No Buy Year

Indout96

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Indout96 - your walking comes to around 4 miles per day, I tend to walk that at least every day for health reasons. I shan't lie, I buy trainers from the supermarket when cut price / clearance and wear them to death. Currently I'm using a pair of men's walking boots from Aldi that was reduced to £15, they are good steady things and I feel like Hermes with wings on my feet! If I have to replace them before the end of the year I shall be very disappointed.

I struggle to wear walking boots as I have an old (irreparable) Achilles tendon injury but will have a look at Aldi trainers when they get some in, I am using K-Swiss at the moment and they seem to be lasting well so far and were a decent(ish) price from local shoe warehouse.
2300 is just under 6.5 miles per day but as I cant make anything like that when at work (lucky to get more than 1 mile) mine tend to be around 8 miles / day when I am home. 

Florafauna

Hello, I'd like to join please as I feel I need to look round my house for what I have and use that instead before buying something.

I have spent £1.20 on food today as I used up nectar points and did a good food audit before I left home. I have also bought some interfacing and lining for a skirt I am making 
I need to cut back on £5.40.

Hobbies are essential to me - running, swimming and dress making as they make me happy and keep me sane. I have made a pact to buy no new fabric until I have used most of it which is definitely doable. 

No other spends today by me

kimwp

Indout96 said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Indout96 - your walking comes to around 4 miles per day, I tend to walk that at least every day for health reasons. I shan't lie, I buy trainers from the supermarket when cut price / clearance and wear them to death. Currently I'm using a pair of men's walking boots from Aldi that was reduced to £15, they are good steady things and I feel like Hermes with wings on my feet! If I have to replace them before the end of the year I shall be very disappointed.

I struggle to wear walking boots as I have an old (irreparable) Achilles tendon injury but will have a look at Aldi trainers when they get some in, I am using K-Swiss at the moment and they seem to be lasting well so far and were a decent(ish) price from local shoe warehouse.
2300 is just under 6.5 miles per day but as I cant make anything like that when at work (lucky to get more than 1 mile) mine tend to be around 8 miles / day when I am home. 

I've recently discovered walking shoes, which are a cross between trainers and walking shoes- comfortable, but a bit more sturdy than trainers.

Florenceem

Rosa_Damascena - some got wet -  I have new coats drying in my house at the moment.  There were 3 black bags of donations outside today when I went past so I fetched them into the dry.
Took donations to two charity shops today but didn't look around.

ruby_eskimo

kimwp said:

Indout96 said:

I struggle with the concept of no spend as to what to include as essential cost and what is frivolous 
For example Trainers will need replacing at least twice in a year as we walk so much (2,300 miles in 2023) but that in turn saves a fortune in petrol so is it an essential or OK to spend on ?
We also dance 2/3 times a week so my dance trainers will also need replacing but Mrs Indout has a few pairs of dance shoes left from when we taught so will be fine.

I too wonder what counts as essential. 
- replacing shoes that work but are tatty?
- new top for going out as I've changed size, when I have clothes that fit but aren't dressy?
- compost for growing veg which is is a healthy and fulfilling pastime but is more expensive than buying veg from the supermarket?
- activities with friends who aren't keen on no spend activities?

I think the concept of essential is different to everyone.  For me, it's things like food (obviously) but making sure I definitely need that item or that I plan to use it in multiple dishes before it well and truly goes off.  Toiletries wise, my skin is very sensitive and I have a routine of products that work for me so I will replace when I am out (or almost out) but not use the excuse to buy extras because there's a sale for example.  When it comes to clothes and shoes, I don't need any more but if something wears out (like my walking trainers which have holes in the toes at the moment and are threatening to disintegrate) then I'll replace them once they've well and truly fallen apart.  And if and when I do need to replace something or need something very specific (like my weight fluctuates and I don't have anything suitable to wear) then I'd always go down the second hand route first and then try and invest in something second to make sure it lasted as long as possible.

It's also about going to that extra bit of effort so making sure I take a refillable bottle with me so I don't have to buy a drink, taking my own lunch and coffee with me when I go to work so again I don't have to spend a small fortune on something in town, taking a tote bag with me so I don't have to buy bags etc. 

I guess what I'm saying is that my no-buy year is to stop me buying the "extras" like books (I can go to the library / have a massive pile ready to go in my bedroom), candles, accessories, fancy toiletries, all the "just because" things that don't make my life better and just clutter up my surroundings!

bouicca21

I think we all need to come up with our own definitions of what counts as a spend.  For me it’s obviously food, cleaning stuff and toiletries.  My essentials also include stuff that helps my mental and physical health - having a holiday, going to the gym, having a coffee stop when I go cycling in a group and having lunch once or twice a fortnight with friends.  My bike will need its annual service in the spring - I could learn how to service it myself but I’ve better things to do so I’d rather pay the nice man at the bike shop to do it. Then there is my ancient car which requires taxing, an MoT and insurance.  

My idea of no spend is not buying things I don’t need or that won’t make my life better.  The car is an unnecessary luxury as I prefer to cycle or use public transport, but there are times when it’s really useful to have - like today when I took loads of bulky stuff to the chazzer and the dump. I’ll never get another, but there seems little point in actually getting rid of it while it still works.

Poppy_Golightly

I'm joining you! Day 3 and so far have only bought food. I'm expecting a Get Well Soon card from Amazon!!
No more fabric/yarn for me - I'll be working on my stash instead. I honestly can't remember what I was going to knit with the yarn I have already bought   Also no more camera gear! It's embarrassing the number of cameras and lenses (vintage and modern) I have. Time to get to know the cameras I do have inside out. 

Cooking from scratch and working on my allotment from now on. I have given myself permission to buy any Kilner jars I come across in my local charity shop. They'll be for making preserves etc this autumn, I got caught out last summer by not having enough jars.

Now back to my knitting...................

SecondStar

Your reasoning definitely resonates!

I’d love to have a no spend year, but at the very least I’m shooting for a low spend year - if there is something I have in mind, I’ll be making all efforts to first mull it over to decide if it’s a Need or a Want, to then either save for it or assign money for it, then try and find it either free, secondhand, or reduced price, before committing to buying new and full price.

Hoping to be far more intentional about my purchases and making the most of my spending power.

ancientmum

Regarding walking shoes, I have an Aldi pair of "running trainers" which I wear practically every day but no running is done in them.  For longer walks I buy the more expensive waterproof shoes in the sales where they are often reduced to half price. I find walking shoes more comfortable than boots.

Rosa_Damascena

Indout96 said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Indout96 - your walking comes to around 4 miles per day, I tend to walk that at least every day for health reasons. I shan't lie, I buy trainers from the supermarket when cut price / clearance and wear them to death. Currently I'm using a pair of men's walking boots from Aldi that was reduced to £15, they are good steady things and I feel like Hermes with wings on my feet! If I have to replace them before the end of the year I shall be very disappointed.

I struggle to wear walking boots as I have an old (irreparable) Achilles tendon injury but will have a look at Aldi trainers when they get some in, I am using K-Swiss at the moment and they seem to be lasting well so far and were a decent(ish) price from local shoe warehouse.
2300 is just under 6.5 miles per day but as I cant make anything like that when at work (lucky to get more than 1 mile) mine tend to be around 8 miles / day when I am home. 

Sorry, I read km rather than miles. Your walking does beat mine! Wear whatever is comfortable, feet are too precious to compromise.