Buy Nothing January Support Thread

[Anonymous]

Day 26 spent nothing

[Anonymous]

Earlier Poster here - ie, plan for me is just grocery store and CVS. Done OK. One capitulation to Anthro post-holiday sale (some of which were gifts). bought birthday present for kids (less than usuall), but feel fine about that: eliminating presents never the plan. And 2-3 needed sport and craft supplies for kids— also OK with. So far Jan, I give myself a B-.

[Anonymous]

Day 27: I'm in for the evening. Bought nothing today, (except groceries, dish soap, and tissues).

My son asked for a pack of playing cards yesterday. Today we sorted through some boxes in his room and we found 2 complete packs and about 3 incomplete ones (from when he was learning to do card tricks.)

He also asked for new earbuds. I gave him his allowance, and reminded him earbuds were his responsibility to find and purchase.

Someone in town was giving away some pots and pans, and guess what? They had a nonstick saute pan in good condition. Sweet!

[Anonymous]

The only thing as I wind up buy nothing January that I really feel I personally *need* is underwear. I cannot think of a way to get those for free and refuse to buy them used for that matter. (-:

What do people who "Buy Nothing All Year" do about underwear? I am certainly not going to sew them myself out of old clothes....

But curious if there is some place to get underwear without buying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I admire you for doing this. I read on FB a post about a year of buying no jewelry, handbags, or clothes. I'm considering that for this year. It also wipes out buying gifts for others, which I really enjoy, so I am sure I'll keep on doing that part.
Loving your follow-up to all of this.
There is something sickening about the excess of Christmas to me.

Hi OP and PP, good work! I am also trying something similar to the above. Also just still reeling from Christmas excess. Really, I am modeling on the Patchett article that came out a couple weeks ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/opinion/sunday/shopping-consumerism.html?_r=0

This part really resonated with me, the loss of time and sort of self-medicated aspect of internet shopping:

At the end of 2016, our country had swung in the direction of gold leaf, an ecstatic celebration of unfeeling billionaire-dom that kept me up at night. I couldn’t settle down to read or write, and in my anxiety I found myself mindlessly scrolling through two particular shopping websites, numbing my fears with pictures of shoes, clothes, purses and jewelry.
...
Not shopping saves an astonishing amount of time. In October, I interviewed Tom Hanks about his collection of short stories in front of 1,700 people in a Washington theater. Previously, I would have believed that such an occasion demanded a new dress and lost two days of my life looking for one. In fact, Tom Hanks had never seen any of my dresses, nor had the people in the audience. I went to my closet, picked out something weather appropriate and stuck it in my suitcase. Done.

GL, all!

DH and I significantly cut back on our spending for Obama's 8 years. We did not agree with his plan to change this country towards more expecations of the government to take care of its citizens. ... free college, free health care, protecting illegal immirgants. DH and I feel free to spend now that our country is back in the right direction.
We bought a Tesla - replacing my 13 year old car, will spend $70K redoing our bathrooms and chose to vacation in the US instead of abroad.

[Anonymous]

OP, thanks for creating this thread. Being inspired, and looking over what we've spent this past month (in a family of 2 adults and 2 kids):

$73.28 health supplements (I'm perimenopausal, so this was definitely needed)
$413.31 bunk bed, mattress, bedding (a need that we had put off for a while)
$8 coat check at a museum (during free hours)
$52 babysitter (needed to go visit our tax accountant)
$25 long johns for my older kid (it's cold here in NYC)
$3.19 deodorant (husband ran out and didn't want to wait for me to find more in the closet)

Otherwise, we spent what we normally do on groceries and eating out/ordering in. I'd say we saved @ $1K on mindless spending. That's $1K more for our family vacation this year, which should almost cover the flights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
DH and I significantly cut back on our spending for Obama's 8 years. We did not agree with his plan to change this country towards more expecations of the government to take care of its citizens. ... free college, free health care, protecting illegal immirgants. DH and I feel free to spend now that our country is back in the right direction.
We bought a Tesla - replacing my 13 year old car, will spend $70K redoing our bathrooms and chose to vacation in the US instead of abroad.

That's just really weird, and mostly incorrect, but hey, good job spending less for 8 years! Hope you have some pretty bathrooms for $70K. Did you use any gold leaf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for creating this thread. Being inspired, and looking over what we've spent this past month (in a family of 2 adults and 2 kids):

$73.28 health supplements (I'm perimenopausal, so this was definitely needed)
$413.31 bunk bed, mattress, bedding (a need that we had put off for a while)
$8 coat check at a museum (during free hours)
$52 babysitter (needed to go visit our tax accountant)
$25 long johns for my older kid (it's cold here in NYC)
$3.19 deodorant (husband ran out and didn't want to wait for me to find more in the closet)

Otherwise, we spent what we normally do on groceries and eating out/ordering in. I'd say we saved @ $1K on mindless spending. That's $1K more for our family vacation this year, which should almost cover the flights.

Wonderful! OP Here - I also have about $1000 I've been able to funnel towards debt this month. It's a little tiring, but I"ll be so happy if I can keep this up and get out of this crushing debt for good.

[Anonymous]

Day 28 and Day 29 -- I bought nothing!

Someone in town was giving away the exact item my son was asking for -- serendipitous!!

2 more days!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a failure. See me in February.

NP, same here. I bought, and bought, and bought some more, of all of the things I didn’t really need.
I’m totally stoked though about February. Here’s to hoping I’m on the successful side of no spending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I admire you for doing this. I read on FB a post about a year of buying no jewelry, handbags, or clothes. I'm considering that for this year. It also wipes out buying gifts for others, which I really enjoy, so I am sure I'll keep on doing that part.
Loving your follow-up to all of this.
There is something sickening about the excess of Christmas to me.

Hi OP and PP, good work! I am also trying something similar to the above. Also just still reeling from Christmas excess. Really, I am modeling on the Patchett article that came out a couple weeks ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/opinion/sunday/shopping-consumerism.html?_r=0

This part really resonated with me, the loss of time and sort of self-medicated aspect of internet shopping:

At the end of 2016, our country had swung in the direction of gold leaf, an ecstatic celebration of unfeeling billionaire-dom that kept me up at night. I couldn’t settle down to read or write, and in my anxiety I found myself mindlessly scrolling through two particular shopping websites, numbing my fears with pictures of shoes, clothes, purses and jewelry.
...
Not shopping saves an astonishing amount of time. In October, I interviewed Tom Hanks about his collection of short stories in front of 1,700 people in a Washington theater. Previously, I would have believed that such an occasion demanded a new dress and lost two days of my life looking for one. In fact, Tom Hanks had never seen any of my dresses, nor had the people in the audience. I went to my closet, picked out something weather appropriate and stuck it in my suitcase. Done.

GL, all!

DH and I significantly cut back on our spending for Obama's 8 years. We did not agree with his plan to change this country towards more expecations of the government to take care of its citizens. ... free college, free health care, protecting illegal immirgants. DH and I feel free to spend now that our country is back in the right direction.
We bought a Tesla - replacing my 13 year old car, will spend $70K redoing our bathrooms and chose to vacation in the US instead of abroad.

Wut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a failure. See me in February.

Aw... What happened?

Frugal February is a plan!

OP Here. Day 25 and I bought nothing. Payday is tomorrow -- so nice for a change having extra money! I managed to not spend a ton so far. Hoping to continue through the end of the month the same as I've been doing.

I caught onto several sales, such as a kids moonbounce for 80% off so $50 but I plan on returning and re-buying with giftcards I just got through a survey and I bought lunch x2 last week since DH forgot to pack on his days. However, I'm all in for Frugal February!

[Anonymous]

What's up with that husband? That's a great system, though -- do you each pack lunch for the other two days a week? I like it!

Day 30 -- bought nothing!

I have decided though that I really need a new smoke detector in our basement. The kind of the enclosed batteries that we are all supposed to have in Maryland. Of course I will have to buy that -- unless anyone knows where I can get a smoke detector for free?

[Anonymous]

Some fire depts offer free or reduced priced smoke alarms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some fire depts offer free or reduced priced smoke alarms

Perfect! Thanks, I called them today and they will bring me a free one!