NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

yellowbear

7_week_wonder wrote: »

My first two guiding lights are: to spend wisely remembering that cheap isn't always best, and to stop saving things "for best". For example I have some lovely cooking herbs and spices that were bought as a gift for me - the temptation is to keep them in the cupboard for best, eventually they will get old and musty and I will end up throwing them out. Whereas what I should do is use them and savour every minute of them.

Have a lovely hogmanay everyone!

I can identify with this. I use Liz Earle and got a free candle in my last order. I don't want to use it! How daft is that?!
It costs £32 (or £35) but cost me nowt and all I can think of is it would be a waste to burn it.

Picklepot

Still loving the posts, great to be amongst such like minded people.


Do you know what I love about this? Its made me realise I have a choice, that I have it now I have it today. For so long I have looked at the end point.
When I clear the debt, when I have retired ,when I see a better job, when I get a better qualification.
The truth is I have felt so empowered by saying no I don't want/need any of that (little unnecessary buys). I also feel a bit self righteous that I have seen a different way that does not involve working harder faster slicker quicker getting more qualifications/applying for jobs my hearts not in/ a promotion I don't want.
Went for a walk up a nearby hill, steep climb, had a flask and xmas chocolate at the top. Loved walking past people clambering into the coffee shop queuing, waiting.
OH and I have started to say to each other every time we avoid a spend ''CRUISE MONEY'' . (we cant afford a cruise but one day we would like to ) and it kind of spurs us on that each little refusal to get sucked into the advertising is mounting up


HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Islandmaid

Wow, so many posts since I last read....

I went into town today, withdrew £150 from cash point, which is half of my food shopping money.

I popped into Coop and bought 6 x 600 ml double cream and 30p each and now have a dozen pats of butter in the freezer and 3 bags of buttermilk

Also found 2 x aparagus for 30p each for risotto tonight - £2.40 gone

Then went into our local Bookers and bought 2 x HUGE washing powders for £20 for both, a dozen kitchen rolls, 48 loo rolls and 2 kg minced beef (£7) - £37.61

So £40.01 - but all but the asparagus will last us for months, so have £109.99 left.

New years dinner is leg of lamb - I bought 2 in Mr Sains before xmas, cost me less than £15 as I used a fiver of sains points - LO,s will make either a tagine or curry for through the week - £7.50 for a minimum of 10 meals isn,t too bad.

I also found some bath gifts sets from a couple of years ago when I had boots sale smash n grab, which I have deboxed and will use up instead of buying more smellies for a good while.

Hope everyone has a fab night tonight, however you choose to spend it...

Lets hope 2015 is a happy and settled year for all x

Picklepot

bexster1975 wrote: »

Many thanks picklepot! The article certainly resonated with me as I wish to leave my job and work for myself ( in the same sector!). I am trying to put myself in the best position possible to do this in 2015, hence joining this thread happy new year to you all!

Bexster

Hi Bexster I think when it comes to work you voice similar sentiments to me. I wish you the very best and look forward to your progress. 2015 for me is working through an exit strategy out of my hamster wheel job

apple_muncher

lobbyludd wrote: »

thanks to the lovely words about me not joining in the SM challenge! I am interested in giving up sugar though (although also terrified) I did i've it up before, along with wheat and was much more energetic, healthier, brighter, more awake, less random food cravings, my skin perked up (it's really sensitive to allergens), my period pain ceased, - all great, but oh the temptation.....

I don't do wheat either (am coeliac)and when I don't eat any grains or any sugar, I feel soooooo good! But, daft bat that I am, I just don't sustain it!

However, I see every month as A Fresh Start. So off I trot (or should that be row?!) tomorrow.

Good luck with sugar-free living .

kacie

Islandmaid wrote: »

I also found some bath gifts sets from a couple of years ago when I had boots sale smash n grab, which I have deboxed and will use up instead of buying more smellies for a good while.

I've done that and can see why I had left them untouched for so long, the body lotion I put on today is so strong smelling, but I'll get through them and not buy anymore!

Have a great New Years all!

emslovesmickey

Just come back from the cinema. Spent the last of the christmas money on a ticket, and took the Terrys choc orange segments with me so I didn't feel the urge to buy any snacks. So now I have no money in my purse. Which feels oddly freeing.

I've said before where I live and walking home I noticed a lot of people already in the pubs ready to see in the new year. And it made me think, how much money will they spend tonight? Entrance to clubs, taxis, alcohol, the late night kebab. It's not worth it is it? Not to me anyway. I'd much rather stay in and have something nice to eat, and some time to work on my ten tasks. I must be old before my time!

One thing I did figure out yesterday, to my shame, is that I've spent over 10k on holidays to Florida over the past five years. The stupid thing is this is because I didn't want to go on my own so PAID for OTHER people to come with me! How stupid is that?! I've got to stop buying things for other people. Not completely of course, but I think I'd much rather make things for people now. I have promised to take my mum to the Isle of Wight for her 60th in 2016 but I've got a year of research to keep the costs to a minimum.

VJsmum

lobbyludd wrote: »

thanks to the lovely words about me not joining in the SM challenge! I am interested in giving up sugar though (although also terrified) I did i've it up before, along with wheat and was much more energetic, healthier, brighter, more awake, less random food cravings, my skin perked up (it's really sensitive to allergens), my period pain ceased, - all great, but oh the temptation.....

For me the health benefits far outweigh the temptation. I use xylitol occasionally and agave nectar ( though I am aware of the issues with it - but it is sparing). I bake my own cakes using little or no sugar and pur!ed Apple is a great substitute in fruit cakes

I also find the odd date or dried apricot is now so sweet that it kills all temptation,

I focus a lot on what I can eat - nuts, cheese, cream, avocados - rather than what I can't. I do eat a tiny amount of 85% cocoa chocolate every day - I call it "medicinal chocolate" :rotfl:

Honey_Bear

After I dropped my OH at the station this morning I wanted to bank 2014's saved change today at the Credit Union (keep it local) but it was shut so that'll have to wait until next week. While I was out I had intended to go to the market to pick up some veg, but realised I still had a red cabbage and some parsnips in the fridge. I now have spiced cabbage, cooked in the slow cooker, have discovered my pestle and mortar can cope just fine with cinnamon sticks, cloves and cumin seeds so that's three things off the shopping list, had a bowl of curried parsnip soup for lunch and there are three more boxes of it in the fridge for the next few days.

Money not spent, new things discovered, using stuff already in the house, and an eight day run of No Spend Days, my best ever - all Not Buying It.

I absolutely would have not done all of those things without this thread and I still haven't caught up! (I'm enjoying reading it more than any of the library books I've got at the moment.)

I love my slow cooker, but I don't use it for the things that most people seem to cook in theirs. I make yoghurt in mine, slow cook veg or root vegetable soup to stop the house steaming up and chickpeas plus water, an onion, a couple of garlic cloves and a bay leaf for three hours on High are perfect for making hummus or whatever else you might want to use them for.

I've gone grey at front (another one with a Mallen Streak) but the shampoo I use keeps the texture absolutely gorgeous, so although I know henna would be great for the condition of it, I'm nervous about the effect of the colour. I've been going grey for a decade and the comments that were made earlier in the thread about the effect of dye has confirmed my thoughts about not wanting yet another chemical on or in my body.

grunnie

Went over to Tesco before it shut to get some milk and bought the £10 slow cooker mentioned earlier ( thanks TudorRose )and got loads of fruit veg etc for 10p each. Just need to find that recipe for choc fudge now.