NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Coulddobetter

Can I come aboard Captain?

This is just the thread I need to try and get me back on the straight and narrow. I want to pay down some of my mortgage and save to help my DD get on the property ladder. She wants to borrow some money towards a deposit and I don't want to use my ISA money so it will need to come out if our salaries.

Could do better xx

cydney65

Hope everyone had a lovely Xmas.

Eldest gave us the best present ever...washing! Spent Christmas Eve feeding the washing machine and now there are clothes on every available surface!

Yesterday was lovely, just time spent with family and the presents we received were thoughtful and not over the top. Today will be spent mainly walking and eating up snacky bits from the freezer.

I have been on most of the sale sites and realised that I don't need anything, although Hotel Chocolat was very tempting Daughter is off to the sales today though to buy up Ted Baker!

Have a peaceful day everyone.

CydneyX

Bigjenny

Another no spend day here.

Need some new pillows but will look round for best buys next week.

A quiet day on my own after company yesterday.

[Deleted User]

Morning shipmates, we too had a quiet but nice day yesterday and had a lovely (and free) walk in the afternoon with the hound and ended up sat down by the river as the sun set which was beautiful. We are still keeping to our Wartime Christmas food plan and it has been delicious with slow cooked brisket yesterday served up with homegrown veg and today we're having my favourite meal of the year which is bubble and squeak with cold meat and homemade pickles. The gingerbread I made instead of christmas cake was lovely,(still is actually as we have some left) and having sandwiches instead of all the pastries and party snacks was really nice.

DD and I will go to the sales tomorrow as I owe her a work jumper which we didn't find before christmas but hope to find in the sales along with a pair of boots for me to walk the hound in that are actually waterproof but not wellies. That is all we need along with cards, wrapping paper and perhaps advent calendars for next year if we find them substantially reduced. We have enough food left to see us to New Year only having to get milk and eggs, bread shall make.

The journey through next year will be interesting with all of you along to keep us all on target for not spending and having less through choice not necessity and I'm looking forward to the voyage, Lyn xxx.

Daisy58

Morning,

We had a quite day yesterday, just the two of us.
As our kids ( all grown up ) live over seas 2 in Australia.
The other in Manchester she was here last week with her OH.
They left a few presents.
Ski gloves for me( no i am not ) my hands get so cold went I am out on my M Scooter. The gloves I have were so thin but my new ones are so warm had to try them out.
OH got a 5000 jigsaw puzzle that will keep him going.
Plus a basket of teas and coffee that we like.
Very thoughtful gifts.

Another quite day at home

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning everyone

DS2 is on facebook talking to friends and of course the conversation is all about "what did you get". DS2s mate got £200 cash and loads of presents apparently. Sigh.

Quiet, relaxing day planned here staying away from the online sales and starting to work my way through the big pile of books I was given yesterday. My brother bought me 4 new books, all recent releases, and its such a treat to have a brand new book that hasnt come from the library or charity shop! Small pleasures.

Mum gave me £50 with strict instructions to spend it on myself. She will be checking. I need to give that some careful thought.

Primrose

I keep saying our freezers and food store cupboards would sustain us through the siege of Leningrad so the New Year will be a good time to really run things right down to stop dry goods becoming stale . My dilemma is that I have an OH who always has a fear of running out of stuff. consequently he buys items like rice, lentils, pasta etc and tops up all the large storage jars in which I keep these, so the oldest stuff always remains at the bottom and consequently gets older and more stale with each top up ! I wish I could persuade him than an empty jar is not necessarily a bad thing!

babyboysmommy

I went to Tesc0 this morning, it was really quiet so instead of just getting a few bits I bought the store cupboard items we need for January, it was much nicer shopping with so few there. All the tills were staffed, they looked very bored. I stuck to the list & just got essentials. DH has spent the morning on websites looking at the sales items. There is nothing we need, absolutely nothing but he still keeps looking for things to buy. Very hard when only one of you is realistic about finances & needs vs wants.

miss_emmajane

Afternoon all, it is nice to read about everyone's day yesterday - the best part for me was just having christmas dinner with the OH after visiting family, it is the first time we haven't had our christmas dinner at one of our parents and my OH did a wonderful job cooking it and during that time I got all the presents put away and the house nice and tidy again.

I haven't commented in this thread before but have been reading it throughout, feel like I belong in here with areas to learn and gain too - Effyb4 I also would like to start growing my own fruit & veg - GreyQueen thank you for your very informative post.

I reflected a lot this Christmas, not sure why but it seems I had a good think - I have lost a stone since Sept so I feel on board with losing some weight which is normally my resolution (dare I say the word already on boxing day!) but I really feel that I would just like to be more proactive next year and not think about things too much, be more of a yes man - first move booking a December trip to New York with OH to get married in City Hall which is not something I ever saw myself being able to do but we're both out of uni into our jobs and living frugally so I just thought go for it! Even better now I have this thread to come and chatter in with likeminded people - I had a NSD yesterday and will today - you will not catch me in a 5am Next queue in the cold .. I was tucked up warm in bed dreaming of New York (my third time travelling abroad) We've sorted our stay via Air BnB in a proper New York apartment so next on the list when we've saved more if flights, some sort of photographer to catch a few moments to show family when we get back/frame in our home and then start looking at what we want to do when there - it is definitely giving me something else to focus on rather than mindlessly shopping for things I don't need.

Hope everyone has a lovely boxing day, we're putting our feet up watching films and eating cheese and crackers after a nice walk down the canal this morning.

MrsLurcherwalker your Wartime Christmas food plan sounds great!

GreyQueen

Primrose wrote: »

I keep saying our freezers and food store cupboards would sustain us through the siege of Leningrad so the New Year will be a good time to really run things right down to stop dry goods becoming stale . My dilemma is that I have an OH who always has a fear of running out of stuff. consequently he buys items like rice, lentils, pasta etc and tops up all the large storage jars in which I keep these, so the oldest stuff always remains at the bottom and consequently gets older and more stale with each top up ! I wish I could persuade him than an empty jar is not necessarily a bad thing!

Perhaps you could introduce him to the wunnerful world of pantry pests, and weevils, and stress how you want the present container used up, washed up, allowed to air dry and then re-stocked with fresh product?

And there is an insect actually called the Confused Flour Beetle, how excellent is that?! And some kinda gaming thingy called binweevils.