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Post by puppybox on Jul 11, 2014 22:35:31 GMT -5
I'm thinking of getting serious about food overspending. not that orderign pizza is bad, butthat I never know what I am spending and its all too disorganised.
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Post by angela on Jul 12, 2014 2:02:27 GMT -5
I appreciate the bump.
I guess I've consider things like groceries and feed for the animals to be essentials so haven't ever listed them.
Things for hobbies or entertainment are more what I've focused on. I haven't acquired much. But I have acquired some. Always the same..books and craft supplies, either beads or yarn. I haven't gotten much in any case but I did buy a used book from the library thrift, I've bought yarn which is crazy given my stash of yarn. I bought another clay pendant. I've bought a couple items of clothing.
I think as Puppybox said, I too could use some detailed parsing of grocery and food spending. I've eaten way too many restaurant lunches at work in the last month. And even things I consider "groceries" are sometimes really luxuries, like Greek yogurt instead of plain, chocolate bars, dry cereals...
I did spend quite a lot extra on the goats last week. Bought kelp as a feed additive and a big bottle of a topical delouser. The bottle will last a very long time and saves me money in the long run by saving per unit over the small bottles at the feed store. I will spend more tomorrow for a supplement that they need from the vet.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 12, 2014 2:20:21 GMT -5
Angela, I thought of you today at the grocery store. A lady was buying goat milk. We started chatting, and she told me about her adult daughter who knits using "real wool yarn, etc." I thought of you.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 12, 2014 2:25:05 GMT -5
About groceries. I think that buying good quality food (Greek yogurt) is an investment. Pizza - not so much. I think that if I did some planning, and used one of my multiple-size crock pots, I could have a good dinner cooking, and could have a better, AND more nutritious meal waiting for us, instead of buying take-out pizza. That said, Angela, I think there just ARE times when you need to eat out - given circumstances, stress levels, lack of sleep time, etc.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 16, 2014 20:57:04 GMT -5
In an effort to decrease clutter and squalor in my house, I am trying to limit acquisitions to things that are real needs, or consumables. I read puppybox' thread about buying used. I can't really depend on buying stuff second hand, because there just aren't that many second hand shops here, and their contents are limited.
But if I can limit my purchases to consumables and true necessities, that will be a huge improvement!
It posting here for accountability.
Today I bought hinges and other hardware for building a new chicken coop. I bought 20 plastic coat hangers.
>>>>>>> NOT A NECESSITY OR A CONSUMABLE:
I bought an under cabinet mounted grow-light.
I promised myself this grow light as a reward for completing the laundry room, breakfast room, and kitchen. (In the book, Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding, they suggest you give yourself a reward on completion of a goal. I generally avoid buying myself things as a reward, but I wanted this to use for starting garden seedlings early. I completed my goal, but when I went to the store to buy it, they were sold out, and continued to be out of stock for about 3 months. They had only one in stock today, so even though my laundry room, breakfast room and kitchen have been completed and then slid back a little, and I'm once again having to bring them up to maintenance level, I went ahead and bought the grow light - this is one of those rare cases where the store might actually not have any again for months.
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Post by puppybox on Jul 17, 2014 22:01:48 GMT -5
dayeanu I think your grow light is acceptable as it a planned, limited reward, planned from before you decided to be more strict. It's important not to lie to yourself about goals and rewards or you won't trust yourself, making self discipline harder.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 18, 2014 0:22:51 GMT -5
dayeanu I think your grow light is acceptable as it a planned, limited reward, planned from before you decided to be more strict. It's important not to lie to yourself about goals and rewards or you won't trust yourself, making self discipline harder. That's a very good point, puppybox. Thank you.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 19, 2014 15:00:16 GMT -5
Ok. I went to town today, for groceries. Besides groceries, I bought:
2 lipsticks (one neutral, one color) - all my current lipstick is used up, I'm scraping it out of the crevices, other lipsticks I owned I deemed to be too old and threw in trash. (Some I know I've had for 8 years)
1 mascara - mine is dried out/used up
I guess make-up would be considered a consumable - unless I'm buying multiple shades because I can't decide which one is the right color. Which I didn't do today.
Somehow I feel wasteful for buying it.
I bought 6 drinking glasses to use with my china. I have been waiting for months to find these particular glasses. This is an extravagance any way I look at it. HOWEVER, I only bought the stemware. I did not buy the matching glasses in other sizes/shapes. And I didn't buy 2 dozen of them.
Also, I am prepared, today, to get rid of six (6) mugs.
I also didn't buy a new purse, even though the fastener on mine recently tore out, and there is other damage/wear and tear. Mine is looking a little raggedy, and I found one similar in design that I like even better than my current one. I am sure I have 20 or so purses already, and although none of them is styled like this one, I bet I can find one that will work.
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Post by puppybox on Jul 19, 2014 15:05:52 GMT -5
replacing used up make up is fine!
I think your plan to get rid of some things because you got new things is good. We can have luxuries, we just don't want to spend all our money on stuff or let it ruin our living space with clutter. being mindful is key.
Why don't you get your purse fastener fixed at the cobbler, perhaps? Or get the new purse, if money is not a problem, but pledge to get rid 5 purses. If you don't immediately get them out and instead think of the new one you found, they are not really good as back up purses. you don't like them. free them into the world by selling, giving away or donating them.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 19, 2014 17:22:17 GMT -5
replacing used up make up is fine! I think your plan to get rid of some things because you got new things is good. We can have luxuries, we just don't want to spend all our money on stuff or let it ruin our living space with clutter. being mindful is key. Why don't you get your purse fastener fixed at the cobbler, perhaps? Or get the new purse, if money is not a problem, but pledge to get rid 5 purses. If you don't immediately get them out and instead think of the new one you found, they are not really good as back up purses. you don't like them. free them into the world by selling, giving away or donating them. The glasses weren't a financial issue so much as a "bringing more stuff into the house" issue. The purse wasn't expensive, either - but to my thinking it was not only bringing new stuff in, but frittering away money unnecessarily, because I already have other nice purses I could use. The current purse is cloth, the fastener has torn through it. It's time to trash it and use one of the older ones I have. I really like what you said about getting rid of 5 purses, and if I would not consider using them, then they are not really good as back-up purses and they should go.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 19, 2014 20:52:49 GMT -5
Oh, I forgot - I also bought cards to tape on the front of my sorting tubs.
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Post by angela on Jul 20, 2014 2:07:34 GMT -5
I treated myself to a wander through the craft store today before I went grocery shopping. I bought 4 inexpensive matching items for my niece's bedroom, all blingy and pink, all 50% off to start, an additional 25% off with coupon. I will be sad when she outgrows being delighted with the many cheap little things I can get her. I also bought a large pendant with a picture on it as a birthday gift for a friend. It was also 50% with additional 25% with coupons. Guess what I DIDN'T get : more yarn or more beads! I looked and felt but really, I knew (and know) I have enough. There is just no need here at all. Grocery shopping with a large list, much for housemate. Got him some pillows (throwing out the old, boy, pillows can get gross), pillow covers (the zip kind) and pillow cases. Got him a smaller fleece blanket, 50% off. Got me a new microfiber blanket to use as a cover on my bed, also 50% off. I'd been planning this purchase for about a year, waiting for a good sale price. Using a fleece blanket instead of a comforter is so much more practical for what I need, cheaper, easy to wash, warm... Also bought a small, white wire, 3 tier rolling cart thingie to have by housemate's hospital bed with all his changing and bathing stuff and urinals on it. He's happy with it and so am I. So that is a lot but all necessary in a way. At a certain point, especially with an ill person to care for, I just get tired of cobbling together random things to solve problems. Sometimes a purchase of a new thing really is the better way to go, IMO.
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 20, 2014 8:20:11 GMT -5
So that is a lot but all necessary in a way. At a certain point, especially with an ill person to care for, I just get tired of cobbling together random things to solve problems. Sometimes a purchase of a new thing really is the better way to go, IMO. Totally agree!
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 22, 2014 12:25:01 GMT -5
I posted here earlier that I had resisted the urge to buy a new purse to replace my worn and frayed one, because I have lots of purses and was sure one would do in a pinch, even though none came to mind.
Yesterday I went to my houses on the other side of the state, which I quit living in about 6-7 years ago. (I never really moved out, just brought an occasional load of stuff from there to my current residence, but left most of the stuff just sitting in the houses over there.)
Yesterday I spent the day over there, sorting, packing, and cleaning.
And guess what I found - the p*rfect purse! One of my old purses I had forgotten about, only slightly used, and sitting there all these years waiting to be re-discovered!
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Post by Arid on Jul 22, 2014 14:04:33 GMT -5
Yeah, daye!!!
Arid
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