No Buy Year

kimwp

bouicca21 said:

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.

I like the way you put this. I have the same approach - I even have a "wellbeing" category on my accounts, where craft courses, massages or even treats if really needed to make me feel better go. And a socialising budget as I live on my own. I do have a bit of a charity shop and takeaway habit though, so that's probably where I need to focus lower spending.

professorerasmus

Sounds like a great idea. I've been decluttering the house over the last year, selling or gifting items. I'm now in a position where I pretty much have everything I need. So a no buy year sounds great. 
I really want to stop buying all the unnecessary little things its so easy to think you need. If I need to replace an item then I will do that, but the unnecessary items are my aim 

nannygladys

Hi everyone, I think you're all right to make a 'no spend year' your own, it's no good going into it and not spend if something is truly needed. I suppose it's a matter of a 'want' versus a 'need' and they are all individually decided by each of us. I'm trying a low spend year as I sometimes fritter money away on bits and bobs, nothing very serious but the total amount can soon add up, and it has to stop. 
This month, as I have quite a lot of food in I'm only allowing myself £5 a week for things like milk, fruit and yogurt, next month it won't be as low and then March will be a normal food amount, and then hopefully I can go back down to £5 and it rolls round every three months. But like others I need a fridge/freezer, finish decorating the front room (including carpet, curtains and doors), need wood to make another raised bed and a few smaller bits. So any money I do save will go towards buying them. So I will join in but probably won't post everyday. But so far I have had 3 no spend days so my £5 is still intact!
Nannyg 

RHemmings

nannygladys said:

Hi everyone, I think you're all right to make a 'no spend year' your own, it's no good going into it and not spend if something is truly needed. I suppose it's a matter of a 'want' versus a 'need' and they are all individually decided by each of us. I'm trying a low spend year as I sometimes fritter money away on bits and bobs, nothing very serious but the total amount can soon add up, and it has to stop. 
This month, as I have quite a lot of food in I'm only allowing myself £5 a week for things like milk, fruit and yogurt, next month it won't be as low and then March will be a normal food amount, and then hopefully I can go back down to £5 and it rolls round every three months. But like others I need a fridge/freezer, finish decorating the front room (including carpet, curtains and doors), need wood to make another raised bed and a few smaller bits. So any money I do save will go towards buying them. So I will join in but probably won't post everyday. But so far I have had 3 no spend days so my £5 is still intact!
Nannyg 

I'm not planning to make a thread of my own, but for 2024 providing my house purchase goes to plan, my plans would be more like a 'carefully planned purchases that improve my/your life'. Spending the right amount to buy goods of good quality that will improve my life (and perhaps some of them will pay off in the long run.) 

I'm not suggesting that would be suitable for others; just that it is where I am in my life right now. 

Florafauna

I have bought my winter swimming membership £99 for 3 months - sanity and exercise.
Day out with family visitors today. Going to local nature reserve, parking £4.50 and taking picnic and drinks. Penny arcades and chips this evening around £15.
Back to work Monday and visitors leaving Saturday morning so spending will disappear as I take packed lunches and walk to work

Florenceem

No buy planned for today. Taking stuff to the charity shop later but will not look around while there.

Watty1

I'm half in (smile)
The no buying unnecessary toiletries thread really helped me last year.  This year I have bought make up removing but I checked the sale page and found a gift bag that had the same size product with travel size toner moisturiser and a couple of other bits was the same price so bought that.  I don't want to stop wearing make up so I needed the remover.

I'm going to buy food, things as needed but needed rather than wanted.  Then I have a list of "really would likes" that I am going to keep in my handbag and see if I can pick up in charity shop (it includes some picnic plates, a cool box, drinking glasses as I have none and I'm going to stick with buying candles because they are a joy but only if purchased from charity shops where I can usually find them for less than 50p)

I'm going to buy things for my horses because that is part of the "new life" I am creating but "stuff" like clothes, handbags, shoes, books, make up unless i have genuinely run out (the wear a lot eyeshadow does not count as there are 4 others in the make up bag) so I mean genuinely run out, decorations for holidays and so on are all on the no list.  The house needs renovation so genuine renovations are allowed and the garden needs a massive amount of work so plants are allowed as are landscaping materials.  

I think for me this no spend year is about living like my grandmother and great aunts did.   Simply.  Uncluttered.  When I emptied my grandmothers house there was very little "stuff" and very little "clutter".  I have so much "stuff" that it is wearing me down and I want to move to a life of more time, financial freedom and less "stuff" that serves no purpose.

LizzieFlorence

Going to try a NO buy except for essentials otherwise doomed to fail if the 20 year old Cooker or Washing machine decides this is the year it retires from service. also we need a new roof!!! Looking forward to advice from this site.

Miser1964

Already failed

-taff

Going to try the no buy of uneccessary things. I have a terrible habit of being seduced by advertisiing if it pertains to kitchen equipment or boots. I have quite enough of all of that now and I have no excuses for needing but really wanting more. 

Essentials  are food/drink/bills and then obviously within those categories are ways to make it cheaper if possible, so using up the cupboard and freezer contents comes first on the list. I have a spreadsheet now also with the things I bring in and the things I sell, because making as much on the side money as possible from selling unwanted things is also on this years agenda. I am not counting compost as for me, that is essential, because it is the one outside hobby I have, but I will be cutting back on plant buying and going with seeds instead, and only with seeds after I've used any suitable ones I already have [ quite a lot ] .

 I suppose essential only counts when it's absolutely necessary [ if the fridge breaks, I need a replacement one from somewhere and it will probably cost money somehow] . We also have house works planned so they are counted as essential too, things like plastering, rewiring etc.