NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

edwink

natnat13 wrote: »

Feeling fed up.
1. I'm worried about my income, my employed job's hours have been cut and my business isn't making money yet, it will but has to build. I rent so am going to phone the local authority tomorrow to see if I'm eligible for any housing or council tax benefit.

Hi natnat

Just spoke to a friend of mind as she is quite clued up on the local authority eligibility side of things!!

She has suggested that you go on-line to a website called "entitledto". This apparently is a website which once you put in your financial details etc. The website will calculate what benefits, if any, you are entitled to, hence their name!! This is all done confidentially as you do not need to give your name and address!!

I hope this is of some help!!

Edwink x

Ches

So true about the bags and purses GC I spend more on them than the amount of money I have left to put in them. But, if I ever find a black purse like my mum/grandmother had in the 30/40/50's (several open compartments no card slots with an envelope shaped flap with a snapper) I would buy it in an instant.

Bathory

Hi everyone, I had a small spend in tesco today of just over £5 on a few bits like rice, milk and also the everyday value baby lotion which is a big 500ml bottle, lasts me easily 6 month and gets rid of makeup. I use it with a warmish flannel and it costs 25p. I'd include yesterday though as a NSD but unsure whether to as I had to get a weekly bus pass for work. I didn't buy anything else so does it count as NSD?

I am thinking of cutting right down alcohol as well. Over the festive period I had one glass of red wine and another day a couple of glasses of sherry. Both times I drank I could feel my face burning like it was on fire and it took ages to calm down. I may have the odd cider when out with friends but not drinking wine and spirits anymore.
Boots sent me more vouchers as well, did not use the last lot so in bin they went.

System

Hello shipmates

GQ are you really telling us the 'perfect bag' doesn't exist? That I've spent years on my quest in vain? That the bags I buy and make, the rucksacks, the fancy leather numbers, the dinky over-the-shoulder cross body wonders, will never be perfect and will never fulfil my need for perfection? I'm not sure I can cope with this revelation. I may need to have a lie down :rotfl:

In other news:
I'm living proof that there's no need to drink alcohol to enjoy yourself, I can be as silly as the next person with no added stimulants. So Pauline please don't ever feel you have to drink - if you don't want to then don't, it's not compulsory and if people can't accept that it's their problem rather than yours. And people that add alcohol to soft drinks against your wishes should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. I know at least one person who's allergic to alcohol - what if it was their drink someone messed with and it made them ill? Would these people force nuts onto someone with a nut allergy? Grr.

Had my usual Tuesday trip to Asda tonight after work - bought milk and pasta. That's all. No looking at the clothes, no naughty snacks, spent a massive £4.65. Came home and cooked baked sweet potato with beef stew from the freezer, it was lovely. I'm wondering if I could sweep the money saved by shopping mindfully from my current account into savings, so I can see what I'm saving as an incentive. What do other people plan to do with their savings from Not Buying It?

Long post again sorry

bexster1975

Goodness! Away for a day and I'm about three pages behind! I will catch up but wanted to say thanks for well wishes today. After 9 months of struggling and the last two months off sick if looks like the neurologists will be able to fix me, which is frankly a relief. Signed off for a while longer but hopefully will soon be on the mend!

Keep on keeping on everyone, I'll go back and see what I've missed...

Bexster

natnat13

Arh thanks Edwink, I'll have a look x

Heffi1

Aril wrote: »

I paid a chap back in the summer to do a really good job on cleaning my oven [I hate it and never do it for anyone else] To be honest the vile chemicals frighten the life out of me but he said he uses Astonish and elbow grease. Found it to be cheapest in £land so will keep on top of my own oven from now on. No excuses!

Arilx

A very quick tip for the bars in the oven, which I found difficult to get clean, open a large bin bag, like the black sacks you can get and put the bars inside, drop in a cloth, and soak that cloth in ammonia, be careful not to breathe in the fumes though as it stinks and makes your eyes water, then tie a knot in the bag and leave it somewhere for as long as you can, the fumes from the ammonia get to work on the bars. Once a day or more has passed, carefully open the bag, I tend to do this outside as the liquid from the ammonia and muck from the bars is all over the place, I rip open the bag and then rinse the bars in clean water, there is absolutely no rubbing required, but it does smell awful so try not to breathe in lol, it has saved me so much time over the years, even having the oven out of action while the bars are cleaning is worth it for the time is saves from scrubbing them.

I went back to work on Monday and so far have not spent any money on the sandwich vans that come around, I am hoping this is one area I can save this year, i dread to think how much money I spent last year and it doesn't take long to make a sandwich before I leave the house, but I have been too lazy, so this is stopping now.

Keep up the good work everyone, and to those of you who are under the weather I wish you all a speedy recovery

Islandmaid

Hi all,

Another day slaving away here - but no spends

Sausage (HP l!dls from freezer), mash and peas for dinner - cheap and cheerful.

Am having hair cut and coloured tomorrow - I know its a huge cost (50 quid), but i,ve budgeted for it and have stretched from 6 to 8 weeks

I have started to write down things I need to buy grocery wise as I run out, rather than a weekly shopping list, which I tend to do on auto pilot, only to find I didn't need beans after all as I have 6 tins in the cupboard - you know what I mean....

I,ve also got back into bread making and have made some fairly good bakes - well good enough so the kids don,t moan, so that saves a bit as I had loads of bread flour and yeast in the cupboard.

going to tackle another couple of kitchen cupboards tomorrow...

Have a fab evening all x

7_week_wonder

Bathory wrote: »

I didn't buy anything else so does it count as NSD?

Sorry Bathory, I have only quoted a very small part of what you wrote - but it sums up something I've been thinking about.

I want to cut down on unnecessary and mindless shopping, but I still have to buy the essentials. So I've decided I'm going to count NFSDs - No Frivolous Spending Days :rotfl:

Alas our car went into the garage today and, as suspected, it needs some fairly major work. We need the car to get up and down the road to visit my mum at least once a month. I got an email yesterday advertising East Coast Mainline's "Sale" so I had a look. Even if we ages in advance for the end of March I still can't get us train tickets that come in at under £100 for the two of us to visit my mum over the weekend. So it looks like we will grit our teeth and try and keep our trusty car on the road.

Have a good evening everyone.

bexster1975

I'm not done reading yet but I wanted to note before I forgot....

Natnat, no idea about benefits but can you get a part of your business up to offer a small income stream? I don't know what you do/plan but I know my sideline allows me to earn a bit in one direction when needed before I have tamed the beast that is full time self employment! As for the boy, I wouldn't worry, the more I read on here the more I see loads of couples with really different financial priorities and most manage to make it work.

Also, I'm not very happy with all this self- flagellation (spelling?) people are going in for here. ( now if that's what floats your boat, fair enough, but that's considered an overshare!!:D:p). I hope the thread is just allowing us to think about what we spend, not punish ourselves for it, or forcing us to explain ourselves to each other ( or ourselves?. At ease crew, it has to be fun too you know, else you won't make it till January payday.

GQ I couldn't agree more about the weight comment you made. Please tell me thistle down doesn't weigh seven stone or something:eek: I am doing the dryathlon this month, which will help with healthy lifestyle. Some very impressive work going on, I'm sure Captain Slowdown will approve.

Bexster