Buy Nothing for Six Months

ampersand

[QUOTE=ChihiroSen;61773259
......... Hair colouring for example is something I consider vital, as my hair naturally is an unattractive mousy brown, and my self-esteem suffers if I leave it its own shade, but on the other hand it is a luxury item..........
[/QUOTE]
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Excellent goal, ChihiroSen-

So much of this is a matter of mindset anyway.
It will feel important to have your hair as you want atm. If you read the 5 OS Pleasures in your Day Thread, sparrer writes of excellent results doing her own, buying @£land. In fact, she's been using only half of late - shortish hair.

Oh, now just see a lot of peeps with similar ideas. It's correct though. Treasure your feelgood experiences.

madhatter90

Although I've never done it myself, I occasionally visit the 'And Then We Saved' blog which was started on a similar concept. The woman who runs it managed to pay off $23,000 of debt in 15 months. Lots of tips and inspirational posts.

Allegra

I'd definitely consider hair dye an essential, or go for the stocking-up option. Another idea, perhaps - do surveys and use the resulting voucher for hair dye and similar little "treats" ?

[Deleted User]

I will be interested in following this to. Ive done the grocery challenge for a couple of months and now can shop for a whole month on just over £40 (theres only me though). I have also stopped shopping as a past time. Ive managed to save £800 towards my holiday by not buying rubbish and I still managed to have nights out, meals out occasionally. My wages are minimal, I only work 30 hours and am according to some newspapers on or below the poverty line. But I don't actually need or want for anything. Its a case of cutting your cloth. Oh and hair dye, I still do mine and yes to me its a necessity, I just buy them reduced (damaged packaging etc). Haircut now cost me £5. Ive enjoyed the challenge.

nattiecake

I like the idea of this, might suggest it to DH and see if he thinks we could do it too, he likes a challenge

I'll def be including the hair dye in the budget. Though as a bleach blonde, I guess I could use the domestos

CH27

My son is off to uni later this year so i'm going to be cutting right back to fund him so this thread is great for me

good_advice

Hello, you need to look and see what house bills you can cut down as well. I have just halved our Virgin package by cutting out the tv. We now just have free view. We still have Internet and local calls at weekends.

The 6 months? does that include or miss out a holiday?

At the beginning of the year I really considered what monthly magazines I was getting - with Tesco points. Now we have Easy cooking for me and shared with my adult girls and OH has Gardeners world.

We do not buy newspapers any more as I read the Mail online.

I always write a list of needs before any shopping trip for food and look for coupons.

Clothes, I buy when really discounted in the sales. I have also learnt to do patch work with any old cotton clothes I no longer ware.

Plenty of living cheaply idea's on MSE. I spend with care.

ChihiroSen

So glad everyone is pro hair dye being important. It helped assuage my guilt. I'm crazy busy over the next two weeks, as I have a work deadline, but then I will set up the blog, set out the terms of my challenge so I can't bend the rules when things get difficult. Can't wait to see how everyone else does as well!

I'm currently spending way too much time reading threads on this website, getting tips from all the people here who have made frugal living an art form. This really is an amazing online community.

The only thing I'm dreading is giving up diet coke, and chocolate. I'm terribly addicted to both, but they provide no nutritional value, therefore should have no space in my food budget. I'm going to be a bit tense for the first few weeks. and will have to plan ways to occupy my time without spending to get past the cravings.

welshmoneylover

I started doing this in 2008 when the SHTF and I can honestly say I've saved loads of dosh, and its made me realise how much ££ I frittered away on just stuff.

Essentials I do buy are foodstuff, hair dye :j toiletries and cleaning stuff and my Aveda shampoo.

The rest I buy when I need it rather than want it.

In addition, the only clothes I buy are those that I need like socks, knicks, my comfy scruffy clothes are starting to develop a few holes though. I've become so tight with my spending that I really begrudge buying myself clothes. I am a scruff.

Dark_Star

Try reading "not buying it" by Judith Levine. An American who tried to buy nothing for a year. Fascinating read should be in a library somewhere or maybe on "readitswapit"