I was doing very well at not buying much stuff until this morning.
Summary
This morning I bought a Smartwool hoodie and socks for a very good deal. But they are arguably things that I need. I really want a lighter weight merino hoodie because yesterday it was warm in the house and my thick one was too hot and I just wanted a thin merino zip up thing to throw on and for travel. It’s a unisex hoodie and people were complaining that it’s too short so I’m hopeful that it’s perfect on me.
But I think I’m doing pretty well? I haven’t bought all that much else and feel satisfied with what I have. I did get another bra but using gift card credit.
I’ve been doing so much buying for construction (faucets, sinks, medicine cabinets, doors) and very little stuff. Hard to tell if I’ve actually reset my habits, or if all the shopping behaviors are just getting channeled into the house project.
I did just buy $160 worth of memory for my 4 year old desktop. Work will reimburse and it was desperately needed (video calls cutting out due to lack of memory).
I think I want to try a full no-buy month in April, other than construction materials and consumables. Including kids stuff – I should have enough stashed away or from a recent clothing swap, and we can spend more time outside with spring here instead of needing new toys.
I have got some new yarn for baby blanket projects. Because. baby. Technically within my no-buy but still.
I acquired some loose leaf tea – one to replace a tea we’re out of (but which is not a Wizard fave) and one because I love Russian caravan and it’s very ridiculous that we don’t have Russian caravan in the house. So, wee fail there. We are, at the least, working through some of the older teas. Being pregnant is definitely changing my tea preferences (green tea is the way!) so this challenge is more… challenging… than it has been before.
only bought one skein of yarn while my fellow road trippers spent $600 and $1250 across the event and unplanned ‘side trip’ to a related store (going by google, it was 75km trip to event, the side trip was another 45km to get to the store, which, for those in imperial, is 46 miles + 30 miles and then 70 miles to get home again)
so I’m virtuous in comparison.
Oh, and suede tags $6 (eta: honestly I would have bought a pack of all ‘this is the back’)
i am amazed that i havent turned to retail therapy as i have been lying around feeling terrible all month, but i havent!
i did get one item that i have been wanting for ages from the fenty beauty sale (the diamond bomb highlighter) and a few packets of seeds. less than $50.
each month i have been taking $x out of savings to fund my life, but my overall spending for march has been so low that i can fund next month’s spending with $x/2. so my savings can stay and grow another month.
turns out i like not having to go to work more than buying new eyeshadows and dresses and shoes!
I would like to update my status as “cured” as well
Spurred by the no buy of clothing: I got back into sewing and have been making more of what I want, I realized my furious need to online shop was just constantly looking for the item that might actually fit. Now I can spend that time building a skill and end up with a better fitting result! And I can pick better colors and fabrics.
I don’t know that I’ve saved any money by doing this, but the result is ideal to me- another fulfilling hobby and less mindless browsing! I am building a skill . And I can see an ad: a pair of pants for example. and be like… wait… why I am getting hyped and FOMO about a basic drawstring pant. it’s been demystified. So yea, CURED!
Now I’m getting targeted ads for fabric, but I find that easier to stop myself from getting sucked into for some reason. Definitely didn’t expect to end up with a fun hobby from this!
also the stadium in paris posted that she would be there for 3 nights in may and then immediately deleted it so we may be getting another tour? no one knows but RIP my savings if so! i have a hard time seeing her tour twice in 2 years, but maybe if they are re-using the renaissance stage??
exciting times for the beyhive either way honestly!
I have not acquired new tea (have drunk a bunch down instead). I acquired one more skein of yarn for baby blanket projects, again technically within the no-buy.
I have been buying things left and right as we finish up a house renovation. Doorknobs, shower curtains, light bulbs. Some are required (see: doorknobs, plumbing parts) but it’s a very slippery slope to purchases for inconvenience or even sheer aesthetics. I replaced a rug that is too big and sort of the wrong color. I bought new sets of drinking glasses now that I’ve broken all but 2 of the ones from 2010ish. I bought a new fitted sheet just because of the color.
It would be a stretch to say this buying is truly BIFLife but I do think Buy It For a Decade is a fair claim.
On the other hand, unpacking my clothes has been a great cure for clothes shopping. I spent 10 days wearing a single pair of shoes (with a second pair for exercise). It was less inconvenient than I expected and it definitely cured me of some window shopping. And now that this house is properly insulated, maybe I can stop collecting yet more heavy sweaters every winter.
I am jumping on board out of necessity. We have never been super consumeristic or spent a ton of money buying “stuff” but we also don’t really say no to ourselves. We kind of just get whatever we want and are just lucky that we don’t “want” too much stuff.
However, we are re-evaluating our priorities because our budget is going to take an $1100 hit starting in November, after a $1000 increase that started in August. So, in November our monthly fixed expenses will be $2100 higher than they have ever been before. We have canceled a few subscriptions but those are drops in the bucket compared to the increased expenses.
So, starting in November we are going to put a stop to all extraneous spending. There are a few items that I’ve been planning to buy but haven’t yet and I’m going to try and just buy them in October to get it done with (a new Mass journal for me for the new liturgical year, and snow boots for D1). We will also try to come in below budget for Christmas items, but we will allow ourselves to spend everything we have set aside for Christmas ($1200 annually, $100 per month into the sinking fund). This Christmas fund is what we use for extra Christmas tips, teacher gifts, family gifts, decorations, etc. Everything tied to Christmas. We will also be allowed to buy things for D2’s birthday and birthday party, without going overboard (we got all of D1’s gifts at once upon a child a few weeks ago. We will try do the same for D2’s birthday on Jan 1).
I know from previous experience that writing down every single item we bring into the house really helps slow down my purchases, so that will start on Nov 1. My goal is to make it through this period of super high expenses without incurring any debt. The preschool tuition will stop in June and hopefully the high uber expenses as well. At that point the fixed costs will drop by $1800 per month for the summer, before starting again next school year.
Won’t D1 be kindergarten age next year, so preschool tuition will be cut in half?
I remember when we had to pay for full day kindergarten but fortunately those days are in the past!
We are gearing up for a hit of about $500 a month that I really don’t see where it’s going to come from, so I am also trying to tighten those purse strings.
Yes, this is true. I was thinking about BOTH of them being in kindergarten and hopefully having after school care which will cost lots of money too. Because by then DH will (hopefully?) have a job and not available to take care of them after school.
But you are correct. Since D2 will still be too young for after school care, next year the tuition will drop to $500 per month and we can’t do after-care.
but im done now!!
RIP my savings if so! i have a hard time seeing her tour twice in 2 years, but maybe if they are re-using the renaissance stage??