NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

117pauline · 22 January 2015 at 12:57PM

Good morning

The cold weather is making my fibro flare but at least it does stop me going out to spend.

I have booked a Barcelona break during the Easter holidays to celebrate my OH's birthday. I did a lot of research and hope I have bought a good deal. It is somewhere we both would like to visit and I can now spend time (and not cash) looking at things we might like to visit.

So I can focus on frugality and put forward the savings towards our break. Most of the time I can just get on and spend mindfully but now and again (too often really) I do want to splurge on something not needed.

I have even been looking at the Spanish equivalents of Groupon!!

Have a good day everyone
Pauline

fairy3 · 22 January 2015 at 1:05PM

Interesting discussion about Chazzers - nearest town to me is full of them - at least 10 but no greengrocers - sign of the times? Most of them are very nice but prices and quality vary wildly depending on the folks 'in the back'. Come car boot time there are shoppers obviously looking for stocks - CD and DVD stocks are raided in quantity and haggling on prices, unbelievable. Next town other way has a few overpriced ones as it's in a 'posh' place and I think O*fam would charge entry fee if they could get away with it.
Have dropped off CS bags but not bought anything this year I don't need anything but plan on making a 'need if right price' list as suggested on here of items to look out for as would like to replace a broken ceramic dish that I use for cauli cheese which I bought in Spain and I miss it!
Decluttering still ongoing here and preparations for a weekend away starting tomorrow - will pack food and drink for the journey and have xmas money folded into 4 in my purse for any purchases for me.
Still no SM's and have only spent £78.28p this month on groceries so should have saved £150 by end of month which will be syphoned off and used to overpay CC which is on 0% interest for another 12 months. It's good this not buying it lark.
Have a good day everyone

Picklepot · 22 January 2015 at 1:06PM

I love this thread!

I love the different mindset i am having and the 'inner smugness' i have developed from .'not buying it!'

My spare room needs painting it also needs new curtains..(until this thread). OK the curtains have been through my last two house moves but they are good quality and professionally made if a little old fashioned.

LBM 1 - Curtains will be cleaned and replaced - wall that definitely does neeed painting will change to compliment the colour of the curtains. I do not need to do the whole bed set to match the curtains to match the wall thing.Told myself - It is a spare room for goodness sake.

LBM 2 - Onto phone insurance - DS's has a problem with his phone, white screen told its a software problem and not covered by insurance that we have paid year on year for as long as we can remember. Whats the point?, so its gone to local little independant phone shop in town and insurance will be cancelled and money will be added to emergency repair kitty every month.

fairy3 · 22 January 2015 at 1:23PM

117pauline - You will love Barcelona - was there last month with my DD and we loved it, please take good walking shoes! This site is full of tips and information http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/index.html and if you are there the Sunday before Easter a lot of the museums and sites are free.
Could witter on all day about the place but you will find lots of info for a frugal stay on the website and feel free to ask about anything and will help if I can.

katkin · 22 January 2015 at 2:46PM

Ahoy Shipmates

Not been posting much this past week as I've hurt my back after an adventure into my attic that I hadn't ever visited in the 15 years I've lived here. Got up fine (wow I have almost another space for a house up there!) But, alas on the way down I lost my footing, kicked the ladders away and fell about 6ft

Nice bit of colorful bruising but the back pain is agonizing

Anyhoo - I've still not spent much and that's me into my January budget. Doing well on the make do and mend, and eating some interesting stuff with loads of veg from the cupboard and freezer.

Spent nothing in the sales

Don't need anything and I'm looking after the pennies for what i have to buy uber carefully. It feels freeing!

I'm dreading the car breakdown renewal (we have an old car that I need for my work) and the same with the boiler breakdown insurance - both costly and due soon. I've got it budgeted but I'll be a hard few months to cover the costs.

So not too bad financially! Still saving for redundancy / unemployment too....but I'm keeping my chin up!

Keep up the good work Ship mates :cool:

Picklepot · 22 January 2015 at 3:09PM

katkin wrote: »

Ahoy Shipmates

I'm dreading the car breakdown renewal (we have an old car that I need for my work) and the same with the boiler breakdown insurance - both costly and due soon. I've got it budgeted but I'll be a hard few months to cover the costs.

:cool:

OOOh hope the back improves soon.

Have you any TEsco clubcard points? You can ger RAC membership with them?

Also worth checking out MSE best boiler cover , i got an offer for £11.00 a month with one of the big suppliers last autumn.

katkin · 22 January 2015 at 3:27PM

Picklepot wrote: »

OOOh hope the back improves soon.

Have you any TEsco clubcard points? You can ger RAC membership with them?

Also worth checking out MSE best boiler cover , i got an offer for £11.00 a month with one of the big suppliers last autumn.

Thanks Picklepot for the advice. I don't do Tesco at all but will certainly have a look at the MSE boiler cover pages.

I'm amazed how much more than inflation their prices have went up - and still my wages have stayed the same these last 4 years.

bexster1975 · 22 January 2015 at 3:50PM

Katkin

I got recovery car breakdown cover from green flag last summer. It was £58 and as I went through quidco I got £20 cash back ( had to wait till this mo th for it but it's paid &#55357;&#56836;. So cost £38 total. It covers everything except European travel ( which I wouldn't take my car to do!)

Hope it helps.

Bexster

[Deleted User] · 22 January 2015 at 4:08PM

Two more boxes of books are ready for amazon, one book on technical analysis (stockmarket) fetched over £19. Total for books will be £53 so I am very chuffed. That will be it re books now as they were either rejected, so are packed for the cs, or are books that I want to keep. I have put all the packing materials and empty boxes out now

I am completely loving my candles, all unearthed from the depths of my craft room. Three are on right now and are working very hard at disguising the smell from my bone broth, which has been in the slow cooker for 42 hours with 5 to go. This will then cool in the porch overnight, skimmed and bottled for the fridge or frozen. Our health remedy

I can`t help but feel tremendously uplifted at the moment, I have Snatam Kaur on and there is something about her music that brings endorphins out in me. I feel really calm and happy. I think I am getting good karma

savingqueen · 22 January 2015 at 4:11PM

Katkin, re car breakdown. Check out Autoaid, it's recommended on MSE. I have used it for years. £41 a year.

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NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

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