No Spend 19 - join us!

[NoSpend19]

Hi all

So yet another name change for the No Spend 19 thread some of us have been discussing (not a TAAT - juts a spin off)

The aim is to reduce the unnecessary spending on "stuff". We're almost at the end of the year and so 2019 is a good time to start.

It would be great if as many people as possible thought it was feasible for them so there are no hard and fast rules but to give you an idea my rules are as follows:

Food and drink purchases are permitted (although personally I will also be trying to grow as much as possible myself, reduce air miles and reduce single use plastics in the food we buy. In addition I will be avoiding being tempted to pay extra for brands. Meals out and takeaways are also on our no spend list)

Essential household products and toiletries are permitted. So it is ok to buy washing powder but personally I will be avoiding buying six different types of stain remover, fabric conditioner, ironing water and all the other stuff we are told we need to do to clean a load of washing . Likewise we will be buying soap, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo as essentials but will not be buying hair masks, face masks, make up, face cream, serums, body sprays, nail varnish, showergels, body scrubs etc. Perfectly acceptable to use up everything you have though.

essential clothing etc is permitted. DH and I won't be buying anything unless absolutely unavoidable but DC are growing and will need shoes, trousers etc. We will aim to keep this to a minimum though.

Fuel and other travel costs are permitted

Normal household bills are permitted of course

stuff is not permitted. So toys, books (library is fine), magazines, CDs, DVDs, random household items like cushions, candles, stationery etc are all on the aim not to buy list. This Christmas will be prior to the experiment starting but we are already asking for experience presents for the DC eg cinema tickets.

We are just feeling a bit like consumerism has gone mad and so we think we can probably do this. In our household it is me, DH DS1 (13) and DS2 (11, nearly 12). Anyone up for joining? We start at the beginning of 2019

Disclaimer: before we decided to do this we had already booked and paid for our holiday for next year. It is a bit of a cheat but I don't want to delay this just because we'd already done that.

I may need significant to get me through

This is a great idea! I am in.

What are you all doing for hair and things? I have my nails done which I can stop doing but do like my hair done. I think I will reduce the amount of times I go but still allow for it.

I’m still paying for services like hair and beauty. I’m mainly in this for environmental reasons and less so for the money. I’m sure I read an article that said that having one’s legs waxed is much more eco friendly than buying razors or hair removal cream etc. I don’t like having my nails done, so that’s not a problem for me. But I do want short hair... it’s currently shoulder length and I want it cut short, which will involve more maintenance cuts... I suppose I will spend less on shampoo though..? Clutches at straws!

We will still be getting hair cuts. But for me I won't be paying to get my nails or eyelashes done. I can do my nails myself quite easily and I really don't need fake eyelashes for everyday wear. I have some false ones I can use and re-use if I'm going out.

For me this is about reducing consumption in general of "stuff", simplifying our lives and appreciating the value of things a bit more. The environmental benefits are also good and its always helpful to save money. Everyone will have their own drivers though.

I'm adding to my list of rules that I need to get rid of things in the house that we no longer use and will not need for the foreseeable future. I can't keep justify putting toys in the loft for my non existent grandchildren when the DSs are 13 and 11! Its a bit counter intuitive since it feels to me like we've then wasted things which we will at some stage maybe buy again but if I can convert some of it into money that will help me to do it.

Hound of the basketballs
An allotment will improve your diet, exercise, andrelaxation - so efficient 😌

My kids eat tonnes of bread, so I've started making my own. I don't know how much money that saves but it's definitely healthier. And being able to throw a loaf together ready to eat in under an hour is less wasteful of time and energy than flapping about finding the kids shoes and brushing their hair, strapping them into the car, driving to to the shop and invariably picking up a few other unnecessary bits.

My mother always had a kettle on the solid fuel stove, so always had warm to boiling water available for dishes or hot drinks. So I'm going to see if it works when I have the woodburner on over the winter.

Walk more, specially school runs weather permitting. Probably easier to do this at home times less time pressure and if they get wet can get changed once home. I'm part time so could do this twice a week.

I'd like to join! Just starting maternity and we are nearing completion on a house so want to save money as much as possible as things will be tight in the new year.

I like lots of your ideas, just going to throw some together:

Food
Will obviously buy but will try and cut down on luxuries that we don't need, e.g. biscuits, crisps, squash and try to buy cheaper brands.

Beauty
I rarely wear make up so will just cut down and use things I still have. I'll dig out all the soap/shower gels I have to use up. I will colour my hair myself, not go to the salon.

Clothes
Only the absolute necessary clothes for me, e.g. nursing bras. For baby, I won't go crazy buying loads of stuff, just what he needs! We will be trying reusable nappies after the first month and there's a nappy library near me I might try.

House
Will shop around for good quotes for building work, do a lot of stuff ourselves like tiling and painting. Will get second-hand furniture for baby where possible and upcycle if I can.

Books
Only from charity shops! Hopefully I'll get a book token for Christmas to spend if I want.

That feels like enough for now! I will re-read all your ideas and think about other ways to save money.

I am writing my rules and thinking about sanitary wear. Not tried a mooncup before but I am willing to give it a go.

I have a mirena coil now but quite liked the mooncup. Took me a while to trust it and I have to say I still used liners with it just in case and so that offset the cost saving.

Also YY to a more mindful use of technology. I've been unsubscribing from a number of newsletters to try and cut down on temptation, and cancelling my Audible and Netflix subscriptions as they just didn't get used enough to justify the cost.

I'm terrible for losing time mindlessly scrolling on my phone. I might sit down for five minutes to have a browse on MN and suddenly it's 45 minutes later and I'm still glued to said phone. I used to read books once upon a time before the advent of smartphones, so I'm looking to get back to that to a degree. To begin with, I'm aiming for phone off two nights a week, let's see how I get on from there.

I'm going to suggest to DH this evening that we have two screen free evenings a week. I think that would make a massive difference to our general productivity.

14/11/18 News artile: People with more stuff than they have room for. Why why why why !

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46100793

Both my ex and his mum have self-storage units monday55.
There is a definite tendency in his family to surround oneself with stuff, not quite to the point of hoarding, although not far off. Ex-mil is a lovely lady, but she shops almost compulsively.
I can't tell you the relief I felt when my ex left and took all his "stuff" with him.
I'm definitely a minimalist at heart!

How will you all deal with black Friday? I want to start a no spend right now, I'm feeling pretty out of control with it all

I'm not buying anything as part of Black Friday. I don't think I ever have. I don't want or need anything right now and I'm pretty skint anyway.
Last year I made a point of not buying anything at all on Black Friday on principle. I didn't even go to the supermarket.

Thanks @hound. You know I think I did the same last year. The whole concept really annoyed me and I felt like it was so silly. Maybe this yeah I'm just lacking so much resolve because I'm so exhausted with DSs who don't sleep

So here are my thoughts

I already try to reduce my plastic use, this helps with many temptations and I did drastically cut down on things that I used to buy. It did introduce me to more "luxury" plastic free alternatives though so I need to be careful with that

I love the idea up thread that unhealthy food is wasteful as it has no nutritional value. I'm doing the "no s" plan too so will keep that in mind. I'm using money as a reward to myself with this, which I'll put towards "experiences" or maybe a new book

I also got pointed in the direction to YouTube Sali Hughes's interview with dick page. It made me totally revaluate how I see beauty, hopefully I'll stop looking for miracle products and just be happy with how I look a little more

That said, I will try to keep away from style and beauty board as it's full of temptations! And for me it normalises all my spending, which definitely isn't needed

I've read a book called a year of less by Cait Flanders. Some ideas are from there -

I wont buy more of something until I run out or something needs to be replaced (and the old item has to be gone)

I'll ask myself if I need the item. Can I survive a day without it? A week? If so, do I really need it?

I liked another idea up thread about asking my dp before I buy anything. Sounds of fashioned but I need to be accountable to someone

I will save up any "wants" for birthdays etc

I have asked Amazon to send me my data so I can see how much I've spent. It will be horrifying for sure. I have deleted my Amazon app and other shopping apps too

I will try to read the books I already have first. I wont beat myself up too much with that though

I have unsubscribed from emails from companies

I think I'll try to keep note of everything I buy (except food) to see how I'm doing and keep track

I think that's all but this thread is so inspiring I'm getting loads of ideas

Both my ex and his mum have self-storage units

I enjoy watching lifestyle programs, and I'm often seen yelling at the screen when someone gets the 'experts' in and says 'we need more space'. My first comment is usually 'have you tried cleaning up first?'. Most people do not need 'more space', they just need 'less crap'.

Thanks Hate, some excellent tips there. I certainly need to get on board with the not buying more of anything until I've run out ethos I expect I'll run out of nail polish around 2060...

So black Friday (again!) I'm kind of starting my no spend now. Kind of as in I'm finding it very hard. Boots have £10 of points when you spend £50 this week. I need to buy something there anyway this week (spending approx £20, and it's a gift so it's within my "rules") I'm very very tempted to stockpile things I will definitely need (razor blades etc) in order to make the total up to £50. But I feel like I've been sucked into this! What do I do????

The way I look at deals like that dontfundhate, is that you're not really actually gaining anything.
You want/need to spend £20, however if you spend a further £30 (that you don't need to) you'll get £10 back. So you're effectively £20 out of pocket even though you're getting £10.
Also, that £10 has to be spent in Boots. You don't have the freedom to use it anywhere else.
Don't fall for it!!

Thank you. You're so right, I will try my best, I know I'd only feel guilty if I did buy anything

So I did it! I went to boots and bought one item that I need costing £2, and the other item was a Xmas jumper for Ds1 as they have a Xmas jumper day at school, that was £9 so I paid with my points. I didn't try to get the £10 points offer and feel very proud! I also went into a few charity shops to start getting Ds1 kitted out for his next size up and managed to get two cotton t shirts which he'll love. AND I returned a very splurge purchase from a few weeks ago. I'm feeling very proud of myself!

I'm in!
I've already made a start by using our local market for fresh veg where possible.
Ditto with meat - better quality
I also vow to buy better quality clothing that lasts longer instead of cheap fashion gear from Primark type shops.
Cutting down on toiletries and cleaning materials.
Also cutting down on present buying. So sick of all the plastic so I'll give money/gift vouchers instead
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there's much more if I think about it.

Well done DontFundHate. I'm glad you resisted the temptation and that you feel positive about doing it. Sometimes people seem to equate being frugal with a life of misery and deprivation! And so often that's really far from the truth. Making purchases mindfully can be really affirming. And also means you've got more money to spend on nicer things further down the line!

Welcome to the thread gladiatorgirl. I've been only buying good quality, organic and ethically reared meat for about a year now. It means we eat significantly less meat because it's so expensive, but I guess that can only be good for our health as well.

I get i have to defend Primark
I've gotten loads of things there over the years that have lasted just as well as much more expensive items
The problem is not that they are unethical - it seems on a par with most other high street shops. The problem is the patchiness of quality. Though the mens stuff is quite consistently good.

I buy most stuff online if it’s free delivery.
Saves on diesel, and if I can get whatever it is locally, I walk it.