NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

GreyQueen

Aril wrote: »

OK I'm in:D This is very close to the personal challenge I have set myself for 2015 and it will be good to share experiences with others aswell as having a place to record my progess. I've been living this type of life for a long while now but have paid far closer attention this last few months. I will buy new if needed though....things break and sometimes second hand is not practical. I've just been looking at whether it's possible to make your own cream cleaner....it is and it doesn't look hard so I shall ad that along with making my own window cleaner as a first project int he new year.

I'm already pretty frugal and lead a very simple but happy and I feel fulfilling life. My approach these days is not living a life wearing a hair shirt but a new to me silk one:rotfl:

Arilx

I wore a new-to-me silk shirt today, a lovely Mons00n one. Cast-off from a pal. Really suited me, too. Apart from underwear, my outfit today was 50p trews, free shirt, 50p coat, free shoes, 50p handbag. I lookin' good and feeling oh-so-thrifty.

Have been shopping for xmas food treats for my auntie (sorted) and sort-of fell into a couple of chazzers. Had no idea they made le parfait jars so big, so that had to come home with me for the flour, plus two garments from the Everything 50p chazzer. One is to replace an item which was worn to death and ragged a few months ago, and the other is to replace a too-small item of the same type which I keep passing over. That shall be laundered and donated. £3.50 out of purse, two charities have gained.

I would normally be getting my hair trimmed circa next week, but have decided to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it until January and spend the money on one of my annual cinema trips to the latest of the Hobbit franchise. I shall call it my chrissy present to me........:rotfl:Anyroad, it's always too busy at the hairdresser's in December as peeps try to get tidied up for the party season.

I'd rather have a root canal filling than go to a party, so that's not going to be a problem for me. And I can always wear a hat.....;)

parsniphead

I saw the following in Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Most of the luxuries, and many of the so- called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.

Made me think what do I have which I don't REALLY need.

Broomstick

When I get round to it (probably in the spring!) I am going to take great delight in making a shirt or two from that linen tablecloth that I mentioned before. I'm also wondering about making some trews from the light brown linen loose cover that I removed about five years ago from our Chesterfield which had acquired woodworm and was structurally unsound and beyond repair . I deconstructed the cover and have the washed pieces sitting in a carrier bag somewhere. It'll either be trews or will be new covers for our dining room chairs (ie my parents' cast off kitchen chairs that are busy falling apart and currently look a mess). I do fancy making trews to go with the shirt(s) though and having an outfit that was once soft furnishings.

B x

PenguinOfDeath

Just wanted to pop in and say how much I'm loving reading this thread. I can't say I'm going to fully jump aboard but most of the sentiments strike such a chord with me and I wish you all the best in your endeavours!

This year is the first one I have done a spending diary, but for the joint account only, I'll probably expand this to my own account next year to give me an extra kick up the !!!...my current motto of spending is to spend the least time and make the least amount of shopping trips. We have a good stash of toiletries etc at the moment and I have tried SO hard recently not to just top up this stash with stuff that is on 'offer' - lets face it its going to be reduced again soon.

Another thing I've got on board recently is de-cluttering, so sick of having STUFF around that is not needed, requires storage space and inevitably needs tidying/dusting/cleaning... again it is a matter if balancing out not getting rid of things that can be used/reused. Unfortunately I don't have creative bone in my body so many projects are out of my skill or interest range but money made from selling or being able to donate to charity mitigates this for me somewhat.

Food wise I go through period of being excited to try news thing to cook, to being bored and just wanting to eat simple meals to spend less time in the kitchen, need to have more healthy meals in the repertoire to bring food costs and body weights down, this is where one investment has come in handy for motivation (£10 on a set of bathroom scales, get to see any weight loss on number rather than a fuzzy look in the mirror...)

The main aim for 2015 is to concentrate any spending on upgrading and investing in the house, overpaying the mortgage and being able to fit in a short break or two. All of these things excite me more than the latest fashions, must have accessories and and consumer tat!


Sorry, that seemed to turn into a cathartic ramble, but by gawd I feel better for it! You have my full support, me hearties!

katkin

^
I'm also loving everything you all are saying and doing, I'm definitely with the ship / programme in my own way too.

This is a massive transition year for me as I'm at an economic cusp in my career and lifestyle - maybe its a nearing 50 thing . I'm burnt out from my public service well paid professional job and redundancies are looming - I think I want out and wonder if I can get out and live a better, healthier more minimalistic lifestyle.

Living better on less.

I'm already quite frugal and a bit of a bean counter but I want to go further. It feels good to be free of consumerism and the rat wheel.

It's been making me ill and I've hated life these last years and I know so very much that's not what this life is all about... It feels like I want to DROP OUT! :eek:

This thread is THE internet revolution sensation of the moment and I wonder who else is out there reading it and wondering....

I appreciate it can't all be done at the cut of a ribbon, its a gradual transition, but boy am I relieved to be here and reading all your posts. I though I was going mad there and it was just me :grinheart


Someone should tell Martin :money:

vulpix

Ahoy there! Yet another kindred spirit here.I have always been of similar mind and raised 2 children on my own with a very low income,and we lived well in my opinion.

After 15 years of child rearing and low paid public sector working my life has transformed.4 years ago I met and married a widower with grown up children and a youngster.

I have recently given up work due to back problems and breast cancer.Our standard of living is unchanged because of my frugal skills and having even more time to hone my skills.I am loving my life!I feel like a wartime housewife.Make do and mend.

The only fly in the ointment is my husband is the polar opposite.He just loves spending money on things he doesn't need.More clothes and shoes?more electrical gadgets to sit unused?More stuff?

He is a work in progress!Our youngest daughter is now 13 and she is a fully fledged convert to charity shops,car boot sales and home made food.

When we first met, both of them didn't enjoy my cooking as they only ever had take aways or processed food.They both eat heartily now.

They were city dwellers and are slowly adjusting to a slower pace of life in the countryside,(another High Peaker here)

My house (not our) is for sale as I want to move somewhere smaller.I doubt any of the other 4 will want to live here again,they are off making their own lives.

I have been decluttering since I stopped work.Car boot sales,ebay,charity shop,freecycle. The money made is paying for 6 of us to go to Germany the week before Christmas.We will have so much less "stuff" to move to a new house and it's all gone to a new home.

I will look forward to hearing of everyone's voyage in 2015.

V.

Slowdown

katkin wrote: »

^

It's been making me ill and I've hated life these last years and I know so very much that's not what this life is all about... It feels like I want to DROP OUT! :eek:

This thread is THE internet revolution sensation of the moment and I wonder who else is out there reading it and wondering....:

Ahoy there!

I can't tell you how many times I have woken up with that 'stop the world, I want to get off' feeling. Not dissimilar to your DROP OUT feeling. It is overwhelming at times.

I don't want to have that feeling and I try my best to analyse exactly what it is in that tidal wave, threatening to engulf me,that is the problem. But sometimes there is too much to even think about.

Often I'm overwhelmed by work. I have just started a job as a special needs coordinator in a main stream school after teaching for the last 24 years, virtually non stop. I didn't take career breaks for children, just maternity leaves and almost 25 years later I'm really, really tired. I am very lucky that I have now got to the point where I can work 3 days a week. For the majority of these years I have felt swamped to the point of drowning, unappreciated by my employers( the gov) but I've stuck at it. I'm a good teacher and now the longest serving member of the staff but non the less overwhelmed. I love the children, I love touching someone's life and knowing that even if they don't remember it, I made a difference, no matter how small. But that feeling of being overwhelmed returns again and again.

And that spills into all other aspects of life. I have chased 'stuff' because I think I deserve it, I've chased 'stuff' because I think I need it, I've chased 'stuff' because the advertisers have told me I can't live without it, I've chased 'stuff' because the Joneses have it. And I have also chased 'stuff' to fill holes created by dissatisfaction with other aspects of my life.
That amounts to a lot of stuff!!

But now things are changing. The tidal wave is receding if you like, and I'm ready to sail my ship on the crest of it. Part time work has given me time, the most priceless commodity. I am sewing again, budgeting again and slowing down a little. I'm meeting with friends, keeping my house clean and even sitting still with a cup of tea sometimes. And I love it!

Which brings me back to the stuff. I have often thought about stuff and how it trickles into my life, fills up all available spaces both physically and mentally, and then sits staring at me with malevolent eyes making me feel uncomfortable.

And now I have the time to see things clearly it's time to tackle the stuff monster. I will put him on a de cluttering diet, I will starve him of his life force of new stuff and I will cover his eyes so he can't watch his favourite entertainment-the advert breaks. That should see him off.

Hopefully this will stabilise my environment and my mind. I know I will be shouting "man overboard" next year at times, it's bound to happen in choppy seas, but I'm hoping my shipmates will throw me a life jacket.

Shiver me timbers, it's 20 past 7 and I'm still in bed! That's part time work for you!

Kind regards
Slowdown

Bathory

When I went 'off the rails' with my spending a few years ago I had the attitude of 'I've earned it so now I'll spend it'. I know now I should have put the word 'wisely' on the end of that quote. I was so fed up of KPI's, targets, monitoring and analysing that went with the job i use to do, that redundancy was the chance to change things. I now have my first part time job (which is do-able due to the small mortgage) and feel better for it.

Lazy Bathory has not done any Christmas shopping yet! I've not much to buy as families/friends decided about 2 years ago to quit buying each other gifts and it is much less stress. It also means that fewer 'Noel Edmunds 80's style' jumpers and 'fly-spray passing as perfume' gift sets end up in the charity shops.

Primrose

We long ago stopped buying Christmas presents for both sides of the family now all the children are grown up. The decision met with some resistance at first in certain quarters but now we're all getting older and trying to declutter I think everybody finds it a huge relief not having to traipse round the shops for presents which probably won't be used anyway. Sometimes it just takes one person to have the courage to make the suggestion and everybody welcomes it. Life is so busy and fraught these days that many people are only too pleased to have a chance to make things easier and less expensive for themselves.

FrugalinShropshire

I am loving this thread too:j We relocated to rural Shropshire last year from the south east and by buying an old renovation project of a home we were able to pay off our mortgage and OH give up work. We have a very limited income and have to save for everything , but life is great.
I still struggle with wanting 'things' so this thread will be a fab help.
I am so pleased to be onboard!:T