Nothing New/Mindful Spending Week 44

[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!

So, this week, I ordered some new curriculum for DS. Around $70.

I bought a birthday card for my niece, who turned 16; also included a cash gift in there. Also sent DD's boyfriend a birthday card with cash gift for turning 21. I don't think I bought anything else worth mentioning. I didn't even shop today because I am under the weather and feeling lousy. The bad thing about this is that I need to get some things I'm running out of; DS's lunches this week will be sad, sad otherwise.

 

I made some chicken broth with the intention of making soup, but then, ironically, I fell ill and didn't have the energy to make the soup. Probably, the soup would make me feel better, but I can't muster up making it.

 

Next Week, I'll be making pumpkin bread for three separate things I committed to. It's yummy but I think I'm going to get tired of making it.

[SKL]

We're done with the birthdays and holidays for a while, yay!  My work deadlines and baseball and scouts kept me occupied without costing anything.  A friend lent me another book so I have something to read (the other book I'm laboring through is pretty bad).

 

I'm working on my Christmas order on Amazon.  Every year I hope I will be smart about it, getting only the right things so it's not wasteful.  Some years are better than others.  :P  This year, at least my eldest told me something she wants.  Usually she doesn't really want anything, and then she wonders why nothing excites her on Christmas morning.

 

I have an order form for "shopping certificates" that is supposed to earn the school some money.  I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I am hoping this can take the place of the gift cards I would have purchased for various extended family members for Christmas.

 

I also still need to figure out what to do about those nuts (the scout fundraiser).

 

My sister requested what I hope is the last installment on her never-ending home improvement scam.  :P

 

Coming up soon, I need to fork over the cash for some pro basketball tickets.  I have to pay for my kid to perform at a game, and to attend with her.  I am trying to figure out how to make this a Christmas present for some extended family also.  :P  I am so cheap - but not really cheap if you know what I mean ....

 

My kids would like to put their cooking classes to use by making holiday treats.  Sounds good to me, if we could find some time.

 

That's about it for now.  I don't have anything else big coming up, except for horse riding during Thanksgiving week.

[Baseball mom]

Hi everyone :seeya:  Been missing for awhile. 

 

Spending has been mostly necessities the last few weeks.  'Seems every time I think were are doing good I realize I am out of something.  So I am trying to stock up on food items that go on sale this time of the year that I use a lot of.

 

Bought some paint and got the carport ceiling painted.  Looks much better. :thumbup1:

 

Was given some pumpkins.  Processed some and shared some.

 

Oh I did buy a couple Christmas presents for stepdad.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Baseball mom, what do you do with your pumpkins? I have my pumkin innards from Halloween when we carved, in the refrigerator. I want to do something with it, but I never have before and I'm intimidated.

[Baseball mom]

Pumpkins are easy.

 

Cut in half, scrape out the "guts" and as much strings as possible.

Place each 1/2 cut side down in a casserole dish.  Put enough water in dish just to cover the bottom.

Bake at 350 until pumpkins are soft.  My oven varies all the time so not sure of exact time but I start checking at about 30 minutes.

Once soft, let cool then scrape out, mash or run though food processor or blender. 

Put in freezer bags.  I do 1 and 2 cup bags since most recipes call for those amounts.

Then freeze.

 

For the guts

Pick out the seeds.  Throw out the rest of the guts

Wash them really good and lay on newspaper or towel to dry. 

Once dry, toss with oil and sprinkle in salt.

Put on cookie sheet and roast.  350 until look roasted (again my oven varies, start checking 5-10 minutes)

Cool and eat (the whole seed)

[JustEm]

Groceries and gas mostly this week so all necessities. We did spend $11 at the dollar store for my niece's bday gift. She is the type of kid who would rather have 10 random toys from the dollar store than one extra special gift. She just loves collections. To top that off my kids wanted to spend some of their own money to buy their cousin a present. It was super cute and they were quite thoughtful picking.

 

The expensive time of year is quickly approaching and I'm not ready!

[Jane in NC]

We baked an heirloom pumpkin called a Long Island Cheese yesterday, providing sufficient pulp for a pot of curried pumpkin soup (dinner last night, lunch today) as well as five 2-cup zip bag packets for the freezer.  I may make a pie but I love pumpkin baked oatmeal and pumpkin bread so that's where the pulp will probably go.  I think I'll try to pick up another pumpkin or two (depending on the type and size) to add to the pumpkin freezer stash. 

 

I had a crazy busy week last week.  I had hoped that I would spend my evenings decompressing with my knitting and reading but it did not quite work that way.  The clock is ticking on holiday gifts that I am making!

 

Do any of you do "meatless Mondays"?  We eat a fair amount of vegetarian food by preference so I don't feel the need to designate a day of the week as meatless, but I am mentioning it in case anyone wants to do something like this.  You can get loads of inspiration on Twitter or other social media by following a MeatlessMonday hashtag.