Nothing New/Mindful Spending Week 46

[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!

Okay. So this week, I impulsively bought a sweater dress for myself while killing time with my friend waiting for Fantastic Beasts to start. It's very cute, though. I plan to wear it to church tomorrow.

Spent money for Fantastic Beasts tickets and a Hogwarts shirt to wear. Bought underwear and socks for DS.

 

Bought 400 Nerf darts for DS' upcoming birthday party/Nerf battle. I will also need to order his gift this week. Also bought a funny cocktail napkin for the Christmas Bunco; every year the host does this napkin exchange. It's fun...I guess. I'm getting tired of buying these napkins every year. If I didn't think it would be so gauche, I would re-gift a package of napkins from Buncos past.

 

I'll be expecting to drop a chunk of dough shortly because DS17 needs a new suit and dress shoes, plus a couple dressy shirts/ties. He will most likely go to Homecoming in January and has long since outgrown the dress clothes he had for 9th grade. I can probably snag a Black Friday deal for the shoes at least, and I think I have a Men's Warehouse coupon from one of those fundraiser coupon books. Hopefully, he will be able to wear this suit for at least a few years. I don't think he will get much taller.

 

How is everyone else doing?

 

Jane, I didn't see your post from last week until just now; kudos on all that processing of apples and foods! Very impressive. I didn't do nearly the amount of food preservation this year that I had intended.

[Jane in NC]

Food processing will continue.  We made another farm run today, buying veg for eggrolls.  Tomorrow we'll buy shrimp for the project, then make and freeze a bunch of eggrolls for future consumption.  I brush the frozen eggrolls with sesame oil and bake them.

 

I tried a new craft this week:  needle felting. I bought a kit to make some felted orca whales while on our vacation to the San Juan Islands. I managed to make one with minimal injury--only one needle punch to a finger! 

 

Still knitting away.  I also stopped at a fabric store to pick up some supplies for another gift project, stocking up on needles for my sewing machine while there.

 

We had lunch out while running errands, picking up take out sandwiches from a deli and enjoying them with a pint at a craft brewery.

 

My husband worked on our Christmas cards tonight which we'll order from Shutterfly.  I think we're set but I wanted to sleep on the design/wording.

 

 

[SKL]

I've started Christmas shopping for my kids - I got them a few kind of expensive toys.  Magnatiles (over $100) and a couple of robotics thingies.  Every year I buy books and related book-inspired videos, but this year I only have one in mind - 1001 Arabian nights.  I don't plan on buying much more for my kids.  Of course that might change.  :)

 

In keeping with tradition, I need to come up with something for all the nieces and nephews.  No brilliant ideas yet, other than a few junky little planter thingies that were overpriced (school fundraiser purchases).

 

My kids want to do "23 and me," so I am going to order a kit for everyone in our household.  I think it's like $99 each?

 

I signed my kids up for horse riding during turkey week - total just under $600 for both kids.  They also have a dentist appointment - not sure how much will be out of pocket.  I should set up their quarterly chiro appointments too.

 

I decided to pay the opt out fee for the AHG nut sale.  That was $150 for both girls.  Probably worth it.

 

I also had to shell out $200 for 5 tickets to a professional basketball game that my kid is performing at.

 

Typing this post made me remember that a family member called me last night, after I was asleep, and asked me to transfer money to her account.  :P

 

Seems like I'm forgetting something else.

 

It's that time of year!  :)

[JustEm]

Hmm this week we spent more on groceries than usual because we have 3 pies to make for my families' Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow! That was it for spending. I've spent most of the week researching what I'll be spending my money in next week when black friday sales start. We need a new dryer and although we were going to put it off until right after Christmas my dad handed us a check and insisted we get it now as an early gift( i love my dad!)

We also need a new sheet set for our bed so I'm hoping to find that cheap come Thursday.

[Baseball mom]

Can you believe 5 weeks from tomorrow is Christmas day  :ohmy:

 

All my money this week went to Thanksgiving food and a couple Christmas presents. 

 

 

[Jane in NC]

Forgot to mention that earlier in the week I picked up a box of large yellow and green bell peppers--22 peppers--for $9! This from one of the local farms. Some have been grilled, skin removed, sliced, frozen. More to be done.

 

Only 5 weeks until Christmas? I am ordering some specialty food items for a couple of family members this year. Everyone has so much stuff I'd rather do this. No idea what to give my husband though.

 

Looks like my sister in law and I are doing Thanksgiving together. I'll cook the turkey, dressing, gravy while she'll do the sides. Not sure whose house yet. We usually go to her place if her grandchildren have traveled in but I think the kids are coming before Thanksgiving this year. So I suspect that I will feel compelled to do some extra cleaning this week. ; )