NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Butterfly_Brain

Good luck Ches

Boomfloom

Thank you GreyQueen and cuddlymarm for your helpful answers.

I don't understand why some people insist on eating turkey which they cannot cook, don't like and is too big for them anyway. And how you really HAVE to have Christmas pudding and/or cake whether you like it or not. Also, swap tatty presents with people you don't really care about that are a hassle to buy, difficult to be grateful for and create the obligation to reciprocate.

We created our own traditions. No presents. My SO gives me so much of happiness every day and enriches my life in so many ways that there is no way a token present could top it or even add to it. It's just surplus to the requirements. Don't need it, won't have it.

We are sticking this year with lamb and pork. We hardly ever eat meat because it costs so much but Christmas is a time of a meat-extravaganza for us. We also make several expensive (to us) and time-consuming dishes that we love and only have at Christmas. No waste when it comes to veg and cake. If anything, we would love to have more (but don't need it so we don't). Leftover cooked meat (if any) is frozen and is always a delightful find in the gloomy February when it seems that winter went on for ages and Christmas surely must be just around the corner again.

The food is good, the house is lovely, the lights are twinkling - what's not to like about Christmas? (NB I felt the same when I was single and spent several Christmases on my own - it's all about what you make it, not what others make you feel like you should have/be doing.)

parsniphead

One of the bits of Christmas I love is the turkey, I LOVE IT. The rest of the family aren't too bothered so I get all the leftovers after Christmas day. I can't wait. I would be very disappointed without my turkey. We don't make a massive fuss over the food, just having the main course and a Christmas pudding which doesn't usually get eaten until a couple of hours later.

I have been even more careful this Christmas with the spending. I don't tend to go mad anyway but this thread has been in the back of my mind for the past week or so reining in any unplanned spending. I really want to kill the debt this coming year so every penny needs to be stretched as far as possible.

Todays plans are to do some more deep decluttering, deep cleaning and make some gingerbread men as the little one has asked.

Have a good day with very careful spending everyone.

tru

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]AnimalTribe[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] I ummmed and ahhhed about joining in here, I was wondering if it was possible when only part of a household was involved. So it's nice to see someone else trying to do the same thing [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]GreyQueen[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] People almost fall over in shock when I tell them I rely on buses and my own feet when I go out, they can't believe I don't drive. Mr tru drives and obviously I get in the car with him when we go out together but tbh I don't like cars, I feel like I'm trapped in a little box I have a pushbike which I can't ride at the moment but will when my leg is working properly again. There's a farm shop 1.9 miles away (I've just checked google maps to get the exact distance!) which we already use. Town is 1.8 miles in the opposite direction, and about half a mile past that is another farm shop.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I need to write a list of what I buy when I go food shopping – it won't take long, I pretty much always buy the same things, lol - then go through it to see how much I can buy in independents. I'll still use the supermarket for some things, I'd like to buy washing powder etc. in the local shop but it's so expensive. I could avoid the supermarket altogether and buy cleaning things in town but all I'd be doing is swapping one chain store for another, that seems daft to me. We used to have an independent shop in town where everything was in large bins, you scoop what you need into bags then pay by weight. I miss that.[/FONT]

GreyQueen

hi tru, I drive, have had a license for 25 years, but gave up my last little old car in 1997, purely due to financial reasons. I'm insured for the parents' car, brother's car and, in times past, housemates' vehicles. I practise my driving every few weeks when visiting family, I think it's important to me to keep that skill fresh and not to lose my nerve.

But yes, aren't people funny when the realise you can walk, bike or get somewhere without primary use of a car? If you also let on that you don't have a tellly, you get stuck in the weird box right away.

If I really want wheels, I can hire a small car just up the road. Or a big van. I can also drive a double-decker but that is now in a museum (in bits, sadly, being used to do up other museum buses). If you've driven a 1950s 'decker all over the UK and Ireland, very little phases you, motoring wise. I've also been a multi-drop delivery driver before now, which is quite entertaining.

tru

I've had lessons but never booked my test. I didn't enjoy it at all, other people have said they were nervous but excited about being able to drive but I didn't feel like that. Plus I'm not good at judging distances so really don't think I'd be safe, lol. I'm one of those people who stands on the side of the road while everyone is crossing, because I can't tell how fast the traffic is moving - I always wait for a huge gap to make sure I don't get run over

mirry

I love this post and will certainly be joining you for 2015. For the past 7 years we tightened our belts and tried to purchase only things we need (not wants). In that time we paid of the mortgage which was a blessing due to my unreliable health condition. The only time we spend is at car boots and it's where my daughter gets her fashion fix.

I've decided I'm going to step it up a notch in 2015 & have my hair cut every 3 months instead of every 5 weeks for £12 (last salon was £20) I also started buying the proffesional wella hair dye that the salon use on ebay and it works out £3 a go to do my roots :j. And it's really simple to use.

Our oven broke down a few weeks ago so I went on youtube to find out how to fix it, turns out we needed a new heating element which cost £6.99 on ebay.

This week on tv I heard a psychologist say....

"be careful when trying to emulate other people's lives because one day you will turn around & realise you lived someone else's life" :eek:

GreyQueen

tru wrote: »

I've had lessons but never booked my test. I didn't enjoy it at all, other people have said they were nervous but excited about being able to drive but I didn't feel like that. Plus I'm not good at judging distances so really don't think I'd be safe, lol. I'm one of those people who stands on the side of the road while everyone is crossing, because I can't tell how fast the traffic is moving - I always wait for a huge gap to make sure I don't get run over

Now I love driving, but I do know people, men and women, who feel exactly the same as you, so it isn't that uncommon. If you're not comfortable with it, that's just the way it is, and it sounds as if between hubby driving, and your various other options, you have the bases well covered.

Was chatting with the family last night about what we're collectively doing over Christmas. Matters are complicated (condensed version, elderly and frail relatives) so we'll be varying our usual habits. But it's all OK, we will be 4 adults together, with the use of 2 cars between us, all of us can cook and amuse ourselves without constant input from the host family. It'll be fine.

I wish people didn't get so het up over Christmas, it really is making a rod for your own back, isn't it?

CAFCGirl

Good morning all.

Not much to report here I'm afraid. I am 'missing' two Christmas presents in that I cant afford to buy any (no money in the bank) and they are close family who we will see on the day so I'm feeling rather annoyed and cranky at myself so not managing my money properly..... And of course when I feel like this, I just want to have a 'Oh to hell with it' spendaton - saving grace being that I literally don't have any LOL

VJsmum

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Good morning all.

Not much to report here I'm afraid. I am 'missing' two Christmas presents in that I cant afford to buy any (no money in the bank) and they are close family who we will see on the day so I'm feeling rather annoyed and cranky at myself so not managing my money properly..... And of course when I feel like this, I just want to have a 'Oh to hell with it' spendaton - saving grace being that I literally don't have any LOL

Hi, could you make something? Regift something?

How about a "promises" gift - car washing, hoovering, babysitting, cooking a dinner or two?