buy nothing May, anyone?

[Solstice]

I should join in on this - I'm going to have a lot less disposable income starting soon, and I really need to get a handle on indulging my shopping whims as I've been doing.

[cake]

I'm totally in. I've been doing okay with curbing frivolous purchases but I'd like to really pay attention to it for a month and see what happens. I'm also going to try to pare down our grocery bill because I realized that I spend a ridic amount on food and there has to be a better way.
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What can't that centaur woman do?

[red ace]

I'm in! I have a terrible habit of spending $5 here, $10 there until woops! I've saved hardly any money. The hardest part for me will for sure be not eating out--our restaurant budget is out of control. I've got a few birthdays coming up in May that I'll need to get presents for, so I'm going to allow myself to buy things for them.

[checkersumthing]

I'm in! For the first half of the month at least. I'm going on a trip for the second half, and want to have lots of spending money!

I'm going to come back and lay out some guidelines for myself, to keep me accountable.
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i live at the foot of a mountain: some of my adventures

[shortskirt]

Ok, so it begins! I've decided to allow myself just a couple of "cheats", because, really, I set the rules, right?! These are mostly things that were decided before I decided t do this, so I'm just trying to honour my commitments, and they happen to cost money :)

So, this weekend, I'm taking a mini road trip across the bridge with my girlfriends, and I'm allowing myself $20 spending for the thrift store and enough for lunch (probably $15).

My belly dance instructor and good friend has a performance at a restaurant this Saturday that costs $20.

I'm still going to have my Wednesday "breakfast meeting" at the coffee shop, $6.50 a week.

I'm going to buy a bag of mulch for my garden, and get my favourite shoes fixed.

Other than that, it's gas for work, food and meds for the dogs, and veggies from the farmers market only for me!

Good luck everyone!

[caropop]

I didn't really intend to cheat the system, but did so inadvertently!

I bought some sandals yesterday--I needed new black sandals with serious arch support and ws able to buy a pair of Chaco sandals very cheap. Last week I bought a new part for one of my sewing machines, and then some pricy hair stuff and then a pair of black capris (but I'd been looking for a particular cut of those for years, literally). But I'm done now. Done. Because I'm shelling out for medical co-pays three times a week now!
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country cookin' makes you good lookin'

it's a blog!

[Pearliepie]

In.
I think I'm going to have to buy something to wear to work though- I just tried eveything in my work wardrobe on and nothing fits my post baby body.

And maybe some plants for my pots by the door- something edible maybe so I don't feel like I'm "wasting" money.
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We are none of us alone
even as we exhale it is inhaled by others
the light that shines upon me shines upon my neighbor as well
in this way everything is connected

[sibee]

I'm in. I have been on a major spending spree this last month - from "It's my birthday, I should get my self a present" to "I just got dumped, I should treat myself" to "I want that." It's not pretty and I would much rather save my money for something big and meaningful, rather than a bunch of impulse bits and bobs.

I *do* have exceptions, though:
- Tickets and other costs for events and outings I already have planned. (But, I'm OK with this...I would much rather spend my money on a fun experience with friends or family than on, say, yet ANOTHER bottle of nail polish)

-The occasional coffee/lunch at work. As much as I try to be on top of it and pack my lunch and make my coffee from home every single day, there are some days when it is not going to happen. I'm OK with that, but I don't want to make it an everyday thing.
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Wenn's dir nicht gefällt, mach neu.

[PurpleDoor]

So, day one! So far I am doing great, but it's only 10:30 in the morning :) We'll see how I'm feeling about this resolution tonight. To keep temptations to run out for an afternoon snack at bay, I have packed myself an extra delicious lunch: eggplant stuffed with chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Plus a couple of snacks.

As far as exceptions or "cheating" goes, I know my major goal is to cut out the expenses that I do not plan for but seem to make all the time anyway, and that aren't really adding any meaning, pleasure, or general value to my life, rather than sticking my wallet completely in a block of ice for a month. So, I think some planned exceptions are just fine--really, figure out what it is you're hoping to get out of the month and structure your goals around that!

[checkersumthing]

PurpleDoor, I did the same thing to curb the afternoon snack temptation: I brought in some extra snacks to keep in my desk for the times when what I brought just doesn't cut it. They are semi healthy: peaches in light syrup, healthier chocolate chip cookies chock full of fibre. So its win-win: a wee bit healthier, much cheaper, and still a small indulgence so I don't feel like I can't have any fun.

So far things are going well for me. I have a small list of things that I want to purchase this month, mostly trip related (new insoles for my shoes, a magazine, some trip snacks to take along), so when I feel the urge to spend, I have the choice of either spending on those things, or not spending at all.

Yesterday I really had the urge to spend, so I went to Winners and bought my partner new socks and undershirts, that he needed anyways and will never buy himself. I didn't spend a lot, got something useful and needed, and felt good. I also bought a $2.99 kite, but if I managed to get out of Winners with just a $3 impulse buy, and not a $50 pair of shoes, I consider that success!

I have been trying to limit the groceries I have been buying as well. Since we'll be gone for a few weeks I want to have as little as possible in the fridge and freezer when we go (the great freezer defrost of 2009 still lingers in my mind, I don't want to come home to that again!). I've just been buying fresh produce and limited proteins, and trying to use up the pantry items we've got. We've had some interesting meals, which is actually a good thing since we tend to eat the same things all the time. I had a brainwave realization this morning: I can bake bread to cut down on grocery store purchases! I already have the flour and yeast, and I know how to bake bread and have done it lots in the past, I should do it again! I think that this is one of the big benefits of having a no (low) spend month: coming up with creative solutions that don't involve money.
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i live at the foot of a mountain: some of my adventures

[PurpleDoor]

How are folks doing with the month?

I am doing pretty well! I did have a bit of an issue yesterday--I was in a rush to leave home in the morning and my lunch unfortunately stayed on the kitchen table. Boo. And, b/c I was planning to hit up the grocery store on the way home, I did have my wallet on me. So I bought a burrito for lunch. It wasn't even that good! Boo. But otherwise, no spending, hurrah.

I tried some new snack recipes this past weekend and made some super-low sugar "paleo" brownies that are basically blocks of chocolatey almond butter. I've been packing one of those as an afternoon treat, and they're definitely leaving me untempted by crappy food court snacks. Yeah!

[sibee]

I'm doing OK. I haven't bought any stuff- makeup, books/magazines, clothes, homewares, etc. - with the exception of some flowers and a knitting pattern online. I haven't really focused on paring down grocery purchases or takeout coffee yet; the on-campus coffee and food joints at the college I work at are closing for the summer tomorrow, however. I'm sure that is going to help me out a TON.
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Wenn's dir nicht gefällt, mach neu.

[caropop]

The grocery store had $2 off coupons for nail polish! It was like a vortex of Glitter threads!

I bought two bottles.

I have been bad about eating out and splurging on foodie things. But I'm kind of okay with that. It's the stuff that I need to avoid.

However, I did find a pair of shoes yesterday that I really want. And I was thinking about going to an antique fair next weekend--I've been wanting to go for ages but haven't been able to and it would be good to go this month before it's too hot. So I might do that and just give myself a very specific, small allowance.
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country cookin' makes you good lookin'

it's a blog!

[town hall]

Ack! I forgot about this and bought a bag. But it's a really useful, black leather 'interview' type bag, which I didn't have. And it was from a charity shop, so it was pretty cheap. And it's a really nice bag, originally from Nine West. So I feel justified. Apart from that, I've bought nothing other than food and one congratulations-on-the-birth-of-your-baby card* so far this May.

* Why are there no nice cards of this type that aren't gendered? Seriously? Not really relevant to the thread, but GAH.
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kittens are cute, but a full-grown cat can be cuter

flickr!
twidder!

[PurpleDoor]