NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

I_want_a_baby

Dinner at mums was lovely, despite wishing my sister could stay I am looking forward to getting a routine back and getting the house ship shape!

I've been pondering booking a manicure as part of a pledge to look after myself more in 2015 and to make time for me, for pampering and me time.

But in the spirit of not buying it I did a manicure on myself using items already in my drawer. It took all of ten minutes and I'm really pleased with the results! I've also moisturised using the end of a jar of posh moisturiser.

Lots of tidying and decluttering tomorrow :-) food from stores and hopefully a NSD!

I'm going to put a little bedtime pampering set together to go on my bedside table - in the spirit of making my home work for me rather than aiming for a show home! Plus I'm going to find out one of my unfinished books for my bedside table and one of my unfinished crafts for my office table. I'm sure if they are out they will get finished!

IWAB x

pixiedust09

Glitterbaby wrote: »

Have you signed up for a target of books read in 2015? I am aiming for 60. I do buy a lot of books (another downfall!) but I am going to limit myself to reading books that are 1p on Amazon.

I've signed up for this years challenge Glitterbaby aiming for 15 books. I've never written a review though Emslovesmickey I just tend to give a star rating.

Another New OU student here. I'm currently studying the Arts and languages Access course, to give me a taster into higher education and hoping to go onto study a Humnities degree in October.

Only bought milk and bread since Xmas eve, and have had a few NSDs, but really need to pick up some basics tomorrow. Hope everyone's had a good thrifty New Years day.

pollys

Good evening all.

We have spent today. We have been to a charity fundraising event. I drove to save us getting a taxi and therefore I didn't drink, well just two colas. It was a Race Afternoon. Due to a big win on the very last race we finished the afternoon a couple of pounds up.

We have just had leftover dips and breadsticks and lamb curry. Apart from three gift bags and three rolls of wrapping paper with matching gift tags, I haven't bought anything in the sales.

I need to do a meal plan for next week (back to school) and food shop. I'm going to eat up from the fridge/freezer but will need milk and veg.

Looking forward to the challenge.

Polly

emslovesmickey

Glitterbaby wrote: »

Have you signed up for a target of books read in 2015? I am aiming for 60. I do buy a lot of books (another downfall!) but I am going to limit myself to reading books that are 1p on Amazon.

I haven't set a target for the year cos I read a lot of books! I have set a preliminary target to earn a little treat of 100 books.

smileyt_2

My sister has fibro and I suffer from depression, so I can sympathise/empathise with others on here. May 2015 bring healing and an improvement in health to us all!

I had a look at the Mr Money Mustache blog. Interesting, but it presupposes that you actually earn enough to save some money, lol! I earn so little that I haven't paid tax for three or four years now, and even if Housing Benefit were taxable (which it isn't) I still wouldn't have to pay tax. My depression and hearing impairment combined make it practically impossible for me to work full time, so I work part-time on a zero hours contract and just stick to the same budget all the time, saving any extra money for when I'm not earning any, which is a lot of the time!

I actually don't spend very much on non-necessities, so my Not Buying It this year will consist of not buying craft magazines, as there are library books and websites a-plenty for free! I thought about this Good Ship the other day in WHSm when I was idly browsing the mags, and restrained myself :rotfl:. I'm already very frugal - I'm vegan, my annual fuel bills come in at around £500, I don't have a car or a TV, I walk or cycle most places and I shave my own head because I have alopecia and my hair just won't grow properly. I got fed up of it so I had the whole lot cut off and now just buzz cut it every couple of weeks! My one real expense is my elderly dog, who costs me about £70/month for his special diet and insurance. He will be 17 in a few weeks' time and is my darling boy :heartpuls

The one area I could really improve in is cooking and meal-planning. I hate cooking and it's one area where my depression really affects me as I find it very hard to motivate myself, especially if the kitchen is cluttered. I was given a pressure cooker for Christmas :T so I'm hoping this will help to reduce food bills even further.

RicardaRacoon

Happy New Year everyone

Could I board as well? Though I'm already seasick after reading the last couple of pages. There was so much going on that I kept forgetting what I've read at the beginning of the page until I reached the end.

I thought I did quite well in 2014 until I discovered that I've only read about 25% of the books I bought and most likely have a bigger stash of shower gel, sentenced candles and strange coloured yarn than a year ago.

So I definitively need to cut back on the things I buy and make smarter decisions. And there are quite some areas where it will be mainly about using up... Using up showergel, turning the strange yarn into something nice and deal with the 75!!! unread books on my shelves.

And I will for sure try to do as much cooking from scratch, make my own greeting cards and try to get togehter some handmade gifts or knit for charity.

Today was a NSD for me and tomorrow will be one as well before I have to go to the shops on Saturday, mainly to stock up on healthy things. There are still loads of unhealthy left overs, but very limited supply on fruit and veg and I need to get back on the weight loss track...

Possession

Phew, at last I have caught up on this thread, all 82 pages! There are some wonderful posts on here, and I'd like to join in if I may? As some of you know on the OS board 2014 was a pretty horrible year for us, with DH out of work for a few months, having to rehome one of our dogs because she kept going for my son, DH's depression and me being made redundant and having to downsize and sell the house we love. But hopefully 2015 will be an improvement! I have been striving for OS ways for a few years now so I'd like to think I'm fairly frugal but I'm sure there's still lots of room for improvement.
With needing to downsize, we have already decluttered a lot which has helped DH's 'fog' immensely, I didn't realise how confused and anxious clutter made him. So job number 1 is to make sure no clutter builds up again. I have shopped a little since Xmas (we were away at my parents so had no Xmas food in) but mainly YS stuff. So yesterday we had YS beef stew and dumplings and today we've had YS sausage & potato bake, and tomorrow we will have the leftovers of both. We are trying to run down our freezer and pantry supplies prior to moving which helps in the no spend stakes.
Hopefully I can now keep up with the thread!

nursemaggie

Well I have left this thread and returned 3 times in the last ten minutes. It continues to grow at a phenomenal rate.

Apart from 1 bottle of milk and 1 loaf of bread I have not spent anything since 23rd December. I will have to go to the market either tomorrow or Saturday as it won't open again until Tuesday if I miss them. The freezer is almost empty.

Well I wont be tempted in the market I only go in the food part. I just need to keep away from Yarn shops for a few more weeks. I have yarn for three more garments before I can only do things like mittens and squares from my stash.

savingqueen

Another one with anxiety, also speech impairment and sometimes depression (not helped by our wider family issues but that is a story all of its own.) Part of the reason I am a SAHM is my mental health. I have workaholic tendencies and have struggled with stress in most of the places I have worked before children. DH has a demanding full-time job with long commute and I don't think he would cope with the stress (having had mental ill health in the past too) if he had to do lots of other stuff outside paid work. So he provides our family income and I look after our family, the house, the finances and pretty much everything. I have to be careful with my back and also not supposed to lift anything heavy so many part-time jobs are out for me.

I am finding the simpler the lifestyle, the calmer I am - this also helps the children too. Dehoarding/cluttering is an ongoing project for me and I can already notice the positive impact on my stress levels. DH and I are not big spenders - hardly go out, no expensive habits, hobbies or wants, willing to buy 2nd hand, make do and save up but still areas to improve like coffees out for me and shop bought lunch for DH sometimes - we have house repairs that we must find the money for (and a mortgage) 2 children still in primary school in our late 40s and not much of a gap between children growing up and us living on a pension. I have been on an OS journey for a few years now, fairly slow progress but I feel like I am ready to go up a level now. I am gradually becoming OS in public instead of just at home like a guilty secret and feeling far more comfortable at saying no to spending to friends, DH and the kids.

edwink

Well I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the first day on board ship in 2015. Loved reading what everyone has be doing to help themselves financially!! Plus enjoying themselves in the process.


WOW!! There is a lot of decluttering going on I must say!! Well done everyone!!


One large black sack of clothing etc. is going to be dropped off at our local hospice charity shop In the morning!!


Welcome to all the new shipmates that have joined us over the past week!!


Keep up the good work everyone!!


Edwink!!