Buy Nothing January Support Thread

[Anonymous]

So OP I like your thread. Is it just for January, or for the whole year?

I have resolved not to buy any new books until all the unread /partly read ones have been finished. It will take me months.

Also I'm not buying any clothes this year whatsoever, for myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So OP I like your thread. Is it just for January, or for the whole year?

I have resolved not to buy any new books until all the unread /partly read ones have been finished. It will take me months.

Also I'm not buying any clothes this year whatsoever, for myself.

I have the same resolution re: clothes.

RE books - online reservations for library books work beautifully!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just put a bunch of things in my shopping cart but didn't purchase any of it. Shopping without spending.

I fee like I don’t like what it says about me that this works for me, but it totally does!

[Anonymous]

Well, my daughter has been begging for a scarf and it seems like a somewhat reasonable thing to have (except that she is only 3). I went in person to old navy and got one for only $1.50. So I think I’m not going to count it... slippery slope??

[Anonymous]

Good work, OP! I'll add mine - I had a bunch of stuff in my cart at oldnavy.com yesterday because they were having a huge sale. I closed my browser and told myself to think about it overnight. Ended up not purchasing any of it because realized other pieces would work just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good work, OP! I'll add mine - I had a bunch of stuff in my cart at oldnavy.com yesterday because they were having a huge sale. I closed my browser and told myself to think about it overnight. Ended up not purchasing any of it because realized other pieces would work just fine.

Also I was part of an amazing support thread in the Expecting forum about 4 years ago, so it IS possible on here

[Anonymous]

I think if your 3 year old needs a scarf, a $1.50 one from Old navy is pretty much qualifying as a "necessity".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my daughter has been begging for a scarf and it seems like a somewhat reasonable thing to have (except that she is only 3). I went in person to old navy and got one for only $1.50. So I think I’m not going to count it... slippery slope??

OP here. Hmmmm.... I think it does need to be counted, because you "bought something". Yes, it is only $1.50 and that's practically free. Certainly no big deal financially! But yes, slippery slope

Here's the point of "Buy Nothing" challenge (as I see it): to exercise your frugal muscles to find other ways to meet your needs.

Yes, things come up every day that we need, and that we really want, and that make sense, and that we want to have. So if you find you have a need, take the time to see if you can meet that need in any other way:

1) Just do without.
2) Find something you already have that will fit that exact purpose.
3) Find something you already have that you can alter to suit.
4) Fix it if it is broken.
5) Borrow it.
6) Make it from free materials.
7) Make it from borrowed or cheap materials.
8) Get it free from somewhere.

Only after all these conditions have been explored, and you still think it is something you need, is it time to buy it. In this order:

9) Buy it extremely cheaply (like yard sale or thrift store).
10) Buy it on sale, get a good bargain.
11) Buy it regular price.

I feel like a lot of times, I start the process at stage 9) Buy it very cheaply. But cheap isn't free! Steps 1-8 are free. The point of the Buy Nothing Challenge (as I see it) is to work on ALWAYS looking at steps 1-8 first.

So in the example of the toddler who wants a scarf -- obviously the first answer is, You don't need a scarf. But that's not very nice! Another answer could be: do we have any scarves here that would suit? Use a piece of cloth from sewing supplies to sew you a scarf? Could I knit you a scarf? Could Granny knit you a scarf? Is someone giving away a scarf at playgroup? And so on.

So, if your child said she wants a scarf, and you said "OK, I"ll go out and buy you one!"... I think that skipped a bunch of steps.

Of course, $1.50 is not a lot of money and in real life no one needs to go through so many steps and try so hard to find a free scarf (if they don't want to!) But the practice of regularly going through these steps is what helps break the habit of just shopping for everything we need.

Just my opinion!

I did not "Buy Nothing" today, because I needed to make a necessary car repair. Not only that, both children requested clothing items that we did go out and buy! My daughter got her sneakers because she convinced me hers were still too slippery. My son wanted a new winter coat. These two expenses were not needs, but wants. But we could afford them, and had spent a few days thinking about them, so I did buy them.

So today was not a "buy nothing" day.

But...I'll stick with it tomorrow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So OP I like your thread. Is it just for January, or for the whole year?

For me, just January so far! It's really not easy! Some people do it the whole year but I don't know how if they have teenagers! But ideally yes, I need to get out of debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good work, OP! I'll add mine - I had a bunch of stuff in my cart at oldnavy.com yesterday because they were having a huge sale. I closed my browser and told myself to think about it overnight. Ended up not purchasing any of it because realized other pieces would work just fine.

Congratulations! This is great!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I deeply admire the desire to do this, contemplate it regularly, and participate occasionally. I generally save the no buy for Lent. Or after MLK day. Too many good bargains right now, so if I buy what I want (not need!) that's deeply discounted these next two weeks, I'll head into mid January ready to live frugally.

Last night I ordered some clothes from a site having a 60% off flash sale (but got a notice this morning that half of what i ordered wasn't available, so win?). I also ordered some perfume I've wanted for a couple of years that I haven't gotten that was half price, too.

I'm contemplating some goblets from Williams Sonoma, half price. Don't need but they would be so pretty at all the dinner parties we never have.

And, I'm desperate for some speciality tea. Usually you can buy Twinings Christmas Tea at any grocery store, but I never found it this year, so now I'm going to order it online.

I was sick at Christmas and the entire week after so didn't hit any in person sales, so not feeling too bad. I also have some gift cards - Amazon, Old Navy, LOFT, Talbots. So a bit of shopping in my future.

But I salute you OP and everyone else! I will be joining you shortly, just need to get a little Veruca out of my system first.

And I salute you! (OP again)

If you have been waiting several years to buy perfume, that surely doesn't count as an impulse spend!

Personally I am trying to get out of debt, and needing to curb impulse spending, especially where either convenience, or the kids' desires, are concerned!

But I totally get how people who are better with finances than I, might structure their spending to take advantage of the sales at certain times of the year.

[Anonymous]

Damn, I want to do this but:

1. Last night I bought ColorForms for my toddler niece
2. I just agreed to try to get tickets to the Ice Cream Museum with a new friend
3. My dad is coming to visit and I want to take him out to lunch and to do something fun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Damn, I want to do this but:

1. Last night I bought ColorForms for my toddler niece
2. I just agreed to try to get tickets to the Ice Cream Museum with a new friend
3. My dad is coming to visit and I want to take him out to lunch and to do something fun

Go for it!

Presents are presents. If you wanted to buy your niece a present, that's your prerogative!

Social Events with your friend and your dad again, might not be necessary, but they are what you want to do.

Still, you can resolve that except for those things, you are going to try to buy nothing that is not absolutely necessary for the rest of the month.

And regarding your dad -- are you sure that what you need to do is take him to lunch, and do something that costs money?

Maybe yes, and if that's so, great if that is what you want and can afford. But maybe he'd be very happy if you cooked him a meal, and you took him to a museum. When my older relatives come to town, I enjoy taking them to the National Cryptologic Museum (north of Laurel MD). It is free, relatively uncrowded, and a really interesting museum.

Try to think of alternatives, that will be just as much fun or even better, than spending money.

[Anonymous]

Another rationale for this (& for 2nd hand stores) is that the environmental cost for manufacturing goods is high. So if you choose the 2nd hand option (again, like you said, this should be step 9 not step 1) it's also a way better option for the planet than option 10 or 11 of buying new, even if the savings are not critical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good work, OP! I'll add mine - I had a bunch of stuff in my cart at oldnavy.com yesterday because they were having a huge sale. I closed my browser and told myself to think about it overnight. Ended up not purchasing any of it because realized other pieces would work just fine.

I encourage you to think about the phrasing here: "because they were having a huge sale" not "because it was needed."

There was a big sale today where we bought something and it was buy one clearance item, get a second half price. But we really didn't need the second item. Even at half price. 50% off $60 *is* a good deal, but it is still $30 you don't need to spend, if you don't need the item.