Nothing New/Mindful Spending Week Eight

[Ginevra]

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/unnecessary. 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 completely forgot to post this yesterday. :D

 

I bought more yarn for my loom knitting class. And I chose to download a kindle book for my book club because getting a library copy was taking too much brain allottment. ;)

 

Had a coffee out with my friend. That's it on spending other than groceries and fuel.

[Prairie~Phlox]

slow week here, did get groceries and spent over $100, but I was under my budget last month & hope to be this month as well.  Just bought tickets to Brickworld Indy, had a coupon to save $1.50/ticket, so praying we are all healthy at the end of the week.

[Jane in NC]

I replaced my bike helmet this week.  The guy at the bike store said one should do this every three to five years.  I don't even want to admit how old mine was...

 

I also wrote a check to the accountant, money well worth it though since tax things can occasionally get complicated. This year was pretty straight forward though.  Here is one of those debates encountered:  to use an accountant/tax service or not.  And I think the answer probably depends on the individual and the nature of their financial or business holdings.  Although to be honest the college tuition credits really had me scratching my head back in the day.  Glad someone else figured those out for me!

 

My husband and I had a lovely outing this week. One of the non-profits to which we donate had a reception at an historic site with beer/wine/appetizers.  We started there then went to a locally owned restaurant which offers great bar food specials on week nights.  The appetizers at the first stop were not quite a full meal but were ample. So at the bar we each enjoyed a salad and split an order of mussels---all of which were delicious and very affordable given the weekday special.

 

The big impulse purchase of the week as the local beer/wine store.  We bought a bunch of things for the wine rack/beer stash.  The store has Friday tastings that formerly were free.  In recent months they have imposed a fee for the Friday events since apparently some people were making a habit of stopping by for the tasting without buying anything before going out for dinner.  :confused1:  And they boasted to some regular wine shop customers about what a deal it was--why pay eight or ten bucks for a glass of wine at a restaurant when you could taste five different wines for free!  The owner told me that he didn't care if a young couple who rarely gets a night on the town came in for a tasting and did not buy anything but when people from the gated communities who can afford regular restaurant meals brag about their freebies??  Especially at the expense of a locally owned small business!

 

And this is why I call myself Frugal and not Cheap.

 

 

 

[Annie G]

Jane, I didn't know that about bike helmets. Mine is four years old...I guess it's time to replace it. Thanks for the info. 

[Jane in NC]

Jane, I didn't know that about bike helmets. Mine is four years old...I guess it's time to replace it. Thanks for the info. 

 

Sweat, temperature and age affect the efficacy of the foam.  If you ride your bike a lot, go with the three.  Less frequently, you probably have another year of use from your helmet.

 

Glad to hear that you wear one!  My husband was hit by a young driver back when we were in grad school.  The helmet split in two--and not his head.  That convinced me that I needed to wear a helmet!

 

[Annie G]

We did end up buying the car we looked at last week, so there's that spending. g

 

We had pizza for dinner that night as a celebration. Or really just an excuse to have pizza.  

 

And then yesterday dh and I had our day out- when the weather is decent we take one weekend day and do something fun.  Then we do house repairs, housework, projects, or something the other day. It's my way of helping dh manage his stress- this month is the ten year anniversary of his heart attack and stress has always been an issue.

 

So anyway we went on a vintage shop hop yesterday that spanned two states. It was great fun!  I've been trying to collect a pyrex primary bowl set (401-404) and want bowls in excellent condition.  My rule has been no buying from Ebay because it's too easy and because shipping can double the cost. After a year I only had two bowls- one found in Wisconsin and the other in Georgia.  Yesterday I found the other two- though in different stores.  My collection is complete and I am like a child at Christmas. 

 

Then we had lunch in a town that primarily makes cheese. The creamery runs the restaurant and they use their own cheese.  Dh had their four cheese mac and cheese and I had grilled cheese. It was a great first day trip of the season!

 

[Jane in NC]

Annie,

 

What a great outing!  And congrats on the old Pyrex set!  I love those bowls too.  Your collection has a far better story than Ebay.

[Annie G]

Sweat, temperature and age affect the efficacy of the foam.  If you ride your bike a lot, go with the three.  Less frequently, you probably have another year of use from your helmet.

 

Glad to hear that you wear one!  My husband was hit by a young driver back when we were in grad school.  The helmet split in two--and not his head.  That convinced me that I needed to wear a helmet!

 

I ride on rails to trails, but still have to cross roads.  My friend switched to road riding and I couldn't do that because I couldn't relax for worrying about the cars.  And last fall she hit a pothole and fell...and knocked out 8 teeth.  She had a helmet on, and it's a good thing because all the helmet damage would have been head damage!

 

Even on a trail, I'm wearing a helmet...I am surprised by how many people don't. But in my state motorcycles don't have to wear helmets and I always think folks who ride motorcycles without a helmet are downright nuts.

[MomtoCandJ]

Nothing this week but next week I get new tires and brake pads put on my car.

[Jane in NC]

I ride on rails to trails, but still have to cross roads.  My friend switched to road riding and I couldn't do that because I couldn't relax for worrying about the cars.  And last fall she hit a pothole and fell...and knocked out 8 teeth.  She had a helmet on, and it's a good thing because all the helmet damage would have been head damage!

 

Even on a trail, I'm wearing a helmet...I am surprised by how many people don't. But in my state motorcycles don't have to wear helmets and I always think folks who ride motorcycles without a helmet are downright nuts.

 

Preach it, sister!

 

[SKL]

Couple things for the kids last week.  (Isn't it almost always for the kids?)

 

1 - The TKD gear upgrade I kept promising them.  The blue uniform - ultimately only my bigger kid wanted one; the smaller decided to stick with white (she can inherit her sister's).  They both needed bigger head gear - I guess their brains have grown over the past few years.  And I threw in a few mouth guards ($3 each) because I can't seem to keep track of those.  The upgrades were pretty expensive - $70 for the uniform and $50 each for the head guards.  We did get all the original gear "free" (or, included in the initial tuition package).  And we won't need new stuff again for a long time.

 

2 - Summer reading class.  I have gone back and forth on this for years.  This year they have one close to home that works great with our schedule (all Sundays when we are in town).  It is pricey at about $300 per kid.  But it sounds helpful, and the externally-imposed structure will take some pressure off of me.  I know you all are homeschoolers and this is your norm, but for me, forcing the issue of required work / homework in the summer after work/camp is hard.  The kids will be motivated by the social aspect on Sundays and the fact that the homework is computerized.  I also like that it's on a college campus.  :)

 

I took my kid to the doc yesterday to make sure she didn't have strep or pneumonia (she doesn't).  $10 copay, and hopefully that is all.  Need to schedule a visit to our chiropractor soon.  (Saved $100 by rescheduling horse riding lessons though.)

 

I just pressed the button on my Amazon shopping cart, about $300, for camping stuff, pants for the girls (I hope they wear them), a couple books, and some educational videos.  The camping stuff included some roll-up mats to put under the sleeping bags.  I made the girls do the recent lock-in without any padding underneath, but even at their age it was apparently not so fun, so I decided not to be such a skin-flint.  :P  Not sure if I will ever use them myself (my camping days may be over), but I figured they could use them for sleep-overs too.

 

Today I signed the kids up for spring sports at the rec center.  Swim team, intro to golf, and "sports of all sorts."  About $300 total.

 

I don't see any big spending in the near future, but who knows ....  there are a couple summer camps I still need to pay for, but it isn't time to pay yet.

Edited March 6, 2016 by SKL

[Melinda in VT]

I ordered $70 in cloth baskets with lids for my closet shelves. I've been meaning to do this for the last 4 years (since we bought the house), so it was definitely a mindful purchase!

 

We learned that our summer home exchange can also be an exchange of vehicles, so that will save us a lot, although it means DH and I will both need to drive, since the available cars only seat 5 each and we have 6 people. I'm not thrilled at having to drive (especially stick shift). I like our usual pattern of DH driving while I navigate.

[SKL]

Oops, I just realized that I should have waited to hear the soccer practice schedule before I signed up for that sports class ... I guess they will give me a refund if it doesn't work out.

[knoxinsox]

Ordered orthotic insoles for hubby's boots from Amazon--$26.  Hoping this will help his feet not to hurt so much and also stretch the time before we have to purchase another pair.  He walks a minimum of 10 miles per day on concrete.  The good thing is that he has dropped 30 lbs since he started the job in October.  Way to go!!

 

I made a list of clothes the kids need, and have started shopping for them.  Spent $5.75 at the thrift store for a great condition pair of jeans for my son, a shirt and a dress for my daughter.  Jeans are a size bigger than what I need, but boy's jeans are hard to find in good condition, so I'll put it in the back of the closet to grow into.  I'll be sewing some nighties and shirts for my daughter from fabric I have already.

 

My splurge at the other thrift store was a small platter for $1.  Looked great holding the chocolate chip scones my 10 year old made.  Seriously, they looked professional.  Can't reconcile this with the fact that I need to tell him to brush his teeth and shower.  LOL

 

Frugalities include baking our own bread, cinnamon rolls, and pizza this week instead of buying.  I hung all the laundry outside to dry including all the reusable rags and towels.  Shut off the heat and opened the windows. Made several kinds of iced tea instead of buying sodas.  Cut my son's hair.  Sewed more cloth pads.  

[itsheresomewhere]

I made more beds for the animals. I do need to order PUL fabric. I fixed the dishwasher. It needed a 6 dollar part. 15 minutes and she works like new. I went to a thrift store having a 90% off sale last week. I found a pair of jeans (justice) that fit DD for 1.19! They still had the tags on them.

 

I have to pay for DD's karate and her uniform this week. I need to pay for golf and tennis lessons for both kids. DD needs the next book in spelling.

[Guest]

Nothing this week but next week I get new tires and brake pads put on my car.

Your post reminded me that we did have to pay the mechanic for the car repairs and towing I mentioned last week. It was over $600. But, of course, nothing I can do to help those types of expenses.

[Baseball mom]

Property taxes due this past week.  After paying those we had $10 left.  Used that to buy milk, bread and spaghetti noodles. 

Tight week but we had plenty of food, warm house and happy kids so all was good. 

 

 

[myfunnybunch]

I bought a rash guard tank that's tank top shaped and fitted instead of flared like a tankini top. I've looked forever, so when I finally found one, I bought it.

 

I did donate some of my spending money to our children's choir. The spring benefit concert was today, so I donated money earlier in the week to buy items for raffle baskets, and I bought some raffle tickets today.

 

I guess I did buy extra chocolate chips and am stretching the grocery budget a bit also, as I am rewarding the middle school boys' choir with a few dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies for stellar behavior at their last rehearsal. It was the pie-in-the-sky reward, and I didn't expect them ALL to manage their behavior that well for two whole hours. :D

 

At Christmas time, I stocked up on handmade soaps at the local crafter's market, so when a friend's birthday rolled around this week, I wrapped up a soap and a jar of my homemade jam. It was really nice to reuse a pretty box and some saved ribbon, and give her something nice without having to run around at the last minute trying to think of a gift.

 

Now I am debating whether to buy tickets to the Shakespeare Festival production of Hamlet. It's pricey and would involve a hotel stay also, but we're reading Hamlet this year for school, and if we do the web special, we can get good seats for the price of the bad seats. I keep going back and forth...It's a lot of money, but it's educational; we'd have a great time, but it's a lot of money.....sigh.

 

Ds13 grew AGAIN. I will be hitting Goodwill this week while he's at ballet to see if I can find some pants that are a) long enough, b) narrow enough in the waist and hips to stay up, and c) not super skinny in the legs because he's got pretty muscular thighs. Wish me luck.

[La Condessa]

After going over budget at the end of February (we all went with dh up to the big city when he went for a job interview), I am really trying to make up for it this month. I made a meal plan for the next two weeks and went grocery shopping, got everything we should need for $65. (I was all stocked up on staples and had just cooked an extra frozen turkey from the Thanksgiving sales, so the largest portion of that was produce).

 

But most exciting, we have just finished paying off the medical debt for ds1!!! It is such a relief to finally have that weight gone. He will turn two next month, and his health is so much better now. :)

[prairiewindmomma]

I finally purchased dining rooms chairs ($39 each at IKEA) after five months of sitting on folding chairs.  I picked up two houseplants while we were there--adding some of that color and texture that this house needs. 

 

Ds's church pants (only pair) got a hole this week.  I guess I finally will have to order clothes from Lands End for real, but I did put it off for a year! I picked up another dress shirt for dh at Costco, we are still rotating out worn/stained items. I heard of a good thrift store a few miles away, so I'm going to try to visit it this week to look for a suit for older ds and for a few other items.

 

We have a bunch of house maintenance items we need to take care of---still juggling those with needed medical care.

 

I still haven't ordered next year's school books....waiting for money on those....

[Annie G]

Prairiewindmomma- I always seem to REALLY appreciate a purchase when I have waited a long time to make it- like your chairs.  Bet you're loving them!

 

I'm trying to get dh to part with some of his old threadbare shirts he wears to work but he's resisting. It drives me crazy. So I'm pretty envious that you're successful at getting your guys to toss worn out stuff. 

 

Ugh...house maintenance...my list is long and I'm dividing it between things we can do and things we have to hire out. Either way, it's a lot of work. 

[prairiewindmomma]

My dh used to really resist me suggesting that he replace clothing as well.  He still waits too long on some items (dress shoes!) but he's gotten much better. It has helped that he has moved into a job where he is meeting with C-level people. Once I pointed out that his co-workers all wear $600+ shoes, he's more willing to replace a stained $20 shirt from Costco.  :smilielol5:

[regentrude]

Very pleased with a savings move this week.

Washing machine broke. I figured out the cause, ordered the part for $10 including shipping, and DH fixed it in 20 minutes.

 

OTOH, garage door spring snapped this morning. Door shut, cars IN garage. That did require a call to the repair shop. The bill will come by mail