Uptick in spending is directly correlated to a…downtick in strict No Shopping Behaviors During the Week. So today that’s changing. Back in the box you go, phone!
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I am not buying the matcha whisk I am lusting after because I need to drink up my tea. Thanks, no-buy thread!
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What an amazing gift for yourself when you’re done!
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Exactly!!!
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No Buy is finally going well! I just had to come to it in my own time 
It’s like a switch turned off in my brain and I feel like I have everything I need and have no interest in buying more stuff. I’m also pretty at peace with the stuff I’m trying to sell and am just going to let the listings sit until someone eventually buys them!
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M and I have agreed to do a no-buy challenge until the ides of March as part of building back up our emergency fund. We’re allowed to spend gift cards we already have, though, so I think I’ll use that loophole to get embroidery supplies to finish the project I’m in the middle of.
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I love that you’re using the ides of March as a goal 
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A really busy month has been helpful for my no-buy goals, who knew.
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i bought some eyeshadow! it was right after i scheduled a job interview and i was feeling both ambivalent about jobbing again, and anticipatory wealth.
brains are weird.
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Craft no-buy update: Picked back up two projects that I had set aside (one, a pair of cabled socks that I’d set aside for a few months, the other an afghan that I originally started in 2014, set aside for 5 years, frogged, re-started pre-pandemic, and then set aside yet again).
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Are you continuing your January no-buy?
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it was going so well, and i have very little income right now, so i was just gonna keep it going. but i spose it’s not realistic to do that forever!
(plus it’s a very pretty palette with an amazing color story for me with no dupes in my current collection.)
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Pls post your new lewks!! Which palette is it?
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grungy floral OMG
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I really seem to be over buying clothes! It doesn’t stop me from looking a little bit (haha my next step) but it’s more like I’m observing, not shopping, if that makes any sense. Except for a new pair of Birks, details below.
I did buy one thing but it’s something that I’ve been literally hunting down for years, and I’m thrilled that I finally found it!
220V shoe dryer
I have sweaty feet and the Peet Boot Dryer has changed my life, but it’s too big to take along when traveling. I have a vintage The Ronning shoe dryer that I bring for travel, but it’s only rated for 120V. I don’t feel comfortable buying a 220V to 120V travel converter because every one I’ve looked at has one star reviews saying that it got hot and/or smoked while being used to charge a cell phone or other low voltage item. So I’m paranoid about starting a fire. Nor do I want to buy a 220V shoe dryer from an unknown Chinese company where I can’t trust whether it will also start a fire. But I finally found a travel sized shoe dryer made by a reputable company that supports up to 230V and even comes with an EU plug adapter (Hotronics Micro Dry)! I am so happy that I finally found one that I can use for travel abroad!
I am looking at a pair of Birkenstocks
I have a pair of clearance Floridas that I got a couple of years ago but the Floridas only come with soft footbed (which I was so annoyed about!) and after reading about it, I’m convinced that the little bit of extra footbed volume is why they gave me blisters in Europe last summer after my feet swelled (which led to warts due to the open wounds, yuck!). I spent $60 adding a sole lift to the left shoe for my leg length discrepancy but I kinda hate it, I should have just had them put a lift on the heel and not the whole shoe. Birks have a much too molded heel to just tape in a cheap lift on the top. I did glue in a cork lift onto my old beat up Birks but those are my “trash” ones that I wear in India and I’m not going to do that to a pair of brand new Birks. Because of the lift, I can’t even sell the Floridas now! I think I’ll just wear them as an easy slip-on option at home in the summer but not for any travel.
I would like a new wide pair with original footbeds, and I saw a really great deal on Sierra for a very cute style in my preferred color! I’m not positive about that ankle strap but I do have a similar ankle strap in my Birkenstock Papillio Lola dressy sandals and I think they added support and were comfortable once I broke in and conditioned the very stiff leather. Reviews are very mixed on whether people like the ankle strap on the Yaras, but I do want some kind of back strap for travel and the other options I like are $50 more. Any new Birks are going to cost me another $60 for a heel lift so getting a pair on sale is very appealing.
I’m thinking with Sierra it’s easy returns anyway since the store is close to Marmalade’s work, so there’s no harm in ordering a pair and trying them out at home to see if I like the style. A couple of years ago I got a steal on a pair of pink Francas but I ended up selling them because they had white soles and I just couldn’t deal. I think it’s a rare opportunity for me to find a clearance pair in Habana leather and I would expect them to last for years. So I think I’m counting this as a “stuff I need” purchase, basically to replace the stupid soft footbed Floridas.
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yeah that’s my sweet spot! i have a lot of ideas on what i will create 
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I struggle with no buy challenges. I think ok, I’m not buying x and then a week later I do. Easier to not do them! However, I have committed to not buying any work clothes (I have enough, we go to the office 2 days a week and I wear jeans and a tshirt/ hoodie). I have dress up clothes if needed.
I have also committed since before Christmas to not buying any shampoo or conditioner until everything I have now is gone. Then I can get fancy stuff. I think it will still be a couple months before I can get it.
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Here’s my log from Feb. I had a really busy month, which had the silver lining of not much time left for material things. Keeping these logs is definitely helping keep me on track.
One goal I have is keeping the IN list shorter than OUT. I missed this by 1 item.
Shopping avoided:
- Browsed a cute kiosk at the airport, but remembered that I’d just gotten enough 18T clothes.
- Tempted to buy a super nice snowsuit for kiddo, but reminded myself that we only have snow days 1-2x a year and he already had snow pants and a good jacket.
- I almost bought a neck buff while on a trip, but reminded myself that I have 2 that I love at home and just used an extra hat I’d packed for the afternoon.
The “adult socks” were calf height socks I tried to buy for 3yo. He needed some longer options and had outgrown the toddler size, but youth size was WAY too big for him so they became mine. I had been thinking about getting some longer ones for myself anyway — I haven’t had fresh socks for a while, what a treat! Wasn’t there an NBA player who only wore new socks? Aside from the waste, I can see how deliciously tempting that would be.
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I’ve barely bought anything! I did get the last pair of Birkenstock Bali sandals in my size but that’s more of a replacement purchase for my Florida ones where I dislike the soft footbed and the fact that I had a whole shoe lift put in by a cobbler instead of just in the heel. I can’t even easily sell the Floridas due to the heel lift! I plan to wear them when I need a pair of slip on sandals in the summer. Just tried on the Bali ones and I really love them so far and will have the cobbler put in just a lift at the heel. They will be great for walking in Europe since they have an ankle strap! I also bought two more of my new style of bras on clearance at half off in a good color and that was a very good purchase that I do not regret.
My current favorite slippers dropped in price and I did not buy backups and now they’re sold out a day later, but I feel fine about it! Also this past week I sold a dress, two merino bras, and last night I finally sold the boots that I bought months ago a size up since they didn’t have my size and they were way too big. So stuff is going out but not really coming in and it feels great!!
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