Fed up of having no money for anything, This month I am only buying things that are vital

[sorrento56]

Tell me your shopping that you assume is vital and actually you know you could manage without.

Yes, mainly but also I am not buying any clothes, shoes, books, etc for anyone.

Vital to me and my family:

• Food for three healthy meals a day
• Healthy snacks for DD

We personally don't have money issues as such, but I consider reading and music and outtings as essential for my family's quality of life and these can be free or inexpensive:

• Books are essential but can be borrowed from the library
• Music and films can also be borrowed from the library
• Outtings are essential but in London at least, where we live, outtings are inexpensive (free galleries, museums, parks)
• There's Freecycle of course for things

Food essentials for me:

• Fruit
• Meat
• Vegetables

No ready made meals.

Food essentials -
fruit, meat, fresh veg, cheese and a bit of wine; very basic house-cleaning materials and toiletries.

Essentials other than food - daily national newspaper, plus the local weekly newspaper.

On a savings drive I would go without buying books, clothes and shoes, trips out, meals or coffees out, cinema, crisps and sweets; haircuts. I don't buy make-up and facial stuff anyway.

But I would feel I could cope so long as I had a paper to read with my breakfast. Weird.