Update on Crunchy Chicken’s Buy Nothing Month

I’m pretty good at this as my circumstances tend to force me to be anyway! Again, I tend to do really well for a while, and then just get something without thinking.

I still stand by my biggest learning in this, which is, never to shop with children. Even in the small, local shop there will be something that your child just has to have.

I’m pretty good at saying no, but even I have my weak moments and get into the ‘anything for a quiet life’ mentality. I really hate that about myself, but there we are. Nothing Little Miss Green asks for is every extortionate, but buying a couple of small things every week adds up and puts a red cross against the ‘buy nothing’ idea.

I have bought two crystals and some school supplies for Little miss Green. No, I didn’t NEED the crystals, of course I didn’t so I could have been stronger on that. As for the school supplies, well, of course I didn’t NEED them either, but we are having a few challenges and I figured this might help us. I bought a curriculum, one which I asked beforehand to see if anyone had one I could borrow and, to be honest, I’m going to take good care of itself and it will be resellable in the future. These things don’t tend to lose their value.

I’ve been deleting emails that have newsletters with things to buy on them before opening them and I’ve not browsed on eBay – that’s the big black hole for me to which I have often lost all sense of rational mind!

I’ve been really good with my library books. In the past I have notched up some pretty horrific fines through none other than disorganisation and lack of planning. But now I have a shelf where all my library books go and once a week I log onto our local library and check things are ok on there.

Getting my paperwork and filing organised last year has made a big difference to me ‘buying nothing’ in terms of overdue fines. I would literally lose paperwork in a pile of unfinished filing and then get late charges stamped on everything. Anything I can pay by Direct debit with paperless billing is in full swing and now I am able to deal with other things as they come in. So no more wasting money on fines!

I’ve just compared my bank statements this time last month to today and I’m astonished! I’m up by 150 AND, I’ve not had to dip into my post office account (which is my emergency I’ve-nothing-left account). So, I have significantly better cash flow without much pain! Plus, we’ve managed to save a bit in our joint bank account which is used for emergencies, car tax / MOT and household purchases. Usually we have to go halves on everything because there is nothing in the account, but there is a little bit building up now.

I know there are still areas where I can cut back on, so I’m feeling all fired up for continuing with this one!

There are so many good causes, little-known charities and inspiring people that I like to tithe a little money to. And now I can do that even more as I am freeing up some income. Ok, so I could pay off my overdraft, but what a bigger difference it makes to the world and my sense of wellbeing if someone more justified than a bank gets my extras!

Here is a fabulous story that inspired me a long time ago; about a 14 year old boy in Africa who designed and built a windmill to bring electricity to his family’s home – now there is somewhere worthwhile to donate some extra money saved.

Or what about this gorgeous woman, who has founded a non-profit organisation called SoulSong to assist in the funding and development of cottage industry business opportunities  for women globally.

Or there is magic sandwich – an organisation set up to bring healthy breakfasts to the 3.8 million children living in poverty in the UK

Mmmm, I feel a shopping spree of the best kind coming on 😀