Review of living on a shoestring in January

I can't believe a whole month has gone by already.  This last week, especially, has flown by so fast that I only managed to write one post!  As the first month of my challenge is coming to a close today, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on it and also think about what I will focus on in February.

Not spending money has really made me happy this month.  I have gained great satisfaction from thinking hard about all the purchases I made and each time considering whether there is a way to save money - either from making my own or fixing something I already have or simply doing without.

Today is my middle child's birthday - he is 6 today.  He announced yesterday that he must have a badge so that everyone know it is his birthday!  He has been counting down to this day since after Christmas and it was lovely to see him so delighted with his gifts.  I think he assumed that he would be getting a badge on a card, but so far the cards that had come through the post were all in flat envelopes - so it wasn't looking hopeful.  At 10pm last night, I had a sudden burst of creativity.  Both my sons are great horders and keep things like badges.  So amongst their bits and bobs box I found an old badge which was perfect for adapting for the special occasion.  With some red stickers and a black pen I managed to create this - which for my son, was just what he wanted and I got a big hug this morning for my efforts.  I was really pleased!  I have so much enjoyed using the craft materials we have for a birthday card earlier this month and now the badge and have also really thrived on spending a little bit of time sewing!  Something I have not done for some time unless really essential!

My son's home-made birthday badge!

So over the last few weeks I have got out of the habit of "just buying things".  Apart from the odd energy boost  (a packet of crisps or chocolate bar), the items I have bought this month have all been necessary items: generally food and household sundries, gifts for birthdays etc. and paying bills and for children's activities.  Now that the first part of challenge is established - changing my mind-set - I need to focus more on particular areas and on how to make savings rather than just thinking about not spending unnecessarily.  February is going to focus on foodstuffs and looking at the weekly food shop:  How can I reduce my food bill and what do I really need?  I get a lot of satisfaction from cooking and enjoying good food and as it is essential to eat I am not being too strict on food and drink.  However, I think this is an area where there is a lot to think about and where savings can probably be made fairly easily.  I am also someone who likes to shop ethically and so I will discuss some of these issues regarding food.  I tend to write about things which I have been inspired by - from what I see around me or from what I have watched, heard or read in the media recently.  So after hearing about the production of cocoa and child labour on Radio 4, and then seeing a t.v. programme about a family who spent £200 a week on food - my head is now full of ideas to share on my blog next month!

More temptation!

This week, my work returned to normal.  No more exam period - so no more marking at home in slippers by the fire with the dog.  Today, I was back to my usual routine of wearing my smart clothes and going into the office for meetings and preparing for the next semester of teaching.  With these changes, comes more daily temptation to spend.  First there is the car parking, then the bottle of water from the newsagent, snacks for the day to sustain me - not to mention having to walk past Rymans (I love stationery) and the Oxfam bookshop!

I didn't do badly for my first day.  I stuffed my smart boots into a carrier bag and parked by the Common so that I could walk in, wearing my wellies.  The reason for this was not so that I could wear my wellies, although they are very comfy, but actually to save money on the NCP that can eat £20 of my money a week if I am not careful.  So first mission accomplished!  I also remembered to fill up my water bottle, so no need to buy bottles of water today.  I glided past Rymans and Oxfam - no problem!  The only slight set-back was buying lunch - but I didn't have home-made bread ready at home, and so I guess that was a necessity and after my long, energy sapping day, I did buy a box of cereal bars to keep me going.  I do think food is a special category and I do promise to return to this topic another day.

I was happy to get home and back into my slippers, away from the shops and with time to sit by the fire with my children and my dog - and without too much damage done.

Bye for now

A testing week

This was the first week that my year on a shoestring began to feel like a real challenge.  I guess the first couple of weeks were a novelty anyway and having just had Christmas I didn't feel the need to go near the shops really.

This week I had to buy two new baby gifts and also look for three children's birthday presents which were coming up - so I had to brave the town centre!  I decided to go to the retail park where Mothercare and Boots the Chemist were near to each other; so I should have been able to do all my shopping in those two stores, thereby minimizing the temptations!  As well as the gifts, I also needed to get three essentials for myself: a toothbrush, make-up remover and a nail file - which sounds straightforward.  I started in Mothercare and was managing well.  It dawned on me, though, that I could enter Boots and be very easily swayed into the aisles with all the lovely hand creams, bubble baths etc.  So a last minute tool that saved the day - a piece of card and pen from my bag on which to jot a quick list of those three items to help me keep focused!  It worked; I did veer a little off course near the nail files, but looking at the list was enough to then send me in the right direction to finish my essential shopping and get out of the shop again!

As well as finding my lists useful this week, I also learned something interesting about myself.  I always thought that if I had more time, I would spend more time filling my wardrobe and house with lovely things from the shops - but that doesn't seem to have happened.  A friend said to me today "I never took you for a shopper, I thought you were too busy".  I see what she means but I have only recently worked out that since I have taken some time off work, and been less busy in general, I now seem to need the little retail rewards less.  I suppose that before I did not have time to do the activities I enjoyed for myself such as walking, swimming or reading - and so I made myself feel better by buying myself a treat (which only worked as a short term feel-good solution).  Now I have taken stock and re-assessed what I can fit into my busy week with three children and a job. I've focused more on spending time with my children and on activities for myself rather than immersing myself so much into work - and as a result I find that I don't need to shop!

Bye for now

Fun things to do in the winter that are free:

As money is now something I only spend out of necessity, I have to think a bit harder about what to do for fun!  The first thing that springs to mind as a winter activity is sledging.  One problem - we haven't had any snow this winter.  I am ever hopeful and am convinced that the snowy, cold weather is just around the corner and in anticipation have all our waterproofs, woollies, welly socks and sledges ready and waiting...  Until then, I have been enjoying beautiful walks through woods, along the river and across the fields in my part of England.  We are lucky that we are surrounded by gorgeous country-side dotted with pretty villages and towns, so we can go on all types of walks around here.  I do think that anywhere in the UK, you are never far from a footpath or tow path or luscious park to walk through.

When the skies are not blue and the sun is not shining, I cuddle up on the sofa with the fire on and read my book and dig out my tapestries that desperately need finishing.  I am feeling in the mood to make things and fix things and as my sister bought me a beautiful sewing basket for Christmas, I have decided it is time now to sew on all those buttons and fix all those hems.  I am really excited about sitting down one evening and doing this - I know, not spending money is really having an effect on me!  The other projects I have lined up for myself this winter are: (not in any particular order)
1. Sorting out the loft and finally going to the tip and charity shops with my discoveries from up there.
2. Putting all my photos - which sit in a pile - into albums and frames; my daughter is already two and we still haven't finished her "first year" photo album.  Of course, instead of rushing out and buying new frames I will have to recycle what I already have - perhaps ones that have very out-of-date pictures in them or maybe I shall make some more mosaic frames?!
3. Trying out some more winter recipes and making marmalade (will keep you posted on my progress here).
4. Finally sorting out my shed so that I can once again make furniture.

I am famous in my family for making lists - often too ambitious, so some of the above I am sure will wait till the next season or next year, but it is enough to keep me busy for a while.

Bye for now.

Time to reflect...

It is the 16th January, so I have managed just over two weeks of my challenge.  I thought now would be a good time to see how well I am managing and whether I have had any set backs!  The most interesting thing to me is that this non-spending thing seems to have affected my mind-set in other ways.  I seem to just be taking things much more slowly, not rushing around so much, and thinking more creatively about things.  It was the son of a friend's birthday today, so on Friday, instead of rushing to the shops to buy a card, I sat in my dining room and made a card out of foam shapes.  I hope the two-year-old will be delighted with this train card!  I certainly had fun making it, it was funny using the kid's craft stuff when they were all at school and the child-minders!

I don't seem to carry money around with me now - I don't bother going to the cash-point unless I know there is something in particular that I need money for, which feels very liberating.  Last Tuesday, I couldn't find my cheque book and had no cash on me despite needing some for my weekly yoga class - something is telling me not to spend money! I truly have only bought things when I have needed them, apart from buying a packet of crisps on an afternoon where I had two pick-ups to do from school as one of my sons was doing a club that evening - so probably needed an extra energy boost!  Oh and a second hand book from our local post office for 50p!  The necessary spending has consisted of buying food and petrol, paying bills and writing out cheques for children's activities as per usual at the beginning of term.  In addition to those expenses, I had a dentist appointment and visit to the chiropractors which were also necessary but will be less frequent.   Thinking about my spending more has definitely meant that I explore my creative side much more and really don't want to spend at the moment - the packet of crisps purchase made me feel bad!

I still have a long way to go, but so far, so good.  I will keep you posted.

Bye for now.

The dilemma of gifts

What a difficult topic!

I am one for giving. I get a lot of satisfaction out of buying gifts for others, and hopefully as a result they are gratefully received.  I don't really go overboard, but if we are going to someone's for a meal, a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers is a typical gift from us.  Then obviously there are birthday and Christmas gifts, for family and close friends - and, increasingly, the children of friends.

We have a reasonable budget (most people would probably think it modest), we don't go overboard with wrapping (for environmental reasons), and we also like to give charity gifts.  The charity present idea has had mixed responses, though, and I will return to this in a separate post. There are a few issues I wanted to concentrate on here. These fall under the heading of gifts from me, gifts for my children, and gifts to me.

Gifts from me. Here, I suppose the simplest answer would be that you do not need to give gifts, so I shouldn't buy them at all this year.  However, these are not things for myself and one of the things that bugs me about modern life is that we are so focused on our own lives now (of course that is a generalisation), and so at least buying a gift is a token/ way of showing that you have thought about someone else.  I also think that gifts can be useful things; I don't believe in buying things for the sake of it, or because they come in glossy wrapping.  I try to think about whether the person I am giving to needs anything, and if that would be appreciated as a gift.  Sometimes of course I will actually ask them if they would like anything in particular, or if I know them well, then I may have observed something they could do with.  So I think for this year, I will just be extra careful to make sure I am buying useful gifts for people.

Gifts for my children. Well, just in case they're reading, I should make clear that I do think they should have presents for birthdays and Christmas!  After all I  shouldn't inflict my experiment on them!  Again, we believe things should be given in moderation and have in the past had a 'Victorian Christmas' where everyone in the family clubs together to give each member one present.  We don't do that every year, but it balances out the other years when there seem to be mountains of presents under the tree!  For my children, the most important thing  is that they learn to appreciate what they have.  It is a slow process!

Gifts to me. I will try not to get around 'the not spending money' thing by encouraging other people to buy me presents, tempting though that might be. But I do think that it's okay to accept presents this year - isn't it?  But again, I will try to get my family to think about what I need rather than just buying me something because it is my birthday.

I guess the best solution for gifts would be to make them for others and to encourage others to make things for me. That way giving (and receiving) is much more rewarding and cheaper - perhaps using materials that I already have.  So I hope to work on this. I love crafts and I am getting into baking more, as well as making jams and preserves, so that is definitely an avenue I can explore!

We always have brown paper and ribbon ready for wrapping!

Bye for now.

Winter Indulgence

Our generous Christmas gifts

This is our selection of edible gifts that we were given at Christmas!

I have decided to do some regular features throughout the year.  The one that I will start with today is about the seasons, in which I'll discuss the links between the time of year and a type of spending.  So for winter, the focus will be on food.  I often compare myself to a hedgehog in the winter - not that hedgehogs spend money! - but the hibernating behaviour is similar.  The cold, dark evenings lure me to sit on my sofa by the fire and eat chocolate.  I find I need more sleep and more food in the cold months, and so my retail therapy in the past has concentrated around food at this time of year.  Do you ever find yourself going to the supermarket and picking up the nice-looking cheese in the authentic red and white checked packaging, or a big packet of crisps, when the purpose of the visit was simply to buy milk or juice?  I am a sucker for nicely-wrapped things, so biscuits in tins - perhaps reduced in price after Christmas - may well end up in my trolley simply because they look nice and tasty, and I would like a tin to keep after I have eaten the biscuits!

I think after Christmas can be a tricky time as there is an anti-climax after all the festivities.  Often the pay cheque has to last from mid-december until end of January rather than the usual 4 weeks and everything is a bit dreary.  So many people, including myself, will turn to spending: what deals can I get in the sales on household goods? It is so easy now with being able to do it through the computer from home.  Or why not book a holiday on the spur of the moment and cheer ourselves up? Something to look forward to or buy some new clothes to shake up the wardrobe?

Now I am unable to turn to those solutions, I sit on my sofa instead and eat the chocolates that others bought for me!  Is that ok?  Well I guess it is within the rules, but does not necessarily make me feel great long term!  I will return to the issue of food and drink - looking at necessities and luxuries and also the idea of giving gifts - but for now I think I just wanted to share my thoughts about surviving winter without spending.  For me, walking in the woods with my dog is a much better way to spend the day - it really does make me feel good.  I also like to sort in the winter - to collect up things in my house that need to be given away to charity or taken to the tip - it feels like a liberating way to start the new year.  I also always feel drawn towards the kitchen in the winter, to experiment with new recipes - and this again is very satisfying.  I guess these things don't take away the urge to buy, but I do think that when my day is full of other things, there is no time to shop and I feel better for it.

Bye for now.

Learning about the world of blogging!

Morning!  I was brave enough yesterday to let some friends know about my blog.  Not being very technically-minded myself, it has been useful to have comments from some of my friends about things that could be improved.  So, this post is just to let you know that I am working on things and please bear with me!
1. The date of posts needs to be sorted - as I sometimes start a blog a few days before I post it, but then the date of posting doesn't show.  So, it looks like I haven't done anything since the 1st January - this will be fixed soon.
2. Someone commented that the font was "killing their eyes" - I can see what they mean.  I thought it was pretty, but I guess it would be more useful if everyone could read it!  So that has changed now.
3. I apparently haven't switched on google reader - so I will look into this.  It doesn't mean anything to me, but I will find out!

I think that is it for now, but please tell me if there are any other hitches and I will try to sort them out.

Enjoy the weekend - hopefully a spending-free one!

Bye for now.

About Sophia

I thought that for those of you who are going to follow me on this journey - either as an observer or taking part with me, it would be useful for you to know a little more about me.  So here goes:

I wouldn't call myself particularly materialistic as a person to begin with. I'm a vegetarian, and am concerned about environmental issues and social issues - such as moving towards a more egalitarian society.  I'm not fussed about the latest fashions or having a flashy car or the latest I.T. gadget - we only got broad-band last year and do not have i-phones or the Wii in this household!  However, on the other hand, I do like nice things!  I like to think about what I am wearing, what jewellery to wear and having a homely house to live in.  I am a fan of John Lewis and little gift shops!  My biggest weakness is probably buying baskets and boots...  But I suppose we can get carried away sometimes!

Workwise, I trained as a barrister, and after working with the Crown Prosecution Service for a few years I then moved into teaching at universities (criminal law and criminology).  Outside of work, I have always enjoyed the outdoors and before children loved sailing.  For now, that is on the back burner: I now get my relaxation from yoga, walking and playing the piano.  When I get time, I love to bake with my kids and try out new recipes on my husband!  I also love gardening and doing crafts.  Again years ago when I had more time on my hands, I would spend time on our allotment in Bristol and spend my evenings at a woodwork workshop where I made some pieces of furniture (which was very satisfying).  Now, I keep busy with our very long garden and have a shed which is in the very long process of being turned into a woodwork workshop of my own - at least 2 years into the transformation already!

Coming back to the theme of spending money and gifts - which is something I will return to in my next post - my favourite presents have been weekend craft courses: making mosaics, a willow craft course and next on the list is book binding!  I am very excited!!  I guess that is a fair summary that will do for now.  On the topic of not spending - I am very pleased to say that out of the first 6 days of January I have not bought anything for myself, even passing sale signs  stating a tempting 70% off.  My only spending has been for others or paying bills - so far, so good!

Some mosaics we made:

The products of one of our craft evenings

Bye for now.  Sophia

Rules of living on a shoestring by choice

Now I have introduced the challenge, I guess it makes sense to set out the rules of the challenge.  I have already had chats about what should be included and excluded with my book club friends - all creating a lively e-mail exchange on a November's day.  For me, the experiment is not about radically changing my lifestyle or going to extremes but perhaps just becoming a little more reflective about my actions.  This is probably all the influence of my yoga teacher who I have been doing classes with for over a year now (and I'm hooked!)  So the yoga has become much more in my life than just the poses on the mat.   I will explain more later, but now for the dos and don'ts of living on a shoestring:

I can buy it if...:
1. it is essential
2. it cannot be fixed
3. it would save money in the long run
4. it is something that has been thought out and saved for - e.g. a holiday

I can't buy it if...:
1. it is retail therapy - a short-term fix for feeling happy!
2. it is something someone else I know has and I now fancy one!
3. I have simply been tempted by marketing or adverts but can't justify it as a necessity!

I am sure these will be refined as I go along, but it will do for a starting point.
Bye for now.

The year on a shoestring begins!

Sophia & Nuri

Since having this idea of not spending money for a year, I began to have slight anxieties about the challenge.  So my solution was to spend in the last few days of December!  I know this defeats the object slightly but it did make me relax about the task ahead and I rationalised the spending as it was only boring things such as a clothes airer and duvet covers for my daughter's bed!  On a positive note, I had a trial day at the end of November and was pleased with my small achievements!  I felt very satisfied in saving money by parking further away from work, for free on the road, and walking in - and making my own lunch rather than paying for expensive shop-bought sandwiches.  Simple but pleasing and encouraging for the year ahead, although the novelty may wear off!  I am always game for a challenge and looking forward to mending and making do and appreciating what I have rather than conforming to the throw away culture which we all seem to have adopted rather easily in our commercial, modern world!  Wish me luck.  Bye for now and enjoy the simple things in life.