Remember thread at new year on cutting down on spending, well how have you done...?

[DomesticBlobess]

I remember that there was a big thread at the beginning of this year on spending less and generally being a lot more thoughtful on what money you do spend - moneywise and environmentally.

Guess it is even more relevant now than in January and now the year is nearly over I was wondering how the people who aimed to be less wasteful and frivolous have been getting on and are you still applying those ideas ...?

As for me I've not been perfect but have made progress -

• a good proportion of food shopping is now done at Aldi

• plan ahead for meals - so less food is wasted

• most of children's clothes are from second hand shop or ebay

• significantly less impulse clothes spending - I've only bought one item from Boden this year and it was a planned, "I need that kind of item" purchase. Though did have a Ugg boots indulgence - though again did desparately need new boots and these will last for years.... Other shopping itches are scratched via ebay!

• i love toiletries and now pretty much use all more natural based ones - which are a lot cheaper than the department store brands i used previously. Also I tend to stick to products I know work so am not left with half empty pots as I get tempted to use new stuff.

So, how have you done....?

• I'm trying soap and water as opposed to cleansers.

• Making sure I use up all the food in the freezer before buying more.

• No more clothes for any of us for now.

• Cheaper cat food.

But I can't seem to cut down on heating! It's freezing. And DH and I do like wine but we may buy a boxed wine instead of bottle.

well im new to mumsnet and im really noticing credit crunch so thats my aim for next year,
DP has 5k loan we want to clear, were sitting down at xmas when he gets home (navy) and working out how much he can realistically afford to pay of a month.
also, baby due in may so need all extra there is.
ive just bought set of eco balls on ebay, planning to use reusables and bf, only new thing we need for baby is cot but hoping to borrow or buy 2nd hand. ive started meal planning and shopping is now smartprice as far as poss. house is in darkness in evenings, no more plug in airfresheners or lamps. i dont tend to buy clothes for me anyway, and all ds' are from ebay, just have to talk DP round now. he's the main offender with frittering money, it makes me cry to think what he drops in charity boxes and pays for meals out and rubbish mags.

wish me luck with it. i will update.

I don't think I've done too badly although now that I am back at work, I do get the occasional
latte on my commute (hangs head in shame).

I've not bought any brand new clothes apart from summer shoes for myself or even the dcs. Got by with what I've already got and have bought 2 second hand dresses for weddings all year.

I've bought stuff for dcs from NCT sales and charity shops.

I have only had to buy 2 face moisturiser/ cleansers all year since I had so much already! Can honestly say that I can count on one hand how many times I've been to Boots this year!

Bought a mooncup as well so tampons and towels I've had before are gathering dust.

Do I get a halo?

Well I have done very well! I have really stuck to my No Shopping in 2008 rule, which has halved my monthly credit card bills on average.

The only thing I have bought for myself the whole year has been a pair of flip flops. My Mum took pity on me and bought me some new socks.

The dc have had the bare minimum of new shoes.

Cut back to 2 newspapers a week and have only bought 2 books (one needed for work, the other for book club which had a very long waiting list at the library.)

It has totally transformed the way I think about consumption.

By the way, Saturday is Buy Nothing Day.

More info here

It is good to see that others have kept to the less consumerism idea and not just been a new years resolution which went out of the window in Feb!

I find the satisfaction I used to get from buying stuff has been replaced by the satisfaction that I'm using what I already have or that I have found a bargain somewhere (ebay or car boot sale) for something I do need to get.

Sophy - I have also stopped buying books and rediscovered the library.

I have stopped buying magazines and some books,and have rediscovered my local library. I have bought quite a few new maternity clothes (am a different shape this time round )but have been able to pay off some huge bills; heating, car tax, furniture. This month I will be able to pay off a huge part of my car loan, leaving about £600 or so. We have cut down on alcohol and watch when the heating goes on etc. Am really quite enjoying being economical...

We have made some progress but need to improve this year as it is still not great.
Sophy I have so much respect for you!!
I can?t imagine managing that. What about children?s clothing when they grow out of it all, presents for other children?s and relatives birthday (I know you could make stuff I guess but even that seems hard if not buying anything at all)
Ironically, we have ditched newspapers with ease - have a constant news feed on my computer and sky news is there for a fix.

I would love to hear more about how you have managed the No Shopping thing if you have the time
I need inspiration!

Lemontart, it has been so much easier than I imagined it would be at the outset.

My motivation initially was an environmental one - to make a point about needless consumption - but of course as the credit crunch has tightened the economic benefits have been very welcome too.

I'm a very keen gardener, and my main "retail therapy" for the year came from buying plants and seeds -- and giving them as presents where appropriate.

But there's no doubt that the presents thing has been the hardest. I've become adept at making chutneys and marmalade, and for occasions which demanded something better I have given theatre vouchers or stuff from Gluttonous Gardener.

As for kids birthday parties, we have simply recycled some of the tat presents the dc have been given before. Amazingly there was enough to keep us going for the whole year. And for party bags, ds1 had a cooking party so the kids took home cookies they had iced themselves, and ds2 is having a sleepover.

As for kids clothes, they have had new shoes, but we are very lucky to have a friend with an older boy who gives us great hand-me-downs. I've bought the bare minimum of school uniform, although I have bought new not 2nd hand as it has to do 2 boys.

Hi all,

I have managed to cut my weekly shopping bill in half by going to Lidl and the local butcher. Everyone thinks that butchers are more expensive but I have found that untrue.

I think that the reason why Lidl works, for me anyway, is that there isn't the choice like at Tescos or Sainsburys, so you can't spend the same sort of money and I actually prefer so many more of their products. I have a whicker trolley bought from a charity shop years ago and off of trot a couple of times a week, much to kids embarrassment!

Lattes we have at home now with a stove top coffee maker and now that we have a wood burning Rayburn my spare time is spent stacking logs and chopping! so I am too stiff to go on shopping sprees.

I have shopped in charity shops and boots for 13 years or so now and the satisfaction of getting a bargain is immense. Only problem is DP still goes to Waitrose when I am not looking and blows the budget!! Not trained well enough.

Hello! I'm the one who started the original thread that I think you are talking about, the pledge to buy nothing new for 6 months, only 2nd stuff if at all.

We did ok, really stuck to it at the beginning though DH couldn't quite buy into it as much as me. I did buy new stuff, contrary to my original thread (though I gave myself six months and wasn't way off that), though when I do buy new stuff it really does make me think, and we don't do it very often, even less so the past few months. DH had to leave his job as they would no longer let him work PT to care for DD, so I went back to work FT. For the past few months we really haven't been able to buy anything as my wages have barely covered the bills. He has a new job (starting today) though it won't make us any better off, so we have had to tell everyone that we can't buy any presents this year. The only people who are getting anything are our mum's and a couple of babies. DD's presents are nearly all second hand.

So, even if I have not been totally true to my original thread we really think about things now. I don't buy magazines, rarely spend money on papers, sticking strictly to a food budget.

Well done to everyone else, I'm glad people are thinking twice now about what they buy. Maybe we can start again in January?