NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

mirry

We had a relaxing Xmas day, playing card games and a movie quiz. The roast dinner was lovely, we had a small chicken and it was plenty.
The gifts were all very practicle, shower gel, body sprays, food,underware,books,new bed sets (from the sales).

Today we hit the Boxing Day sales and I spent 99p, on a vintage ribbon for a future birthday cake I intend to make. I witnessed some mindless spending by other people but felt 100% in control

Minimalist

I have to 'fess up to using Amazon for a few of my Christmas gifts again this year...I'm not proud I was all a bit last-minute and they're just so convenient, especially for sending gifts to relatives overseas...

But convenience is no excuse, when I know all about their tax-dodging habits and the way they treat their employees, not to mention their impact on suppliers and other retailers...

So in 2015 I'm aiming to ditch my Amazon habit - I was really pleased to find this site which suggests various ethical alternatives, ranked according to how they treat their workers, and whether they are likely to be dodging tax:
http://amazonanonymous.org/better-than-amazon/

Hope you find it useful :beer:

kacie

Got to admit to being another who used Amazon for gifts this year, I did also use etsy though, and will use that again if I'm going to do any online shopping, found some great handmade gifts on there

Ches

All decorations will have to come down tomorrow as we are having a lounge radiator moved and it means a Kango so dust everywhere. Had my last fling of buying last night as I hit the John Lewis sale. I have worked out to the penny what I can spend on food etc this year and the amount I can throw at the cc each month. Now its just a case of keeping to the plan. If it all goes haywire (I am also a shopaholic) I will take the money from savings and pay it all off but I had rather not as I will lose quite a bit of interest. If I keep to the plan it will all be paid by mid summer without touching the savings.

westlothianlass

Hello lovelies ,
A very quiet and peaceful day today, dropped the mancub at work then back home for a potter. Dh and i then sat with a cuppa watching alys fowlers edible garden on you tube, most enjoyable.
I'm now mulling over my plan for the garden, lots of seeds purchased already but next year I need to master the art of taking cuttings and propagation so I can make the most of what we already have (or other people have ) .
WLL x

sjprmc01

Westlothianlass

I'm intrigued as to what part of west lothian you are from?

I'm originally from Livingston (and still work there). But now live in Edinburgh

CAFCGirl

Good day to all.

Had a lovely day today, low key. Walked the dog this morning and did some pottering about tidying up, homing the new additions to the house - mostly DS's new toys. Was extremely glad that I didnt 'buy' in the same manner as last year because in all honesty he's not been that bothered. We could easily have not bought him anything and just relied on the presents from others
Then to IL's for Boxing Day buffet and the second round of gifts, they also followed a similar vein to us and didnt go crazy. Nice chatter and then home for another dog walk and chill out now the skies are dark.

It does make me think about how my mind has been twisted and turned. I fought a lot of emotional/mental arguments with myself over my 'conditioning' to certain events/scenarios. I haven't felt festive this year, but in pondering it, I've missed 'experiences' over things. Maybe this is a turning point and 2015 will focus more on the days leading up to, and enjoying time together. I've also sat watching our son, who is 4 and seeing how the world shapes him too, and how I need to invest a hell of a lot more of my time into him, as opposed to things for him. I realised that if its not something I address now, I will have failed him, and he will become whats wrong with the world, the self indulgent, the commercialised, the selfish, the demanding...... I see it creeping in at the edges and I don't want that for him, or for us as a family. He has such a good heart that the constant stream of enforced desire advertising is sucking that out of him. So really what I'm saying is, I want to do better by him. It is just so hard in this world...... or is it? Is my belief that its hard/challenging/difficult/seemingly impossible how I've been conditioned? To just accept that this is how the world is, and fighting it is too big an ask?:(

purpleshoes_2

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Good day to all.

Had a lovely day today, low key. Walked the dog this morning and did some pottering about tidying up, homing the new additions to the house - mostly DS's new toys. Was extremely glad that I didnt 'buy' in the same manner as last year because in all honesty he's not been that bothered. We could easily have not bought him anything and just relied on the presents from others
Then to IL's for Boxing Day buffet and the second round of gifts, they also followed a similar vein to us and didnt go crazy. Nice chatter and then home for another dog walk and chill out now the skies are dark.

It does make me think about how my mind has been twisted and turned. I fought a lot of emotional/mental arguments with myself over my 'conditioning' to certain events/scenarios. I haven't felt festive this year, but in pondering it, I've missed 'experiences' over things. Maybe this is a turning point and 2015 will focus more on the days leading up to, and enjoying time together. I've also sat watching our son, who is 4 and seeing how the world shapes him too, and how I need to invest a hell of a lot more of my time into him, as opposed to things for him. I realised that if its not something I address now, I will have failed him, and he will become whats wrong with the world, the self indulgent, the commercialised, the selfish, the demanding...... I see it creeping in at the edges and I don't want that for him, or for us as a family. He has such a good heart that the constant stream of enforced desire advertising is sucking that out of him. So really what I'm saying is, I want to do better by him. It is just so hard in this world...... or is it? Is my belief that its hard/challenging/difficult/seemingly impossible how I've been conditioned? To just accept that this is how the world is, and fighting it is too big an ask?:(

For me, Ive always given back to charity etc, but the less Ive had money wise, the more Ive given back, because I had to rely on giving old stuff of mine to charity rather than money donations (although I still do, just not as much) and I made more choices of buying second hand stuff as well.

I dont have a tv so in some ways im not sucked in by the advertising.

I said on the thread earlier that what I remembered about being a kid was getting a stocking with apples, oranges, choc coins, to be honest, if someone wrapped something up and gave it to me, it wouldnt matter if it cost 50p

My mum got me several charity shop gifts this year, but if I hadnt asked her and she hadnt told me that it was charity shop, Id never have known

Presents are just presents, its the sentiment behind the present that matters.

kacie

I have found it a lot easier to avoid all the hype of the sales and of commercial Christmas this year, since I stopped watching the tv (I do have netflix and use the catch up services occasionally). I'll have to go out the shops soon, but only for essential things, I've been given a day to day diary for christmas so going to use that to track my spending

117pauline

We, too, had a quiet Christmas and Boxing Day. Not too many presents, thankfully which makes me feel lighter somehow.

I have just totalled up the year's budget and it really wasn't too bad although I do need to work on the food budget and I pledge I will not buy any more meat this month or in January as I also did a store cupboard and freezer inventory.

I'd believed I had lost more weight than I actually have so that is an area on which to focus. Definitely fits the Not Buying It mantra.

I've also been musing on the reason why we feel we need to "reward" ourselves or others and that usually involves buying things. I am making myself a list of non-buying rewards to motivate myself toward! So it is mindfulness in all things!