No shopping for a year...

mossstar

... an interesting article on 'you and yours' yesterday - listen here (and click on 'you and yours' for wednesday).

These journalists decided to try buying NOTHING unnecessary (including prepared food) for a year - one reason she mentioned was an $8k credit card bill even though she 'didn't think of herself as someone who shopped'.

I love finding things like this to listen to!

Steph

Erosgirl

I listened to this and found it interesting, but I have generally lived frugally since I first married when my husband kept me short. After 19 years I remarried and my present husband is a gem. We are both on Incapacity benefit and my husband also claims Disability Living Allowance, (I have a hearing problem and my husband is blind). Money isn't great, but we work together. My husband pays the bills and I pay for the shopping. Bills are OK because we more or less know how much they will be, but the shopping fluctuates. Before I had to think about every item I put in the shopping basket, now I have a bit more scope. Even so, I still buy the stores own brand, because after all these years I have got used to them, and to be honest I find them as good, if not in some cases better, than the branded items (Ok some I won't buy, but on the whole, and if you look at the nutrition labels, they match the expensive brand pretty good). I don't think I could change if I won the lottery. Also I am proud to say I have never been in the red, I have always lived to my means.

Sarahsaver

I heard that and would LOVE to do the same, although I'm not a typical shop-til-you-drop consumer I think it would be a real challenge.

catznine

I have her book, bought it in Florida to read on the way home. The idea is a good one but because of her way of life and interests (a journalist who loves sking and the arts) it was a bit hard to identify with her.

Saying that she did manage to pay off her credit card debt within 6 months!