Need not Want.

minicooper272 · 17 January 2013 at 10:04PM

firewyrm I get what you're saying, we do seem to have a bit of a warped sense on 'necessity' sometimes, and especially value. But I agree norfolk-jim, we can't compare ourselves to other countries, but I think we could learn a lot from them. I'd love the chance to go observe their culture for a while, to seen what it teaches me. Sadly I need to learn the lessons before I go, so I would save enough money!

It is nice to recognise the difference between need and want though, even if I don't always enforce it!

Today I'm going to invest in a dehumidifier, as this damp house is staring to affect my breathing. Other than that, I've had a no spend day!

kerri_gt · 18 January 2013 at 9:00PM

minicooper272 wrote: »

firewyrm I get what you're saying, we do seem to have a bit of a warped sense on 'necessity' sometimes, and especially value. But I agree norfolk-jim, we can't compare ourselves to other countries, but I think we could learn a lot from them. I'd love the chance to go observe their culture for a while, to seen what it teaches me. Sadly I need to learn the lessons before I go, so I would save enough money!

It is nice to recognise the difference between need and want though, even if I don't always enforce it!

Today I'm going to invest in a dehumidifier, as this damp house is staring to affect my breathing. Other than that, I've had a no spend day!

I agree with this - I guess the key to this thread is to make us think as individuals about things we say we 'want' and 'need' which are both words banded about like autumn leaves in our society and examine what we're really applying these words to. Do we, in our own individual situations feel we really 'need' XYZ - or should we ackowledge it's actually a personal want. Then if we choose to still purchase it, perhaps we might value it a bit more?

MummyRivett · 18 January 2013 at 11:50PM

I've been following this thread and using its example all month and also in December with the NSDs challenge. I have to say that it has made us both appreciate what we have a lot more than we did when all we were consumed with was what to buy next. I actually feel liberated and more happy.

elly68 · 19 January 2013 at 9:55AM

right i have 2 problems
1. moved my main shop to lidls which is great never ever hit £50 i avoid the baskets in the middle like they are infected but the instore bakery is killing me.my 10 yr old is a picky eater but not when it comes to instore bakery .have limited myself to a £2 spend next week.
2. have gone back to chucking out the fruit and veg 1 whole back £7.75 worth so this week bought a stew pack and oranges and apples only no more
allowed till these are gone .
think ev1 is so right with the what is a necessity but it is a society thing where materialism is reinforced at every corner by the media .I'm not buying into it this year but i am comping for treats so far won tickets for the semi final at hampden whoohoo

elly68 · 19 January 2013 at 9:59AM

hi mummyrivett, totally get what you r saying everytime i walk through george at asda i am teaching myself to think bog off thats more ironing not pretty stuff and this year the de clutter is working for the first time ever lol my theory less stuff less housework more playtime .

suze1_2 · 19 January 2013 at 11:11AM

elly68 wrote: »

hi mummyrivett, totally get what you r saying everytime i walk through george at asda i am teaching myself to think bog off thats more ironing not pretty stuff and this year the de clutter is working for the first time ever lol my theory less stuff less housework more playtime .

I'm starting to think like this as well!! More clothes = more clutter (our wardrobes are already full!!). I feel much happier for it

FireWyrm · 19 January 2013 at 12:01PM

Well, its most of the way through two months of this and to be honest, I dont think we've suffered. I still have £115 in my 'running' house account which doesnt get replenished until payday (29th). I caved yesterday and authorised a sled and a couple of pairs of gloves - £15 total spend. We're out of noodles because I forgot to get some last month, but plenty of rice and spaghetti, so, no need to go to the shops yet either. I have £20 in my purse due to a cash withdrawal of £10 that wasnt needed afterall - duplicate tax disk lost in the post and I have an ebay auction ending shortly for more than I paid in the first place.

This month, we are ending the month with more than £800 'spare' and untouched in various accounts. Something that has taken a very long time and a massive adjustment of our way of life to achieve. Next month is even better since the StorageBox is going for £71 and my motor insurance drops from £45 to £18 a month. The surplus will go again into savings accounts ready for future expenses. This is proving to be a very successful month indeed.

I've also thought of a new year's resolution that I believe is quite possible. I can buy whatever I want in terms of non-essential spend, but only with money made via Ebay. In other words, sell what I have before I can buy anything else. My auction just ended at £35 and there's another on the boil for £10. That's a good mornings work.

Skint_Catt · 19 January 2013 at 5:42PM

Need to join this if I may please? Really got to reign in my spending this year.

Just been reviewing my shopping list I make on My Supermarket & changing products & deleteing stuff I really don't NEED just buying because they were on offer :rolleyes: We've got cupboards STUFFED of things I need to get into mealplans so I can have some cupboard space back. I'm terrible for buying 'just in case'. So now everything on my shopping list is for us to use within the next fortnight (don't want to spend again before the end of the month except maybe milk) and it's under £55. My daughter has the most expensive bits on there!

Skint_Catt · 19 January 2013 at 5:49PM

FireWyrm wrote: »

This month, we are ending the month with more than £800 'spare' and untouched in various accounts. Something that has taken a very long time and a massive adjustment of our way of life to achieve.

I've also thought of a new year's resolution that I believe is quite possible. I can buy whatever I want in terms of non-essential spend, but only with money made via Ebay. In other words, sell what I have before I can buy anything else. My auction just ended at £35 and there's another on the boil for £10. That's a good mornings work.

Wow, that's brilliant re the £800! That's real motivation

I made the same eBay resolution several times, but finding I only have tat & nothing worth more than eBay fees has put a dampner on it - am trying to think of alternatives at the moment!

Really happy as the shopping came in at £43. I'll budget £10 for the remainder of the month - milk & other unforseen bits!

FireWyrm · 19 January 2013 at 6:43PM

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Wow, that's brilliant re the £800! That's real motivation

The proof of the pudding is next month and the month after. Another little FireWyrm will be arriving at the end of March and as the only breadwinner, somehow, we have to live despite derisory assistance from the government. The lockup will be the biggest expense killed off in the next 2 weeks. What started as a temporary measure for moving house, somehow turned into a long term relationship which is insane. If I havnt seen it for the last 6 years, what the hell am I doing paying to store it! So, more grist for the Ebay mill.

Skint_Catt wrote: »

I made the same eBay resolution several times, but finding I only have tat & nothing worth more than eBay fees has put a dampner on it - am trying to think of alternatives at the moment!

Yes, we are having the same issue. One wonders therefore, where the credit card debt went in that case, since we dont seem to have much to show for it. Certainly not the several thousands of pounds my credit card was up to.

Another NSD again today, but since the snow was down, not that hard. We have 11 days until payday and I have meals planned until Monday 28th - I'll figure out what to do when we get there although we might have to resort to some mystery meals.

A new resolution hit me the other day. I push £400 into a separate account for food and fuel each month and I'm on course to have about £90 left at the end of the month. During the course of searching for an insurance renewal, I found that the APR on it if you pay monthly is an eye watering 34%. Annoyed beyond words, so I've vowed to save next year's insurance premiums out of whatever I can save from the house fund per month. This means that next year should be even thriftier than this one.

Need not Want.

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