Need not Want.

Katzen

minicooper272 wrote: »

I'm a bit pants at this whole 'need not want' stuff! Yesterday I bought a chair that I didn't really need. It wasn't expensive (£3 second hand), but still not a necessity. It's a new month now, and definitely a good time to start over! I might give myself a small wants budget of £20-30, see if that helps, but I don't need anything but food and entertainment for the next couple of weeks.

Mini you do make me smile! Who goes to the charity shop and buys a chair??:rotfl: hope you don't mind my amusement What is it your 'need not want'-ing for anyway? I know i find it easier when I have a goal in mind. Big goal is house deposit saving, little goal is challenge of sticking to the resulting reduced budget, but then I do get competitive, even with myself. For me, when I think about a want I think what I will have to go without to have it, e.g. not buying little bits and bobs through the month meant a dinner out was within budget.
I was going to say to you don't take up crafting as you end up spending a small fortune on pretty papers etc but maybe a focus for your spending that also occupies you and keeps you out of charity shops wouldn't be terrible...

minicooper272

Katzen wrote: »

Mini you do make me smile! Who goes to the charity shop and buys a chair??:rotfl: hope you don't mind my amusement What is it your 'need not want'-ing for anyway? I know i find it easier when I have a goal in mind. Big goal is house deposit saving, little goal is challenge of sticking to the resulting reduced budget, but then I do get competitive, even with myself. For me, when I think about a want I think what I will have to go without to have it, e.g. not buying little bits and bobs through the month meant a dinner out was within budget.
I was going to say to you don't take up crafting as you end up spending a small fortune on pretty papers etc but maybe a focus for your spending that also occupies you and keeps you out of charity shops wouldn't be terrible...

I actually sold a cross-trainer, and the space it used to occupy was a bit bare (and I had nowhere to dump all my clothes anymore :rotfl:), so it made sense at the time. I'm saving for a house deposit at the moment, and I'm positively desperate to get the money together, which has been a great motivator. I only just started saving though, so it will take years and my mind thinks £3, in the grand scheme of it, is nothing!

I think you're right though, I haven't got enough to occupy my free time, so I'll look into a hobby. I have lots of crafty bits in the house if I need them, so initial outlay would be minimal. But maybe I should also set myself some interim goals e.g. I'd love to take a dress-making course at the local college, I just need to figure out how I would make the sacrifices for it... Thanks for the tips!

elly68

need not want going out to drink or not to drink first night out since xmas,might take the car .

The_Boss

The_Boss wrote: »

Not quite a new month yet

I don't 'need' Pizza Hut but as it is payday today I will be investing if I can walk 14 miles today on my day off. A great investment to incentivise my fourth long walk of the week.

I did at least get my huge stuffed crust pizza for £8.74 by using a Domino's offer (50% off £15 spend between 4 and 6pm) in conjunction with a Pizza Hut voucher that matches Papa John or Domino's offers - saved almost £4 on the best Pizza Hut deal for the same.

catshark88

Blew £25 on a lovely morning and lunch out with DS2 today. He starts full time at school in September.

We had a wonderful time and watching him bottle feed a calf was fab.

minicooper272

The_Boss wrote: »

I did at least get my huge stuffed crust pizza for £8.74 by using a Domino's offer (50% off £15 spend between 4 and 6pm) in conjunction with a Pizza Hut voucher that matches Papa John or Domino's offers - saved almost £4 on the best Pizza Hut deal for the same.

Nice one! These days, I don't like it if I ever have to pay full price for a pizza. But you usually have to buy enough to feed a small army to get the discount value!

Well I'm rather peeved at myself, as I messed up my trains and forgot to take my young persons railcard with me to the station. Not only did I have to shell out for a taxi to and from the station, I have now had to shell out £40 for a new ticket tomorrow. It was either £40 to go home, or £40 in fines for missing my dentist appointment on Monday (I need a filling). Very annoyed at myself! I'm hoping to absorb the cost, so will definitely need to cut out a few wants to make up for it. Not a bad thing, but I just hate knowing I've wasted the money!

elly68

minicooper272 wrote: »

Nice one! These days, I don't like it if I ever have to pay full price for a pizza. But you usually have to buy enough to feed a small army to get the discount value!

Well I'm rather peeved at myself, as I messed up my trains and forgot to take my young persons railcard with me to the station. Not only did I have to shell out for a taxi to and from the station, I have now had to shell out £40 for a new ticket tomorrow. It was either £40 to go home, or £40 in fines for missing my dentist appointment on Monday (I need a filling). Very annoyed at myself! I'm hoping to absorb the cost, so will definitely need to cut out a few wants to make up for it. Not a bad thing, but I just hate knowing I've wasted the money!

i'm too old for a young persons card:o great saving though shame you forgot it

minicooper272

elly68 wrote: »

i'm too old for a young persons card:o great saving though shame you forgot it

Yeah, without it a last minute ticket at the station is £122 return :eek: which is extortion. It's actually cheaper to drive for that price! I'll be too old for it as of next year, so by that point, I'll need to move back. It's a shame as I like my job here, but I wouldn't be able to afford to go home last minute if there was an emergency. And my parents have almost reached that age where emergencies are more likely to crop up.

mcculloch29

Thanks to Mini, who had posted in the No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries thread, I've discovered this one. Hello!

My income is a fifth of what it was 18 months ago, so "need vs want" has been very much a focus. I'm self-employed as an e-tutor in adult education. I work from home which is a help as I'm disabled, it's disability living allowance and disabled person's working tax credit that has enabled me to survive with all bills paid.

Mini, you mentioned sulphate-free products, Poundland have had some lovely Andrew Collinge conditioners - sulphate free - in recently. I had to confess to buying two extra ones.
However, I love quality products and the luxury of using them; you might as well get a good one for a quid when they are available, rather than get a 'meh' one later in the year as you can't justify a fiver on something decent. The Toiletries thread is a lovely one, there are some gems on here. The 'Toughies' thread is another good one, along with 5 OS pleasures - all genuine, warm people.

minicooper272

Hi McCulloch, and welcome! I've posted a response to you in the toiletries page, but thanks again for reminding me about the pound shop! I will keep an eye on what they have to offer! I have stocked up on quite a few products to try out lately (using money off vouchers, so not just so bad).

Good luck with the 'Needs vs Wants'. It's amazing how quickly you find yourself thinking in terms of 'needs' and 'wants' (and ignore it like I keep finding myself doing!) My latest savings plan has a dedicated 'wants' fund for bigger purchases, a new passport is next on my list!