Today is a No-Spending Day

and that includes the internet! Its kind of sad, because now I have written that, I am itching to order some summer dresses from Boden online- but won´t! I feel I need a few “bigger” things to tide me over for a few months. I prefer dresses to skirts and tops as well – less thinking required. However, I can´t afford it right now, so will be STRONG and find some other things to distract me- I have a few good movies to watch for example and plenty of little jobs around the home.

Its not SO hard to uphold a no-spending day though today as a) no shops are open and b) I am staying at home and resting. Yesterday I spent six hours in a beer garden with friends before my back had had enough. We had another lovely picnic and I drank two litres of alcohol free beer mixed with lemonade – tasted like the real thing!

Boy, its quiet though – I somewhat miss the buzz of family life when they are gone for such a long time.

Filed under: No Spending Days

No Spending Days

I love the idea of No Spending Days as explained so well by Notes from the Frugal Trenches.

I do this unconsciously a lot of days during the week now, being pregnant and ill has certainly helped me to not go out and shop! If I have enough food in the house for the kids, I have no need to spend money daily – the secret seems to be to plan ahead of course and make sure I have enough for meals in the cupboard – that is why it is going to be so important to make a menu plan as I want to start doing in April.

If I ride my bike around, I can avoid public transport fees – we have a little trailer as well that I can pull the baby in once it is old enough.
Once I am out and about pushing the pram around the local shops again (walking distance) I will endeavour to always take water and healthy snacks with me from home.

Entering the grocery shop here even to pick up a few things, always seems to result in more than a few things, so I will have to make a more “conscious” effort to make do with what we have at home. Luckily all shops are closed on Sundays in Germany, so I have a head start there as long as we don´t eat out

I seem to be focusing on food spending mostly with my thoughts, probably because I feel that currently this the area of spending that I have least control over. I am not planning to buy any clothes or personal items for myself for a long while (except necessary toiletries and cosmetics) and whatever I need to buy for the children is conscious spending.

For example, I know my daughter has grown so much this past year, she fits into virtually nothing from last year and needs a new summer wardrobe. I have made a list to start with: 6 t-shirts, 4 skirts, 4 dresses, 2 pairs of sandals. This is spending I just can´t avoid unless I want her running around flashing her midriff and underwear… Luckily her Crocs from last summer, swimsuit (which I purposely bought too big) and various lightweight cardigans and jackets still fit

Filed under: No Spending Days