NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

DianaMattos

Morning all, just got back from Aldi after making 7 jars of jam first thing. Bought some socks, which I think will be my last clothing purchase until 1 Jan 2016. Now I can mend the pairs that are holey, but not worry when they really give up the ghost!

Hoping to have a bit of a declutter and sort today, but since I still have my 4 year old and 2 year old at home (hubby taken 6 year old to church to renetwork it), it may not be as productive as I'd like. Still, I really like Kittie's idea of doing something productive everyday that goes beyond the normal cooking/cleaning/washing/school run/bottom and nose wiping routine, so will aim for that instead. Thanks Kittie xx

vulpix

Went to town yesterday and bought my mum's birthday present (6 Jan) .reduced christmas cake,pudding and mince pies,all the things she loves.

MIL birthday (8 Jan) some cosy socks so far. I am at the hospital tomorrow so will have a look in the bigger town then.Not seen any Christmas cards yet.

Have seen an ipad on face book ,very tempted with that.What would I blame my typing on if i have a functioning device?

Today and from now on I am not buying into over eating.Much much more fruit and veg needed.Quality street are not one of the main food groups.

I will make a big pan of veg soup today.

I have been thinking about aims for the New Year.

I would like to do some voluntary work but am a bit stumped as to what.I would like to get out more and make new friends but physically I get tired.Ideally I would like to do wall building or similar for the national park.well thats the first aim right there,contact them and see if I could do anything.

I would like to finish off some outstanding projects . starting with painting a huge Edwardian wardrobe I bought from ebay.Yes I know,i know,but it really is beyond being restored.I have bought the paint (light grey) with a voucher my husband was given at work.

I also need to continue to declutter with the aim of moving house.It isn't my stuff to be exact,it's the childrens.They have moved out and on but don't have room or the inclination to take all their belongings with them.Books,Books,Books Books.They WILL do something to help me before they all depart again.I agree about tidy house tidy mind.I have always been the same.At work too.

I am unable to do much about Oh's stuff.He has admittedly sent a massive amount of stuff to the local hospice shop.think several thousand records,he was a professional Dj years ago.I have got to learn not to look in the garage otherwise It makes me anxious.

I also want to lose a stone in weight next year,then see how i feel.I may stop there or carry on.

I am now going to run round with the hoover as everyone has now surfaced.

laters Vx

IrisViolet

Hi all, will catch up in a mo, thread moves so fast, its lovely in here.

Still got my purse firmly shut, not spent a penny since 23rd except spending our amazon giftcard we got off in laws on a mixer and slow cooker, neither of which we already owned, I can see them being very helpful to us living frugally so im glad we asked in laws for the card to buy them instead of more meaningless tat we usually get ( not to sound ungrateful but its usually just buy for the sake of it and i just hate that).

I plan to get some fruit from the grocers tomorrow as weve ran out quicker than anticipated, but apart from that im way on course for not shopping until january. Id do without the fruit but its for the kids really, my daughter doesnt half eat her way through tangerines. At least they are cheap right now!

Baby is quite ill, so that's keeping us housebound, we've all had this awful sickness and coughing bug but she's got it last it seems, end is in sight please!!

Going to get on with cleaning and washing in between nursing her back to health, will eat leftover stew and hm bread for lunch.

You know DH got paid a week ago and usually by now our bank balance is looking scary, but as we havent spent except our bill, food and petrol, its not scaring the life out of me to log on the bank, and i like that feeling. No i LOVE that feeling, im determined it stays, there is nothing worse than panicking about having more month than money and nothing you have bought can subdue that feeling.
That is in fact my main aim for the year ahead, to never have the dreaded feeling again. I will build up a safety net and a buffer in my accounts as well as some savings,the only way is to stop spending unnecessarily and to stick to budgets so that's what I'm doing.
Keep posting everyone it's very motivating.

lilian1977

Hi all

Sorry, I haven't caught up for ages so I will do that later!


So. Back to work today, and I intend to start my frugal month (and hopefully year!) today.

My first task was to sign up to Dryathalon; I have a couple of good friends who have lost their husbands to cancer this year so if I can pass up that glass of wine to raise money in an attempt to stop anyone else suffering this cruel fate then it’s the least I can do. It will also have the knock on effect of saving me money and making me healthier.


My next task, and this is my first ‘necessary’ purchase for 2015, before it even begins, is to buy some new foundation. I have heard good things about Superdrug’s MUA range and I’ve spotted that they have a foundation for £2.00 – which coincidentally is the amount I have to spend on my Superdrug Beautycard – so I think I will try this out. I’ll report back.


The final thing I need to do is to get my flu jab. I know I should already have had one but I have not been able to afford it – however, I have just had an email from work saying I can have a free one, so I’m getting that done today at Boots. It comes with some great freebies too – a Cold Defense Nasal Spray and some vitamin C tablets, which I’ll get to keep.


Enjoy your frugal days everyone x

dumpling

Hi everyone,

Consumerism nearly got me today. As part of a New Year resolution I am going to learn how to bake bread. Having decided this, I went on to Amazon and looked at baking equipment. I had a bread bag, proving baskets and covers, loaf tins and all sorts of other bits and pieces in my basket before I knew it. Fortunately, I remembered this thread and had a think about what I actually would need (knead lol).

I can make a bread bag out of a spare pillowcase I have upstairs, I already have loaf tins as I make cakes regularly, the dough can prove in one of my many mixing bowls and I have several rolls of cling film to cover it before I can get a shower cap to do the job. I deleted my basket and got the heck out of there .

Thistle-down

I went through my drawer of guitar stuff and realised that if I am careful and re-boil or spirit soak my used strings at least once, I already have enough to see me through 2015. I have a back-up microphone that still works, it's not the best but it will do the job in an emergency so I didn't truly need the one I ordered.

Cancelled my entire order and will put the money towards my cc.

Man this feels good. :j

lilian1977

Well done dumpling and thistle-down. I just found myself scrolling through the Boots sale until I remembered that I have already wrapped gifts for all DS's friends for the whole of 2015 so I don't actually need anything like that.

Just need to sort through my two under bed storage units of toiletries to see what I do actually need - will do that on New Year's Day I think.

Picklepot

What a lovely group of supportive people on here!. I cant begin to tell you what a difference you have made to my mind-set
The last few months I have become very low until finally pre Christmas I was at my worst. I have a good job but now face having my 4th manager in less than a year. I have seen good people like me just become disillusioned and despairing and move on and know that my days are numbered too.
Over and over I go through in my mind how to resolve this.. it has taken over my life. Do I need to work harder, longer, faster, slicker??? do a course?, up skill?. Before xmas I hit my lowest ebb . Then a plan suddenly started to form it felt right I felt relief but I had no one to discuss it with who would understand that the answer was to turn my back on this career that no longer wanted or needed people like me. I no longer fit.


The plan..
What if I did not need to earn so much? I am certain it is do able. I was brought up with fugal parents, but married into a materialistic family I have always disliked the constant advertising and push to buy stuff.
I worked the possibility in my head for days until I saw slowdowns first post and thought wow! if that thread gains momentum in the new year im joining!!


OH MY LIFE! 62 pages later. I cant believe, there are so many of you that have echoed my sentiments even to the point you describe the 'hamster wheel' I am on! Its such a relief because now I can see a way forward. If I can live on less which I believe I can, if I can pay off my debt more quickly I think I can with a gaol in sight, i might be able to change career direction, or retrain, I might begin to have a life outside work! Some of the posters here discussed planning to leave.. almost an exit strategy, this appeals to me .


Can i please join the good ship?

stellata

Im determined 2015 will be better than 2014 (or 2013, 12, 11, 10... )
Money not the worst of my problems, but xmas has been difficult and I need a focus for the NY. So far have avoided sales, stocking up with things I may never need, wastage of xmas food, and looking fwd to NO SPEND JANUARY.

oneemptyshelf

Bobarella wrote: »

Hello there
I'm so glad you've come to join in. Your latest post about people's general reaction to your quest to have a spend free year is so telling of the attitude among the gen pop.
I had a typical experience of that sort tonight. Bought some YS food. Got home 10 mins walk away & when I checked the items in I noticed I'd been charged full price on some soup that should have been 35p. Walked back and calmly explained that I wanted a refund on the extra. The shop assistant was really funny. He said 'how did you know you'd been overcharged?' To which I replied 'because when I checked through my reciept it was easy to spot.' He laughed & said 'oh I wouldn't have thought to do that. Will next time.' He was a sweetie and I thought it was nice he was impressed by my frugal ways rather than dismissive. But it made me think. How many people get routinely ripped off because they think they have bought YS food so they don't check their reciepts? Anyway. I felt it highlighted your point.

Bob

Thank you for making me feel welcome!
It really makes you think about how normal it is to just spend without paying too much attention, your post illustrates that people just don't really think about what they're buying much!
Especially in supermarkets, it's so easy to go into zombie mode...

All the best
Sal