Ready, Set, No Shopping Week!!!

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Some of us are attempting a week of No Shopping, starting 9/25. We are tailoring it to our own individual, personal needs/goals. We're hoping that with support from each other, we can pull this off more easily than by trying to go it alone. On the original thread, Cindy mentioned that we will probably all learn some very interesting things about ourselves that we aren't anticipating.

Well, it's already happening. I went to Price Chopper this morning. I needed trash bags. (Here in Binghamton, we have to use special green bags purchased from the city, or they won't take your garbage.) While I was there, I gave myself permission to buy a few "quick" items that I would not ordinarily buy. (I'm doing this no-shopping for a longer period of time...til 10/31.) I slowly walked up and down each row, scanning all the cans and packages of prepared stuff....and could not find anything I wanted. Most of the "food" is so fake, so full of preservatives, or so expensive!! I looked at pop tart things, and my mind tells me "go home and make some pie dough, spread some jam on it, top with pie dough, voila! pop tarts." I looked at cake mixes that were on sale...why do they have so many ingredients? When we make cake, we use flour, eggs, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla. I thought maybe a few cans of soup might be nice. I looked at the ingredients in cream of mushroom soup, and all I could think about was the recipe that was just posted here for cream soup, containing a few fresh, wholesome ingredients. For the price of a can of lentil soup, full of ?, I can make a huge pot of vegetable-rich, nourishing, delicious soup. I looked at frozen french fries. $2.49 for a medium size bag. Nope, I have fresh dug potatos from my garden.

Well, I bought a package of cookies, a piece of mozzerella so I can make myself a pizza, milk, (can't wait to get a dairy "pet") and 5 lbs of onions. I'm ready. I'm saving money for my farm.

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), September 24, 2000

Answers

ACK! I HAVE to go shopping! I can't believe this, but I'm out of bags! Not a paper or plastic grocery sack in the house! (At least not one that isn't already being used.) Nobody mentioned the downside of not shopping! Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), September 24, 2000.

Congratulations Cathy, keep up the good work.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), September 24, 2000.

Best of luck to all who participate. If anyone starts having severe withdrawels(sp?) BAKE SOMETHING!!!

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), September 25, 2000.

Well it's monday a.m. lets go ! I may be coming back here to whin but it should be fun .Everyone try to update day by day .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 25, 2000.

I got dog food and valve cover gaskets and oil Saturday. But I do have to get Sweet Feed today, does that count? He wasn't home Sat. for us to pick it up. I will buy no food for us all week, if I do I will be honest and post it, OK? We have been living on BLT's for 3 weeks anyway!! So many tomatoes still! Gas dosen't count either does it? Have to have gas. Good luck everyone!

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), September 25, 2000.


Well, it looks like it's not a good week for me to shop fast. The Versailles Pumpkin Show is this week and Gary says we're going. Since we rarely go out on those kind of dates, it's a good thing. Then on Saturday, he's singing at two church events/pitch-ins, so we'll be gone a lot more than usual. Actually,an unfast for us would be good.

But I'll be with you in thought and spirit. And be reading all of you responses. God Bless you in your efforts.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), September 25, 2000.


Well, I'm not going to make it! Saw in the paper today that the Yellow Delicious Apples are ready at the local orchard, so I will be stopping by tomorrow morning after work for my bushel (or two!) of seconds to put in the freezer. The orchard will have them for three weeks or so, but I just happen to have Tue, Wed, Thur nights off ..... Put them up while I'm cheerful and moderately awake? - or - Put them up while I'm crabby and sleepy? No difficulty making that choice!! (It's a whole lot easier to get help around here when you're in a good mood!) So I'm off to the shed to re-arrange the freezer (again!) to make room for a dozen pies and some bagged apples! Pies - Rats!!! I need some lard!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), September 25, 2000.

I was all ready when my son reminded me that I need to go over the mountain to pick him up after school so that he can deliver his truck to the mechanic. Then he is scheduled to work after all so I'll bring him home for a few hours then back over the mountain for work and then back late tonight to pick him up. I DO NOT HAVE THAT MUCH GAS! It is the last week of the month. AGHHHHH! I might make it except I'll need to repeat the process to pick his truck up hen it is repaired. I think I'll make hime pay for the gas. Hang in there everybody.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), September 25, 2000.

Polly if you were closer, I'd give you some of the 16# free lard I just picked up from a friend of a friend! Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), September 25, 2000.

This sounds like fun! What are the *rules*? I am getting a late start because I just saw this post but I will do a full week. Hubby just received a long awaited check so will have to stock up first (things like t.p.!). I actually can go along time without shopping but if we need something Hubby picks it up~I think he'll appreciate a *fast*.

-- Tammy S.(AK) (heritage@mtaonline.net), September 26, 2000.


We won't be buying pork for a while the pig dressed at 450 lb .I can taste the sausage now ! I had boiled ham and beans for dinner and tommorrow is bean soup.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 26, 2000.

Thanks!! Gerbil, but guess what I found while I was rooting through the freezer!? You guessed it - Lard! So far, I have spent $11.75 on apples, $2.12 on freezer bags and $1.83 on a spool of thread. From which, I will gain a dozen pies and several pans of apple crisp and fried apples; and the ability to finish my new uniform for work - total cost for a long, warm jumper - $13.67 - A far cry from the $35+ in the uniform catalog. So, I guess I've blown it for this week - but there is always next week!!

Have you ever noticed how badly you want some thing when you're determined not to spend the money? Everything sounded so good yesterday - pizza, M&M's, ice cream......I might have been even more tempted if a patient's family hadn't shown up with Dairy Queen for them - and one for me too! Sweet, sweet people!! After I enjoyed my sundae, I told them about this forum and what we were trying to do - and thanked them for rescuing me from the "I wants"! The ladies were talking about how they used to save money - both patients and their families were swapping stories and laughing - and everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine!! So, by helping each other, we're helping even more people - isn't that neat!?

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), September 26, 2000.


PAAAATTTY gosh that sounds like it taste soooo goood!!!! I haven't bought pork except bacon in so long cause the store bought taste bad or just not right somehow. Yes, when hubby gets the pen built we will have pork, just gotta get the pen built, can't have pigs loose out here. Cheryl, I can feel your going, going, going thing, my sons car broke down (due to his own negligence) he decided he would rather pay someone to fix it rather than let Dad teach him how and the two of them fix it, so it was in the shop 3 weeks and yes, I did charge Dear Son for the gas to take him back and forth to work, he is 17 and I think (or hope) he learned a lesson, it cost him $500.00 and he has now decided he doesn't need a new car once he gets out of school.

So how is everyone doing on the NO SHOPPING thing, the grocery thing is easy for me because I have food storage, I was doing food storage 7 yrs before anyone ever mentioned Y2K. But today, hubby needed to go to a town 32 miles away and decided to stop at a outlet store, my 12 yr old son only had 1 pair of jeans since it was 115' when school started so we got him a couple pair. Does that count I guess it does, but we have to buy what we need when were out of town, since we live so far out and our town doesn't offer much. Now, I know some of you may be saying why doesn't she get that boys clothes second hand or at garage sales, I do shop thrift stores and garage sales, but it's very difficult to find size 11 jeans without the knees wore completly out in them after boys are past size 4 all the jeans are wore out. Every once in a while I'll get lucky and come across a kid who had a fast growth spurt and find some good ones. Now, little girls clothes you can find by the truckloads!!!! I only have 1 girl!!!!! Well good luck everyone, and it will be interesting to hear everyones story!

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 26, 2000.


Lynn and I are doing it with one condition: we gleaned $20 out of our budget the last 2 weeks for yard sales.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 29, 2000.

You are all so admirable! I have enjoyed reading your answers. I try not to shop MUCH every week (don't we all?) but I couldn't participate since we had to buy stuff for this house we are working on, PLUS my textbooks....(a mere $370!!). I did buy a ham butt and some beer (had to have the beer after doing construction!) We don't grow hogs and I like ham in my beans/lentils/whatever soup. I was thinking about how I would like to buy some new clothes one of these days...I think other than a swimsuit, it's been probably a year or so since I bought anything at all new to wear. Anyway, I thought about you all not buying anything and reminded myself that it's not that important! But my husband's aunt just gave me a sewing machine. That reminds me that it's time for me to post another question on the Forum.

Good luck to you all! Happy no-spending...Have you thought about trying it again a little closer to Christmas?? That could be VERY interesting, and I would love to try it with you!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), September 29, 2000.



So far, so good. The first week is the hardest...for me, anyway. I think when this is over, I'm buying myself a pair of slippers. I'm going 'til the end of October, so anyone who couldn't do it this week is welcome to join me at any point. The only thing I forgot to buy in advance was raisins, so don't you know I can't stop thinking about them....I can't bake without raisins!!!

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), September 29, 2000.

It's Saturday again and I havn't bought any food all week. Steve did stop and get a big leaf rake at Lowes but that's all. Needed it to rake up all the grass clippings. Not going to town today except to pick up 16 free shipping crates and 8 big boxes of scrap wood make crafts with and to burn the rest in the stove. Still have not done my valve covers! How did you all do?

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), September 30, 2000.

Well, so much for not shopping this last week for me. I was all ready to try and ended up buying a ton for groceries, gifts and spent all day today at garage sales buying my kids winter clothes. I think I fully outfitted both my kids today for $15. I love garage sales!!!

I will try again next week, starting Monday!

-- Carleen (netorcs@mo-not.com), September 30, 2000.


I made it until Thursday. I finally had an opportunity to have my hair cut and then I needed gas and then I found some canning jars and some flannel for my grandaughter who needs jamies. Ah, well. I couldn't pass up a good deal. I will try again.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), October 01, 2000.

Seems to me that this challenge is making us stop and think about a purchase before we pull out the wallets. If I come across a deal that I know I may never find again, well, forget about this No Shopping Week. I'm buying it. But it really makes a difference at the end of the month if I don't buy stuff that I really don't need. Patty, you're awfully quiet.......

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), October 01, 2000.

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