No Money Challenge - Would love to hear if others have similar accomplishments!

[RainbowSearchParty]

So, I’ve been needing to save money after spending so much on unexpected emergencies these last few months. And I’ve realized that I haven’t bought anything other than food, medication and credits at the laundromat for the last ten days. It feels really good and I wonder if I can continue this through at least July. I can’t make more money (long story, but income is fixed) so the only way to save is with less money out.

The breakthrough for me: instead of concentrating on not spending money, I’ve been challenging myself to find solutions that accomplish the same, bring me similar pleasure, etc that are free. Concentrating on productive action (finding a solution) instead of inaction (not spending) is really helping.

Like today: vacuum cleaner broke. In the past I would have just bought a new one but instead I sat down, examined it, and managed to fix the broken part with duct tape. It’s a little janky but it works and I was able to get a clean home without spending anything.

Would love to hear if others have similar accomplishments! I know that there are a few of us trying to sort our financial situations.

 

[Friday]

I’ve been challenging myself to find solutions that accomplish the same, bring me similar pleasure, etc that are free. Concentrating on productive action (finding a solution) instead of inaction (not spending) is really helping.

<grin> That’s exactly what I did when my son was little.

- Swimming in the river, or running through the city fountains, or, or, or, free water cooling activities (instead of the community pool)

- Attending Dress Rehearsals for the ballet, opera, plays

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

 

[Rose White]

I saw this and thought of this thread. Didn’t even know it’s a thing!

 

[arfie]

you hit my strong suit, rose. it has often been speculated that it is my hatred of shopping which makes me such a gifted engineer. i'd rather fix things with duct tape and bobby pins than go shopping. i salute you on the duct tape fix. duct tape is second to none in my own workshop. wd-40 is its closest second. my sewing box is chock full of fix-it goodies. kitchen tools multi-purpose with elegant grace, especially for self-defense. if you ever want to stage a home invasion on me, make sure you keep me out of the kitchen. my most dangerous weapons look so innocent there.

my biggest money saver is to open my eyes and look around me. there are money-saving fixes and multi-use items everywhere i look.

 

[Rose White]

My kinda person @arfie ! Oh the things I could learn from you! Love fixing stuff!

 

[arfie]

my personal favorite of the names i have been called is, "bobby pin engineer." i can fix most anything with a bobby pin and a nail file. shhhhh. . . don't tell the boys. let them fix their own damned cars.

 

[RainbowSearchParty]

I love that there are other people who would rathr fix stuff than buy new stuff!

I'm still at this. However, it's hard because one of my biggest expenses is food and I just can't not eat. Eating has to happen. I'm working on making smarter food choices at the market, but it's a slow process.

 

[arfie]

I'm working on making smarter food choices at the market,

have you looked into wild food? i often get the most scrumptious of salads out of roadside ditches. breaking down components of my favorite processed foods helps allot, too. instead of buying an expensive trail mix, i can buy the components for a fraction of the cost. homemade bread can be balanced into a complete meal.

but it's a slow process.

are you saying this like it is a bad thing? diets, budgeting, etc are lifelong processes. it's okay if it takes a lifetime to work out a lifelong process.

 

[RainbowSearchParty]

@arfie No, I’ve never tried roadside food! I would be concerned because I live in a formerly industrial area, so not quite sure about the soil quality and any issues with heavy metals.

I am getting better at the component part, but get caught up with time - it’s always more time to search all the parts and assemble/cook things. But working on it. Made soup from scratch the other night and froze some of it. Have the ingredients to make a chili which will also be partially frozen. The last issue??? I LOVE fresh veg and fruit. That drives my costs up but I have a hard time not buying it because it’s obviously so much better for my health.

 

[arfie]

i can't testify to the plant absorption of chemicals, but i do know i've munched plants from currently active industrial areas with no problem i took note of. but for the most part, my foraging/grazing is an ideal excuse for walking through more idyllic areas.

for my shopping nickel, the produce department is still the cheapest section of the store and, yes, they are too healthy to make resistance sensible. a stroll down the baking aisle might be worth your effort. there are quite allot of mega healthy flours and grains in that aisle. ditto for the beans and rice aisle. beans and rice are mega healthy and super cheap.

be patient, rainbow. you've already asked the first questions to start building your awareness. that proverbial snowball will get bigger as it rolls. for what it's worth, i no longer need to pinch pennies (knock wood), but i continue down this line because it's fun and endlessly interesting. there's always something else to learn. i hold a pot of poor man's beans to be the best air freshener for any house. i've been known to simmer a pot of beans just to freshen the air in the house. i'm not wasting. i'm making compost. drying foraged herbs can also be great air freshener.

 

[RainbowSearchParty]

@arfie I'm mostly avoiding carbs these days while I try to fit back into my pants, so the baking aisle is not really my friend. But I am on board with dried beans. The soup I made was split pea (from dried) and the chili is from dried beans, too. I also am trying to be patient, but patience is hard ....

One of the challenges I'm having is learning about how much I can make vs how much I can consume. I live in an apartment with the world's smallest fridge/freezer, so storing lots for later isn't super practical.

 

[arfie]

I'm mostly avoiding carbs these days while I try to fit back into my pants, so the baking aisle is not really my friend.

look past the glitzy, pre-mixed and heavily promoted fat packs, my friend. you are looking for the huge variety of flours, grains, spices (herbs) etc. they are there and worth looking for. the practice in looking past the glitz will serve you in every aisle of your life. it is entirely possible to have nummy slices of high-fiber nutrition that satisfy the hunger far more deeply than the glitzy fat packs.