NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

[Deleted User]

Lynplatinum well done for venturing forth to do things alone.I have been a 'single lady since being widowed almost 12 years ago. It was pretty scary at first as I had always been part of a couple, but I realised that 'life' has to go on, and no one will bang on my door with a slice of 'life' in their hands.I have always been quite a sociable person, and a bit of a chatterbox, and find talking to people even on the bus or in a cafe or queue interesting.
My late OH always said I could find someone to natter to if I was sent to the moon :):)

I joined U3A and have lots of activities.I am also a member of English Heritage (I used to have NT as well but the prices at renewal became too hefty) plus there are more EH places near to me than NT.
I think my DGS have seen almost every castle or stately home within 50 miles of here :)I an a bit of a history nut anyway:)So well done you on getting out and enjoying life again.

Today I am off to meet my pal for a coffee then we shall split a cinema ticket at lunchtime as I have a CEA card and we are going to see 'Suite Francaise' My ticket money comes from my 'Happy Cash Stash' which is just for treats and nice things to enjoy I put an amount by every month in this little box to pay for it so if I want to have a day out it doesn't come from my food budget:)
I am having a busy week as I am off out to lunch tomorrow with my monthly Luncheon club from U3A, only a pub lunch at around £7.00 but lots of chatter and nattering with fellow diners

I too have found that by thinking before I splash the cash, I do save a bit more .Although last Saturday I was tempted to fork out for a food processor, my DD saying she was coming for coffee stopped me and by the time she had gone I had lost the urge :):)

The weather is perking up a little bit so more time will be spent in the garden (I don't do gardening as my joints won't bend very well But I love sitting and reading and just watching stuff grow My gardener Mick does all the work, and I get to enjoy it
Have a great day everyone and spring is definitely on its way I think
JackieO xxx

bexster1975

Hello all!

I am not a frequent poster, but have been keeping up with reading. I wanted to just answer about effects of NBI. As some of you will know I am cheating a bit as when I read Slowdowns original post I knew I had found a kindred spirit ( I think a lot of us did really). I had already been quite seriously NBI due to circumstances. It has however, helped me think more about what I need and want, and has helped me use some of the money saved on realising dreams. Rather than not spending money, i am not buying stuff but spending on what I really want to do. ( I have spent recently a reasonable amount on rebranding my business prior to an online launch, and taking a course in web site design). So all in all, whilst no large debts to pay off, huge improvements in lifestyle. Thank you all, you are inspirational

Keep on keeping on.

Bexster

boultdj

Apart from food shopping last Thursday, have been able to stay away from buying stuff, I even had good enough weather yesterday to clean the car myself, so saved OH a fiver.


What has NBI done for me? Made it possible to have made 2 mortgage overpayment's. Buy OH a mancave[shed], treat myself to new raspberry and loganberry canes, meaning I should now be getting soft fruit from my own garden from may to November thanks to the everbear strawberries spreading.




Apart from that it's just been a case of going to work and poddling around in the greenhouse sowing seeds, or knitting if the weather has been bad.

edwink

Ok my turn to say what the NBI has done for us!!


We were frugal before I joined this thread!! But even more so now!! Before this thread we would food shop and sometimes buy too much where it became a slight struggle to get it in to the freezer although if it needed to go in I got it in, eventually. Now we have more home made dinners in there which is great as I have several health issues and if I am unwell hubby can just pop supper in the oven and we have a lovely meal and not eat rubbish.


We have always looked at most things as being materialist and have mostly purchased what we call essential items 2nd hand. Our lovely living room suite of 2 recliner armchairs and a 2 seater sofa we purchased in the sale at our local BHF charity shop for £50. Our TV with built in Freeview was given to us by a neighbour. The living room poufy storage boxes were a car boot bargain at £5 for both!! The small coffee tables were my dear mothers. Our solid wood kitchen table and chairs where an absolute bargain from e*ay at £60.00. The kitchen welsh dresser was £100 and the kitchen sofa was £30. Oh and not to forget my lovely rocking chair. That was my anniversary present from a car boot from my husband and cost a whopping £15. Even our indoor back door dirt trapper mat came from a car boot and cost £1, in the shops they retail for around £50. Our outdoor table and chairs were a neighbours. You may have to concentrate a bit on the story of these. These belonged to a neighbour, it was their dining room table for over 10 years. Then they used it outside for 2 years before giving it to us for firewood. FIRE WOOD!! :eek:. Anyway, we used these indoors for 2 years until we found the one we liked to replace it on e*ay. We now use it outside ourselves. I painted the chairs green and oiled the table and now @ 16 years old this year it looks lovely on our patio. All for free with a little tlc.


The hens HOTEL was also a throw away from a neighbour again we were offered this as fire wood. Nice 6 x 4 shed with a lot of tlc became their posh hotel. If we can reuse something we do!!!


Anyway I have rattled on enough this morning. Gotta go and get bits done!!


The sun is shining!! Have a great day everyone!!!


Edwink x

emslovesmickey

Had the biggest spend day today that I've had in a while, but nothing is a treat it's all carefully thought about, if you know what I mean. My favourite pair of boots wore through the other day (no salvaging unfortunately) so I needed to get a comfy pair of shoes to walk to and from work. I ended up getting a pair of Skechers (2 actually after reading a review that they were great for plantar fascitis which my mum suffers badly from) for £69.99 . I also needed a new coat (I don't recommend Mountain Warehouse for coats - they fall apart) and decided to kind of treat myself to a Hell Bunny one. I found the one I wanted (£79.99) then I shopped around and managed to find one for £39.99, a whopping £40 off the average price! Finally, with regards to my new healthier lifestyle, I got a kettle bell. I was going to get an 8kg one from Argos for £19.99, but ended up getting a 10kg for £18.99 instead. A quid less, and a higher workout for me, so win win.

Please don't tell me off for spending!

Tillytrotter1

What marvellous savings a lot of you have made, well done everyone.

Another long term reader here and will try to post more often. I find reading the posts so inspirational and really keep me from spending on things I don't need.

As I'm a SAHM with little personal money my main aim was to keep hold of what little I have and try to bring the grocery spends down a bit. Both of these I have managed, taking out the grocery money in cash has definitely helped therefore I have spent less on food, not had to dip into personal savings to top up and have managed to make an overpayment on the mortgage, only £50 but it's something. We also had to have our little cat put to sleep last week and were able to pay the vets bills for a cremation without worrying about the money which made things a bit better. I get a bit cross at myself when I realise where I have spent hard earned cash, how it has been wasted but at least things are going in the right direction now. I now find myself amazed at how much people seem to be spending in the supermarkets, vast amounts and I wonder how much of it is wasted.

Anyway I am so glad that Slowdown started this thread, things may get in the way at times but this is a good reminder to get us back on the straight and narrow.

Thanks friends

[Deleted User]

Thank you Lynplatinum. I am getting slowly used to it and although I have joined a dating site I really now think of it as just browsing. I actually do not want to get involved with a man at the moment. I've only just come out of a not great relationship a while ago and I now want time to do things by myself without someone interfering and taking over.

My NBI has also saved me money to go on a trip away with my friends for a long weekend. And I'm also now arranging days out for myself too. I could save a bit towards paying off my mortgage but at the moment I think I need money to get out and about first.

My home is kondoed too, so everything is in place and for the first time it feels organised and I have nothing now to buy for it as when I was sorting stuff I went through what needs replacing, including kitchen stuff, bedroom and bathroom stuff etc.

Its been great weather too and I'm looking forward to spring. The little patch I have has just come up with daffodils which makes you smile knowing spring and summer are around the corner.

Keep NBI everyone :-)

nursemaggie

An awful lot of you seem to be saving more than my income so I certainly have not been saving as much.

Despite that I was still buying things we did not need. I was just buying things in pound shops and discount stores. Most of it was rubbish and not needed. I have had to replace most of my kitchen containers, for things like flour, rice, pasta. I had mostly tins for them and in my arctic unheated kitchen they all started going rusty. Hopefully I will have replaced them all by the Autumn.

As I am no longer buying rubbish I can use the time to get the best value for money on everything I do buy. I think about every purchase how ever small. I no longer go grocery shopping every week we last 10 - 14 days between main shops. DS goes for milk and bread so I think we are spending less on everything.

[Deleted User]

Hi Nursemaggie - any saving is a saving no matter how small.
I don't save a lot as there's only me on a low income and I still have a mortgage to pay.
But thinking about what and why your spending is a start.

I've also thought about saving on utility bills ( switching heating off and using less water etc) as well as every day spending (food, travel etc). I done a huge SOA in January and wrote absolutely everything down. I changed utility companies with some things, haggled with others and knocked everything down to the bone so I had more money left to enjoy doing the things I wanted to do, instead of letting the bills have my money.


The small amounts here and there soon add up and I've only been doing this since Jan 1st and even I've surprised myself. And admittedly I did feel guilty at first about treating myself, I don't now at all. As long as I factor in presents and little things to help my friends and family I can now DoItForme :T

purpleshoes_2

Im not saving, I dont earn enough at the moment to put more money away (I do have some savings plans, but Ive not started any more). I was never a massive spender, cutting down my food spends has been the biggest thing to come out of the thread, also making small overpayments to credit cards.