NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning everyone, still riding high on the £8.50 night out on Friday wearing my old jeans and sparkly £4 charity shop top.

Tomorrow I host our big annual family Christmas tea. This is the one time I do buy extra food but it was quite entertaining looking at some of the ready made party food in the shops and scratching my head wondering why you would spend £4 on a "hot cheese selection pack".

I do a very traditional buffet - roast ham, quiche, salad, crusty bread etc and it always goes down well. As much as possible will be home made this afternoon which I really enjoy.

edwink

We have had a total of 18 no spend days this December. The 3 spend days were as follows:-


1, Spent on the blooming car exhaust, well part of it £130


2, The chimney repair £300


3, Aldibobs shop £55 and same day petrol at Sainsbobs £45


If it was not for the car exhaust and the chimney repair we would have done very well for spending this month.


Got all my Christmas pressies at car boot sales in the summer!! Also I paid £1 at a car boot sale for all of my Christmas cards, some lovely wooden Christmas hanging type decorations, a packet of silver hanging baubles and stars, a packet of Christmas serviettes and a Christmas table cloth. The lady just said you can have all of these for £1. That was my bargain of the year. Even had some Christmas cards (whole packets) to give to mother in law and some to our local hospice charity shop. BARGAIN!!!!!


Have a lovely Christmas everyone!!!


Edwink x

grandmasam

Yesterday made 6 small jars of lemon curd with the fresh eggs that my 'girls' have laid, with reduced lemons from the local co@p, a few more prezzies for very little!

Today I must get my rear in gear to start [!] wrapping as Ds is coming tomorrow with dgd ,who will be expecting hm cake! Then visiting a df to take her gift. Thankfully all cards delivered, only had to post 3,one of those to Ds and his family in Germany.

My Amaryllis has burst into bloom, just in time for christmas. It is now about 4 years old and was a gift from df. The miniature cyclamen have been flowering their little scented heads off for a couple of weeks,rescued from a skip last spring so no speeding ,just tlc! Soon be time for sowing and planting again! Gotta feed the shipmates !!

Caz

CAFCGirl

Feeling glum......

I need to get a job.

purpleshoes_2

Just a quick post as I need to dash off. Was thinking about the last time I bought a pc, around 7 years ago, died on me twice and did get replaced by Currys, but I was paying 8.99 a month on the aftercare, stopped it and my monitor went bust a few months ago so picked up a refurbished dell monitor for 40 pounds (was so happy when it worked even though all I had to do was plug the thing in!)

My mum also got a complete refurbished pc for around £120 or so, hopefully I'll get another couple of years out of my hard drive (famous last words).

With all the cutting downing Ive done over the years I should be rich, but sadly, still skint

purpleshoes_2

parsniphead wrote: »

Hello purpleshoes (Pauline). I feel that any trolls on here might get walked along the plank pretty darn quick. Splash they will go.

I did my usual fortnightly shop Friday morning which for some reason came to less than it usually does, not that I'm complaining. DH wants to go and get a few treat tomorrow but I'm not bothered so he can get what he wants. The sight of all the overfilled trollies and moments of greed kills my appetite stone dead.

The news and all the whipping up of frenzy about Terrible Tuesday, Mad Monday etc is getting right on my nerves. If only folks could see what was going on eh......

Happy Sunday everyone.

Hey, ta, speak soon

lessonlearned

Ahoy there shipmates

Just had a good read whilst tucking into my coffee and toast.

Happy Solstice, Everyone, bring on the sun......:rotfl:

Well as expected, I've been a little bit melancholy These last few days.

OH died in August and I knew that I would find the Christmas run up a bit difficult and emotional. He was such a Christmassy person and loved all the run up preparations. The worst was going to buy the Christmas tree because that was such an important part of the ritual, going together with himself deliberating for what seemed an eternity whilst he looked for "the one". I have chosen a very pretty one in his memory and shall dress it today, with all his favourite baubles.

Christmas here will be just me and our two boys. They are both a bit subdued at the moment, but being very stoic and "manly", bless their hearts. They both miss their dad very much but they have been wonderful, I would have been quite lost without them.

We shall spend a quiet cosy peaceful Christmas. They both are a bit strapped for cash because they have both recently bought their own houses, so I've indulged them a little this year. Their presents are all mainly practical, diy tools and much needed clothes.

I'm actually currently living with my youngest son so I will be cooking them lots of their favourite foods. The freezer and cupboards are well stocked.

Although I'm joining the No Buy Ship I will have to make one very large purchase next year. I need to buy myself a little house. I can't live with DS2 forever:rotfl:

So my no spending essentially means "no frivolous spending". The bank balance is going to take a hammering as it is, so I shall have to make sure that every purchase is carefully considered.....

As I mentioned before I have been steadily working towards a simpler and more minimalist lifestyle anyway over the last two years or so, so for me it won't come as a huge shock, it will be more of the same.

I'm looking forward to 2015 and the chance to make a fesh start. 2014 was the pits. My husband had been ill for nearly nine years and the last few months prior to his death were very difficult. Although I miss him I'm glad it's over. I can rest now that his ordeal is over and start my journey to a new life.

Looking forward to setting sail.

Bring me that horizon.........

edwink

grandmasam wrote: »

Yesterday made 6 small jars of lemon curd with the fresh eggs that my 'girls' have laid, with reduced lemons from the local co@p, a few more prezzies for very little!

Hiya Grandmasam

Do you think we will have enough eggs between us from our hens to feed all of our shipmate once we set sail in January???

I think we made need some more shipmates with hens to join the crew!!!

Does anyone else have hens or is anyone else thinking about getting some?

They really are the best eggs ever and so fresh!!!

Edwink x

TudorRose

Been busy catching up with what everybody on here is doing. We are certainly a busy and dedicated lot.

Finished my food shopping this morning. Have more than enough in fridge, frezzer and cupboards so I'm going to challenge myself to see how long I can make it last before buying more except for milk, fruit and bread.
Like lots of people my bank balance has taken a hammering in the last few months with unexpected expenses so I really have to knuckle down and try to get in a position where I can save a few ounds a month for emergencies.
At least with the last of the shopping done I don't need to go out except for work tomorrow evening and all day Christmas Eve.

Keep up the good work everybody

Lavender_Cosmos

This year I thought it would be nice to have a Christmas wreath. I thought about buying an Aldi one or an artificial one. I also thought about buying some crackers even though I hate the rubbish gifts inside them.

But inspired partly by this thread and my new 'simple life' I have made my own. The wreath is made from foliage I collected in the local wood and my garden using garden wire I already had. The crackers are toilet rolls and crepe paper with hats, jokes and chocs inside. I already had the snaps as well. I love both the wreath and the crackers.

See my avatar for photo of wreath!