Ginevra Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 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! Sorry so late on a Saturday, as it is 10:30pm EST. How did we do this week? This was my "worst" week so far this year, from a standpoint of buying brand new things and/or not terribly necessary things. Today, I bought a mix of intentional things and unnecessary things. I did find some warm, fuzzy socks to replace my worn out socks - bonus that they were on clearance. I also got an inexpensive (though new) pair of slippers with regular shoe soles so hopefully no more falls down the stairs. These were necessary. However, I also went into Yankee Candles and bought new candles and a votive jar. I'm also on point of ordering some spoons (dinnerware). We constantly run out of clean teaspoons and I'm tired of being bugged by it. Also, some bandit made off with my serving spoon that went with my Oneida. I have other serving spoons but I really loved *THAT* one. Bigger than a tablespoon, but smaller than these Paul Bunyan serving spoons you buy in housewares. I don't want to scoop up a gallon of mashed potatoes at a time, people. And now I had to go learn about the book Salt and I am just itching to download that puppy to Kindle! But I won't; chances are good I can get it from the library. I have been having great success at controlling my book addiction. I was even able to get the book Good Wives at my college library. I had been very tempted to order it because I was being lazy and didn't want to bother tracking it down. But I did and I'm glad because I'm not really loving this book so far. ;) ETA: I just requested Salt from the library, so Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well..... I bought the yoga pants. The new ones. I didn't wait to look for used ones. And I lurve them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well we did ok, I had suprise points from Kmart and bought dd1 some refill darts for her little Nerf gun, dd2 got an outfit and 2 new sippy cups. Took dd1 to Perchville yesterday for spend about 20 on that then because we left early due to my migraine and the family tent being rather crappy and not worth the money I spent, I got her some bubbles and nail polish (that came to a total of $2). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saraswati Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Pretty quiet week for us. We got our tax return back. Most of that went to savings, and I used some of it to pay off a small loan. We set aside $500 of it for the kids to buy new bikes. Other than that, no spending from our regular income - extras went to savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 After six years we finally started painting the master bedroom. We spent $150 at Lowe's on paint, supplies (had most of them, but needed an extra roller, drop cloths, and that cool gallon bucket spout thing), and baskets for DH's dresser clothes so we can get rid of the dresser! I know, I just read the Marie Kondo book and buying organizers is a no-no, but manly baskets made it easier for him to get on board with the minimalist chic thing. We still have a bunch to do: replace the flooring, mattress/bedding, and curtains, cover the ugly popcorn ceiling, redo the closets and put new doors on, paint trim, and build a headboard. And put a rug or artwork in to, um, absorb sound. The boys are getting a surprise Avengers theme room, so I'm starting to look for second hand decor for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Had to buy ink cartridges for the printer, but that couldn't be avoided. And we ate dinner out last night- we were at dd's college for her senior presentation. I'm most happy that we're still thinking mindfully about our spending, but not going overboard. I knew we'd need to either eat out last night or go to dd's apartment and cook a meal. She shares the space with three other girls so eating a family dinner out was a nice splurge to celebrate her accomplishment. Our mindful spending meant we chose a favorite Mexican restaurant near the school vs. just eating cheap fast food. It's not always about the final cost. And dh is starting to think more mindfully even though I haven't pushed him to join me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Last week, other than food or gas, I bought four kindle books (total of about $10). We celebrated dd20's birthday with food at home (birthday person chooses the meals for the entire day). Her presents included 10 boxes of Stouffer's mac and cheese (on sale---for the nights she can't eat in the dining hall because they're serving Asian food (soy allergy)) and cash for her weekend trip to visit her bestie at NYU (friend gave the train tickets as her gift). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Hmm, lets see I bought unneeded snacks this week, but they were enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 This past week was the roof repair-$$$$$ I did well not spending money on unneeded items. It is getting easier. This week will be grocery shopping and Valentine's Day planning. I plan to do printable cards for dh and dd. Dh and I will likely plan a dinner out sometime after Valentines Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well DD adopted another rabbit so my budget is out the window getting him his own set up going. His cuteness off sets the cost along with seeing DD so happy. Other than this, we should have a good week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 no extras this week.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Went shopping for moe maternity clothes since mine are getting to tight. Yes, I'm that huge! Only ended up buying one top. But I think it will work for 2 events that I will need to wear something dressy. I spotted 4 piece suits for ds and the new baby (also needed for upcoming dressy events) but I decided to wait til baby is born and I know if he'll need newborn or 0-3 month size. I think I will have some purchases this week to finish up the hospital bag and the nursery essentials. So far, i've gotten everything for free. Friends have loaned me several slings/ carriers, a bouncy seat, a jumperoo, a bassinet, a pack n play. The last 2 were mine that I gave to a family member. My sister gave back all the baby boy clothes I gave to her. So glad I didn't panic and buy a bunch of new things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well, nuts. We decided to put up the headboard, which will be made out of the pantry door that the boys ripped off the pantry. The hinges weren't salvageable, and I didn't think it would stay on if I tried to reattach it. So we went back to Lowe's to get the boards and brackets to "float" it away the wall (so we can drop cords behind it). Then we needed screws. And new switch and outlet plates. And drill bits. And so forth. $56. We'll see if this turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Uh, new washing machine and dryer are being delivered today. (Hides head in shame...) :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Signed up for YNAB today and enrolled in the free classes, so a little bit of redemption from the big expenditure above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Uh, new washing machine and dryer are being delivered today. (Hides head in shame...) :blush: I'm a big believer in doing what you can to make your life run smoothly. Having laundry machines that are reliable are high on my list. And though a lot of people buy used, buying new is a valid option. They last a long time and the new vs used price amortized over the useful life is often the same. Hope you love your new machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Had to buy ink cartridges for the printer, but that couldn't be avoided. And we ate dinner out last night- we were at dd's college for her senior presentation. I'm most happy that we're still thinking mindfully about our spending, but not going overboard. I knew we'd need to either eat out last night or go to dd's apartment and cook a meal. She shares the space with three other girls so eating a family dinner out was a nice splurge to celebrate her accomplishment. Our mindful spending meant we chose a favorite Mexican restaurant near the school vs. just eating cheap fast food. It's not always about the final cost. And dh is starting to think more mindfully even though I haven't pushed him to join me. I completely agree! That is exactly why I wanted to adopt the "Mindful Spending" thought into the challenge. It isn't wrong to make a choice to spend/spend more money in one scenario than another. Ideally, we do this consciously, though. And it's like I said last week about social spending. Sometimes you need to meet a friend for coffee at a café and it's not about where coffee is cheapest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Annie G- The last time we need cartridges we bought the generic ones off of Amazon and they're working great. We had been nervous to try them but thought we would give it a go as cheap as they were. I completely agree that sometimes the better choice is to spend more money, not less. Well, yesterday ended up being costly. My dryer has had an error code, which necessitated dh replacing the whole venting system as there was a hole and the outside vent wasn't working, unfortunately it also necessitated buying a tool since the one we usually use for the job broke (dh and his father share tools back and forth), thankfully the $20 model did the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My kitchen is very outdated. I'll be painting the walls and cubpoards whenever paint goes on sale. Last night I bought new cupboard knobs at 50% off and I had a giftcard,so I spent only $15 out of pocket rather than $70. Again our weakness: DH and I said yes when invited out to breakfast yesterday before we remembered we're trying to stop doing that. The bill was $35. UGH. (And boy9 and I didn't even really enjoy our food, which really makes it sting.) But we were tempted to order pizza the other night and remembered in time and didn't. We've GOT to remember to stop accepting invitations to go out to eat. We lose a lot of money that way. :( It's such a habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Annie G- The last time we need cartridges we bought the generic ones off of Amazon and they're working great. We had been nervous to try them but thought we would give it a go as cheap as they were. I completely agree that sometimes the better choice is to spend more money, not less. We've used those in the past and they worked well. But we found that the ones we bought didn't last long at all and suspected that they didn't have much ink in them. We switched to the XL version and the last set we bought was last year at this time. It might be worth it to go back to the generic ones from Amazon after this set is done since we'll only have one college student left and he'll be living 850 miles away. Even though the kids can print on campus for free, we find they use our home printer while they are here...and when they use it, they have no discretion.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 We've used those in the past and they worked well. But we found that the ones we bought didn't last long at all and suspected that they didn't have much ink in them. We switched to the XL version and the last set we bought was last year at this time. It might be worth it to go back to the generic ones from Amazon after this set is done since we'll only have one college student left and he'll be living 850 miles away. Even though the kids can print on campus for free, we find they use our home printer while they are here...and when they use it, they have no discretion.... Yes, we haven't had it long enough to comment on longevity. For our printer they were so much cheaper it seems they'll be worth it. I don't use much color and it seems even with the good cartridges they never seem to print many pages, perhaps they dry up some, I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 In our case, the printer gets used several times a week, color included, so the ink doesn't get a chance to get dried out. Since we only have a college kid here until May, maybe we should have bought the cheaper cartridges. I'm doing a TON of printing right now because he's about to enter a military college and there are SO MANY forms to submit. His sister is about to head to Japan to study and again, so much paperwork. And it's tax time and I do our taxes so there's a lot of printing involved with that. But after this busy season, I bet we won't use the printer much at all. Gee, I wish I'd had this conversation with you before I bought the XL ink! It's been a good value in the past but we might not have needed it this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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