No Buy Year

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

Yesterday (Sunday) was too cold, wet and windy to go out for our usual walk and picnic, so it turned into a Baking Day.

An opportunity to use up some of the stuff that was lurking in the cupboards and fridge.

The reduced-to-clear 10p puff pastry and leftover mashed potato became a dozen vegan cheese and onion pasties.
Four slightly wrinkly apples were used to make a load of apple flapjack.
Some slightly stale biscuits I found in the back of the cupboard, together with the last of a bag of Christmas Fruit and Nut Selection and a few store cupboard ingredients were transformed into a batch of Rocky Road-style chocolate fridge cake. I found the recipe online.

Edit- partner took some fridge cake to work for his fika, and just sent me a message to say how damn delicious it was! 

Not bad for a load of "leftovers"

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

weenancyinAmerica said:

I went in one of my stores Thursday - and not only did they have multiple rows of junk for Valentine's Day , the Easter stuff was out already!  But that is the same store that puts out the bikinis the day after Christmas. Try to find a sweater for winter now - impossible.

I recall going to a shop, in late August, to buy some sun tan cream for our holidays.
Finding none, I asked at customer services and was told,
"Sorry, we've sold out. We don't have much call for it this time of year."
I just pointed outside. 30 degree heat, sunshine, last 10 days of the summer holiday and just didn't have words.
It seems that you have to book Summer Holidays on Boxing Day, get your Easter Eggs in January, stock up on Summer Holiday stuff in March and back to school stuff in June.
As for winter jumpers- I recall seeing them in the shops in July. During the major heatwave. They've probably been cleared away to make space for the Easter Eggs and Valentine's tat.

LadyWithAPlan

@YORKSHIRELASS I tracked my voluntary spending in Oct, Nov, Dec .on my diary .. it was a huge shock and made me really reflect on my spending priorities even though I am saving for a house deposit.   I really recommend it and being v detailed so you know exactly where each penny went. 
I started YNAB (the budget software) end Nov and I am sure that seeing every xmas transaction going thru from  gifts to socialising definitely made me rein it relatively  in Dec - I am a sudden huge fan of ynab now having so far this month Jan I have voluntarily (as in non essential) spent £155 .. vs the £0000's last quarter ... \

On the clothes shopping I am on the mailing list of a very expensive  very fabulous clothing company and of course they had 30% off.  I have a jacket from there as a gift and I really want a kaftan - my friend has one and the detail , fabric etc is unbelievable and it is something I would wear forever . However they are still £000's even in the sale. I can wait. I will add one on my wish list - where other things I want live with prices - and if I chose to save up for it before something else I can

@kimwp so sorry to hear about Phoebe, she will live in your heart forever- I spent over £2k keeping my first cat going for 3 weeks   (surgery then chemo) but if I hadnt have tried I would have been devastated, I had to try. There was no choice as it was such a shock, he went from fine to tumour overnight it seemed.
 He was 16.5 so had had an amazing life, His sister lasted another 11 months but she was clearly just getting older and nothing to do so I let her go gracefully beyond some drugs to ease arthritus etc
I think its an individual choice and each situation is different.  Of course if one is in debt it makes it harder, I had the cash to do it luckily. Next time I have  a pet I will start saving from month one as an insurance policy, my cats were indoor so less likelihood of an injury once past kittenhood

I bought some foot peel masks, an usb c adaptor and a large wall calendar to track things like  work and my NSD's but was only £8 for huge 18 month wall calendar and is a work expense so  felt it was acceptable expense. 

Rosa_Damascena

Worlds_Worst_Superhero said:

How is everyone doing so far?

So far this month, apart from all the essentials like food shop, utilities etc my spending has been:

Nail polish remover- £1 
Laundry pegs- £2.99
3 weekend newspapers- £3.80 (used a money-off voucher for one of these

Bus travel to eco-event - £2 (too far to walk, too much stuff to carry to take my bike)

Total spend so far this year- £9.79

I'm evaluating all the stuff I already own- I have so much stuff!-  decluttering anything I do not want or need. These will be sold, Freecycled, taken to a charity shop or swapped at the next eco-event.

You;'ve done well! I did 4 NSDs last week so am on track with that, but still spending a fair bit on the other days. (Food, garage, chaz).

SecondStar

I’m currently on 20/23 NSDs for January.

Spending days were for - £35 at Homebase on paint stripper and paint samples, £6 at the charity shop for a linen table cloth and a bead necklace, and £5 on sewing thread.

The £35 was spent before I’d fully committed to the idea of a low-spend year; and the £6 and £5 were spent on things for my main hobby which is reenactment. The £5 sewing thread will set me up for the next 4 projects, which keep me entertained in the evenings.

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

Rosa_Damascena said:

Worlds_Worst_Superhero said:

How is everyone doing so far?

So far this month, apart from all the essentials like food shop, utilities etc my spending has been:

Nail polish remover- £1 
Laundry pegs- £2.99
3 weekend newspapers- £3.80 (used a money-off voucher for one of these

Bus travel to eco-event - £2 (too far to walk, too much stuff to carry to take my bike)

Total spend so far this year- £9.79

I'm evaluating all the stuff I already own- I have so much stuff!-  decluttering anything I do not want or need. These will be sold, Freecycled, taken to a charity shop or swapped at the next eco-event.

You;'ve done well! I did 4 NSDs last week so am on track with that, but still spending a fair bit on the other days. (Food, garage, chaz).

Charity shops are/ were my Achilles heel. It's so easy to be tempted by the bargain prices....it's only when you get home and total up what you've spent that you realise exactly what you've spent,  and that you'd have rather have spent the money on one fab outfit rather than 5 okay-ish ones.
Having said that, when the time comes to replace any of my clothes I'll certainly look in the charity shops first. In the meantime, I'm determined to wear my huge stash of clothes until they are worn out and beyond repair.

Another of my weak points is "bargains". In the past I've bought all sorts of random stuff because it was cheap, or was heavily discounted in the sales. Most of it I didn't really want or need, it just ending up cluttering up my home or filling up cupboards.

Then there's bookshops. Part of my job is to proof-read or review books, so I read A LOT of books. I also sell rare and unusual books, so my home often looks like Waterstones after a hurricane! Yet I can't resist a mooch in a secondhand book shop or a browse in a quaint little independent book shop, especially on weekends away.
It's been difficult to rein in my books pending, but I'm currently working my way through the huge stash of books on my bedside table.

kimwp

Worlds_Worst_Superhero said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Worlds_Worst_Superhero said:

How is everyone doing so far?

So far this month, apart from all the essentials like food shop, utilities etc my spending has been:

Nail polish remover- £1 
Laundry pegs- £2.99
3 weekend newspapers- £3.80 (used a money-off voucher for one of these

Bus travel to eco-event - £2 (too far to walk, too much stuff to carry to take my bike)

Total spend so far this year- £9.79

I'm evaluating all the stuff I already own- I have so much stuff!-  decluttering anything I do not want or need. These will be sold, Freecycled, taken to a charity shop or swapped at the next eco-event.

You;'ve done well! I did 4 NSDs last week so am on track with that, but still spending a fair bit on the other days. (Food, garage, chaz).

Charity shops are/ were my Achilles heel. It's so easy to be tempted by the bargain prices....it's only when you get home and total up what you've spent that you realise exactly what you've spent,  and that you'd have rather have spent the money on one fab outfit rather than 5 okay-ish ones.
Having said that, when the time comes to replace any of my clothes I'll certainly look in the charity shops first. In the meantime, I'm determined to wear my huge stash of clothes until they are worn out and beyond repair.

Another of my weak points is "bargains". In the past I've bought all sorts of random stuff because it was cheap, or was heavily discounted in the sales. Most of it I didn't really want or need, it just ending up cluttering up my home or filling up cupboards.

Then there's bookshops. Part of my job is to proof-read or review books, so I read A LOT of books. I also sell rare and unusual books, so my home often looks like Waterstones after a hurricane! Yet I can't resist a mooch in a secondhand book shop or a browse in a quaint little independent book shop, especially on weekends away.
It's been difficult to rein in my books pending, but I'm currently working my way through the huge stash of books on my bedside table.

I had a mooch yesterday, but fortunately remembered my shopping motto - unless it's absolutely perfect or really needed, don't buy it. 

ChihiroSen

I failed. I bought a book on kindle without thinking about it. I completely forgot that I was doing a no buy year and impulsively bought it.  I also talked a few other people into trying a no buy year. So maybe my karma will balance out a little. 

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

ChihiroSen said:

I failed. I bought a book on kindle without thinking about it. I completely forgot that I was doing a no buy year and impulsively bought it.  I also talked a few other people into trying a no buy year. So maybe my karma will balance out a little. 

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Worlds_Worst_Superhero

I've just had a message from Asda to remind me that I have money left in my "Cashpot" and that if I don't use it before the end of January, I'll lose it.

I very rarely shop at Asda, only if I'm away for the weekend and there is nowhere else.
Giddy with the anticipation of my new-found wealth, I decided to check.

£1! 🤣
I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

I can't decide whether to go mad and blow it all at once on one tin of soup, or not to let it all go to my head, be sensible and buy 3 tins of chopped tomatoes. 😆
Decisions....decisions...