Author Topic: Anyone interested in a buy nothing (or buy almost nothing) challenge for 2023?  (Read 9247 times)

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
Week 1 success here as well.

I do find myself needing a creative solution for a new problem I've invented for myself: I need something that I can use as pots for some jade plant cuttings I hope will root and grow. I have some potting soil and succulent soil, but I have no pots, and I don't think this little project qualifies as a "need."

I wonder if you can put this request on a local Buy-Nothing group? Many people who garden have stashes of pots :)

Yes, I had this same idea. I first need to find our local Buy Nothing group. I used to be a "member" (?) of one of them, but it's been a while.

Freedomin5

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6485
I just purchased $40 of crafting supplies, but I don't think it counts because I didn't use my own money!
(I'm actually teaching a class and need the supplies for the class, but I get to keep all the extra supplies.)

Turtle

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Pencil Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 592
Had a minor fall down over the weekend.  Was looking for something specific that I needed, it wasn't available, and ended up buying something else on sale.  Didn't really need it yet, should have skipped it.


JAYSLOL

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2137
I bought some shop supplies the other day and had a really hard time only buying what I really needed when looking around the store.  Managed to get out of there before I made any impulse purchases, but dang this is going to be a hard year lol

StarBright

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3270
Woops.

We were asked to host a children's event for our church and just spent $100 bucks on craft kits. Probably could have sourced things on buy nothing- but time vs. money.

Also bought myself a bottle of alcohol free wine that I absolutely did not need and paid 20 bucks to take the kids to open gym time at the ninja gym (winter is hard).

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
Been following this thread quietly, and I think I am going to throw my hat in the ring. For now, I'm hoping to stave off all un-essential purchases (ie, not food that we cook, mortgage/utilities/childcare), unless something we use often breaks.

As an additional, I am planning to prioritize replacing anything that *does* break with a plastic free option where possible. We will see how it goes.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
I had a major spend day on Monday -- not a buying things day, but I paid the university tuition for one kid, registration on two vehicles, the insurance premium for adding a car last December (they took a long time to bill that), and made two charitable donations.  That much in one day is a big "ouch" and reminds me why the pennies matter.

I'm still at zero necessary purchases, but I did have to pay for a kitchen knife and a small flatware set for my college kid, plus a $70 microwave (which someone is supposed to go in half on).  He lives in a university-owned house, and one of his roommates graduated and took the kitchen items he'd provided.  I guess that's one benefit of not living too far away and making multiple trips to move out, because my kid won't have room to bring home everything we had to buy when he drives home.

But ... I've been trying to craft everyday as part of my 2023 goals, and while my intention is to use stash items, I realized I don't necessarily have all the components I need.  I knew I might need to buy thread, but hadn't considered that I don't have the insulating material I need to make a table protector/hot pads/placemats.  I made a placemat with regular batting (some thrifted cotton-poly stuff) and my kid still caused a white mark on the table by setting down a scalding hot mug.  It wasn't as bad as it would have been with nothing there, but I'd still like more protection.  We got this table last November and while it is lovely and 100% solid wood, it's also old and doesn't have the kind of coating that doesn't cause white marks (from what I understand the white marks come from moisture getting under the finish after the heat softens it, and I know the table has a wax finish, plus I polished it with a wax polish).

My goal for the table protector is to thrift an old wool blanket or something similar and shrink it down, but the table is 98" at its longest so I may have to piece something together.  In the meantime oversized placemats seem like a good choice.

Another potential project is sewing an insulated curtain for the door between the garage and the detached bedroom, as that is the one place the room is losing heat -- the rest is well insulated with dual pane windows.  It's an old house and the door has a single pane window in it.  Anyway, I'll price sewing one versus buying one, as clearly this is a need.  I do have a couple of no longer in use blackout curtains that could serve as the fabric, and then I would only need a thermal batting.

MoseyingAlong

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 417
This is harder than I thought. I'm not buying "stuff," just junk food. Less than a typical week in 2022 but not nothing.
I'm not giving up but modifying my goals. With a plan that by December, it'll be a true "no buy" month.

Naomi

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 83
Still at $0 spent. Oh, I did eat a banana from a bunch my husband bought so whatever a banana costs these days. Finishing up the food I already have. Will need to put gas in my car soon and that's about it.
I ran tonight in the dark and took my husband's headlamp (ended up not using it bc there was enough light) and I had it on my head for 5 minutes and I don't like how it feels. Started looking for waist lights for running, but I also don't like things bouncing around my waist and don't want to buy something without trying it on.
I don't run that much at night anyway so his headlamp is fine if I need one.


« Last Edit: January 11, 2023, 10:49:31 PM by Naomi »

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
My personal rules for this challenge don't include food or experiences..it's material objects that I'm attempting to limit.
So far, so good.  My ski boots need a new liner but I doubled up socks today and I think that's going to do the trick.

I like how thrift-store visits just aren't on my radar as entertainment right now (BUT I've managed to do my yoga daily so the time is positively going elsewhere).

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
My personal rules for this challenge don't include food or experiences..it's material objects that I'm attempting to limit.

Same for me.

I placed a few last-minute Etsy and Amazon orders on December 30-31. Those packages have all arrived now...so no more stuff at my door for a looooooonnnngggg time!  :)  :(

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
I was so tempted to buy things I didn't need today!  I'd placed a bolt of Insul Bright into my online cart at Joann yesterday, and decided to sleep on it.  This morning the Insul Bright was on a better sale that started today, plus I had an email offering me an extra 25% off everything (except door busters).  I found myself poking around the Christmas clearance items (pretty ribbons) and trying to figure out if I should buy thread and rotary blades now with the coupon (and a sale) or wait until they are truly needed.  I looked at fabric to make the insulated door curtain.  Ribbons went into the cart.  But then I reminded myself that even if I were to need Christmas ribbons for a project later in the year, I don't need them now for any specific projects, and was likely wanting to buy them because I like collect pretty things, especially pretty craft items.  Ribbons were removed from the cart.
 
So I ordered the Insul Bright only, since that is the only thing I need.  I'm going to repurpose some blackout curtains to sew the insulated door curtain.  I'll also be using the Insul Bright for place mats and to make insulated panels for several windows (to go up against the glass behind the drapes.  I got the 10 yard bolt for $35.99 instead of $79.99, so I think I did okay.  The by the yard version wasn't on sale and would have been $6 per yard with the coupon, versus the $3.60 per yard I paid by buying a bolt.

Looking ahead to a several birthdays coming up that we celebrate with gifts, we decided to gift one person cash (as that is most needed), to gift another person a no-longer-used-by-me Apple Watch (family member recently mentioned to DH that they would like to have one) plus dinner out, and I'm sewing a gift using fabric and thread I already have for the other person's birthday, which isn't for another 6 weeks but I need mailing time and also don't want to procrastinate and end up buying something instead.  Yes, gifts for certain family members would be okay for this challenge, but it's still nice to come up with other options when we can.

In other necessary spending, I bought a mixed nuts (DH) and a box of 5 dozen eggs.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2023, 10:39:30 AM by K_in_the_kitchen »

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
So far so good. Only spending has been on essentials: bike (commuter) maintenance, train pass (commuting), food, housing. I know from experience thst this will get harder in some ways, and easier in others, so taking it a day at a time.

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
So far, so good. Went to Sam's, spent only $30 on ingredients. Returned 2 items, got $15 credit.

We were reviewing purchases for a reno project we're just wrapping up. Noticed we were overcharged $200 on a large appliance package. Stopped by the store and got the $200, plus tax, refunded.

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
Good job @Dicey ! That’s a big mistake on their part, glad you caught it.

So far, doing well.
Need to pick up the two books that were ordered from our local bookstore in December but only just arrived last week.

dcheesi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1309
Update: lost another article of clothing (my favorite hat) over the weekend; the wind down at the shore just whipped it clean off my head, and it was out of sight before I could turn around and look for it. But I have other hats... (*sigh*)

I also saw a post elsewhere about a certain Dudely vestment being half-price today; I'll admit I looked, but even at half-off it's still way more than I (or the Dude, most likely) would ever be willing to pay for a humble cardigan.

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
well, I made my first spend on a non food item in 2023. I lasted a whole 16 days, and then succumbed to the eBay purchase of a Raclette grill.... so that we can make grilled cheesy goodness at home, but yea, it was $100 I didn't *have* to spend. Although I sat on the idea for a while, and did research other options, including whether we could DIY it on our pancake griddle.


GardenBaker

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 148
I've been doing a no spend January already. I need to cut back on frivolous purchases for the year and use / be content with what I have. Some exceptions for me:

Gifts - birthdays, anniversary's and Christmas. My family really celebrates, so it's hard to cut these out without major disappointment.

Garden / Blog - As a side hustle, I write a garden blog so some of these purchases are business / professional development. Web hosting, photo editing, classes, need a few gardening tools that are planned.

I'm bad about buying clothes, shoes and home decor. Those are the things this challenge will help with.

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
Need to pick up the two books that were ordered from our local bookstore in December but only just arrived last week.

I went to pick up these books and received 25% off one of them due to a slightly damaged corner (they offered, I barely noticed it!) and then another $22 off because I had filled a card (they do a buy 9, receive a discount on the 10th). Saved almost $30.

It’s my mothers bday today and I am offering her money towards either a massage or a trip to her country-of-origin which she has been dreaming of. Not as frugal as I could be but also not adding to material clutter either way (plus, she is almost 80 and I want her to experience these things while she can)

*update--she refused the gift saying she didn't need anything and that I should save it myself in case I can go with her
« Last Edit: January 17, 2023, 12:47:27 PM by Serendip »

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
well, I made my first spend on a non food item in 2023. I lasted a whole 16 days, and then succumbed to the eBay purchase of a Raclette grill.... so that we can make grilled cheesy goodness at home, but yea, it was $100 I didn't *have* to spend. Although I sat on the idea for a while, and did research other options, including whether we could DIY it on our pancake griddle.
Lol, my mustachian brain interpreted this as you didn’t have the money to spend, but did it anyway. Pretty sure that's not the case ;-)

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Two more purchases, in the realm of necessary and food.  I ordered a box of 300 lens wipes (the last box was purchased almost 3 years ago) and I ordered our Valentine's chocolate (a case of Tony's Chocolonely bars) because I could cover part of it with an Amazon gift card, I wanted to order while the weather is cold, I like to have it way in advance in case it is out of stock at V-Day, and also because I ate a mini Tony's chocolate bar I thought DH didn't want and he asked about it yesterday -- oops!  A case is 15 bars but that is the way to get the lowest price per bar, and we'll share a bar each Sunday for a few months.

But really I'm just humming along, enjoying the break from shopping and buying, and I've realized I don't need to update the budget daily when we're hardly spending any money.

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
well, I made my first spend on a non food item in 2023. I lasted a whole 16 days, and then succumbed to the eBay purchase of a Raclette grill.... so that we can make grilled cheesy goodness at home, but yea, it was $100 I didn't *have* to spend. Although I sat on the idea for a while, and did research other options, including whether we could DIY it on our pancake griddle.
Lol, my mustachian brain interpreted this as you didn’t have the money to spend, but did it anyway. Pretty sure that's not the case ;-)

LOL yea, I had the money, I just was trying to pad the bank account instead of feed the consumption brain.... Alas, I failed, but I did buy used, and I also did think on it a bit.... so,... still a fail, but could have been worse.

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!
I took one for the team and looked. Meh.

Sorry, @Weisass, it doesn't tempt me at all. Of course, I don't know which version you bought, but where the hell would I store it?

JAYSLOL

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2137
Mostly good so far this year, other than food, I did end up making an impulse purchase, but it was such a good deal that I’m happy to break the challenge to make an exception.  Was a used gas-powered Honda snowblower that was posted on marketplace as-is for $30.  I’m pretty handy with equipment and I got it running in 10 minutes with nothing but a carb clean and some new fuel.  It works pretty awesome now, so I’m debating whether to keep it or not, identical ones in good running shape are $300-400, but it made short work of my driveway and I don’t have much money in it. 

Turtle

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Pencil Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 592
Mostly good so far this year, other than food, I did end up making an impulse purchase, but it was such a good deal that I’m happy to break the challenge to make an exception.  Was a used gas-powered Honda snowblower that was posted on marketplace as-is for $30.  I’m pretty handy with equipment and I got it running in 10 minutes with nothing but a carb clean and some new fuel.  It works pretty awesome now, so I’m debating whether to keep it or not, identical ones in good running shape are $300-400, but it made short work of my driveway and I don’t have much money in it.

That's awesome!  I'd vote for keeping it.

Padonak

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1022
Im currently a nomad so every time I buy something I have to get rid of something else to free up space for luggage. Which means that I buy very little other than food and consumables.

JAYSLOL

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2137
Mostly good so far this year, other than food, I did end up making an impulse purchase, but it was such a good deal that I’m happy to break the challenge to make an exception.  Was a used gas-powered Honda snowblower that was posted on marketplace as-is for $30.  I’m pretty handy with equipment and I got it running in 10 minutes with nothing but a carb clean and some new fuel.  It works pretty awesome now, so I’m debating whether to keep it or not, identical ones in good running shape are $300-400, but it made short work of my driveway and I don’t have much money in it.

That's awesome!  I'd vote for keeping it.

I’m kind of leaning towards using it for the rest of the winter and see how much I really get out of keeping it, and then if i decide to sell it I’ll have the summer to give it a good cleaning and list it in mid-late fall for maximum dollar

dcheesi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1309
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!
Since the traditional method was just to heat some cheese over a fire, you can certain get your raclette on without the grill. I haven't tried it at home, but there are lots of suggested methods floating around, e.g. https://cookthestory.com/raclette/

FWIW I've had it both with the little grill, and done the more traditional way (hot cheese scraped directly from the wheel), and I personally prefer the latter. But of course the former is more convenient and possibly less messy.

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!
I took one for the team and looked. Meh.

Sorry, @Weisass, it doesn't tempt me at all. Of course, I don't know which version you bought, but where the hell would I store it?

I’m personally planning to store it in one of the many cabinets in my kitchen that aren’t full of crap, because I don’t buy a bunch of useless stuff 😉

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!
I took one for the team and looked. Meh.

Sorry, @Weisass, it doesn't tempt me at all. Of course, I don't know which version you bought, but where the hell would I store it?

I’m personally planning to store it in one of the many cabinets in my kitchen that aren’t full of crap, because I don’t buy a bunch of useless stuff 😉
I don't buy a bunch of crap either, and a huge percentage of what I have is second hand, including Breville, All-Clad, Calphalon,etc. I just cook every damn meal at home and have somehow managed to fill my cupboards with quality gear. When the Bonus Kid moves out and I'm no longer cooking for four adults, I'm going to purge the shit out of my house. The whole house, not just the kitchen.

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
One thing I’m liking so far about this challenge is that a bit of time has been freed up. Any time normally spent browsing websites or on a thrift-store mission has been redirected towards yoga (at home), reading or art-making.  Funny that I’m already noticing this and we’re not even three weeks in :)

JAYSLOL

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2137
Ok, I slipped up again today, went to a liquidation place that was having a big sale, only planned to look for essentials, need some bigger clothes for our kid, but ended up spotting a really nice winter jacket for pretty cheap and got it.  Wasn’t really a need, I’ve got plenty of clothing and jackets, just not a jacket in this style.  I vow not to slip up for at least the rest of the month. 

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
I have never heard of a Raclette grill. But since I love love love grilled cheese sandwiches, I am refusing to Google it in order to avoid temptation. Maybe next year!
I took one for the team and looked. Meh.

Sorry, @Weisass, it doesn't tempt me at all. Of course, I don't know which version you bought, but where the hell would I store it?

I’m personally planning to store it in one of the many cabinets in my kitchen that aren’t full of crap, because I don’t buy a bunch of useless stuff 😉
I don't buy a bunch of crap either, and a huge percentage of what I have is second hand, including Breville, All-Clad, Calphalon,etc. I just cook every damn meal at home and have somehow managed to fill my cupboards with quality gear. When the Bonus Kid moves out and I'm no longer cooking for four adults, I'm going to purge the shit out of my house. The whole house, not just the kitchen.

Oh man you and I clearly speak the same language…

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Well, the decision was made today to finally buy some Souper Cubes for food storage.  It was either buy these (or something like them) or buy something else to freeze stock, soups, leftovers, etc. in.  I've been using repurposed quart containers from yogurt, but they only last so long with the freezing and thawing (especially the lids), and now that we haven't bought yogurt for a long time, my supply of containers has dried up (to be honest I only had about 6, plus a few Daisy sour cream containers).  I don't freeze in glass, in part because my family breaks the jars when they dig through the freezer, but also because I can't pop out frozen stock from a mason jar.  We'd already decided that we will be choosing silicone over plastic for most kitchen applications for which glass isn't applicable.  (Which reminds me that I need to put Stasher-style bags on my allowed buy list for 2023, for when we finish the plastic storage bags we already have.  I plan to keep track of how ofter we use bags and in which sizes, so I can get an idea of how many we might need.)

I feel like this was a grey area purchase.  If I were purchasing deli-type containers they would probably just be considered the same as buying foil or plastic bags, and I wouldn't even be thinking they weren't an approved purchase.  Plus, as a couple of other posters have written, I cook all of our meals at home everyday, from scratch, with the exception of a 1-2 meals out monthly for special occasions such as extended family birthdays.  For 2023 we committed to coming up with at home solutions for those times when the day goes sideways and we still need to eat, which is one reason I'm freezing more cooked meals.  At the same time, they do cost a lot more than just buying deli-style freezer containers (in part because they are safer than plastic, more environmentally sound than plastic, and last longer than plastic).

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
At the [mostly Costco returns] scratch and dent store, they had sets of silicone food storage bags that stand up on their own and have zip-loch closures. They were about $52. It seemed insanely expensive, but still intriguing. Since I'm doing this challenge, I resisted. Also, I had never seen them at Costco, so I had no idea if the asking price was a significant reduction. Had they been less expensive, I might have caved, for all the excellent reasons you cited.

Freedomin5

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6485
I had to Google souper cubes. Never heard of them before. How are they different from silicone ice cube trays? Some ice cube trays come with lids and are less expensive than Souper Cubes.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
I had to Google souper cubes. Never heard of them before. How are they different from silicone ice cube trays? Some ice cube trays come with lids and are less expensive than Souper Cubes.
I think they are different in that they are have embedded steel frames to reinforce them, and come in various sizes.  When they arrive I'll be able to tell if the silicone is thicker, as advertised.  I was definitely looking for the larger portion trays rather than ice cube trays.  I did have a coupon code for the Souper Cubes, and got the trays that freeze in 2 cup, 1 cup, 1/2 cup, and 2 T. portions.  Like I said, it feels kind of grey area, but I did need something to freeze stock and other liquids in.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
At the [mostly Costco returns] scratch and dent store, they had sets of silicone food storage bags that stand up on their own and have zip-loch closures. They were about $52. It seemed insanely expensive, but still intriguing. Since I'm doing this challenge, I resisted. Also, I had never seen them at Costco, so I had no idea if the asking price was a significant reduction. Had they been less expensive, I might have caved, for all the excellent reasons you cited.

They do seem insanely expensive to me as well, so I'm going to experiment with just 1-2 bags before we run out of Ziplocs.  We've already switched away from most disposables (while we rewash the sturdier zipper bags if they haven't held meat, they do end up being disposable).  I really think I'll only need them for freezer storage and travel, as we use glass for most everything else.  Glass in the RV fridge turns out not to be so great, except in the door and separated by non glass items.

Edited to add: Since you mentioned Costco, I looked and they don't have them, but Sam's Club has a set of 7 for $30.  They aren't Stasher brand, but are the higher end "platinum" silicone.  So now the question is do I buy them from Sam's Club to try out?  They will be a need later this year, but aren't right now.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2023, 02:55:06 PM by K_in_the_kitchen »

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
At the [mostly Costco returns] scratch and dent store, they had sets of silicone food storage bags that stand up on their own and have zip-loch closures. They were about $52. It seemed insanely expensive, but still intriguing. Since I'm doing this challenge, I resisted. Also, I had never seen them at Costco, so I had no idea if the asking price was a significant reduction. Had they been less expensive, I might have caved, for all the excellent reasons you cited.

They do seem insanely expensive to me as well, so I'm going to experiment with just 1-2 bags before we run out of Ziplocs.  We've already switched away from most disposables (while we rewash the sturdier zipper bags if they haven't held meat, they do end up being disposable).  I really think I'll only need them for freezer storage and travel, as we use glass for most everything else.  Glass in the RV fridge turns out not to be so great, except in the door and separated by non glass items.

Edited to add: Since you mentioned Costco, I looked and they don't have them, but Sam's Club has a set of 7 for $30.  They aren't Stasher brand, but are the higher end "platinum" silicone.  So now the question is do I buy them from Sam's Club to try out?  They will be a need later this year, but aren't right now.
OMG, I have so many plastic bags which I wash and re-use, there's no way I can justify these. I do think it's a great idea to try just a few first. Funny, I've been having good luck with Pyrex glass dishes for the RV. I got a screaming deal on some small and medium covered rectangles. I was looking to buy lids for the ones I have and the whole set was cheaper than just a few lids. Anyway, I batch cook lasagne, stuffed shells and some of Metalcat's awesome recipes and freeze them. They fit well and help keep the freezer cold. Of course, it's just two of us, so the small dishes are plenty for dinner for two. You have more hungry eaters to feed.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
OMG, I have so many plastic bags which I wash and re-use, there's no way I can justify these. I do think it's a great idea to try just a few first. Funny, I've been having good luck with Pyrex glass dishes for the RV. I got a screaming deal on some small and medium covered rectangles. I was looking to buy lids for the ones I have and the whole set was cheaper than just a few lids. Anyway, I batch cook lasagne, stuffed shells and some of Metalcat's awesome recipes and freeze them. They fit well and help keep the freezer cold. Of course, it's just two of us, so the small dishes are plenty for dinner for two. You have more hungry eaters to feed.
I got my hands on an on-sale Stasher bag to check it out, and it's a no-go for me.  The seal looks incredibly hard to keep clean, and you can't turn them inside out to dry.  Eventually I'll start looking for other options, but I'm not going to bother now while I still have various zipper seal bags, as well as vacuum seal bags for meat and sous vide.  The Stasher bag is going back to Amazon.

For short trips I do like the Snapware Pyrex in the RV fridge, and I feel like the lids help prevent the glass containers from banging into each other, but for longer trips they just take up too much space.  We'll get to a place where we need to restock the fridge and have all of these empty containers we're carrying around inside the fridge because the camper van is so tight on space.  Zipper seal bags work really well in the RV, and then we repurpose them as dog waste bags.

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22320
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Yesterday, I met up with three Forum Friends for a tour of the Condo Conversion. Three of us then went to lunch. It cost a shocking $30 each  and was worth every penny. (The forth person couldn't stay for lunch, because they had other v. badass mustachian plans.)
 
Meeting Forum Friends IRL is a worthwhile endeavor, which I highly recommend.

Note: this meetup happened on the fly. Going to a restaurant was the most expedient option, given the logistics. I'm just shocked at food prices because I rarely eat out, and because I'm doing this challenge. Have I mentioned it was totally worth it?

Back on the wagon today.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Yesterday, I met up with three Forum Friends for a tour of the Condo Conversion. Three of us then went to lunch. It cost a shocking $30 each  and was worth every penny. (The forth person couldn't stay for lunch, because they had other v. badass mustachian plans.)
 
Meeting Forum Friends IRL is a worthwhile endeavor, which I highly recommend.

Note: this meetup happened on the fly. Going to a restaurant was the most expedient option, given the logistics. I'm just shocked at food prices because I rarely eat out, and because I'm doing this challenge. Have I mentioned it was totally worth it?

Back on the wagon today.
How fantastic for you to be able to meet up with forum members!

I'm likewise astounded by restaurant prices.  We've eaten three restaurant meals this month, all planned.  First was Thai takeout with college kid #1 before he headed back to school.  That was $70 (including 10% tip) and fed 3 of us one meal, 2 of us a second meal, and 1 of us a third meal.  DH and I went to a casual sit down restaurant for an anniversary, and each got a fancy burger and fries, water to drink, and that was $47 with tip.  Becoming more aware of the price of restaurant meals, we planned a birthday dinner for a family member at a fast casual restaurant that serves fish (birthday person doesn't eat meat), and that was $85 (no tip) for 6 people, with two people choosing a bowl of clam chowder versus a full meal, and everyone drinking water.  But as you say, it was worth it for the experience.  Next month doesn't have any meals planned out, but I do have it penciled in that it would be okay to do lunch with friends once.  That ends up being spontaneous, but I plan for it, if that makes sense.

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
Had my first *almost* slip-up when I found myself looking up a book that I heard an artist mention in a lecture.

Thankfully, my local bookstore can't bring it in and I try not to buy from Amazon,  so when I saw that they were my option--it helped remind me why I am doing this challenge.  I don't need more.

GardenBaker

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 148
I had planned on buying some baskets for a home organization project, but decided to try the thrift and antique stores first. I'm glad to say I found 3 large baskets that were well made and spent less than I would have at Wal-Mart or Target. I also felt better buying used as I'm not supporting made in China or unethical labor practices of producing more mass quantity goods.

Downside is the antique store is next door to a local homemade ice cream shop; I bought a quart of decadent ice cream to put in our freezer.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Had my first *almost* slip-up when I found myself looking up a book that I heard an artist mention in a lecture.

Thankfully, my local bookstore can't bring it in and I try not to buy from Amazon,  so when I saw that they were my option--it helped remind me why I am doing this challenge.  I don't need more.
Trying not to buy from Amazon sounds like a good strategy to create a pause before buying a book.

I think books are the item I'm most likely to slip up on.  So far I haven't bought any, but already I've had two books personally recommended to me, in addition to all the books that grab my attention through other means, and I realized I didn't make a proviso for the potential book club my small group has been thinking about starting.

amyj05

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 208
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Southside Virginia
PTF

I just found this thread, but I'm already doing the Uber Frugal Month challenge for January, so I'll join this and try to continue for the rest of the year. My goal is to not buy anything for myself this year except necessities (mortgage, car payment, food, insurance, etc.) I have plenty of clothes and shoes already and don't NEED anything off Amazon. I've already purchased a ticket for a music festival in September, so I won't count what I spend there. (I'm already saving money from my part-time job for this.)

Serendip

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2210
Had my first *almost* slip-up when I found myself looking up a book that I heard an artist mention in a lecture.

Thankfully, my local bookstore can't bring it in and I try not to buy from Amazon,  so when I saw that they were my option--it helped remind me why I am doing this challenge.  I don't need more.
Trying not to buy from Amazon sounds like a good strategy to create a pause before buying a book.

I think books are the item I'm most likely to slip up on.  So far I haven't bought any, but already I've had two books personally recommended to me, in addition to all the books that grab my attention through other means, and I realized I didn't make a proviso for the potential book club my small group has been thinking about starting.

I agree..books are the big thing for me but since I have access to a wonderful library and a bookshelf full of unread books at home, I really need to practice restraint :) I will give myself some leeway IF my bookclub picks a book that I can't access by borrowing..

Sailor Sam

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5731
  • Age: 43
  • Location: Steel Beach
  • Semper...something
I ordered 3 items off Amazon last night, and I'm all in a froth deciding if I should cancel the order or just let it happen.

Want to come on the saga?

1. I have a legitimate need for a stopwatch. A traditional stopwatch, with 3 buttons and hangs on a string. I checked Target and Walmart, but there aren't any local stopwatches. The obvious solution is Amazon.  $8.99

2. I have a kind-of need for a padded sleeve to velcro over a car seatbelt, to protect my poor post-surgical chest from the seatbelt rubbing. $15,99

Late last night, after lying in bed and reviewing my life instead of sleeping, I hopped on Amazon on my phone and ordered items 1 & 2. The total was $0.02 short of qualifying for free shipping. So I threw in:

3. A kind-of need for a thingum to attach an AirTag to a dog harness.

Today, I added the $40 to my tracking spreadsheet, then sighed about how many entries there are, considering I've just launched a selective buying year of "no stuff."  The brain circles. I need the two things. But do I need the third thing? No. But it's dumb to pay shipping over $0.02. But I could make the seatbelt thing out of a towel, it's dumb to buy something that will be obsolete in 3 months. But it's dumb to pay $6 shipping on a $9 item!



Update! I typed out the first sentence, and got to the word "need," and canceled the seatbelt pad and AirTag tracker. The only actual need is the stopwatch. $15.99 including shipping.



THEN! I thought to look at Dick's Sporting Goods, and they have stopwatches in stock. $14.99, instead of $8.99. Still saving a dollar, and only getting what I need.



tl;dr = self-justification really is a sneaky little jerk.

Weisass

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
    • "Deeper In Me Than I"
I ordered 3 items off Amazon last night, and I'm all in a froth deciding if I should cancel the order or just let it happen.

Want to come on the saga?

1. I have a legitimate need for a stopwatch. A traditional stopwatch, with 3 buttons and hangs on a string. I checked Target and Walmart, but there aren't any local stopwatches. The obvious solution is Amazon.  $8.99

2. I have a kind-of need for a padded sleeve to velcro over a car seatbelt, to protect my poor post-surgical chest from the seatbelt rubbing. $15,99

Late last night, after lying in bed and reviewing my life instead of sleeping, I hopped on Amazon on my phone and ordered items 1 & 2. The total was $0.02 short of qualifying for free shipping. So I threw in:

3. A kind-of need for a thingum to attach an AirTag to a dog harness.

Today, I added the $40 to my tracking spreadsheet, then sighed about how many entries there are, considering I've just launched a selective buying year of "no stuff."  The brain circles. I need the two things. But do I need the third thing? No. But it's dumb to pay shipping over $0.02. But I could make the seatbelt thing out of a towel, it's dumb to buy something that will be obsolete in 3 months. But it's dumb to pay $6 shipping on a $9 item!



Update! I typed out the first sentence, and got to the word "need," and canceled the seatbelt pad and AirTag tracker. The only actual need is the stopwatch. $15.99 including shipping.



THEN! I thought to look at Dick's Sporting Goods, and they have stopwatches in stock. $14.99, instead of $8.99. Still saving a dollar, and only getting what I need.



tl;dr = self-justification really is a sneaky little jerk.

This is the sort of self examination that having a quarantine period for your Amazon cart helps with, in my experience! Time really helps me separate whether I really need something or am just trying to convince myself in the moment.