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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,716
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

Good morning all, I wanted to get this thread started early because I have kind of a busy week.

One of the churches had this on their marquee this week:

"Choose to live simply so others may simply live"

I think this is a great statement. I took 6 bags of clothing and shoes to the local consignment shop on Saturday. The clothing is already appearing on their FB page. They don't offer payment, but they offer store credit that you can pay forward by donating it back and they will give it to someone who truly needs it. They did that but also gave me $60 in store credit too. I wish they wouldn't have because I want stuff OUT not in!! But I accepted graciously.

I just scheduled the pickup for the 3 boxes of books and additional 3 bags of clothing that I didn't feel like sorting through.

I did make one purchase this weekend--I needed a pair of size 50 knitting needles, so I ordered through Amazon.

I didn't get through my mini-project this weekend simply because I wanted a week off. Next weekend, I have a bunch of things to do--massage, hair and a race on Sunday. I hope our weather holds because the course can be very slick if we get snow.

I hope you all have a great week ahead!

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,036
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

Quiet day yesterday, but this week I plan to start going through books. Will start a box out in the garage for ones I know I won't be keeping. That's something I can "putz" at all week...whenever I pass the shelves take a look, pull out a few, drop them in the out box.

I spent just under $10 yesterday on Amazon. My Sunday routine for years has been stop on the way home from church and pick up the local Sunday newspaper. It's an opinionated rag that I don't enjoy reading the articles, but I got it for the grocery ad for the store I shop at and I do the New York Times crossword puzzle in it each week. That's my Sunday afternoon....plan my grocery list and work on the crossword! Yesterday on Amazon I found a book of 500 NY Times crossword puzzles! Got it in the "used" (but it hasn't been written in) section and it was under $10, including shipping. At one per week, it will last me 10 years and save me $1,000 (the paper just went up to $2.00 on Sundays).

The grocery store has their ad online, so I did my grocery list that way. Also have online coupon sites, so I don't need the paper for those.

Feel good about saving that $....and not supporting the paper I really don't like anymore!!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,578
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

On 1/26/2015 alicedee said:

Quiet day yesterday, but this week I plan to start going through books. Will start a box out in the garage for ones I know I won't be keeping. That's something I can "putz" at all week...whenever I pass the shelves take a look, pull out a few, drop them in the out box.

I spent just under $10 yesterday on Amazon. My Sunday routine for years has been stop on the way home from church and pick up the local Sunday newspaper. It's an opinionated rag that I don't enjoy reading the articles, but I got it for the grocery ad for the store I shop at and I do the New York Times crossword puzzle in it each week. That's my Sunday afternoon....plan my grocery list and work on the crossword! Yesterday on Amazon I found a book of 500 NY Times crossword puzzles! Got it in the "used" (but it hasn't been written in) section and it was under $10, including shipping. At one per week, it will last me 10 years and save me $1,000 (the paper just went up to $2.00 on Sundays).

The grocery store has their ad online, so I did my grocery list that way. Also have online coupon sites, so I don't need the paper for those.

Feel good about saving that $....and not supporting the paper I really don't like anymore!!!

would love for spouse to stop getting our paper, but he likes it so not going to pick that battle, but it would cut down on paper to recycle.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,036
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

Any chance your spouse would do an online version of the newspaper (if your paper offers it)?

You are wise...you have to pick your battles! And can't expect everyone in your household to be on the same page as you....each will have their own things that are important to them.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,716
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

I've read the paper since I was a kid and probably won't give it up. I can't believe they are still delivering it. I know they don't deliver many in my neighborhood. I remember when that was touted as a secondary income.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,578
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

On 1/26/2015 alicedee said:

Any chance your spouse would do an online version of the newspaper (if your paper offers it)?

You are wise...you have to pick your battles! And can't expect everyone in your household to be on the same page as you....each will have their own things that are important to them.

not really, there is one but not very readable.

Sometimes the paper version are easier to read than the online version. NYTimes might be an exception but I'm too cheap to pay for it

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,036
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

On 1/26/2015 jackthebear said:
On 1/26/2015 alicedee said:

Any chance your spouse would do an online version of the newspaper (if your paper offers it)?

You are wise...you have to pick your battles! And can't expect everyone in your household to be on the same page as you....each will have their own things that are important to them.

not really, there is one but not very readable.

Sometimes the paper version are easier to read than the online version. NYTimes might be an exception but I'm too cheap to pay for it

Our local paper (not the NY Times...they just include that crossword puzzle in their issues!) has an online version but it is not worth the money, in my opinion. Everyone has to find their own areas where they can make cuts/adjustments. It will be different for everyone. I am certainly enjoying reading everyone's posts and ideas!!!

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Posts: 391
Registered: ‎06-19-2011

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

It took me many years to realize that I was a "shopper of opportunity". I only came to realize this recently. My opportunistic shopping was done typically when I went someplace to do something that I had to do anyway. I rarely made trips to simply browse and buy.

Prime examples were: 1) buying random beauty stuff at Walgreens or CVS while in there to pick up a prescription or 2) there was a TJ Maxx in the same shopping plaza as the grocery store I visited at least once a week. I would go into TJ's just "to see what was new" before getting the groceries yet couldn't get away (EVER!) from TJ's without getting at least something or 3) would drop stuff at Goodwill and shop there, bringing home almost as much as what went out.

Half the time I would wonder why I bought the things I came home with and would try to avoid returning (at the retail places) by gifting the item later on. In a few cases, I even gave the stuff away to Goodwill that was new from TJ's...

TJ's moved locations. I also moved all our scrips to Walgreens since I am less tempted there because my Walgreen's is a little one that had less goodies than CVS. I also have made sure to do all errands on one day per week, cutting down on the running around so I am less tempted to stop somewhere and browse as entertainment. I also have my husband bringing stuff to Goodwill and I stay home so nothing new gets purchased there, at least for now.

I need to save money now since I am not working for the first time in many years. I am having a new dental issue as well as a recurring shoulder injury medically treated now and I don't need the extra expense of shopping or having to purge the stuff 6 months from now because it went unused.

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Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

It's still so nice hearing everyone's ideas for cutting back and simplifying. I am still slowly working on the decluttering here, just a little bit here and there. I tried to get my boys to part with some preschool type games that they haven't played in ages, but I was only able to pry one Memory game away from them, and one puzzle. Maybe on the next go round. They're 6 and 9, I don't think we'll be playing Candyland anytime soon, but if one boy wanted to get rid of something, the other wanted to keep it, and vice versa, so we didn't get very far. I didn't push it because they parted with a lot of items last summer. And I found a few more small household items to donate. So some very small progress here.

I don't feel like we're doing much saving this month though. I spent about $90 on SKINN items, that's a lot for me, and I ordered about $60 of stuff from Walmart. Some of the Walmart stuff needs to go back, hopefully tomorrow. But the microwave broke and we had to order a new one and hubby has been shopping the sales at the grocery store so anything I save, he makes up for by making another trip. I guess I'll have to see where we're at by the end of the month but it's not looking too promising. Hopefully next month will be better on that front.

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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: SIMPLIFY 2015, WEEK 5--All can join! Support for those who want to spend less

I decided that I was going to spend less and save more. I am physically handicapped and do most of my shopping online. If I do go shopping, I go to just one store and that is all I can manage---maybe two stops. So, shopping online has been my major purchase venue. I have found myself not looking on line as much at certain sites to just see what is available and if anything is on sale. In fact, this weekend, I went to an often used site and looked at a couple of items I REALLY wanted, not needed. And, a wonderful sale--$50 off a $100 purchase. But, I resisted and did not order anything.

I have compared this month's spending to last month's. I have spent almost $600 less this month. I just don't look, if I do look, I don't buy. This is going to give me the encouragement to continue to cut back on my spending.

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” St.Teresa of Calcutta