No Buy Year

Cherryfudge

Miser1964 said:

Already failed

I'm not going for no buying but a drastic cut in income and too much stuff already are good motivators for me to buy more mindfully.  

@Miser1964, we are close on the same age. Why not reframe your 'failure' and give yourself another shot at it. Perhaps that was a pressure valve going off, and now the pressure has decreased, you're in a much better position to reduce spending?

I'm a great believer in 'all or nothing' being the enemy of achieving something.  

mandy47

Have I failed? 
I've just ordered a replacement for my broken kindle.
I used survey cash and vouchers. 20% off for trading in my old kindle and topped it up with my birthday money. I'm left with £8. Plus cashback when it comes through. 

YORKSHIRELASS

Hmm instead of failure maybe see it as a lesson learned for next time!

I am doing well with staying away from social media and advertising which definitely helps me.  I have been busy at work this week too so no time to shop during the day, except for food essentials.

Oh I have booked my monthly facial though, something that makes me feel good and I would only give up if I absolutely had to! 

ChihiroSen

I have just had to make an unexpected but necessary purchase. My CO alarm battery has failed so I need to buy a new one for £18.  I guess I could live without one, but I have decided to put safety first.

kimwp

ChihiroSen said:

I have just had to make an unexpected but necessary purchase. My CO alarm battery has failed so I need to buy a new one for £18.  I guess I could live without one, but I have decided to put safety first.

You could live without one, but you could also not live without one!

London_1

Good evening chums , well, just had day 4 NSDs.which I am more than happy with.

 The agent came this afternoon and I am still more than a bit shocked at how much he valued my house at .Far more than I thought to be honest, but I suppose prices have shot up a lot since we bought it in 1995.

I want a bit of decoration done in what was my computer room ,bless him he said I didn't have to, but I would feel better if it looked a little better.. Looks a bit tired and just need a bit of brightening up with some emulsion paint I think. I'd like to think whoever bought it and moved in were happy that it looked nice.

 I know it sounds daft but it looked good when my late OH and I moved in back in 1995, so I'd like to think it was the same for the new folk. a bit of paint won't worry me as if it goes for the asking price I certainly will be a happy lady.he seemed to think will sell pretty quickly as well I must admit that its rare that many house get sold in my road I think there has been less than half a dozen in the years I've lived her and most of my neighbour have remained the same ,even the young lass next door it was her Granny's house and when she passed away she moved in with her then young husband and they have been here about 15 years.

Tonight I have some sausages and mash and veg for dinner all from the freezer, so no shopping today, mind you I'm not sorry as its absolutely sheeting down and has been since mid afternoon. The poor agent looked like a drowned rat bless him, but a cuppa and a bit of cake revived him

Hope everyone is safe and dry

  JackieO xx

Florenceem

I have spent but - I have a reason - excuse! I watch the frugal Jan. in France - she and her husband have a discretionary fund of money each month. I plan to do this as soon as Mr F's business is completely wound down. So I am justifying to myself that I spent out of my January £50.

Florafauna

So less than I thought today on the spends. £4.60 on bread and milk and £3 for the penny arcades. Neice treated us to fish and chips which was nice.
No food spend on our day out as took a good picnic for all and hot and cold drinks. Went down a treat

letthemeatcake

I too am fed up with having so much stuff and plan to cut right back. Obviously food and bills need to be paid but apart from that i'm not going to buy any furniture, clothing, treats which will only add to the boxes and drawers already filled.

Cherryfudge

mandy47 said:

Have I failed? 
I've just ordered a replacement for my broken kindle.
I used survey cash and vouchers. 20% off for trading in my old kindle and topped it up with my birthday money. I'm left with £8. Plus cashback when it comes through. 

I'd be lost without my Kindle! For one thing, it saves me a huge amount of space in book storage, as well as the discounts on books and the ability to play games.

I'd say it's a spend, but as near to not-spending as possible. Presumably having traded the old one in, elements will be recycled, thus reducing environmental damage. The vouchers, if not spent, would eventually become worthless - as it is you've used them, so as a resource they aren't wasted. What else could you have done with them if not spent them? The only things I can think of are let them moulder, or give them away (unless they could be spent on an essential like food).

That also raises the question of whether donations and gifts count as spending.

I must admit I am really interested to see how people interpret this challenge. What counts as an essential? Should processed food be counted? After all, you're buying someone's skill and labour rather than making it yourself. And on the Vimes Boots theory, better off people will succeed better than those who don't have access to things that will last a long time.

But back to the Kindle - you wanted it enough to replace it, and you replaced it as responsibly as possible. Could you have got the books out of the library? Possibly - but then again, people who pay Council Tax are paying towards the books in the library. It's a really hard one to avoid.

I'd say - happy new Kindle! Enjoy it.