Not Buying It: April-- How are you doing?

[JenTwo]

Is anyone still doing this?

Even if your goals have changed, tell us how you're doing. Have you changed your buying habits?

[xt]

I'm not perfect. I've spent a lot on experiences, food out with mama friends, etc. But - I've bought little *stuff*. A few small gifts from Asheville, mostly handmade (but there were a few hilarious things from this one store...).

I have a shortish list of things I need/want that I'm holding out for used or finding and alternative.

Rowan and I went to Fry's to get ink to refill my printer cartridge (seemed the most non-buying friendly and frugal route to go - I have to print stuff for classes/co-ops). That was a weird experience. I was amazed at how I was reacting to the displays, the STUFF. I felt a sort of pointless general wanting of stuff. But I was also very much aware of it and able to move on. It's really weird to realize that I almost never shop for anything but groceries in normal stores anymore. I garage sale/ trash pick/ goodwill first, and I hold out a lot longer to find things used.

I did buy a DVD player that DH and I have been wanting for upstairs (where I exercise) for months. Not the easiest thing to buy used. I will wait for electronics recycling day to dispose of the dead one.

I'm still wondering about flooring. If I can find a great price on reclaimed heart pine, I'll be in heaven.

[ThirtySomething]

Honestly, I don't think I'm doing very well on this. The fact that I feel uneasy about money and I haven't entered in all my receipts for March makes me think I've been wasting.

I do know I bought Smoochie a dress and the kids two small toys at Marshalls.

I also had two large expenditures for home repair and the dog which might be making me feel this way.

It's not normal to blank out over money is it?

[mamabear]

I am still doing it! We didn't buy our couch, LOL - that was my major breakdown moment last month.

We have spent more than I initially thought on feeding friends, having dinner parties, beer/wine, etc. We have really cut out the convenience store trips, though, which has helped immensely with our budget! So I figure having people over is part of "experiences" and I wouldn't trade it for a lower CC balance...not right now, anyway.

I am proud to say that other than hosting a couple of parties and bringing stuff to a few more, we've stuck to it almost entirely since Jan 1! I bought those spring clothes for the kids, bought them spring boots (a need!), and bought myself a gym membership, socks, and sneakers. We did spend about $120 on a lighting solution for our living room, but given that we had absolutely no light in the main portion of our house besides a dinky floor lamp, that was a necessity IMO! Something we meant to do when we moved in...and it makes such a difference at night. We also had to invest $100 in a 16 ft extension ladder so we could get onto the roof to clear snow. And decided to splurge and replace the ugly yet functional bathroom and bedroom fixtures and get a new floor lamp for the kids' room. All in all we spent around $300 on one trip to Home Depot for those things, and really stayed within budget for what we felt was reasonable to spend - no impulse items!

Oops...forgot...we made a Walmart stop last week! Ack! I found a window fan there for $34...the loft is 90 degrees without it...it solved the problem of the kids never wanting to play in their room because they would roast! There were a few other needed items like a cutting board, but again, we really stuck to our list. I hate Walmart and almost never shop there, but there we were, an hour from home, there are no Targets or any other kind of store like that in the freaking entire state, so we made a choice to just get it there and be done with it.

We've been looking for a used couch/sofa/futon solution, and just waiting...

Like Christy I'm finding it kind of shocking how I basically just buy groceries these days! I've had the experience this year of just wandering around Big Lots, knowing I'm not going to buy anything but sort of wanting to just find *something to buy* - and now I'm noticing I haven't even gone to Big Lots since January...wow.

We're scouring craigslist, ebay and the trader for a few "wants" but perfectly willing to wait on them...a tractor being among them! But realistically we know we don't have the funds for much now, and need to just let the brush fill in for another year, LOL...it will be okay...we need to find some sort of solution for mowing the grass and taking care of snow next winter, but we're open to any and all possibilities (including animals for the grass/brush!) and looking for used stuff...

[Linda]

Well..I am still 'doing it'. I really just buy groceries too...dd needed rainboots, she has needed the for a long time, so I did spend a fortune on them when I found cute ones. The generic ones here I would not bring myself to buy her again..they are a sickly pepto bismol pink. Bad enough her little sister will have to wear them. And I got her a jumper from the thrift store. That was my first thrift clothing purchase here since we moved here. It felt like a HUGE victory for me.

I want to get one more natural pillow for dd(she has a poly one which I don't like). But instead of buying a new one, I am going to take dh's which is a completely overstuffed goose down one and open it and make a new one for dd then sew them both back up. My only worry is that the outer ticking won't be thick enough to keep the feathers from wiggling through. But the experiement is worth a try.

I realized with this, is I really don't buy 'stuff' very much. I hate to shop.

Oh, I did buy a dollhouse for the girls. That was BIG expenditure that was anticipated for a loooong time. I used money given to me from my dad that I had set aside in a drawer(lol) last December. I just had to wait for a nice wooden one to be stocked. The girls LOVE it and play with it constantly as I knew they would. I had been checking out dollhouses from the toy library over the last 6 months...testing the waters. So I knew it really would be a good purchase. I rarely buy toys for the girls so this was very unusual.

We went to a 6yo birthday party and I was stumped on the gift. The girl really liked to do art work, but I did not know what kind of art supplies to buy her...so I made her a huge pack of stickers with lots of variety. Some we purchased, but some were form packs we already had a home. I think I spent $10.00 total and she had 30 sheets of stickers.(they seem really expensive here so that was a bargain) I was pretty pleased with the gift as I knew it would get used...her mom told us that she LOVED it...I made the giftbag for them too.

My food processor is about to croak..at least the plastic container is...and I can't replace it~weird brand and size. I can get a replacement one for free through my fly buys program(points I earn from buying groceries and gasoline etc...) without using any cash. I could try living without one, but I can't make pesto or hummus in my blender. two things I make a lot of. I also do not have a grater and grate my beets, carrotts and cheese in there. Still holding off until it actually croaks. I can make soup in my blender and I use the KA mixer for doughs baking stuff. I really don't want to get a new one, even if it is 'free' to me. I never see that stuff on the thrift store, and if I Ebay it or something like that then I have to use cash ~which I don't have lol!

I have actually been sewing through my sewing stash to make clothes for the girls. I have been making their leggings to go under dresses and made them matching dresses. I only needed to buy some thread~yay!!!

I do have a few 'needs' coming. winter is coming and I think I am going to splurge on sheepskin slippers for me. we don't wear shoes in the house and I need something warm on my feet. I do not have slippers at all...and I am wearing my socks out. I also think I am going to buy a few organisational items for the house. I so rarely buy anything that I am really behind in that department. I am getting tired of things not having a real Place fro themselves.
I also think I am going to join a Tai Chi class. it is about $200 for the first three months UGH!!! But certainly worth the money.

[Linda]

Originally Posted by ThirtySomething

Honestly, I don't think I'm doing very well on this. The fact that I feel uneasy about money and I haven't entered in all my receipts for March makes me think I've been wasting.

I do know I bought Smoochie a dress and the kids two small toys at Marshalls.

I also had two large expenditures for home repair and the dog which might be making me feel this way.

It's not normal to blank out over money is it?

Well, even if you are not 'doing well' with this(you had to have a GIRL didn't you~lol!!!) you can still take a look at your purchases and help you think about them for the future, yk? Live, spend, review, move on

[xt]

What brand is your food processor, Linda? I have an extra bowl (that I never use - I just wash the one I already have out) that came with mine. It's a Cuisinart from about 6 years ago.

It always throws me off to see you posting about seasons. I forgot to post that I did buy the kids sandals. At Payless, of course. I couldn't find any used ones for some reason, and the boys each only had 1 pair of shoes that fit going into the wet and muddy summer.

Rowan probably could have held out. I gave into her jealousy, which was silly of me. She gets so many hand me downs and nice thrift store stuff, I'm sure it wouldn't have been too long before she had used sandals if I'd waited. Boys shoes in good used condition are harder to find around here.

[peanutsmom]

I fell off the wagon bigtime in March, but I am back on it. I have recently been able to find a ton of things I needed for free. My upstairs neighbor is moving and she gave us a ton of clothes in Cheyenne's size and the size above, a bike helmet in Cheyenne's size, rollerskates in Cheyenne's size, two pairs of shoes in Isabella's size and a stereo.

I thought I was going to need to buy a dresser this summer, which I was planning to find at a garage sale. Turns out my dad has an antique dresser that belonged to my grandma that he wants me to have. He was planning to give it to me when he moves in a year or two but he decided I could have it now. I also got a travel coffee mug from him. I need one for the two mornings a week I work and he has given up coffee.

[Linda]

Originally Posted by mamaxt

What brand is your food processor, Linda? I have an extra bowl (that I never use - I just wash the one I already have out) that came with mine. It's a Cuisinart from about 6 years ago.

It always throws me off to see you posting about seasons.

it throws me off to talk about the seasons...like it is Easter this weekend, but fall here. WHy oh why put chicks and bunnies in easter baskets..lol! Pumpkins and Gourds are more appropriate. I wore a turtleneck yesterday.

Thanks for the offer my processor~you are thoughtful! is a tiny little Sunbeam Turbo Cone (wedding shower present from 1994!). My dh has even repaired it electrically when I overburdened the 'thermal cutout' haha. My Ex got the cuisinart when I left him. grrr...