NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Primrose

I just looked in the newspaper and saw a photo of a lady burdened down with about eight large handbags she'd obviously just bought in the Sales. She may, of course, have been thiftily shopping for next year's Christmas presents but if not, who wants to be burdened with so many bags to store?

I personally have found that every time I change handbags for some reason one important item always gets left behind lurking behind in the previous bag. I have suffered various panics over mislaid house keys, phone, mirror, comb etc because of this and now try and keep life simple. - one spacious bag with lots of sections to accommodate everything!

eandjsmum

thriftish congrats and fingers crossed.


Just back from the sales only brought ds what he needed, took him with me to check sizes. Nothing for me feel bereft as I would usually spent up big time. I do need some new paint brushes at some time but these are much much cheaper on line than the local art shops. We are going away for a few days tomorrow weather permitting.


So Happy new year to everyone.

MrsLottie

Hello may I come on board please ? Been lurking for about two years but found this thread so in tune with where I want to be that would love to be part of such a like minded crew. Have decluttered whole house two years ago but since then daughter and partner have been living with me . They have now moved out but lots of their things wouldn't fit in their lovely ,tidy flat so I now need to do a strict declutter ( with their permission of course) !!!!
Really do not want to accumulate any more 'things' - just essentials!
This means food, clothes, toiletries etc. Found lots of inspiration already and looking forward to the voyage !:)

msgnomey

I am so glad I have found this thread!!!

I too am trying to stop spending on unnecessary items especially clothes!!!!

Somehow we have ended up with rather more debt than I'd care to mention so this year I will be working hard to get rid of at least some of it!!!

I have thought about growing veggies for a while but just never gotten around to it, but I am determined to do so this year.

I will check back later for more tips, thanks everyone

Ches

Congratulations to the new mums-to-be.
Mothernerd your post is too long to quote but I loved reading it. Not too far from my own background in places. I and exH bought our first house when I was 19 in much the same state as your first one. After renovating that, moving and renovating several other properties we parted company and I bought another little house that needed a lot of work but it was all mine. By this time I was working FT+ and often a 70 hour week with OT but it established me and the kids and I sold for a fantastic profit. I bought this one and share it with OH and we are both on fairly decent pensions so no need to be super frugal. However my mantra is and always has been, you can only spend it once, so I choose my priorities carefully. For instance I may spend a fair amount on clothes but I never buy new books and rarely magazines. I grocery shop once every week and we go without anything we run out of until the next weekly shop (or OH buys it from his money which I have no control over).

moneyistooshorttomention

skint_chick wrote: »

This next year I am rewarding myself with homemade beauty treatments, time to read library books on my pinterest board, growing my own veg (last year I grew carrots, cabbage, lettuce, herbs, spinach and rocket) listening to music, and going on long walks with my camera.

I've only recently "found" Pinterest...so haven't come across the idea of library books on a pinterest board.

How do you find them?

To date...I've just put headline for topics of interest and then seen what pinterest boards there are on that, so am not that clued-up on whats what with that.

purpleshoes_2

I went into Tesco this morning, fairly quiet, just got some YS parsnips and leek. No real bargains to be had, no craziness, just as per normal, folk obviously re stocking again.

Bought myself a large ish purchase this morning online, but with christmas money and wouldnt have been able to afford it myself, was 59 pounds and that was the cheapest I saw it anywhere, some stores were selling it for 69.99 down from 99.99, got a quid off as I had a voucher plus some clubcard points as well, a fitness type gadget.

I dont often spend money on me, apart from charity shop clothes, am very much a re use and make do kind of person, but I'll use this and it should help me get the remaining pounds off I need to lose (around 24 according to my bootcamp instructor, half that according to me)

Im going to try and spend 2015 alcohol free, managed 8 months this year, but I need a challenge and thats it (apart from the two weeks Ive booked in Majorca, no alcohol)

I have tons of toiletries, my mum is a teacher and gets loads of gifts and she ends up with a stockpile so some tends to come my way, enough perfume to last me 6 months at least. I dont need make up either, still plenty around the house, I rarely wear it so dont anticipate me needing any until next christmas.

My mum is also doing the declutter, she spent 3 hours decluttering this morning. I still have so much to do but am determined

I was really happy with my food purchases today, didnt buy stuff for the sake of it, just YS veg to go in soup. I rarely eat potatoes, but tonight Im going to make a couple of roast tatties and some mustard mash and Im going to have veg with that and maybe a couple of glasses of prosecco to round the Im drinking while I still can year off.

Im also going to socialise less next year. Socialising doesn't take up a ton of money, I ran a big group last year through the site meet up, but wont have the time this year so handed that one over and am running a smaller one, but a couple of nights out a month is enough, it got a bit crazy last year, was out a lot (am a bit of a hermit so it does me good to get out now and then).

But I like to stay in at christmas, wont go out at Hogmanay either, just not good with the crowds and the madness.

I also have enough trainers to last me as well, am still wearing a pair that another instructor tried on and then gave away as she didnt find them comfortable (I did), my brother bought me a pair two christmases ago and I opened them about 6 months ago now, have another pair waiting to be broken in (I teach classes so I have to rotate them every so often)

I'll also make another pot of soup later on, leek, parsnip, curry powder and some broccoli in as well.

csh_2

I'm going to join in too. I've been decluttering and buying less for the past 18 months or so. Not purely financial but that does play a part. I get very bogged down whem the house is full of stuff so have taken to getting rid of stuff we never use or have outgrown. Have been doing lots of freecycling, giving to charity shop and ebay sellinh since the summer.
My major aim for next year is to take up sewing and i hope to make most of the youngest DD's summer clothes

csh_2

Please excuse typos, my thumbs and this phone are not compatible!

PenguinOfDeath

Had a good catch up of this thread this morn...Ok, lunchtime...with a big steaming bowl of porridge with honey, cinnamon and ginger and a milky coffee, yum!

Lovely to read about everyone's Xmas, ours was relatively sedate, driving from relative to relative, but today it's going to be just us two, grazing buffet food and catching up on the last few day's TV and playing with our new toys . Thankfully, presents to us seemed to have been pared down quite a bit from previous years, no hints needed to the usual suspects so less de-cluttering of useless items to be done, and all gifts thoughtful and appreciated.

I saw two of the few kids I buy presents for yesterday, got them a lot less than in previous years anyway but the toys that got the most attention were a small toy from poundland, and a larger toy that was apparently originally £10, purchased for 50p new! :money:

No spends in this household since the 23rd and counting nope sorry, I tell lies, I spent a whole £5 online on a sale item to help decorate one of the bedrooms. This is OK however, as I have set up a running list of things we are 'allowed' to spend joint money on, to include decoration items, a couple of kitchen bits or replacement items of essentials (nothing full price, of course!)...definitely NO sale sofas, carpets, bedroom furniture etc that the TV ads seem so intent on you snapping up at this time of year :mad:.

I'm hoping this last until New Year but methinks we will require milk before them, damn OH and his tea habit! Apart from that we do have quite a bit of food in even though we didn't host Xmas dinner, must admit I was eyeing up the leftovers from it but decided to let the half of the huge chicken stay at its original residence, I hope he put it to good use and not throw most of it away like most of his food :eek:. I'm itching to stage a mini intervention there but I shall let things lie for now