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heretoreaditall2019 said:

How’s everyone getting on this weekend?

Something to make you laugh and/or gag - I’ve just found a jar of pickled gherkins that expired in 2022. P sure it was from the pandemic as it had the yellow price stickers you only get in corner shops? I know that gives crusty smelly vibes (I’m not, promise lol) but I’m doing SO much better with my food hoarding problem. I’ve been running down freezer & cupboard foods, and those bizarre allegedly-healthy-but-probably-not crisps made of various beans/pulses/lentils to all but 3 packs. Same with pastas we’ve gone down to a normal amount to have in stock for a family of 3. Still have too many nuts but will just have them girl dinner style with lunches to run them down. The battle against myself continues lol.

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I hear you so much with this you are smashing it! I have actually run out of things the last few weeks. My fridge is empty apart from a normal amount of veg chilling in the drawer and a few accessories. No one died. A reasonable restock of pulses/rice arriving this week.

Beauty products I have been crazy good at getting to the bottom of several “lurkers” the last few weeks. I do need to restock a few bathroom bits but I’m so wary of taking the plunge? Similarly, I promised myself a slow fashion treat but I actually don’t know if I want it either? I will wear it but in summer so may wait til then…

I got paid last week and savagely paid myself, allocated budget pots, sinking funds, overpaid debt and bills (moderately but every little etc), whacked a chunk into various savers. I feel so at rest, and we’ve only been doing this thread a few months it’s the single best thing to happen to my mental health and bank balance in years

Well I’ve just been paid and no bill is overdue - so that’s a win.

Had to do the supermarket yesterday and stuck to the list rather than checking every aisle “just in case”. Steps count way down for a supermarket trip.

The more I declutter, the more I feel in control of my living space. Have half filled another bin bag for the chazzer including a pair of shoes I’ve only worn once. Was going to wear them yesterday but they pinched my feet just walking around the house - decided life’s too short for shoes which make your feet hurt. Someone else will appreciate them and have less fat feet!

I feel that spending money is conditioned in us from a young age, as a teenager we used to go to the shops for no reason other than something to do. There are no budgeting classes at school or teaching about how to be a good saver. You were very lucky if your parents taught you about the value of money.
Now the world is constantly telling us that the path to a better life is more. The advertising industry exsists to make us feel dissatisfied or broken so we constantly buy more stuff to fix us.
Well done to all of us here trying to fight the good fight against over consumption. For taking a pause before making purchases, having wish and wait lists and trying to be grateful for all the little things in life

I was reading an article about decluttering the other day and it had the usual mantras, but one stood out "can I live without it".
I shot upstairs to try it out on decluttering my clothes which I've been struggling with and was amazed at what I could live without.

I'm appreciating the unpacking of the motivations behind low quality spending.

Someone kindly posted a link to a video here with a low buy blogger talking about 'shopping related behaviours'. In her case, it was researching and price comparing for a new winter coat. In the time since I watched the video I have realised that the time I spend on shopping related behaviour is still wasteful - I am investing my time, energy and emotion into this research/speculative behaviour which leads me much closer to making a purchase. I am squandering things other than or in addition to money here.

So I am trying to break that cycle.

I’ve done a no spend and dry January! Might as make the most miserable month even more miserable

When I first discovered Vinted I purchased far more than I sold - like a kid in a candy store, Now I am trying to clear out my clothes and general clutter I am selling only. I move things out of the main wardrobe and place in my daughter's old bedroom after uploading them. If they don't sell they will go to charity. This way I can see what I have left and ensure that I don't need the rest. It's a very slow process but I am moving in the right direction.
The whole endeavour has made me very discerning when it comes to bringing more stuff to the house.
All I can say is it was a long time coming and I can hardly recognise my new sensible self.

I was really craving cake or biscuits and was going to drive to buy some, but then I remembered we have a waffle maker in the cupboard, so I knocked up a stack of banana waffles with maple syrup instead … petrol and cash saved, and used up some of the pantry ingredients

Managed to cancel prime and audible from my laptop. Audible gave me a free credit if I’d think about. I took the free credit, bought the book, thought about it - and cancelled. Took the 63p refund from prime too. This time next year Rodders…

Joining. Embarrassed to admit I have a shopping addiction to rival Jack Monroe and debt up to my eyes. Determined to make 2024 the year it changes. Deleted my shopping apps and cut up the cards.

Shit day at work. I was tempted to swing by Boots for a peruse to cheer myself up but resisted. Just thought, I would rather add to my pot of money in case one day I decide to walk out. That is a cheerier thought than yet another blusher or lippie.

You’ve all inspired me. I’ve (so far) set my ISA up to £30/month more than now - I’m on a small budget so…

im going to cancel Amazon prime - my impulse purchases there are daft. I’ve unsubscribed from a ton more of f marketing emails. I know the shops I like, when it’s time to buy im sure i’ll not have forgotten them.

I saw a great tip on either this or the other thread about putting an extra £5 in savings every time you finish a book. I have an enormous unread kindle and physical book pile - I don’t need to buy anything for about £600 worth of savings.

I’ve made two Vinted purchases this month - 1) a leather bag I’ve been watching for months and she dropped the price and 2) a coat as I’ve lost 3 stone and the current one looks like it came from the camping sections of millets. Total spend under £25 incl p&p so I’ve forgiven myself.

Interesting times financially. June is looking to be a “huge surplus” month - and, whereas 6 months ago I’d have raced to spend until every last penny was gone - I now find myself in uncharted waters as I think about the best way to leverage this money. This thread has been amazing!

rainbowlemon said:

I feel like the insta huns are to blame for excess consumption being normalised. Constantly redoing rooms just for "content".

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I knew a girl studying a medical degree at Uni. It was tough, gruelling hours and she couldn’t realistically get a part time job. The only way she could afford it was basically through her boyfriend who let her live in his house for free, and paid the bills.

I remember her mum was donating an “old” sofa to one of their friends and she was trying to organise it. She told me about how her mum got a new sofa every year.

I found that pretty shocking. They are a very tight knit family and supposedly really care about each other, but I can’t imagine spending a grand every year on a sofa when my daughter was struggling through a degree. I could never understand why her mum didn’t make do with the same sofa for a few extra years and give her child some financial help. A lesson for me in that “tight knit” doesn’t always mean pleasant, or kind or even caring.

I’ve had my sofa a few years now, no way am I replacing it until I absolutely need to. My grandparents (war generation and very mindful of waste) got theirs reupholstered and they looked as good as new.

this was over 10 years ago so I think influencer culture is a symptom of the problem of overconsumption rather than the cause tbh

fishyfishfish said:

Trying so hard to resist the asos sale... usually go crazy on that and zara sale but I'm gonna chuck £500 in my savings and go through my clothes in storage (which are all smaller than the clothes in my wardrobe) and hopefully re-find a few things!

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If it helps make your decision, Zara funds the genocide currently happening in Gaza right now so that might take the sting out.

Here’s an idea we can all try to carry into the Boxing Day and January sales…..
“It’s only a bargain if you were going to buy it anyway”

Right, I don't know what it is about this group/thread but it is honestly really helping me. I had a bag filled up in the M&S sale, I was going to buy it and I just went through everything in my bag and everything I had in it wasn't for right now, it was for oh for when I go back to work, that will be nice for next Christmas, oh that blazer will be lovely for when I am well enough to go out again etc. I didn't need any of it right now! So I emptied it and exited the app!!

That said, I might get that blazer though cause I can picture it with some stuff I have already...

Update: reviewed the blazer, it looked a lovely faded charcoal grey in the photo but is apparently navy so it's a no for me! I would have just bought that, had it delivered, been disappointed with the colour and just returned it before!

Currently doing a deep dive of all DD's and seeing what I can cut down. It annoys me that you'll be loyal to a company for years and years, but deals are only available for new customers. Or they won't offer you better rates, just let you know prices will be increasing.

For example I pay £23 a month with O2, it's due to go up to £25. I checked for better deals online and O2 came up with the same deal that I'm on but for £8!? So now I'm contacting them to see if they can switch me over. It's not an issue, it's just time consuming. I wish companies valued their customers more without us having to constantly barter and check pricing.

TK Maxx often have proper hiking boots online for cheap - if he doesn’t mind being in “last year’s colours”. In the same vein - sportsdirect.

It’s so amazing to see these positive stories as people reach the end of this 592 day month and payday and have done so well. I don’t get paid until Wednesday so hoping not to fuck up between now and then.

Went shopping in my own wardrobe yesterday and donated 3 bikinis that are too big for me and a bunch of summer dresses. Ditched the foundation which always made me look like an oompa loompah - I mean why was I keeping it? ok getting to the point - I found a gorgeous cashmere jumper I’d completely forgotten about and only wore once before I got too fat. So a wee bit too f decluttering and a posh top. Result. Cost = 0.

January was going so well for me, I'd only spent £30 on unnecessary purchases and, to be fair, those are products I will use like creatine.

Unfortunately yesterday I went a little crazy and booked someone to paint our hall. It's been an ongoing project since the 6 week holiday last year... We don't have a ladder long enough to paint the stairwell and I just want the project finished. So that's a £180 I didn't have to spend but I'm going to be so glad I did once it's finished.