NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

vodkawitch1

Hi Everyone
Quiet NSD here, cooked a chicken yesterday so that will do tea again tonight and a soup plus sandwiches tomorrow.
Some washing and housework done and will be spending the evening reading and watching a little Tv.
Cooked a cake from sponge mix (25p) and added some dried food, turned out nice and will last a few days.
Have a nice evening everyone and stay warm its freezing out.

FrugalWorker

Some food for thought:

A link to an article called A Simpler, Freer Life
Insights from Thoreau for the coming year.

https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/89/simpler-freer-life.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+adbusters_magazine+(adbusters.org+%7C+Magazine)

My favourite line from it was a quote from the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu who once said, “Those who know they have enough are rich.”

The basis of this thread is really that we know that we have enough (I'm not talking about those who genuinely are short of heat/food - but those of us who are just looking for a new cup/magazine/whatzit), so really we are all rich - regardless of our bank balance. And yet, our bank balances are genuinely increasing because of reduced consumption and we can afford to spend money on things that are important to us.

I don't normally get all philosophical, but I'd heard a slightly different phrase before that summed up how I feel. Anyways, hope that everyone is keeping warm - It's freezing over here! I'm curled up on the couch with a pot of hot herbal tea, knitting a hat for a colleague - really what more does a girl want?

DawnW

skint_chick wrote: »

I also have to get a new fridge freezer as a friend checked ours and confirmed replacement parts would cost almost as much as a new one.

I need one with lots of veg storage and fresh meat as this is most of my diet. I'd like to have 2 litre bottles of water (and Coke for OH) in the door but also space for my coconut milk and sauce bottles. Then we have cheese and meat for OH's work lunches. I've been struggling to find a 55cm model that has deep enough veg drawer/s for broccoli/cauliflower/cabbages but are also big enough to store our rabbit's greens. They all seem to have really small veg compartments that would only hold a handful of carrots! I've seen some lovely family sized fridge freezers with big veg compartments then a fresh meat/fish section above but they are all too deep or too wide for the space we have. So I may have to buy the biggest small one I can find and then customise it with plastic tubs myself. I am getting ridiculously stressed over buying the 'right' one because it's a long term purchase

I struggled with this when we moved here as well Skintchick, as we only had enough room for a 55 width. I had to part with my beloved Bosch (full size) as it wouldn't fit And Bosch didn't make a slimfit one :eek: I always buy Bosch appliances - my washing machine is about 13 years old. I compromised with a Hotpoint, which I have had no problems with, and have been quite pleased with. It is an Iced Diamond model if you want to have a look. It has 2 veg drawers which are reasonably roomy, but of course, if you have to buy a smaller model, the interior will be smaller too. A local business got me a good price on it, though

Aril

Evening:D

Still carrying on here quietly. Have made a few small realisations this month as some of the topics covered here have made me take a step back and think. Sorted through my underwear drawer...how many pairs of unworn popsocks did I have that I never wear because I don't like them...now gone into the recycling.

Mr GBT is a great one for jigsaw puzzles. Often they come off freecycle and when he's done them I put them back on. It's a cheap hobby and good fun to share them with other puzzlers. You never know what might come your way. Saw an article recently about a chap who holds board games nights at his and other people's home. Each pay a small amount eg 25p to play and others show then how to participate. Another sociable but non expensive way to spend your time.

Still on a voyage of discovery in the fridge and cupboards as I work through them slowly decluttering, sorting and cleaning as I go. My friend has set up a closed FB group for all of locally to put up our tried and tested recipes to help one another out as we all struggle with issues of time and healthy eating versus the easy convenience approach. Many are now menu planning for the first time and we are all learning from one another. Different people have ideas on how to use ingredients and we have all inspired one another to try new dishes.

Was pleased to help a chum out yesterday. She was lookign for specific tablets for her dog which normally cost at least £70. I suggested Animed [not associated with the company in any way] and she'd never heard of them. She saved herself £12 and I felt I'd repaid her kindness for taking the trouble to ring me and ask me if I wanted anything when she went to the Asian supermarket in the next town.

Arilx

pm2326

I spent money today :eek:

I do large cross stitch that take between 9 month & a year to complete and normally get them professionally framed and it costs approx £70 a time

However I just finished a smaller piece so I'm framing it myself, frame cost £5 in Wilko's

rosiepup2000

JackieO, what an interesting post about your life in the 60's, I enjoyed reading that. One of my favourite books is called 'Round about a pound a week', a collection of interviews with women in the early 1900's about how they managed their (tiny) incomes. Fascinating but makes me appreciate how much easier our lives are today.


I have not bought a single item of clothing so far in January, and intend to keep it going as long as I can. I'm also almost at the end of week 3 of eating out of the cupboards and freezer (fresh fruit and veg and the occasional YS bargain pizza excepted!), and I've barely made a dent in the food stocks. I reckon I can keep going for at least another month.


It's so interesting that so many of us have been able to free up fairly large amounts of dosh, just by being conscious of how we're spending our money.

bunbun2

Ds2 had a hospital appointment today and I had to pay for parking (£8 for 6 hours) so that was a spend but we took lunch with us and didn't go near the cafe or coffee shop :T

I love reading all your stories and am very impressed with the amounts lots of you are saving. NBI for us at the moment is keeping us afloat financially. My OH is a supply teacher and the quantity of work has been up and down. He now has work 5 days a week and well paid. However he is working for a different agency and is now paid monthly ( instead of weekly as before). They have a cut off date of the 18 th of the month and pay on the last day of the month which means that for January he will only be paid for two weeks:eek: at least February is a short month and he will then get a month's pay. Then we can start saving...

Islandmaid

JACKIE O - Loved your post too - it did make me giggle..

I must be about the same age as your eldest DD as I was born Dec 67.

It was the Mazola cooking oil that made me laugh, as it reminded me of my lovely Grandpa, he always told me he wanted me to be called 'Mazola', something to do with him liking the model that advertised it - thank you for that special memory, i,d forgotton all about it till I read your post

I,m not called Mazola BTW

HenrysMummy

I'm not really sure what happened here... Thought I was being good but let it slide in the last two weeks. Just added up grocery spends for the month and it comes to 290!! Really need to get that down to 200 there are only 3 of us, me OH and DS

Ches

Unnecessary spend??? Bought my GD her prom dress today £88. Rest of spends this month have been the usual food ones so nothing else to admit to.