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

Well done duchess on the weight loss! I’ve spent a ridiculous amount this month on nothing 😡 I’ll be starting from now!

Ooh me please! I love shopping but my sister had kindly bought me lots of new clothes for my birthday and I recently got some charity shop bargains (a Whistles dress and a Whistles top for £8.99!) so there isn’t anything else I need!

Going to limit myself to £50 a month, I’ve already swapped my more expensive make-up products and I’m going to make myself pay cash rather than getting the plastic out.

I’ve already deleted all the shopping apps on my phone and I’ve started unsubscribing from email lists. —now to also stop buying excess clothing for DD—

Cracked- thank you :) wasn’t stealth boasting by the way but I am very pleased.

Mission- me too. DD has loads of clothes but lives in t shirts and leggings. I need to be super strict with all of us.

I managed to resist the m&s advent calendar today. I really enjoyed it last year and I would quite like to try the rose liquid gold but I can’t justify spending the qualifying £35.

How’s everyone fitting this in to Christmas? I’ve suggested to my immediate relatives we just do children’s presents (or limit if to a quality tenner if they don’t have any), but in-laws are another matter and DH non-commital about discussing this with them

I’m in. I’ve done a private no-spend for couple of months now. No extreme goals and no harsh control, just trying to find other outlets than mindless shopping. I have everything that I need.

A thing that has helped me massively is keeping track of what I wear. I’m aiming to wear everything at least 10 times and preferably 30 times - clothes, shoes, outerwear, lipsticks. I’m also on the Ashamed of my Beauty Hoard threads and I’ve used up close to 70 beauty products this year (includes samples and travel sizes).

Good luck everyone!

Frustratedfrugal I can't go on those threads because they always give me ideas of new stuff to buy!

Id like to give this a try too! My problem isnt clothes though, i can wear a pair of jeans until my thighs rub a hole in them! Ive got winter jumpers this year, but would like more underwear!
My biggest problem is skincare and beauty products. I have about 15+ of shampoo stashed away because i bought them on clearance. I feel like i have to buy something becauses it reduced😳 Got a stash of perfumes, mouthwashes, toothpaste, face masks, lipbalms (20+)😳 etc. I really need to start saving money, and i think ill do what a PP said and set a monthly budget, to cover all toiletries, makeup and skincare. Ive got the Liberty advent and the Lookfantastic one too. So hopefully topped up for a long time. Im also bidding on the SpaceNk crackers on Ebay for £50. I only wanted one for a christmas gift for someone, but thought it was worth my time getting more than one because i want some🌚 I think my monthly budget will be £30/£40.
God, i feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders admitting to all of this!

I've steered clear of advent calendars this year for hoarding reasons. I've still got shed loads of l'occitane from last year. I'm going to treat myself to a single bottle of perfume instead this year.

Caggie, I didn't mean that to sound like I was aiming it at you, by the way. I have a beauty miniatures hoarding issue and your post reminded me of it!

V jealous of the liberty calendar

I’ve done 15 days now- it sounds ridiculous but I think this is a record for me.

Someone asked about Christmas- I don’t have many adult presents to buy and the DCs are getting a mix of toys and practical stuff- new pyjamas, fleeces, t-shirts with cool stuff on them, slippers. I’m not counting Christmas in my no spend but I am being sensible- no big gadgets or bloody Nintendo switches (on both DCs’ lists, have told them not a chance)

Can I join? I’m going for a monthly budget rather than no spend as I don’t want to set myself up to fail. It’s been so interesting reading this thread as so many of you describe the process I go through. My triggers are definitely feeling down or bored, I have a new little baby and a toddler and have been stuck in the house a lot recently feeling very tired and emotional and buying things cheers me up and gives me a boost. Doesn’t cheer up the savings though... so off to unsubscribe from some emails. We can do it!

Have managed 17 days now and so much temptation around. I thought I would keep a record of the year and have found 12 new untouched notebooks. Why would anyone need 12 hard backed notebooks??😂

I am worse FiveShelties - I have just stopped counting after 15 as I can't face it. I am obsessed with lists but do a lot on the computer now so the notebooks sit unused & I am given more each Christmas. Ought to donate a few to a charity shop.
I have successfully cleared out my shower gel hoard but it took 2 years - no more special offer purchases of skincare for me - they invariably include shower gel.
Was inspired by this thread to download my credit card bills from the last year & tot up. Disappointing result - need to do better. There was an "I'm wearing everything in my wardrobe" thread earlier this year or last year which I found great for summer clothes. Going to do that with my knitwear as I find wearing something I haven't worn for a while gives me the same lift as buying new stuff.

Can I join? Have been on a very limited spend for almost a year - I did the usual changing all the phone tv contracts etc. Only buying stuff we need is our guide. Would really like to Kondo the beauty and toiletry stuff we have lying around. I have moved to soap which is so much cheaper and nicer than cheap shower gel. I think I have spent about £100 this year on clothes, I have learned to darn the wholes in my cashmere and did a fairly good job. Fixed the fraying cable on my Mac for a few quid - a new cable was £70, mostly I enjoy the challenge but I do miss the thrill of a lovely new piece of clothing but I have enough to keep me going for a couple of years.

Unexpectedly I am going to have Wednesday off work with no plans. I MUST NOT go shopping. The house is a mess so I really need to spend the day sorting it. And find a different way of rewarding myself than online shopping!

Online temptation is hard, I don't read blogs anymore it's simply too hard to resist. Sometimes just ordering stuff and trying it on can be enough and I send it all back.

Managed to whizz round Ikea to get DD’s toy kitchen for Christmas and Not come out with an extra trolley’s worth of candles, photo frames, throws, cushionsand pretty boxes. That’s definitely a first.

Just wondering how everyone is getting on preparing for a frugal and sensible 2018 especially with all the Black Friday madness?

I've bought a few bits online but will be returning most of them. My one Christmas outing has been cancelled so the beautiful velvet dresses I bought (in two sizes to be sure) are being returned for a refund as well as a sparkly cardigan that slipped into my basket accidentally on purpose.

I've decided against looking at blogs for next year. They are blatant adverts which just encourage the 'buying and accumulating more' mentality which hasn't helped me financially. I have been a marketeer's wet dream. Through weakness, greed (yuk, there I've said it, does not make me feel great, but the truth hurts) and by chasing an unobtainable pot of fashion gold at the end of the rainbow I have gathered far more than is necessary Does it make me happy? A little buzz, an initial rush, feeling of being underwhelmed (on opening packages to reveal what I've bought online) and then shame, knowing I didn't really, really need what I've bought if I am being really honest with myself.

Amyway, to be more positive, from the desire to be French thread I have been introduced to the wonderful Justine LeConte blog. She is lovely, sophisticated, fun and full of wonderful advice and is not pushing her followers to buy, buy, buy!!! She just shares her wonderful knowledge and gives advice - not a Hush or Zara link in sight!

Hope you are all feeling excited at the prospect of 2018 - freedom beckons!

*vlog not blog!

Can I join please?
I’ve been on a “weight loss journey” and lost over 3st but have nearly 1.5st to go.

I was a terrible shopaholic when I was young (am now 49) and seem to have gone back to those days with losing weight. I’m slightly addicted to buying something a bit too small and then getting into it after a few months. But I need to be saving and pumping up my pension, not filling the house with clothes and earrings and clear toiletry bags (the last are to tip over the £75 free delivery threshold from TK Maxx).

I seem to keep finding new things to spend on. Had my ears re-pierced in Oct and now have about 20 pairs of earrings from a standing start. Scarves. Beauty stuff (got the M&S calendar). I travel a bit for work hence the clear toiletry bags for travelling, and a constant quest for a work bag that holds a laptop. Fitness stuff now my knees don’t hurt when I run....

I want to set a monthly limit and then turn all the obsessing about what I could get into proper research for an investment piece. Or read books and engage with family as the OP suggested which sounds wonderful!

I tried this last year and lasted a month.
I have been buying clothes since my first pay cheque and haven't stopped. Even when I was skint I went to jumble sales and car boots.
If I never bought another thing I would have enough to last my life.
I just love clothes so much.

I also love beauty products.

I buy clothes every single week. I need.to.stop.

I've no intention of giving up and if I did try, I'd be like MrsDV and last about a month. But this year I've gone back to buying mostly (apart from the odd wobble) second hand. When I was young, I did this because I couldn't afford new clothes. This time around it's partly an attempt to shop more ethically, partly gearing up for retirement when my income will drop fairly heftily and partly because, my god I can buy so much nicer things this way.

I won't pretend I've stuck to it 100% - you'd see that anyway from some of my other posts - but I reckon I've cut back on new purchases by at least 50%. It also means that when I do buy new, I can afford to go a bit higher end.

I realise it'a not for everyone and at the end of the day I'm still buying clothes that I won't pretend for a minute I need. But it's worked for me and I'll be trying to get my second hand ratio up even higher in 2018.