Thread moved from S&B **No Spend 2018, and this time I mean it!** Title edited by MNHQ

[MartinRohdesBellybuttonFluff]

For financial reasons (I'm broke and have to save) I have made a deal with myself to stop my frivolous style and beauty spending for 2018.

I will only be purchasing necessities as they run out (like cleanser) or replacements for laddered tights etc. I will take myself off mailing lists so I'll have no idea when there are any offers or discounts.

I will use my imagination and pinterest to create looks and outfits without accumulating more stuff to clutter my room and my mind!

Is anyone inteseted in joining in?

Here's to a style and beauty debt free 2018

I need to join please. I have drawers of decent clothes but because I am too lazy to iron I never wear half of them! I then think I am limited and buy more.
I also have stacks of beauty products to work through. I have to save money as we want to move but can easily spend fortunes on crap in Boots as I am an advertisers dream and really think x, y, z will change my life!

I need to join please.

Thank you, you've just saved me from myself. I'm going to a black tie evening soon and was going to buy something new to wear (on eBay so not full price 😉) read your thread and thought hang on what about the 2 dresses you already have just tried both of them on and they still look great.
I'm hoping to me more strategic this year and buy clothes that work with what I have & we need to budget better.

I'm in! I need to pay off my credit card and get back in the habit of saving (the last year or so all the money that I usually put into savings has gone straight out to pay for our wedding).

I seem to shop for some kind of fantasy life, and I need to get used to the idea that I'm an Essex charity worker rather than the second coming of Carrie Bradshaw. I think I probably spend the most on heels, dresses and lipsticks because to me they're the most 'fun', which is ridiculous as day to day I live in jumpers, jeans and lip balm.

I've got enough clothes, skin stuff and make up to last me all of 2018. Probably beyond. And anything I don't wear/use, I should probably think about Kondoing.

It'll be a fun challenge!

Holger - I started on November 1st as I just have so much stuff, including most of the stuff from two M & S boxes from last year! I would love the Calendar this year but am trying to remain strong --- not sure how long it will last!

I think I need to start this now rather than waiting until 2018 as I'm just buying stuff in preparation!
I went to Boots yesterday for deodorant (which I genuinely needed) and picked up a bottle of hand soap which I definitely didn't need just because it was in a pretty bottle!

Ive started now which isn't hard as I'm stoney broke this month anyway but I'm just going to go for as long as I can. A year seems like a very long time and I'll feel like a failure when I get to July and buy something.

I've eaten too much of the wrong things of late and my clothes don't feel as comfortable as they once did and some of my favourites are too small to wear at all. So, I'm focusing on what I do have fitting a bit better.

I so need to do this! I am a complete shopping addict and although I take or send back most of what I buy, it's taking up too much of my time and my life.

My latest thing has been to buy the christmas beauty gift sets that are out at the moment, and split them up to sell on ebay keeping 1 or 2 things for myself at low cost, but even that's become a bit of an addiction and there's actually nothing I need now, just the thrill of the new.

Whenever I do get something new, that feeling of satisfaction doesn't last long before something else that I think I 'need' takes its place. This needs to stop!

I would love to get out of the habit of spending, not sure I can do a whole year but certainly a few months.

There are some great resources on www.theminimalists.com about not buying for the sake of it.
They also have a documentary on Netflix if you have it which is fantastic. There is a great quote in it

“We are too materialistic in the everyday sense of the word, and we are not at all materialistic enough in the true sense of the word. We need to be true materialists, like really care about the materiality of goods.”

That really struck a chord with me and I have managed to only buy shampoo, soap and toothpaste in 2017 by using up the tonnes of half used pots I had!

Just doing a bit of stock checking and I have plenty of lotions, soaps and hair products so that will be a big saving too.

I'm going to have a sort out of my makeup next, maybe actually start using it more often!

Totally in. I was lucky enough to change jobs for a significant pay rise this year - so I saved a little more, put a little more into my pension... and spent a LOT more on clothes (vintage is my weakness. I find it harder to resist as each piece is unique - if you don't buy it then and there, you won't find it again! Also, no returns. Though at least vintage holds its value for re-selling).

I have a wardrobe of beautiful clothes as a result but enough is enough. I do not need so many.

I went into the loft this weekend and got all my proper winter clothes down. I own an astonishing number of jumpers. I filled a charity sack and it's ready to go.

I'm not having an advent calendar this year as I have enough beauty miniatures to sink a battleship. I'm slowly using my way through them.

Next year I'd like to stick to a need and replace policy. The thought of any more stuff makes me feel a bit queasy. I have enough books, perfume, scarves, candles, make up etc to see me through the next decade.

Unsubscribing from email lists is making a difference. Some shops just utterly bombard you. Gap is the worst.

Keep on, send them back! There will be others you will love. If I don't generally wear something new within a couple of weeks of getting it, it goes back. I've never once regretted it.

I've just bought nine balls of yarn without a plan of what to do with them But the time I spend turning them into something will be less time to spend shopping online...

I think a lot of this comes from the 'after pregnancy stage'
The body of most of us has changed and it takes a while to a) get used to the new shape and b) know what suits us/we like now as opposed to what we used to wear.

That is my theory and I am aware that some women do keep the same shape (lucky them)

I did not finish, I meant the after pregnancy bodily transformation makes us spend more money because we need to dress a different body shape.

I realised today I need to give up my magazine habit. That's the root of a lot of my coveting (and therefore spending).

I think I might be in too but adopting mowglik's low spend version.

So, anything from now until January doesn't count right?

Sorry

I don't know what's wrong with me! I was eyeing up my stash of products in the bathroom this morning and thinking its gone down a bit. So next thing I'm perusing the M&S website for skincare products. The stash has gone down but I'm nowhere near needing to buy more!

I’ve just started this and have spent nothing so far in November. Aiming to do no spend for the rest of this year and as far into 2018 as possible.

I have spent so much this year, it’s shameful. I earn a really good salary but am not managing to save which is just stupid. I have enough of everything- shoes, coats, underwear, work clothes, jeans...

I forget I have things - I have lost a stone and my size 14 jeans were hanging off me. I thought ooh I’ll go on the next website and order some size 12s. £100 later and I have a new range of jeans and leggings, only to find a further 6 pairs of size 12 jeans in the loft. That was my lightbulb moment. So far so good, and I find if I don’t browse websites I don’t think about buying stuff. Catalogues are going straight into the recycling bin and that helps too.