Back on December 31 I made a New Year’s resolution, writes blogger Andrew Owen. I wasn’t to buy any DVDs in 2009.

And, by and large, I’ve stuck to that resolution. Well, apart from The Dark Knight (you’ve got to get The Dark Knight, haven’t you?). Yes, apart from that one, I haven’t bought any DVDs this year. I’m saving my money instead.

(Oh, there was Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut, but I bought that only because it was four pounds in a certain well-known supermarket. Frankly I’d have been stupid not to at that price).

Anyway, I haven’t bought any DVDs this year apart from The Dark Knight and Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut (which, to tell the truth, I’ve never really liked that much in any of its multiple director’s cuts and no added extra versions. Still, it was only four pounds. Bargain, eh!)

Anyway, as I say, I’m not buying any DVDs this year. I can’t justify the expense, and I own plenty already.

And how many times do I actually sit down to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or Bedazzled (the Peter Cook version), or even the Godfather? I don’t. They just sit there taking up space. Only once in a blue moon do I decide to actually put one in the DVD player.

Even The Dark Knight, for which I shelled out the best part of sixteen quid, sits on the shelf. I haven’t even taken it out of its plastic wrapping. (I notice, by the way, that a well-known high street record and DVD chain – not that there’s many of those left these days – is selling the same DVD for £7. Do you think I could take mine back, trouser the money and then buy the half-price one? What do you think?)

It’s the same with books. I love books, but how many times do I actually read them? There’s a few I like dipping in to every now and again, but other than that, once you’ve read a novel it tends to stay read. Books just sit on the bookshelf gathering dust. I don’t have a lot of space, certainly not enough to let books take over, so I put a few on eBay, gave the rest to charity shops and started visiting the library again. I haven’t bought any books this year. (Well, apart from Watchmen…).

Anyway, there you go, it’s March now and I’m sticking to my ‘No DVD’ rule. I’m quite pleased with myself. I shan’t buy any more this year. This is the year of spending carefully, of watching where the money goes, and being fiscally responsible.

I mean, how much of the stuff we own do we actually need? It’s buying things for the sake of buying them, or because they are cheap, that’s partly to blame for the economic mess we are in, with millions of Britons living well above their means. This year I aim to be sensible.

(Oh, I see Quantum of Solace is out on DVD this month. Yes, it’s not as good as Casino Royale, but I bet I can pick it up really cheap on one of the online shopping sites…)