Ginevra Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 The "rules" of this challenge are self-defined. Anyone can join in at any time. The aim of the challenge (for me) is to combat consumerism, wastefulness, mindless buying, and overspending. It is meant to nurture creative problem solving, ecology, frugality, intentionalism, and resourcefulness. To support these goals, I seek to buy nothing new. I aim to use existing resources, borrow, hand-craft, and buy existing second-hand materials to the greatest extent possible. However, I recognize that life is unpredictable, and family life increases this factor exponentially, so I will buy new in the following cases, when a non-buying option does not present: Food, health, and necessary household goods excluded. Requirements for school, work, or health and well-being which cannot be obtained used. Gifts, when a creative non-commercial option will not suffice. Anything animal or gardening related that cannot be obtained used. Fuel/energy sources. Posts will appear each Saturday, referring to the week that is ending. Post your successes, creative solutions, relapses and weak moments. It doesn't matter if you have a weak moment! Just keep swimming! I spent nearly no money this week, in part due to snow and cold impeding me from going anywhere, and in part because I was working a lot this week and didn't have time for distractions. I did buy my books for my next two college classes; one was available used, the other two were not. Still close to $100, but not out of the ordinary. I ordered a book from Amazon, because Lucy Stoner AND Joanne had to go and tell us about it and I'm a total sucker for books on home management. BUT! I bought it from Amazon used! So technically, it still fits my parameters! (Insert evil grin here.) I just saw a FB post of a friend of mine who got a heap of vegetable seeds from attending a class at the Ag center. How cool is that? I'm going to see if I can get in on something like that, too. How are you all doing, other than having car repairs out the wazoo? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Due to dh's truck repair we haven't spent much of anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saraswati Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I ordered a few books that we need for school yesterday. Other than that, we haven't done any spending. This challenge has helped me dig deep and find some great free and low cost programs in our community. We attended Health Sciences day (for middle schoolers) at the local college today. My dd attended a bunch of seminars where she was able to do hands on projects like DNA extraction and sheep heart dissection. We had a blast, got a bunch of goodies and learned a lot. Best part was it was totally free. We've been working on some purging and home organization. It's been great to have the house all sorted out, and school projects organized. We ended last month with a bug chunk of change to add to savings, and enough money to pay off our credit card balances. It's so nice to have everything in order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I spent $65 filling in wardrobe holes for my sons today, things we've looked for used for awhile now plus they needed underwear. We decided to hit the Hanna outlet. I also spent $25 on a wholly frivolous pajama expenditure for my younger son. He needs pajamas but generally we don't spend $25 on them. They will last a long time though and he usually only gets hand me downs so I'm not sweating it. He's super happy with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 We have emissions and tabs to do on the van. That will be about $100 I am guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I spent $65 filling in wardrobe holes for my sons today, things we've looked for used for awhile now plus they needed underwear. We decided to hit the Hanna outlet. I also spent $25 on a wholly frivolous pajama expenditure for my younger son. He needs pajamas but generally we don't spend $25 on them. They will last a long time though and he usually only gets hand me downs so I'm not sweating it. He's super happy with them. I really do love the occasional wholly frivolous pajama expenditure. Last December, just before Christmas, I walked into Hot Topic, to try to find an Assassin's Creed hoodie for DS. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but Ravenclaw PJ pants, which will last me for years! ;) I freakin' love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I almost made it through January without Target and Amazon. Alas, we needed some things that I couldn't find second hand this month: travel mug and inversion table for DH; basketballs and hangers for the kids; athletic shorts, winter coat, and a bamboo sushi rolling mat for DS6. Some of them I just couldn't find used, some were actually cheaper to buy new. The coat, shorts, travel mug, and hangers were all on clearance, though. Today was also the big monthly grocery shopping trip. I was stuffing things into gaps in TWO carts at Costco just to get everything on the list. The total was not pretty. But we have bourbon now (for DH's birthday cake... or...)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saraswati Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 inversion table I love mine - totally worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Last week was vacation, so yeah... ;) Mindful spending for the week ahead---filters for dd19's water bottle (plus groceries). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Did really well last week. Other than food I only spent $4. Yay!!! Another big win is that ds and I share a car and I only filled it up once in January. He didn't have to add any gas, either. Mindful spending also means me staying out of stores, which translates to me driving less. (Plus he was still on winter break until like the 16th) We planned to splurge today and order a bbq chicken pizza and a dessert pizza for Super Bowl. Total cost is $18. Then some friends invited us to their house in another town and were asked to bring cookies. I have everything to make those so no money out of pocket and saving the price of pizza since we'll be having their taco bar for dinner. Yay, right? Nope. Blizzard warning all day and night so we're staying home. It's still snowing heavily, and once it starts blowing we won't be able to see. Not taking a chance on getting stuck in snow drifts. So back to our $18 splurge. Small vent: when there is an inch of snow and I have nowhere to go, our snowplow guy shows up at 5 AM and bangs his blade on the driveway right outside our bedroom window. Currently we have about 7 inches and he hasn't been here yet. Sigh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 A daily deal type website got me. I spent $$$ for whale watching tour passes for later this year. It's been on our list of "should finally get around to doing this" for a long time. We are all excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I bought 5 new little caddies to organize our junk drawer. They were 2.50 each, so 12.50 total. I did look at a couple thrift stores, but couldn't find what I wanted. And my junk drawer looks so nice. :) I am now in hot pursuit of used yoga pants. I tried on some new ones today, and thanks to this challenge didn't buy them. But oh how I loved them! I'm going to be staying in the "big city" beginning in a couple weeks to take care of my brother who is having major surgery. I will hit the thrift stores there and see if I can find anything there. ETA: I've also got Home Comforts on hold at the library. Thanks, LucyStoner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I ordered some home school books, but I did try to find them used first! I also bought younger DS some school shirts, and older DS a new hooded sweatshirt. (The kids each have one zip up hoodie that they wear as a light jacket, or when it's cold in the house.) I had a $30 reward from Gap, so I got 3 uniform shirts and a hoodie for $7 shipping. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Guys, I totally caved and ordered DS10 sweat pants and shorts from Land's End ($75). He loves those pants to pieces. And they are too short. And he was all kinds of crestfallen when I "forced" him to wear other pants to church today. (I'm not really a huge fan of him wearing them to church in the first place, but creeping an inch above his shoes...no, I just can't deal.) So, with zero looking around, zero attempts to find a suitable used replacement, I went the no-stress, don't-get-off-the-couch route and just ordered 'em up. Once there, I anticipated a similar argument when warm weather arrives and his sweat-style shorts will be too small also. So I bought two of those as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Totally blew it this week!!! URGH! We have friends who spend a lot more freely than we do. They have a different philosophy about money than us. No problem. I really don't care what they do with their money. But sometimes it does cause a little anxiety for me. My dh and I skipped going out to a big dinner for our birthdays this year and our friends were sad by it. They wanted us to all do a fun big dinner together. We told them no. Last week it was our friend's birthday and they said, "Ah, come on! Let's do a nice big dinner together for all three of our birthdays!" We agreed. And I was in a carefree mood, which is rare for me around money, and didn't check to see the price on the special, or the price on the soup, or the price on the dessert. I figured it couldn't be too bad. Our bill came to $72 for the two of us. I had anticipated about $40. Soup $5, Dessert $8, the Special $25. I spent $40 just on myself if you include drink (just a coke--but 2.99 for it--yikes!) I'm usually more on my game and check the prices and order water but I was in a carefree mood. DH and I both slumped a little when we realized that we'd spent that much on one meal. Especially because we let ourselves be talked into it and didn't really want to spend any money on any meal at all. This means we really can't go out at all for a long time now. I'm bummed. Also, the Call of the Yoga Pants is getting louder. I'm sick of my jeans and want something comfy. I want yoga pants really badly. Oh, and the kitchen table broke. We've tried living without it, but the kitchen is tiny and I'm struggling to find surface space to cook simple meals. The kitchen is tiny. If we get a table, it'll be a tiny one from Ikea, but any little bit of surface space counts in my tiny kitchen. Blah. I'll hold off on the yoga pants, but will probably buy the table in a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Garga, I think "social spending" is an interesting topic. Unless a person truly cannot afford it, I think it is best to try to comply with social spending. Granted, there are ways to make it sting less; as you said, you can drink water, or choose an entrée that costs less, or in some cases, you can reframe the whole event (picnic instead of restaurant, say). However, I do see the need for some social spending, even though a less-expensive option might be possible. I met a friend for coffee, to talk about some important things. Could I have invited her for coffee at my house, which would cost less? Yes. But this would not be the best surroundings for such a conversation. It had to be coffee in a neutral environment. That stinks about the table. I would be bummed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 My daughter had a speech tournament this weekend and we ended up spending more than we had planned. She made the semi-finals though for the first time so it was worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Well, we are going to have a part of our roof repaired. It needs to be done and we have a friend who will do it and that will save a lot of money. He will charge way less than anyone else would. Dh went yesterday and bought the materials. I think it was about 180.00. Then we will pay the person too so that will be an additional expense. My work at home job might be going down hill. They are making some changes and they are not beneficial ones. I will likely have much less, if any work. Dh's job is still in their slow time of year, but should pick up soon. Things are really tight. So, for this week-the repair work, maybe a couple of food items, and some gas in the car. Last week, I ordered the phones for dh and dd. Social spending- dh and I enjoy going out to eat. Dd is a teen now, and when she is at an activity in the evening, we often go out and get something to eat. We take our time and chat and spend time together. It really does benefit us. I do think we need to put a limit of some sort on it, like once or twice a month. We don't go to expensive places, just locally owned sports bar/pub type places with good food and reasonable prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Social spending- we have a small group of friends who love to get together and we like to be 'out' because we all have either teens or adult kids and we need to talk about our stresses with them, among other things. But we all pick reasonably priced places to go because it's more about being with these people than spending a ton of money on a meal. For instance, one dh's employer has a box to our local minor league baseball team and he takes it every time it's offered. For $3 parking and $3 soda, we have a great evening hanging out, catching up, watching some fun ball, dancing with the mascot, etc. None of us care about baseball but we love this. Yesterday was supposed to have been a Super Bowl get together with these folks, but the blizzard prevented that. Dinner was a simple taco bar and I was going to bring cookies. We're not trying to outdo each other or impress one another. I am so very grateful to have these friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Well, of course the repairs to the roof are going to cost more than we thought. :glare: They are needing to repair a larger area and we needed more materials. And, of course we will pay more in labor. We are still getting a great deal so I am glad for that. And, the whole roof will need to be done sometime fairly soon. :glare: Other than that, I don't think I really need to spend anything this week besides gas for the vehicles and some food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I bought a plane ticket for my April trip to visit New Orleans with my sisters. Totally planned, and I can't wait. I consider this mindful spending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Massive dental bills this week. Some items I anticipated selling to friends from church I gave away for free because financial emergencies came up for the other families. On the flip side, I got a huge stack of moving boxes from a friend for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I returned the coat I bought DS6 at Target and bought one from Amazon, which was $18 cheaper. Since I lost the receipt, I ended up with the refund on a gift card. I bought a some consumable stuff and a pack of those LED votive candles. I have very few decorative things in my house, but one of them is a 5-votive candle holder that we use for "fancy dinner". The kids used and abused the old votives for Hot Wheels "fire" jumping, and the coup de grace was DS1 throwing them into the bath. I'm saving the rest of the gift card for broken dish replacement. It happens a lot. And $66 at the vet yesterday for an exam and kitty meds. Who needs to buy entertainment when you can watch mom try to medicate a cat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I bought school stuff that is on my list, saving on shipping by buying most of it from RR. I did not buy a pretty tablecloth, because they're $80. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Are you people still doing this? Kidding, kidding. My adhd self is jealous and bitter. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 This is an expensive week. Trees needed to come down before they came down on my house. Expensive but cheaper than the deductible. Otherwise, we are staying on track this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 We bought our dog licenses for the year. We have 1 more than last year since no one ever came looking for the dog that turned up around Thanksgiving. We also bought dollar store collars for the assorted cats. It's just one more reason for our country neighbors to think we are crazy, but it made the kids happy. I think those were our only non-grocery purchases. Other than a pack of wings my husband brought home, marked down bagels to put in the freezer, and a case of ginger ale for my second round with this stomach bug, all our groceries were planned purchases. I've been on the lookout for better bathroom organizers for the kids and an organizer for one of the closets. I'm debating if we have a way to repurpose something we already have for either need. It's counterintuitive, but with so many kids I have decided it is easier to move things out of common areas and into bedrooms. So shoes and coats are in bedroom closets, not the main hall closet where I have to dig for things. I think toothbrushes and other personal bathroom items are going to go on the kids' dressers instead of the bathroom counter, but I don't have a good system for that yet. I did finish mending a bunch of clothes and linens that saved us from having to buy replacements. I had been putting it off for ages, so it was nice to get that done before I gave up and tossed those things to buy new ones. I also went through some old clothes and sheets and sorted them into fabric types, hopefully to make enough cloth diapers to extend our current supply for when the new baby comes. I think I mentioned last week that I was trying not to be lazy and use fewer disposable diapers for my kids who that is possible for. We are doing well on that front and I have been amazed at how much lighter our garbage can has been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I mindfully spent (;)) money on three new books. That's my hobby lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've been on the lookout for better bathroom organizers for the kids and an organizer for one of the closets. I'm debating if we have a way to repurpose something we already have for either need. It's counterintuitive, but with so many kids I have decided it is easier to move things out of common areas and into bedrooms. So shoes and coats are in bedroom closets, not the main hall closet where I have to dig for things. I think toothbrushes and other personal bathroom items are going to go on the kids' dressers instead of the bathroom counter, but I don't have a good system for that yet. I am a big believer in repurposing other boxes and baskets to be organizers. I try not to buy organizer bins whenever it can be helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I almost bought things yesterday, for seriously NO good reason. I intended to stop at Kohls, to try to buy a few pairs of warm, fuzzy socks for myself. I have a few pairs, but most are wearing thin and not especially warm anymore. But Kohls doesn't have any fuzzy socks. Then I got distracted by slippers. I have an awesomely warm pair of Land's End slippers, but I have hurt myself twice now, falling down the stairs in those darn slippers! They are moccasin style and the bottom is smooth. I tried to fix it up by hot-gluing "treads" along the bottom. This did not work; they peeled off. So, anyway, I got distracted and picked out a pair of slippers to buy. Then, I found some tights that I liked! Can you believe me? On the way to check out, I see a shirt that DH would like. I add that to my pile. Then I go, "What in the HELL am I doing???" I mean, I came for socks. They did not have the socks I wanted. There is no reason to buy all this other stuff. I put everything back and left. Triumph! I do still want a solution for my slippers. My policy at the moment is to simply not traverse stairs wearing the slippers, but obviously, that's a hassel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Quill, Try puffy paint for the soles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Let's see... Last week we had an emotionally charged dental visit for the kids so I grabbed fast food lunch to comfort us on the 30 min drive home. We all drank water and I didn't get any sugary treats, they did just get their teeth cleaned after all! Friday, we were going to drive to the big city to buy things we need for the baby but I wasn't in the mood to spend money so we stayed home. I've already made major changes to the baby list with practicality in mind. Saturday we looked at houses and came home very disappointed. Our 2 favorites are off the market. One has a contract, one has already sold. We didn't see a single thing that would work for us. And I'm not picky. I can look past ugly wallpaper and dated fixtures. I'm more concerned with the layout and everything had so much wasted space. Sunday some friends came for a visit from the next town over so we treated them to lunch. Then we went to a super bowl party. I brought pioneer woman's chicken salad sandwiches on slider buns. So I guess that was all social spending. I ordered Ds a few puzzles and other quiet time activities for his quiet time boxes. I felt like I should get dd something too, so I ordered a couple mathy board games for her. Yesterday was haircuts for the kids and every time, I feel like I should be able to do it myself. Especially since she nicked his ear and it bled like crazy. How much more damage could i do? I've watched a ton of you tube videos and just can't seem to work up my nerve. I need an electric trimmer with different sized guards. Do any of you cut your kids' hair? Can you recommend a trimmer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yesterday was haircuts for the kids and every time, I feel like I should be able to do it myself. Especially since she nicked his ear and it bled like crazy. How much more damage could i do? I've watched a ton of you tube videos and just can't seem to work up my nerve. I need an electric trimmer with different sized guards. Do any of you cut your kids' hair? Can you recommend a trimmer? I have done this. I used to buzz DH's hair as well. I haven't done it recently, though. It was okay when I was doing it, but I also didn't really look forward to it. I have an Oster clipper set with guards. I bought it at Sally Beauty Supply. I even did some scissor cuts as well, but, like I said, I kind of dreaded it. I could do it, but not with a ton of confidence, so it just felt very anxious to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yesterday was haircuts for the kids and every time, I feel like I should be able to do it myself. Especially since she nicked his ear and it bled like crazy. How much more damage could i do? I've watched a ton of you tube videos and just can't seem to work up my nerve. I need an electric trimmer with different sized guards. Do any of you cut your kids' hair? Can you recommend a trimmer? We have the Wahl 5-Star professional clipper. It's about $40 on Amazon. It works great, but if your spouse says insightful things like, "Wash the banana goop out of his hair before you try to cut it," you should listen. It will get snagged in the clippers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Thanks Quill and Barbeque Mom! I will check those out. That's funny about the banana goop! Good to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 MrsRobinson, There are some excellent videos on youtube about cutting hair. My clippers are Wahl but they are from the late 80s/early 90s and still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 MrsRobinson, There are some excellent videos on youtube about cutting hair. My clippers are Wahl but they are from the late 80s/early 90s and still going strong. I have watched a bunch of you tube videos and I know I could do it. I just need to get over myself and go for it! Really, if I wasn't pregnant, I'd probably have started already. I just retreat from absolutely everything when I'm pregnant. I'll check out Whal trimmers. Sounds like they're worth it if they've lasted this long for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Caved and bought McDonalds tonight after my meeting. It was late and dd1 needed to go straight to bed after we got home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I found a deal on my cat's litter (saved $6). I cleared out the steeply discounted jars of tahini from the store, brought it home. It was of course solid rock on the bottom and all oil on the top and remixed it in my food processor and froze in 1/4 cup amounts. We use a lot of tahini $1 a jar for joyva sure beats $7 a jar. I bought some crafty supplies last Thursday for making to do boards and I realized I have taught my sons well- they both looked more intently at the items with red stickers and picked from those choices with one small exception and I used a coupon for the magnetic chalk boards themselves and the craft magnets. So it wasn't too much. And the boards are really helping them with school and chores so far. I repurposed a board I already had for one for me. I still need to schedule my son's party. I've been really busy with my own school though. I need to get that done for him. We needed or wanted: -A large ironing board -A new coffee maker (our $5 Cuisinart Grind and Brew garage sale find that we have repaired ourselves several times is basically toast. No complaints because it's lasted us most of a decade.) -Craft cart for art supplies because the bins and boxes are getting out of control. -gloves for my older son -microwave (we haven't had one but it would be a big help with me in school myself) So far I've bought a nice ironing board used on Craigslist, am still looking around for a used coffeemaker and microwave, bought my son gloves using our rei rebate and ordered the craft cart with an open box for extra money off. Not too bad. I also bought label maker tape. That is pricey but you can pry my label maker from my cold dead hands and all that. Sometimes when I get to the end of a cassette, I pry it open and look at the tape to see what labels I made. I'm weird like that. Anyways, I think I was using a different label maker for a bit because this tape spanned an entire 5 years and started with "Remember to make DCS payment" from doing payroll at an old job and ended with "Condiments" from my making labels for the bins in my fridge. In between was a little history of my life from FT working mom to homeschooling mom, complete with the kids getting ahold of the label maker to copiously label their Calvin and Hobbes style transmogrifier. It was surprisingly hilarious but I have a weird sense of humor. (No, I did not steal my old job's label maker, I took my label maker to my old job because the one they had was crappy and I don't share my label maker very well. Well, I can share but I prefer not to!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 On the topic of social spending: When we were less financially established, I was very grateful when a family member would pick up the luncheon tab or send home leftovers with the poor grad students (husband and me). One doesn't forget these things. So last Saturday we met up with my nephew and his family in a town half way between our homes (we live several hours apart). The cost of the restaurant meal for our two families is a small cost indeed considering the time I got to spend with my adorable grandnephew. (I played with grandnephew when the rest of the group went off after lunch to tour a microbrewery--that was free.) Back to mindful spending: a family member asked me to make a paper pattern of a friend's vintage apron for her, something she wants to duplicate. Now I know that the family member is a very busy gal with little time for sewing, so I made two copies of the paper pattern--one for myself. Yesterday I cut it out from fabric in my stash. Today I'll make the bias tape needed for the project. It requires single fold bias tape. I knew that I had somewhere in my junk the single fold bias tape maker. Talk about disorganization! But I found it in a craft/sewing drawer. I use a different bias tape maker for double fold all the time and keep it in my box of regularly used sewing items. I have never figured out what to do with tools used only on occasion other than to toss them in a drawer where chaos eventually reigns. But I ramble. The point for this thread is that I am making a gift from a pattern drawn from an existing item, using fabric and thread already owned. Much better than buying new! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I also bought label maker tape. That is pricey but you can pry my label maker from my cold dead hands and all that. Sometimes when I get to the end of a cassette, I pry it open and look at the tape to see what labels I made. I'm weird like that. Anyways, I think I was using a different label maker for a bit because this tape spanned an entire 5 years and started with "Remember to make DCS payment" from doing payroll at an old job and ended with "Condiments" from my making labels for the bins in my fridge. In between was a little history of my life from FT working mom to homeschooling mom, complete with the kids getting ahold of the label maker to copiously label their Calvin and Hobbes style transmogrifier. It was surprisingly hilarious but I have a weird sense of humor. (No, I did not steal my old job's label maker, I took my label maker to my old job because the one they had was crappy and I don't share my label maker very well. Well, I can share but I prefer not to!) I don't have a lable-maker, but I can TOTALLY see myself looking thru the old cassette for the "history" of labels made. I love odd "history" of this type. I like looking back at old expense notebooks and see how I spent money years back. Really old notes from the homes of grandmothers are especially thrilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I buzz my ds's head. It is a Wahl Peanut that I bought at Sally's Beauty Supply for about $30. Well, considering it was $25 for the kids to get their hair cut once, I think $30 for a trimmer is a good investment. I already have hair trimming scissors for dd's trims. Thanks for the recommendation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I am a big believer in repurposing other boxes and baskets to be organizers. I try not to buy organizer bins whenever it can be helped. That's what I'm trying to do, but between decluttering and my kids and husband being rough on the things we have (hello family, a wicker basket is NOT a stepstool!), I'm not sure if we have anything left that will work. I might end up using some of my empty jelly jars for the bathroom supplies, and just hope the kids don't accidentally smash the glass going to and from the bathroom. The closet is trickier because I only have a certain space left available in it, and I need something that fits the space but is big enough to hold everything. I could just tell my little heathens to leave their shoes on in the house and solve the problem entirely. (Although that suggestion might turn this into a contentious thread! ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ok, some things I will be needing this year- carpet-of course we won't be getting used carpet. Where can I shop around for a good deal? We have a local Habitat for Humanity store. Maybe they get carpet in occasionally? Roof repair-Just have to suck it up and buy materials and hopefully friend can do it later in the year paint-needs to be new Christmas shopping-I am considering shopping throughout the year as I find things that are a good deal. My job is probably going to be bringing in way less income this year and that income usually helped fund our Christmas shopping. I am also going to work on getting a better budget and saving more on groceries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 We cut all the kids hair here, we have some wahl clippers with various lengths for ds and dh. I just use scissors for the girls. I've cut mine some, I actually just cut it and it turned out fabulous, really one of my better cuts, I'm very pleased. I bought some snacks this week, $9 I bought books- $56- I think that is my only planned education expense this month. I ended up going over a bit on groceries last month but I did some stocking I hadn't budgeted and my budget was already pretty lean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 That's what I'm trying to do, but between decluttering and my kids and husband being rough on the things we have (hello family, a wicker basket is NOT a stepstool!), I'm not sure if we have anything left that will work. I might end up using some of my empty jelly jars for the bathroom supplies, and just hope the kids don't accidentally smash the glass going to and from the bathroom. The closet is trickier because I only have a certain space left available in it, and I need something that fits the space but is big enough to hold everything. I could just tell my little heathens to leave their shoes on in the house and solve the problem entirely. (Although that suggestion might turn this into a contentious thread! ;) ) Shoes inside the house? Heresy! Dh had pears shipped to him for a Christmas gift. The pears are gone, but I have been hanging on to the box and the foam inserts they came in. That is one heck of a nice box! It is simply begging to be re-purposed as an organizer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 So the cart I ordered for art supplies arrived slightly damaged. Actually the cart was fine, two of the bins were cracked. Nothing that a little tape wouldn't fix but I opened a customer support chat and they are crediting me back another 20% off. Normally I would just let that sort of things go, but I figured what the heck. It took a couple of minutes and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Ok, I'll cave - tell me about the organising books Lucy recommended...... D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Ok, I'll cave - tell me about the organising books Lucy recommended...... D It is called "Home Comforts." I have a used copy supposed to come today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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