NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

lilian1977

Bonus - just complained about a PC game I bought in the T3sco sale ages ago and put away for Christmas, only once it was opened it turned out to be beta access that expired once the full version was released - £5 Moneycard on it's way!

Karmacat

kittie wrote: »

When I was younger with 3 small children, I remember trying to do one `positive` thing each day, not routine cleaning and not shopping, in the days well before internet. I often made something or sorted something and I used to end the day feeling good. I think I carried this through the years, sometimes it was just reading a book or studying something or crafting.

I have to be honest in that I had to wean myself away from an mse addiction, so much time wasted just browsing on here, this is one addiction that I am still working on and I try to come on mse only once a day, so that I can keep on with my precious time being used productively. The older I get, the less there is left

I'm a couple of pages back, just found these two posts - fantastic! I love reading those stories, thank you :T

Thistle-down wrote: »

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

Goldiegirl

Ches wrote: »

I do agree that not spending and no clutter go hand in hand.I have never been a hoarder so, for instance, I have 2 complete bed sets for eachbed. Only have 8 bath towels and no hand towels for shower room. 4 hand towelsfor cloakroom. Only have 1 set saucepans that are 20 years old. The crockery weuse has been in use for 30 years because I have never found any I like better. My spends in the sale the other day were toreplace 2 dresses which I sold as they did me no favours and I need nice clothesfor the cruises we save to go on every other year. I have 1 pair of boots(expensive) 2 pairs of trouser boots and 1 pair of flats for winter use. (Severalpairs of evening shoes for holidays though, because I am certainly notperfect). The reason I owe on the cc this year is because I had to adaptcertain areas of the house for OH who is partially disabled and getting worsenot because of careless spending.

Yesterday we had HM pie with a filling made from left overChristmas meat, mustard mash and buttered cabbage. Today we had Jacketpotatoes, lo gammon and pickles. Apartfrom my on-line spend I haven’t been near a shop since 20th Decemberwhich didn’t do us any favours as by the time Christmas day arrived the freshcream was on the turn and the vegetables left in the shed were getting limp. Andthe veg was bought at a local farm shop.
I can’t see me keeping out of the supermarketsbut I will aim to shop once only per week on a Friday just as I used to do inthe old days and if we run out of anything we will have to go without until thenext Friday shopping day

Hello to another cruiser.


I've just returned from a Christmas cruise, and it's just re-affirmed how much I love cruising and how much I want to carry on cruising. To do this, we'll be leading a fairly modest life most of the year, so we can have our holidays.


However, I'm not going to beat myself up if we do spend any money, as long as it's mindful spending, and not mindless spending.


I've been de-cluttering on and off since 2009, and I still find that I have things that are lying around doing nothing, mostly things that have survived previous de-cluttering culls!


I want 2015 to be the last major de-cluttering year, and finally get to the place I want to be - to only have possessions that I use, enjoy looking at or have a significant sentimental value.


Then I'll have space to neatly store the things I want to keep, and have room in my mind for life experiences, rather than having my mind full of wondering what to do with my possessions.

GreyQueen

fuddle wrote: »

GreyQueen you said elsewhere about cold and car batteries a short while ago. I listened attentively and thought 'nah, my auld robust Japanese-but-made-in-the-north-east-of-England transportation device will be fine'.

Cue dead car on Boxing Day morning and DH + children driving me round on my run.

So today was the day I stamped my feet and shouted I'm not buying it, but I had to indeed buy it. £50 for a car battery as jump leads and VW battery couldn't resuscitate it. By 'eck we tried.

At least it wasn't £75 from highstreet car store but bought via the place DH's depot use for parts. At least some money saving eh?

It happens a lot, fuddle, you woudn't believe how busy the first frosty weather caused our parts factor to be, phones ringing off the hook and it was batteries-batteries-batteries all the way.

It's never good but at least you've got it sorted now. We had a helluva frost here last night, the parental car is darkish but was white with frost by 10 pm. It was a winter wonderland this morning, almost looked as if they'd been snow but it was just frost.

Have been out to town to deliver some donations to the charity shop and bought a 50p book from one of them for Mum and got a library book for me. It was viciously cold but very sunny, going to be even colder tonight.

The family cats, Wild Thing (fluff-brained fluffball) and The Queen of Sheba (devious mongrel burmese/ siamese) have been jostling for possession of the windowsill immediately above the radiator in the living room. WT has it now, stretched full length, paws on the rad and beaming with the sheer joy of existance.

We could learn a lot from the ability of animals to live in the moment, I reckon.

[Deleted User]

I've only posted once but I'm enjoying reading through this thread. Had a little amount of money for Christmas and NEEDED pyjamas (have 2 pairs, one on and one in wash) but one of them has lost its softness. So I bought a pair in the sales along with a jumper I don't exactly need but will be warmer than some of my fashion jumpers. I'm ebaying lots of clothes bags boots and shoes at the moment as I NEED to get rid of quite a lot of clothes. I'm not exactly doing this because I'm skint but more as I feel I have too many clothes and over the years I now don't go clubbing (too old) and now want more casual items.
One thing I normally do is buy wrapping and cards for next year in the sales and some presents if I see them. But I haven't been into town to the sales and can't think of anything worse. I want to seriously declutter everything this year. And when I did need to buy wrapping and cards before Christmas they were cheap enough anyway (about 59p for family cards 99p wrapping and a box of cards for friends 99p). I don't want the clutter so this year is a first for me not to buy any gift wrap cards or presents until needed. Then that way the stuffs not accumulating in my home. And that feels quite liberating.
Christmas tree will be down on Saturday and a few decorations to the CS. I WANT to pair down the decorations to two boxes only so that's my challenge for Saturday.

Ches

Hi Goldie girl. We love cruising too but can only afford it every other year. The year inbetween we go on a coach holiday as OH doesn't drive very far these days. The reason I had all the work done on the house (plus the boiler breakdown that wasn't planned) was so that once done we could forget it and spend what money we have spare on enjoying ourselves before OH gets to the stage he just needs to be at home.
Leftover pie (made with leftover meat) cheesey mash and beans for tea. House all clean/tidy/dusted but it won't last as the radiator move was put back and will now be done this coming Saturday which will mean dust everywhere. Deep joy.

katkin

Ahoy Shipmates :hello:

Loving everyone's posts and ideas. I'm learning a lot of new tricks!

Today I braced myself for a food top-up shop at *ldis. Since I hadn't been out a lot I decided to take a walk around the shops at the retail park. The shops were mobbed and I got fed up really quickly. There was absolutely nothing in them that I wanted never mind needed. Previously I'd have picked something up to cheer myself up - but not now.

It felt good, but odd - I could feel my self discipline muscle working :rotfl:

Stuck to a list and hunted out the best buys. They had stewing streak on special but when I compared it to smaller packs on the usual shelf it worked out cheaper per kilo than the special... I mentioned this to an elderly couple about to buy the "bargain" but they told me they didn't do kilos! :eek:

About to update my stock list and complete a menu plan for the week. There's a cauli on its last legs in the fridge so it'll be made into soups for the next few days lunch.

Keep up the good work mateys and many hugs for those in need xxx

moments_of_sanity

GreyQueen wrote: »

The family cats, Wild Thing (fluff-brained fluffball) and The Queen of Sheba (devious mongrel burmese/ siamese) have been jostling for possession of the windowsill immediately above the radiator in the living room. WT has it now, stretched full length, paws on the rad and beaming with the sheer joy of existance.

We could learn a lot from the ability of animals to live in the moment, I reckon.

Lol at the vision of this Greyqueen, I moved the fake sheepskin rug I have in front of the fire for one of our dogs to lay on, put it on the table to hoover and one of my cats is now fast asleep and snoring on it, other cat is laying on the dining room chair on top of a freshly washed fleece! I could move them but they both look so lovely and content.

I have been very good this year in the sales and have only bought wrapping paper and personal Christmas cards for next year, a total of £11 spent . I even managed to pop into town today and only buy what I needed which was milk, cheese and 2 99p bird feeders complete with seeds and nuts as it is so cold here and we had the most beautiful Wren visit us this morning, he/she spent ages rooting around the garden for food. Nothing has visited yet but hopefully in a day or two we will have a few visiting birds.

Lavender_Cosmos

Had leek and potato soup today (all from veg grown on the allotment or in the garden). It was yummy and cost practically nothing. Did our weekly shop in Aldi and spent £38. I want to get this down to nearer £25-30 in 2015 with better meal planning and making meals from scratch more.

Am making some little New Year Eve gifts for family. Mini soaps I have a small stash of, made some cloth bags (free remants) for them...so costing me £0.:j

[Deleted User]

Do any of you feel bad about regifting or giving presents bought for you to the CS?
This has never happened to me as I do use everything I've been given. But this year I have been given an ornament I don't like and don't want. I'm not ungrateful at all but I don't like it and don't want it need it and it serves no purpose. The giver likes this stuff and no doubt gave it to me because they liked it. Think £ land ornament. A relative gave it to me but never comes round here anyway. But I still feel bad getting rid of it.
Edited just to say I think this was on her dresser a while ago!!!!