Not Buying It- A Consumer Holiday 2016

wildthing01

Hello all

i haven't posted for a while as to be brutally honest, have been NOT NBI-ing. We are in process of long drawn out house refurb. i am keen to get on with living room which I find depressing (shape/size are fab, but holey walls/ceiling, exposed wiring, bare plaster and dangly wallpaper are not). However, DH has a bit of thing about unfinished rooms, and is concerned that while we have finished decorating the conservatory (used as dining room and for additional seating), it has no proper furniture - we moved the too small dining table up to DS' room for a desk, and it's become a bit of a dumping ground.

Anyway, he has insisted we furnish the conservatory before we crack on with spending on the living room - which makes sense as then we can use the conservatory as a living room while we do the living room (our living room furniture will not physically fit in the smaller conservatory). So we have spent some money on two bits of furniture - two lovely parker knoll two-seaters. One is new but ex-display, half usual price. The other is vintage off ebay, about 8th of usual price. So we've spent quite a lot (with me all the while thinking of the plastering we could have bought with it). However, in our defence, they do spark joy, will last for years and years as properly made wood-framed furniture, and have created a lovely area for sitting and looking at the garden. So.

I kind of feel like this is a confessional, and I'm looking for someone to absolve me of my spending sins!

We still need an extendable dining table, no way we can afford new so looking out on ebay, difficult though as tables are mostly collection only, and we need to look at cost of hiring van possibly (dep on size) and distance to collect.

Have been quite good with sundry spending though, was extremely restrained in buying just new cardi (in sale) to tart up an old dress for wedding we went to last week, and as similar to RicardaRacoon, did not meet the min spend to use both my gift vouchers (no change given), so instead of buying something I didn't want to make up the difference, I just used one voucher and paid cash for the extra.

Primrose

[QUOTE=wildthing01;70463702

We still need an extendable dining table, no way we can afford new so looking out on ebay, difficult though as tables are mostly collection only, and we need to look at cost of hiring van possibly (dep on size) and distance to collect.

.[/QUOTE]
Have you checked local charities like British Heart Foundation or Age Concern who have secondhand furniture warehouses and who will often offer a delivery aervice for a small fee? We have given furniture to them in the past and they often have good quality fueniture on offer.

HOWMUCH

NBI I have made it cherry tomato chutney using YS toms total cost for refilling my 7 English Provender jars 69p against supermarket £13.44 just have to wait 4 weeks. Today I've opened the last of our HM jam so need some YS fruit to come up.

Aril

If you've spent mindfully on purchases that you intend to keep longterm then good on you Wildthing01. My interpretation of the challenge is not to buy mindlessly and Not Buy Into It...it's never been for me don't completely stop spending on everything just make a considered purchase and spend cannily. I fall flat on my face quite regularly but if I don't berate myself I just get back in the saddle much quicker.
Arilx

nursemaggie

wildthing01 The other places to look are Emaus, you may find one locally they do up furniture and it is a project for homeless people, many areas have Furniture Projects tend to be training the unemployed. More local than ebay is gumtree. You could also look in your local paper, you do not have to buy the paper every night or weekly as most local papers have websites these day and the classifieds don't cost anything to look at. You should also look at freecycle.

Why not Google second hand furniture you could find others too.

[Deleted User]

I agree re dining tables my local Sense shop sells furniture and my youngest DD got a beautiful three piece suite for a fraction of what it would have cost new and they only charged her a tenner to deliver.The British Heart Foundation shop also do great furniture and delivery there is also pretty good.The days of charity shop furniture being ropey is long gone Often its from left over stuff from people who have downsized and can't take it with them.My eldest DD decided to change all of their furniture scheme last year, and she had a lovely dark wood coffee table that was barely two years old, plus a sideboard in the same dark wood that she donated.Nothing wrong with them, but she wanted to get a lighter yew tree colour in her sitting room.

She can afford to change her colour scheme (to me its daft,but then I'm not one to change anything unless its falling apart :):))So someone had a bargain as she is fairly loaded, and only buys quite smart stuff from upmarket shops .(more money than sense bless her :):))

But each to their own, I would research locally via the net if you can, or maybe Freecycle where folk often just give stuff away and a 'man with a van' can usually be found locally for light removals

dND

Aril wrote: »

If you've spent mindfully on purchases that you intend to keep longterm then good on you Wildthing01. My interpretation of the challenge is not to buy mindlessly and Not Buy Into It...it's never been for me don't completely stop spending on everything just make a considered purchase and spend cannily. I fall flat on my face quite regularly but if I don't berate myself I just get back in the saddle much quicker.
Arilx

Wildthing and Bathory, I'm with Aril on this, NBI is about not buying the c@rp we're cajoled into buying so that we can buy the things we need and special things we want (like JackyO's perfume).

It's a bit like dieting, if you try to lose weight by cutting out food, you'll die but if you consider what you eat there can be spare calories for the chocolate treat

HOWMUCH

JackieO you certainly blew the cobwebs off the old purse, but the new clothes will last and you'll look very smart this summer. I agree with the buying good quality I've only had 2 suites since 1976 leather Chesterfield and then G plan velour, only 1 dining room set, we've had the carpet in the lounge since 1985. Buying the best you can afford pays off I think it doesn't gave to be new I've bought some excellent quality items 2nd hand. x

[Deleted User]

Luckily it was my Happy Cash Stash that I took with me, and I had a lot of birthday money and vouchers to spend as well. I do so love my Chanel No.5 and it is my one luxury that I use sparingly and thoroughly enjoy.
They do a handbag atomiser with three refills and when I bought the last one it was in July 2014 and then it was £75.00 so £35 per year doesn't sound quite so bad does it :)and its only gone up in price a pound so not too bad really.

Eldest DD had a turn out of some of her perfumes, she always seem to have lots just sitting around her bedroom, and has given me some Calvin Klein 'Shock' and a bottle of Cashmere that she didn't get on with, and another one called Midnight Fantasy, so along with my Je Riviens and a daily one called 'Lovely' I am set up for the next couple of years .

I think everyone should have at least one thing that just makes you feel good no matter what it costs I shall still be shopping in Lidls and Aldi's ,but smelling nice while I do so :):)

My sofa we bought in 1977, the armchairs have gone, but the sofa is still in use and I had some loose covers made to-measure for it about 10 years ago.
It still is in good condition, and will definitely see me out I have an armchair that has a footrest and relaxes into a position that I used to use when I was going through chemo and slept a lot.
It will see me out .
My Mum used to say buy cheap, buy twice, when it came to beds or sofas.I am sure that the furniture today isn't built to last as long. Charity shops often have treasure hiddden that will last you for years Think of them not so much a charity shop but a place where possible antiques are hiding. After all antiques are only second-hand furniture anyway :)

Bathory

Thanks dND, I think I feel guilty a lot about spending money on treating myself. A few of my recent purchases are on a whim but I do feel better having replaced a lot of old stuff with things that should now last a long time.

I also think (obviously depending on budget) quality over quantity is better in the long run. I've recently stopped buying so much from Primarni as garments like jumpers and leggings always seem to go into holes with me after a few washes. I mend them as best I can but it shouldn't really happen to something after a short time of owning it.

JackieO, that's a nice collection of fragrances you have. One of my faves (Bvlgari - Extreme au the vert) got discontinued a couple of years ago and some eb*y sellers wanted crazy money for new unopened bottles (£150-£200). I kept looking to see if someone was selling a bottle they didn't want anymore and recently got an almost full bottle for £20 instead. :j