No Spend January

I was in Dobbies today. Lots of Christmas decorations at bargain prices. Swiss roll at the cash desk only 25p. I resisted as I didn't need anything. If you don't need it don't buy it.

Bought apacket of picture hooks and the newspapers today.

I will be doing a class tomorrow so I will be paying for car parking, and also my lunch as it is an all day course. On Thursday I will do the week's shopping.

I have always tried to use up food in the house in January. We always seem to buy too much at Christmas, I would find it impossible not to spend on fresh milk, meat fruit and veg.
I admit I do love a sale bargain as well, I buy quality jumpers and cardigans when they are reduced and put them away for next winter. My DD copies me and will be buying school uniforms and winter clothes for next year in a bigger size in the sales. So in a way, we are saving or that's what I tell myself.
Best of luck to anyone who can manage it.

Brilliant idea I am trying same thing. With green tea when ai run out of milk etc

No...this month so far I have purchased a coat, a dress ( Boden sale), a leather bag , new lipstick, gloves and lots of salad stuff, cheese and rye bread!

This is very typical of GN’ters to veer off-course of what OP’s topic of interest is. Whether perceived as snarky or not, it makes this platform interesting. We all have our own interpretations and points of view.

I came very close to being homeless once so when I see a homeless woman, man or child it does tear me apart. I sometimes cry.

I was fortunate to climb my way out of my dilemma (it meant divorce) but I regained my self respect and new paths to work and career, and a new home. For which I am grateful every single day. This does not happen for everyone.

So for anyone with a holier-than-thou attitude, unless you walk in those shoes, let’s just stick to the original post.
(We ALL have stories, eh?)

Interesting idea - worth a try. Certainly means you'd use up food that approaching use-by date and save quite a bit - although watch the re-stocking reflex!

Sounds like a great plan! How many times a month do I think ‘There's nothing in the freezer’ and then go out and buy more stuff, when actually I do have a lot in the freezer/cupboards that I could rustle up into a nice meal with a bit of imagination? And so often, I throw old/ out of date food away.
Hope it goes well 😊

I too love Celtic Connections, just not well enough to go.

My colleagues and I used to go for a pre-theatre meal, Celtic Connections, a few drinks and last train home.

Those were the days!

Celtic connections for me too paddyann, plus Wicked this week in Edinburgh. Although tickets were bought in December so does that count?
I will be leaving my house to my children ( unless they put me into a home!!), what little money I have in savings will be funding my lavish lifestyle until it runs out

Good for you. I'm not quite so disciplined but I'm avoiding the little impulsive spends that accumulate very easily, eg coffees out, books when I already have so many waiting to be read... I already pruned the standing orders on my bank account. Getting more organised generally.
Best of luck and report back 👍👍👍

I can't imagine why anybody would think this is a bad idea. We'd never manage it because I swear my husband is phobic about running out of food and always keeps everything stocked up. We buy our raw animal once a month as it is cheaper to buy in bulk. We don't drink milk, can make our own bread and have lots of frozen fruit and bread in the freezer. As to passing a homeless woman begging in the street, I would give food rather than money which I would give to a Homeless Charity.

A great idea. I admire you. Though I couldn't manage it myself. A friend is going to limit herself to 5 new pieces of clothing this year and two of us have considered joining her. I had already bought two pairs of shoes and two thermal vests and one pair of thermal leggings in the sales. So that is 5 already. But I have sent the shoes back because they didn't fit well and we have agreed underwear shouldn't count. So I am back at five again. Also making or altering clothes doesn't count. I have gone down a dress size and thought I should have a special allowance for that. But maybe I can alter my summer dresses.

Not a cats chance in hell of it happening here,Celtic Connections is this month,I've seen me buy tickets for upwards of 15 gigs some years and I enjoyed every single one .I love the atmosphere in Glasgow at this music festival time

Trying not to buy on impulse for January, no clothes except socks etc, no books unless 99p and favourite authors not at the library,.....and use up freezer contents.

Callistemon21

Oh come on, Mollygo you could make lots of lovely meals with all that, it just requires a vivid imagination

Rice with soy sauce followed by rice pudding .....

😂😂😂

🤣🤣🤣 I must get my act together!

Mell967, it's a great idea and one that I adopt every so often! I understood your post to mean 'no frivolous spending', rather than spending nothing at all 😊
I shall aim for this in May, as in the months leading up this I have a few days out planned, and I have already bought a new washing machine and countless sale items (for birthday/Christmas gifts) already this month!
Hope you achieve your goal, let us know how it goes!

Oh come on, Mollygo you could make lots of lovely meals with all that, it just requires a vivid imagination

Rice with soy sauce followed by rice pudding .....

😂😂😂

My freezer is now empty except for 6 onion rings, 1 loaf of bread, 2 tubs of butter that I buy when it’s on offer and a few part used packets of herbs.
The fridge has 4 eggs, 2 part cartons of fruit juice, a part carton of butter, lettuce and carrots for our dog, and various sauces or relishes.
The cupboard has coffee, tea, some flour, sugar, soy sauce and spices, some rapeseed oil, 3x tinned tomatoes, 2x rice pudding, 2x tomato soup, 4x baked beans. A part used bag of rice, a bag of pasta, 2 stir fry sauces and our medications.
So I’ve already failed in my no-spend aim.
But it was a great incentive.

A few on here are being a bit snarky to the OP, surely it is not difficult to work out that she meant no additional/frivolous spending, not going without fresh veg and fruit for a month?

To save money

AreWeThereYet

NannyC1

"Mell967"
Actually I was just wondering do you walk past the homeless woman on the street proud that you don't intend spending anything in January? To set out with the mindset of I'm not spending anything this month is a luxury many in this country can ill afford,as they are impoverished and don't have the means to stock up a freezer to see them through the week never mind a month. Maybe I'm wrong and of course the money you've saved will go to Charity in which case well done.

What a weird post in so many ways.

So if we save money on food because we want to have our heating on a bit longer we should actually give it to charity instead???

Because some people can't afford to stock a freezer no one else can?

It's worse to walk past a homeless person if you're trying to save money (presumably because you don't have much to spare) than it is for the people who just don't see them, or do see them but give them nothing?

My thoughts exactly, AreWeThereYet.

I will be tightening my belt for January as most people do. But will still be doing my food shopping.

NannyC1

"Mell967"
Actually I was just wondering do you walk past the homeless woman on the street proud that you don't intend spending anything in January? To set out with the mindset of I'm not spending anything this month is a luxury many in this country can ill afford,as they are impoverished and don't have the means to stock up a freezer to see them through the week never mind a month. Maybe I'm wrong and of course the money you've saved will go to Charity in which case well done.

What a weird post in so many ways.

So if we save money on food because we want to have our heating on a bit longer we should actually give it to charity instead???

Because some people can't afford to stock a freezer no one else can?

It's worse to walk past a homeless person if you're trying to save money (presumably because you don't have much to spare) than it is for the people who just don't see them, or do see them but give them nothing?

I once went a whole year without buying any new clothing or shoes. This past year my husband and I ate all of our food in the freezer before buying any meats, vegetables or breakfast foods. It took us about 2 weeks.

Great idea Mel1967. Like to hear how your challenge worked out.