it here. I’m very environmentally conscious. I’m also vegan – it’s super easy to be conscious about what you eat in Austin; there’s a lot of support from local businesses.

I lead a fun local meetup called Austin Zero Waste Lifestyle, which just started in January and has more than 50 members already.

I also volunteer with a great local non-profit called Austin Youth River Watch. It’s an after-school program for at-risk youth to get involved in the community by taking and testing freshwater samples from local creeks and rivers.

What is the shopping culture like in Austin?

Texas as a whole is very economically-focused. It is one of the most business-friendly states – our governor sets rules to attract new industries. This focus on business probably means more of a consumer culture in general.

Austin is a bit different because it is not as big business-friendly – there is more regulation and people love their small local businesses. So in general there is more of a divide in people’s attitudes towards consumerism and we have a lot of local coffee shops, and local businesses. They gain more support than the bigger out-of-state chain stores.

“Trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle requires being more intentional and finding the time.”

This divide is geographic as well. The west side of Austin is wealthy, so there are a lot of fancy shopping areas with high-end boutiques. The Eastside is less wealthy, but there are a lot of cool resale shops, thrift stores, Goodwills, garage sales, and outdoor market days.

A lot of the people that are well-off don’t have to make sacrifices and so won’t shop at thrift stores. They can go to their favorite boutique – the sales rep knows their style and size and they are in and out in five minutes with exactly what they want. Shopping in a thrift store is harder – it takes more time.

So, for people who aren’t struggling economically, trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle requires being more intentional and finding the time. I’m middle class, and probably could shop in boutiques if I wanted. The Unshopping Challenge makes it easier for me to shop used.

Also, I have a lot of things that I love, but don’t use. It used to be that I didn’t know what to do with these things. Now, whenever I give away one of these things in the Unshopping Challenge, I am giving away something I still have an affinity for. It’s not junk. It’s not useless. It’s still good – I just don’t use it anymore.

And I can actually get something back for it!

What would you tell other Austinites about the Unshopping Challenge?

I definitely like to share with people when I get something new from the Unshopping Challenge. I bring it to work and I mention that I got it for free.

That becomes a dialogue – wow, you got that for free, how? Some people probably think: she wears a new outfit every week, where does she get the money for all these news clothes?? [laughs]. The Unshopping Challenge gives me the freedom to say to myself: well, I probably won’t wear it again, I’ll Yerdle it. I’m sure it makes me seem like I have a huge wardrobe!

The whole lifestyle of being a zero-waster means reducing the amount of clutter in your life so that you can have more time and money for experiences, and for living life.

If this sounds appealing, the Unshopping Challenge is a great way to get started.

Take the Unshopping Challenge.

Melissa Rothrock is an Austinite, a zero-waste lifestyle advocate, and a Yerdle Unshopping Challenge fashionista.