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| my last purchase before the beginning of the challenge. the chairs were secondhand on a buy, swap and sell site |
I wouldn't necessarily call myself a big spender but when I'm really honest I can see a bit of a pattern of "shopaholic behaviour". In the years I have been a stay at home mum (pretty much for the last seven) online shopping has become a great friend and convenience to me. When the demands of babyhood, toddlerhood, autism and its associated therapies and appointments were too much, I didn't have to brave the shopping centres if I didn't feel up to it. I could browse, search, buy and have delivered pretty much anything from the comfort of my lounge room. And, if I'm honest, in those earlier days of babyhood where you are doing the sleep, change nappy, feed, change nappy, play change nappy, sleep and repeat over and over, online shopping also became a bit of entertainment, an escape of a little bliss and certainly a way to feel like I was organised and in control "when I had bought everything I needed". It was never really about stuff for me - I am not a clothing or shoes or handbags fiend - it was always much more about the boys and the house and "being organised"......hello IKEA spendathon to get organised anyone? How about Aldi? Anyone else love Aldi as pathologically as me? So, putting it mildly, in the last 7 years I have bought LOADS of stuff and yes, the parcel delivery postie and I are on first name terms.
I have also become someone, or maybe always was, who likes to have "plenty" of food on hand. The Captain regularly refers to our pantry and freezer as "the bunker" and "the coolroom" respectively, such is the volume of food stored. Friends joke that in the event of apocalypse they will make their way here because they know they will be fed for at least 6 months. Because I cook pretty much everything from scratch I don't waste a lot of food but I don't ever get to the very back of the shelves and cupboards either.
So, a new year, and time for some reflection, some change and some thinking about how I spend and stockpile. For the month of February I have challenged our household (me mainly) to buy nothing new. Nothing but essentials like petrol. Fresh food essentials like milk, fruit and vegetables only. The goals of this type of challenge have been widely explored and documented on lots of thrifty blogs but for me it's these things:
- buy what we need only, not what we might need or think we want
- see how much we save
- think about what necessity is and how we define it
- reflecting on the psychology of the "buy" and what it means for me
- create meals and snacks from what we have, not by buying new ingredients
- thinking about what we can swap and sell and give away
I am 7 days in and it's going pretty well. When I go near any shops I can feel my "mindful" shopper brain segment kick in and remind me of the challenge. I made a short trip to the supermarket and managed to stick to my essentials list all bar one item. I have joined a local "buy, swap and sell" group on FB and am slowly working on selling or giving away our excess. It feels good to be thinking more about what I buy and the money I spend and I am sure that our mortgage, the Captain and our 'likely to be groaning under the weight of stuff' house will feel good about it too.
I will post here a little later on in the month and let you know how I am going.
Wish me luck.
Perhaps you should throw in the $21 a week grocery challenge while you are at it. I do this around twice a year - except I make it the $75 a week challenge! It means we eat all sorts of different meals, I try and do it for 3 weeks in a row, this means we save around $200 a week for 3 weeks - that's a nice long weekend away paid for, the freezer cleaned out and the pantry looks very clean and tidy.
ReplyDeleteWe downsized our place a few months back and sold or gave away more than half of everything we had. We no longer have a bunker or second fridge/freezer filled with pre-cooked meals and it means that I actually have to plan in advance and shop accordingly. Needless to say, I am still struggling to manage it effectively and dinner is always later than it should be!
ReplyDeleteAs for trying to be frugal this February, I contemplated it but then the kids birthday invites started rolling in and those plans quickly went out the window - I no longer have a stash of pre-made or purchased gifts on hand! Oh and I slipped an bought storage furniture for the apartment. I maintain that they were on the 'must-buy' list and on sale. I saved almost 25% so surely that is being frugal?