Ginevra Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 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! Here we are, week 24. :) Early this week, I took the kids out to get gifts for DH for father's day. The best deal was a Bobby Flay cookbook at B&N that was 50% off with any other purchase. So I bought an owl book mark. Also bought headphones and new shoes for DH. I went out driving with DS and stopped by Micheal's to buy beads. i wanted to make an Orlando support bracelet to put in my Etsy shop (and to wear). I also made a patriotic bracelet for July 4th. This past week, I made a sale from my Etsy shop. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Still buried in my big deadline right now, so not much spending. I was almost out of shampoo and bath soap, so I picked those up along with a father's day card and gift card for my dad. I know a gift card isn't very exciting, but when you've been a dad for 53 years and you have 6 kids, the last thing you need is more trinkets. :P My dad is one of those people who don't want anything. Besides, I seriously don't have time to go browsing for that perfect Dad gift. Not that I never try ... I bought him a weighted blanket for his birthday, thinking it would help him sleep, but it was so heavy he almost got trapped under it, LOL. Seriously. A gift card is much safer. I discovered a link on my library's website to Splash Math and a deal where you can get 1 month free. I thought, maybe I'll use this in August, when my kids' 6-week Brain Chase program ends. But just by entering my email address, I unintentionally started the clock ticking today. So we have a month of free online math, but it overlaps with other stuff we're busy with, so I don't know how much we will use it. So that was a fail, but it could have been good if I'd been more patient. I think I've gone a whole week without getting on Amazon, so that's something. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 It has been a few weeks since I've posted on of these threads. They were pretty mindful weeks though. Today I went to the Habitat for Humanity restore because everything was 30% off. ended up finding a brand new lazy boy sectional for $770(lazy boy donates floor models, returns, and cancelled orders that were completed before cancellation.) We have been keeping an eye out for one for a long time because our family doesn't fit on our current couch and the family can't fit a couch and loveseat. Seeing as at lazy boy the sectional would have been over 3000 I think I did pretty good. We also bought some gifts for my fil. That's the extent of the spending. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 It has been a few weeks since I've posted on of these threads. They were pretty mindful weeks though. Today I went to the Habitat for Humanity restore because everything was 30% off. ended up finding a brand new lazy boy sectional for $770(lazy boy donates floor models, returns, and cancelled orders that were completed before cancellation.) We have been keeping an eye out for one for a long time because our family doesn't fit on our current couch and the family can't fit a couch and loveseat. Seeing as at lazy boy the sectional would have been over 3000 I think I did pretty good. We also bought some gifts for my fil. That's the extent of the spending. Awesomr deal on the couch, hj! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Awesomr deal on the couch, hj! Isn't it though. I would have spent the next 5 years refusing to buy a new one because I'm so cheap, i mean frugal. I would have happily sat on the floor instead of drop that kind of money on something I'll never be able to keep super clean with 5 little kids 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Mostly trying to stay cool at home, but I did run out to do all the shopping for 2 weeks. Working on sewing projects, math, moving furniture/extra cleaning/decluttering...also chit-chatting on the porch with the neighbor lady. Spending.... $178 on groceries at Aldi--took back a pack of lunchmeat that started looking nasty unopened, and they didn't charge me for 2 of the lunchmeats in my cart. Love their Double Guarantee. $10 at Dollar Tree for bandaids and some cleaning supplies. $50 at Walmart for cleaning and laundry supplies and ice-cream. $8 at Hobby Lobby for PUL. Was glad to be back home in the cooler air. Took the kids to QT for ice-cream cones as payment for moving 4 bookcases and all the books from one wall to another in the living room and keeping them in order. This accommodates my thrifted chairs better and gives me a little nook for the keyboard. Mindfully... Found free online patterns for leggings--ladies and girls. Super excited to try them out. Right now I am saving up PayPal money for stretchy fabric and will be looking at thrift stores for some I can upcycle and practice on. My daughter wears leggings all the time and she grows out of them so fast and gets holes in the knees. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Expensive weekend, dh had to replace the leaking radiator in our van, $246.xx, but saved us so much by doing it ourselves. On an upside, out electric company was giving out 5 free LED's yesterday, so I went to claim ours, also got a reusable bag with a few other goodies. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I forgot to mention the birth mom searcher asked for more money. At this point the search is one of my biggest expenses ever, excluding my house and car and charity and the adoption itself. I am not lying. It's more than I expected, but having jumped in I felt I needed to carry through. I hope the searcher is successful. I received a report on one of the birth moms, which was not what I expected but at least she seems to be "OK" (that's what my kid wants to know at this point). I stumbled across a report thingy on my credit card carrier's website which makes a pie graph of expenses that you can break down into smaller and smaller pie graphs, and look at over time. Let's just say Amazon.com is in business because of me. :P But then, I don't shop on foot for the most part, so maybe it averages out. I wonder how my spending on my kids' tangible stuff compares to average. I mean, you have to buy stuff because they grow. I think I'm pretty average when it comes to clothes. Books, not so much. We should make better use of libraries and online free stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I forgot to mention the birth mom searcher asked for more money. At this point the search is one of my biggest expenses ever, excluding my house and car and charity and the adoption itself. I am not lying. It's more than I expected, but having jumped in I felt I needed to carry through. I hope the searcher is successful. I received a report on one of the birth moms, which was not what I expected but at least she seems to be "OK" (that's what my kid wants to know at this point). I stumbled across a report thingy on my credit card carrier's website which makes a pie graph of expenses that you can break down into smaller and smaller pie graphs, and look at over time. Let's just say Amazon.com is in business because of me. :P But then, I don't shop on foot for the most part, so maybe it averages out. I wonder how my spending on my kids' tangible stuff compares to average. I mean, you have to buy stuff because they grow. I think I'm pretty average when it comes to clothes. Books, not so much. We should make better use of libraries and online free stuff. The bolded: I don't completely understand this. I am struggling to not say, "WHAAAAAT???" Is this a sort of P.I., who researches international adoptions? What do you mean by "asked for more money"? I'm hoping for your sake this is not a pursuit with no expense parameters, because TBH, that sounds scammy to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 The bolded: I don't completely understand this. I am struggling to not say, "WHAAAAAT???" Is this a sort of P.I., who researches international adoptions? What do you mean by "asked for more money"? I'm hoping for your sake this is not a pursuit with no expense parameters, because TBH, that sounds scammy to me. She has successfully assisted many people, of which I have independent confirmation, so it is not a scam. The work involves varying amounts of travel (depending on how it goes) and that is why the fee is not fixed up front. There is a max limit (supposedly), which I haven't reached yet. I'm close to it though. Is she getting paid well for her trouble, yes, and she does a lot of charity work, so I am hoping some of my fees are going toward her charity. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Hello my mindful friends. After my travels during the previous week, I was happy to be a homebody this week although I did attend a couple of municipal meetings. I was that woman who knitted while listening. Actually, I was not alone. There was another knitter and one crocheter in the audience as well. (Reason not to run for office: I don't think I could make it through one of these meetings without something to keep my hands occupied and I don't think voters would go for the knitting council woman.) It was a pleasant week of focusing on some craft projects and reading. Yesterday though I ended up spending big bucks with Sierra Trading. Previously I bought my son an American made shirt by Stormy Kromer that he really liked. He told me that he would love to have several of them as they are the perfect work shirts for him. I have been tracking the inventory and price point on the shirts and decided to pounce at the latest markdown, ordering three of the shirts for him. But I didn't stop there. I have a hard time finding shoes that fit. There are a couple of European companies that do make shoes I like that I can actually wear. There is one shop within a reasonable driving distance that formerly carried a couple of these brands. Unfortunately the place has changed hands and they are now like so many other shoe stores carrying cheap shoes that lack the support my feet need. So when I saw a pair of Wolky shoes in my weird size for less than a hundred bucks, I added them to the cart. And then my husband decided to take a look at shoes--he found two pairs. Imelda Marcus moment? My husband is out buying his father's day gift. He wanted a new extension saw as the old one bit the dust after a couple of repairs. The last tropical blow left an oak branch dangling so he really needs to take care of that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 It has been a few weeks since I've posted on of these threads. They were pretty mindful weeks though. Today I went to the Habitat for Humanity restore because everything was 30% off. ended up finding a brand new lazy boy sectional for $770(lazy boy donates floor models, returns, and cancelled orders that were completed before cancellation.) We have been keeping an eye out for one for a long time because our family doesn't fit on our current couch and the family can't fit a couch and loveseat. Seeing as at lazy boy the sectional would have been over 3000 I think I did pretty good. We also bought some gifts for my fil. That's the extent of the spending. Score! We need a sectional badly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Mostly trying to stay cool at home, but I did run out to do all the shopping for 2 weeks. Working on sewing projects, math, moving furniture/extra cleaning/decluttering...also chit-chatting on the porch with the neighbor lady. Spending.... $178 on groceries at Aldi--took back a pack of lunchmeat that started looking nasty unopened, and they didn't charge me for 2 of the lunchmeats in my cart. Love their Double Guarantee. $10 at Dollar Tree for bandaids and some cleaning supplies. $50 at Walmart for cleaning and laundry supplies and ice-cream. $8 at Hobby Lobby for PUL. Was glad to be back home in the cooler air. Took the kids to QT for ice-cream cones as payment for moving 4 bookcases and all the books from one wall to another in the living room and keeping them in order. This accommodates my thrifted chairs better and gives me a little nook for the keyboard. Mindfully... Found free online patterns for leggings--ladies and girls. Super excited to try them out. Right now I am saving up PayPal money for stretchy fabric and will be looking at thrift stores for some I can upcycle and practice on. My daughter wears leggings all the time and she grows out of them so fast and gets holes in the knees. What is Aldi's Double Guarantee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 hjffkj -- awesome deal on the sectional :hurray: Another spendy week :thumbdown: More under for guys but kind they like was on clearance Shoes for me -- on sale Father's day stuff for my stepdad -- cards, 6pk of his favorite beer and container of snack mix New phones - cheap corded land line & cheap cell Some groceries Milkshakes twice -- ds had oral surgery Special soft foods Popcorn at the ball game (for me) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 What is Aldi's Double Guarantee? If you don't like a product or its defective in some way, you take it back and they will refund your money AND give you a free replacement. In all the years I've shopped there, this is only the 2nd time I've returned something. The last time was bananas that didn't ripen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 If you don't like a product or its defective in some way, you take it back and they will refund your money AND give you a free replacement. In all the years I've shopped there, this is only the 2nd time I've returned something. The last time was bananas that didn't ripen. Ahh I really need to shop there. Only problem is the one is a 45 min round trip compared to the walmart which is 7. Ugh. But I got 2 bad watermelons this week from Walmart, so I am really looking for a change. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Found free online patterns for leggings--ladies and girls. Super excited to try them out. Right now I am saving up PayPal money for stretchy fabric and will be looking at thrift stores for some I can upcycle and practice on. My daughter wears leggings all the time and she grows out of them so fast and gets holes in the knees. Let me know how the leggings turn out. In my recent sewing with knits experiments, I had great success with a knit that had two way stretch. Hard to find though... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I think I have to bow out of mindful spending for the next couple months. Dh had chest pains at work and is currently waiting for bypass surgery. He already has 8 stents so we're pretty bummed he has to go through this. We live less than a block from our hospital but they were unable to fix him so they sent him to a hospital 90 minutes away because they have a better chance of repairing the problems. So gas to drive, a good bit of buying food since I'm not here long enough to fix anything (This started Thursday morning), and after tomorrow I won't come home from the hospital until he does so I'll be buying food all week. Gratefully, this is not a financial hardship. This would be easier if I was more like my sisters, who can't eat when they are stressed. Nope, not me. Give me carbs. And lots of them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Brooks Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Didn't spend any money today because I didn't go to town. :hurray: I'm trying to keep $$ in check since business is down. I am only spending money on food, gas, and plants for the garden, OK and an Amazon movie for the girls. We finished the goats' new pen. Now the goats have an extended pen with lots of vegetation, so I am not buying as much feed for them, but a stray cat adopted us so I need to get him fixed. Fortunately, I can do this for free because he is a stray. Good deals were had at Goodwill this week and fruit in season is cheap. Keeping the girls off the internet by making lavender wands. Oh my! They are a lot of work. I made the mistake of using 1/4" ribbon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Ahh I really need to shop there. Only problem is the one is a 45 min round trip compared to the walmart which is 7. Ugh. But I got 2 bad watermelons this week from Walmart, so I am really looking for a change. Do we live in the same place? LOL Mine is a 40 minute round trip. I go every other week or so, unless I have other reasons to go to the next town. Walmart is a mile away, but I only go there for emergency coffee creamer or ice-cream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 AnnieG!! Praying for you and your hubby!! Pop in and let us know how he's doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Annie--you may need to bow out of mindful spending but please don't bow out of this thread! Keep us posted on your husband--and yourself. Sending good thoughts your way. I could not "like" your post but want to send hugs and support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I think I have to bow out of mindful spending for the next couple months. Dh had chest pains at work and is currently waiting for bypass surgery. He already has 8 stents so we're pretty bummed he has to go through this. We live less than a block from our hospital but they were unable to fix him so they sent him to a hospital 90 minutes away because they have a better chance of repairing the problems. So gas to drive, a good bit of buying food since I'm not here long enough to fix anything (This started Thursday morning), and after tomorrow I won't come home from the hospital until he does so I'll be buying food all week. Gratefully, this is not a financial hardship. This would be easier if I was more like my sisters, who can't eat when they are stressed. Nope, not me. Give me carbs. And lots of them. Sending good thoughts to your husband. I am a stress eater too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Do we live in the same place? LOL Mine is a 40 minute round trip. I go every other week or so, unless I have other reasons to go to the next town. Walmart is a mile away, but I only go there for emergency coffee creamer or ice-cream. Ha, we must! Yeah that is what I need to do, go 2 times a month. But Dh has taken over the grocery shopping and he doesn't do that. Although it would be huge money and time saver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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