Ginevra Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 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 I'm a little late posting again; I was at a party last night. This week saw a bit more Christmas-related spending, including the sixty-cent basket I mentioned in my other thread about using a used basket for Christmas gifts. I still need to complete a basket for my parents and I am coming up somewhat empty. I wanted to make their theme "My Favorite Things" and have it include a bunch of refences to things they love, such as ligthouses (my mom), music (my dad), books, and so on. I do think I am going to make two handmade bookmarks, which I believe they will both love. Maybe a CD. I don't know...it's weird that I haven't finished theirs. For the party I attended last night, there was an ornament exchange as part of the fun. I made a Frosty the Tea Light ornament, which I had the supplies for from having done this for Craft Day at our co-op. That was handy. :) I did buy a couple of knitting books from Amazon for myself. I am a beginner knitter, but this is a goal for the new year. I want to become a competant knitter. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Christmas shopping bits and pieces, groceries, and gas this past week If The Girlfriend isn't able to pick up The Boy at the airport on Friday (yes, he's landing at 3:20 pm on Christmas Day!), we'll pay for a shuttle :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Did some holiday shopping online so that saved gas and eating out since we're an hour away from any real shopping area. Mailed packages to kids and grandkids, sister, dad, inlaws, etc. Guys, I spent $80 to mail 7 packages. It made me realize how much I'm probably saving all year long using Amazon Prime. Afternoon ice cream with a friend (Hi, Merry! It was great to see you!) and dinner with another couple we love...so some money spent there. We usually see two or three movies a month at the theater but we've been trying to rewatch all the Star Wars movies before seeing the new one, and also enjoy watching our collection of Christmas movies...so we haven't been to the theater in a while. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Nothing much this past week, the usual and dd1's money for her field trip Tuesday. Now this week I need to finish Christmas shopping (inlaws, dh's work party, my gifts and stocking stuff). My gifts are coming from my college book store and I'm using my financial to pay for them. Dh will probabably go out Christmas Eve to get me one surprise gift (that's his usual, unless he orders something while at work). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 We bought a huge Christmas tree at Goodwill for $25. I bought a bunch of jeans and pants and shoes and a package of baby bottles for $3-4 each while were there. I also grabbed a couple of packets of ornaments, and we let the kids spend their allowance if they chose. I've been picking up a few things here and there, but the overwhelming majority of stuff had not yet been purchased. Last night I went to the Dollar Tree. I spent $70 on almost all of our Christmas for 5 kids and some other small items we needed. I finished up with another $50 at the grocery (mostly food, but a few snack gifts) and $12 at the Family Dollar. I still need to go to Walmart today for Sagg's birthday gifts. That will be another $10-$15 plus possibly a gift for D for $10ish. We are celebrating Gem and Sagg's birthday tomorrow. They have already had most of their gifts, but there are a few more (tennis balls for Sagg to go with his racket, playdoh and some small toys for Gem). I'm making a mini cake for Gem of a stack of GF fudge chip cookies, layered with Funfetti icing. We will get a bakery cake for Sagg of his choosing because...We are moving into our new house on Tuesday. We have the truck reserved, the roofers are scheduled for midJanuary-with funds ear-marked, D is replacing windows today. He found that Ace has the plexiglass we need for 1/3 the cost and they will cut to our measurements for free. That's a huge cost and time savings. The hot water heater isn't working. We are going back and forth over fixing it vs replacing it. D is going to do some fact-finding today and tomorrow and hopefully we'll have hot water before we move in or soon after.I have a line on a glass topped stove for $50. There will be more purchases. Space heaters for the bedrooms, a baby gate for the wood stove. Other stuff, I'm sure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Did a big grocery shop that should last us till the middle of January, except for milk and bananas. Added some fun treats and food for Christmas, so I went over budget, by about $50. Finished all the Christmas shopping and since I was at Homegoods--not local, and not expecting to go back anytime soon--I also found a couple of lampshades and the big basket I was looking for. So it was a spurge, made easier by the Visa GC that I needed to use up by the end of the year. It felt like I spent freely, except that everything was off my shopping list. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Went to Wal-Mart on Friday to buy a Christmas tree, some cheap gift bags, and small gifts for my kids to give the next-door neighbor girl. Ended up buying a lot more. :P So much for only giving the adults nuts for Christmas. Mostly what I bought were bath things and warm throws (my family lives in the snow belt). Some nail polish stuff for the teen nieces - I had planned on getting their gift at WalMart anyway. A few small things for my daughters. This week I still need to print photos for the Christmas cards (they are cheap) and buy gift cards for all the folks (they are not cheap). I don't *plan* on buying anything else for Christmas. I signed the kids up for horse camp for 3 days. Will probably put them in rec center camp Monday, so they can be with kids and have a swim while I work. Total cost of the camps (including the gym camp I already paid for) will be roughly $400 I think. I may also ask their ex-nanny to spend some time with them, just because they haven't seen each other for a long time. We fly out to Spain on Christmas day. Whatever we spend on airport food etc. etc. is considered a sunk cost. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 We fly out to Spain on Christmas day. Whatever we spend on airport food etc. etc. is considered a sunk cost. Felice Navidad! That should be a lovely trip! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) Well dh got my surprise gift and stuff for his work party and parents. I'm going to cash a check from dh's grandparents to get the stocking stuff (and fill my car back up, dh likes to take my car when ever he goes some where other than work ($25.00 will fill up my car at current gas prices) because it's better on gas, unless I need it) Edited December 20, 2015 by MomtoCandJ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Spent the normal amount on Christmas gifts. I was happy that we didn't go over what he expected. I'm always tempted. Today I did my grocery shopping and was tempted to pop into Target and look at the dollar bin section, but I didn't go in. I went to Chili's to buy my MIL a $40 gift card. They had a deal where if you bought a $50 card, you got another $10 card free. I didn't do it. It's those little $10 things that add up and derail our plans to save. I am happy with that decision. I went to see Star Wars twice this weekend. However, we did not go to 3D, so we saved $2 a ticket, and on Sat we went to a matinee and saved a few bucks that way, too. We loved the movie and do want to see it in 3D, but we'll wait until January for a $5 movie night and go then. Around here, all Tuesday day and night movies are $5 in all the theaters. We will have to pay more for the 3D glasses, but it will still be cheaper than full price. I was going to get supplies to bake some more cookies for us to eat, but then realized that two people I made cookies for are diabetic. I don't feel good giving diabetic people cookies! So...we're going to keep their cookies for ourselves and I won't make new ones. We will give those people the homemade snowmen decoration we made instead. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 You know you live in a small town when you can walk into a Star Wars matinee and pay $19.50 for three people to see the film. Packages are mailed. Now I need to figure out the Christmas menu. We stopped at the Columbia Outlet so that my son could look at the clearance rack. He found a shirt; I ended up with three things I really don't need (although I know that I will be happy to have the sun blocking rash guard shirt for which I paid $10). My husband purchased two belts. Bottom line: with additional discounts, the total on these six items was $80. So not bad, I guess. I ordered tickets to a community theater production in January. That will be a continuation of holiday revels. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 So I'm wondering if a majority or minority wish to continue/begin anew with this challenge for 2016. A few have said they enjoy it and it helps keep them accountable and I know it does for me as well. I am hoping for 2016, as a personal goal, to go further with my Zero Waste efforts and do more extensive upcycling of materials. I am especially fond of the upcycled functional items in which the finished project is very far removed from the initial materials, such as necklaces made from beads made from cereal boxes, or a woven basket made from old tee shirts. I could include upcycling as part of the challenege, or just keep it the same and discuss those items when I make them. For anyone who really wants to continue, could you let me know? I don't want to drag people along if they aren't that interested. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I'll carry on with you should you choose to continue in 2016, Quill. My focus will continue to be on supporting small business and the local economy with mindful expenditures. A general decluttering would be beneficial to both me and my house though. Aiming high in 2016! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I will though I will be in nursing school so there will be added expenses that I will need to account for (like child care and gas) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I would love to continue. I especially enjoy that you guys are encouraging but not judgy. I already know when I fail at my goals and I'm not someone who is motivated by chastisement. I do much better with encouragement- thanks to all of you this year. It's been a tough one family wise and 2016 is going to bring new struggles. But it's nice to be able to have this thread all year. I think next year I'm going to try a new method- I think in addition to reporting how my week went, I'm going to list what I think I'll be spending in the upcoming week. It might make me more mindful ...maybe. Anyway, worth a shot. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) We have a TON of upcycling, repurposing, and general outside-the-box type plans for our house (filing cabinets for kitchen cabinets, old wardrobe as a pantry, stitching together bathmats to make a fun runner for the hallway, duct tape back splash for the kitchen) . I'd love to share our craziness with everyone. Today's insanity- The plexiglass window had to be recut 7!! times and STILL doesn't fit. Good times. Good times. ETA: Total cost $13 and we will reuse the 2-inches-too-short piece in the bathroom (Sharpie stained glass, anyone? Or possibly contact paper etching). Edited December 21, 2015 by Desert Strawberry 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Oh! I forgot my Deal of the Day! Luna's new pediatrician wants her to drink 1-3 Pediasures a day. That sounds insane to me. She's 14 pounds and she doesn't drink anything but water. Even that is fairly recent. (She is breast fed around the clock, like a newborn). I figured I could get a bottle or two and mix it in her cereal, like I have been with formula, almond milk, egg nog, and pretty much anything I want her to ingest. I found Pediasure at the grocery last night. $10!! OMG. I could not believe it was THAT expensive. I figured I could shop around, maybe find some on the local Buy/Sell/Trade, an off-brand, something. $35-$70 a WEEK is just not viable for us. Just for a DRINK. I still have to feed her, too. On top of it, I don't even know if she will drink it. I went to Walmart today. I found the Boost brand kids' drink-nutritionally identical-for $4. Phwew! That's better. Still pricey. but I can at least buy a small package and see if she likes it. She likes it! It comes with a little straw, which she likes. I got her chocolate because toddlers say it tastes closest to breast milk (well, warm chocolate ice cream. Weird, right?) Anyway, she drank it, it didn't break the bank, and I swear she feels heavier already. ;) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I would enjoy continuing this in 2016. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'll carry on with you should you choose to continue in 2016, Quill. My focus will continue to be on supporting small business and the local economy with mindful expenditures. A general decluttering would be beneficial to both me and my house though. Aiming high in 2016!j Dh and I have decided to consciously support local small businesses next year, even if we'd be paying more to do so. Quill, I have been finding myself moving toward Zero Waste. I do need to be mindful about it, and this thread would serve as a reminder every week. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Dh and I have decided to consciously support local small businesses next year, even if we'd be paying more to do so. Well one can potentially pay more in the short term but I hope that by having a healthier and more vibrant economic community, one pays less in the big picture. The optimist speaks... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.