I just read A Year of Less by Cait Flanders, and I loved it. I originally picked it up because I love books on minimalism and clearing clutter, but this one is truly about money, not clutter. I didn’t know I needed it, but I did.
She put into place a spending ban for a year, and her whole life changed.
I’m going to do something similar in 2019, and here are my personal rules (subject to change! but not at a whim so that I can buy a new blender or something):
MY BUYING LESS RULES
Do Buy:
- Consumables that I regularly use like food, vitamins, cosmetics (only eyeliner, mascara and lipstick of the kind I use now), shampoo, cleaning products, etc, only replacing what I run out of, no trying new products.
- Objects I use that need replacing (after trying to fix, borrow, or get secondhand).
- Gifts for others
- Travel expenses, including vacation if we take one
- Work expenses, including Patreon experiments
- Meals out (or delivered), no more than once every two weeks
Do not buy:
- Clothes, shoes, accessories.
- Books, magazines, notebooks, etc. (I have enough of all of these, and the amazing Oakland library will order almost anything I request if it doesn’t have it already.)
- Yarn, fabric, craft supplies, art supplies.
- Household items, decor, appliances. (This is where I spend the most. I justify that it’s for “us.”)
- Electronics.
(On this list, I can replace what wears out/breaks if it’s regularly used and I can’t fix or borrow a replacement. I will look for a used replacement first from a thrift store or CL. This includes the very remote possibility I use up all my yarn and/or fabric. HA. As if.)
Wobble Zone:
Things that I suddenly believe I need (not just want) that I’ve never had before. I will put these into a 30-day time out zone. If I still want them 30 days later just as fervently, I might purchase them new after making sure I can’t get them used. I AM NOT A SAINT, PEOPLE.
My goal:
Ever since I quit my day job in 2016, my goal has been not to dip into our emergency savings. Breaking even was what I wanted for the first few years. But this year we have $3k less than we did when the year started. Unacceptable! I want to save for a rainy day. Our 90k debt (oh, yes, friends, I do understand if you’re in deep debt) is gone, accomplished by working two jobs for 8 years (so together we had three jobs and threw all our money at the debt). Now, once we’re done building a six-month emergency savings (currently only at 2.5 months), I want to put money away for our retirement.
How I’ll do it:
I’m moving $250/month to that savings now, as of this month. That will make up that $3k loss. Everything I want to buy and think I would have bought in 2018 and do not buy, I get to put that money in savings. Woo! Seriously, I’m excited about doing that!
I’ll be writing about this process for my Patreon essays this year, as I seek less of a material focus in my life and put more focus on mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. I’m going to be exploring weird things I don’t understand or believe in, for fun. I tried to look at that shelf in B&N last night and could barely handle it. CRYSTALS, REALLY? Oh! I’m allowed to spend money on this pursuit, like palm readings or astrologers, etc. The book is tentatively called Woo!
Oh! Lala is not in on this, nor am I trying to make her jump on board. She makes way more money than I do. I don’t get to make her rules.
I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
(Want in or to play along? Pledge a buck a month and get access to every essay I write, including the 24 back essays that comprise the last two books!)
I’ve been having the same kind of comingtojesus talk with myself about money. I have plenty of clothes (I’m not ruling out shoes) and more yarn, spinning fiber, fabric, patterns, notions than you can shake a stick at. gah…I’ll be reading with interest, and playing along!
YES!!!
Good for you! Also, if you feel like eating out more than once every two weeks, just come over to my house for dinner.
What an excellent idea. 🙂
Me, too. My savings has taken a nose dive paying for things I have justified, but not needed. I can justify anything if I have a credit card. I have a balance on it, and while not as big as a lot of people’s, it is much too big and has to get paid off. And, my sister says I need to break up with Amazon. She is not incorrect. I also need to get rid of things, like my tons of craft supplies. So, if you run out of yarn, just send me a note, and I will send you a bin or 2.
I am going to go find that book (an yes, probably buy it.) I also get a pass the first 2 weeks of January, when I will be on a very big vacation.
Yes, get the book! And YAY vacation! I also need to break up with Amazon. SO EASY TO BUY.
Hi Rachael—Cait just spoke at my local library; the process seemed to open up some emotional potholes. I’ll be really interested in reading your take — I’m excited for you. Retirement IS possible. We started saving like crazy in our 40s, and have just retired @ 60. —Melissa
Yes, retirement!! Amazing. Good for you!
I’m in, too!
While I’ve been telling myself for quite some time that I am enough and I have enough, I haven’t exactly been living as if I’m convinced of that. It’s time I did, thanks – How did you know?
YES!!
Now that I am back in Europe after 3 years in central Africa, I am still too excited by all the retail possibilities to be joining in with this one! But it’s interesting that I haven’t over-compensated the last few months (except with stationery maybe…). I am now much less likely to buy unnecessary things. I’m sure the self-disciplined approach will have the same impact!
Oh, this is really interesting!! I hope that happens to me!
I found this book via Krista at A Life in Progress (her posts are awesome) and read it earlier this year, which was my year of minimal spending. I’ll be doing another in 2019. Best wishes on your spending less journey!
I’ll have to check Krista out! <3
All of this sounds perfectly reasonable. And doable. Except for the ban on book buying. Nope. No way, no how, I couldn’t do it 🙂
Yes, but my library seriously orders books for us and then I get them right on my Kindle for free. Otherwise, I’d be a BIG NOPE on books too. 🙂
In my leanest years, I gathered five friends that could cook and we would each suggest healthy onedish recipes we were good at, estimated the cost (no more than the dinner out we would be grabbing) and would choose which dish which week. One person that swore she could cook but could NOT had the nicest biggest apartment and loved to host. So we coached her on how to assemble a salad (and an amazing number of veggies/salad fixins showed up during their last pretty and edible days) and occasionally we would cook at her place to give her cooking coaching or drop a dish off with preheat and cook at instructions a day ahead if work on dinner night would cut it close.
We always made a double batch and a recipe copy so we had a nice dinner once a week and everyone got a yummy leftover for the freezer.
We made it a nice sit down dinner with multiple pieces of silverware to keep our “company manners” fresh.
As we’ve moved on and out of area, we have each kept the “Supper Club” going- it’s mostly bimonthly because the cook also hosts…and this way we’re sure we “company clean” at least every other month.lol.
We saved money and sanity and nurtured one another.
I supper clubbed for about 20 years and have some great recipes and memories.
I LOVE THIS idea. Stealing it. xo
I’d love to follow along with you, too. BUT, I’m re-doing your Replenish Year (with my own well-filling things) this 2019 and think that might be trying to do too much at once.
I’ll still try, but I won’t beat myself up if I don’t. 😉 (Kind of like your Reverse Nano month.)
Sounds about perfect.
You probably already follow these, but my two favorite related blogs are added below. I read them daily. They are pretty different from one another in tone and approach, but both have fantastic ideas and will help as you move toward your goal:
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/
https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/
Happy New Year and good luck!
Ooh, these are great, thanks!!
I am definitely following you with this year as I have to up my savings as I spent way too much this past year, but in my defence I did have a 5 week trip of a lifetime to UK & Europe to spend time with my daughter & family who live in London
So in 2019 no spending money on craft supplies especially yarn I am going to shop my stash & my wardrobe
I will try and plan my weekly menu so I only buy what I need as I find I waste too much food, I lost my husband in 2017 to cancer so adjusting to living alone and cooking for one has been a challenge
Wish me luck, I wish you the same so here’s to a Happy Healthy 2019
HUGS and happy new year to you, too! let’s do this together!
I finished her book in early December and really enjoyed it –eager to follow your story, too.
Such a good book!
Not joining you in this no-spending year but am always on the lookout for good tips to spend less money on anything.
We don’t have CL here in Holland but we do have groups on FB that are filled with free stuff.
I’m on a tight budget due to disability income and high costs for care so every year is a kinda no-spending year for me anyway. Only neccessary stuff gets replaced and birthday money is for extra special expenses like a nice new fountain pen which makes writing so much easier to do.
I’ll see if I can spare a buck a month to read your Patreon essays on this.
I’ve heard the FB groups are good for that! Thanks, Wanda!
I will do a no-shopping January – trying to get back on track after a year of too much spending.
Happy New Year to you, Rachael!
Thank you, Beate, and same to you! <3
So awesome! Last year I put myself on a very strict budget (more strict than our family’s budget). And I had some rules for myself–including no new yarn for the year. Heck, my stash is big enough that I can knit with it for the rest of my life and not run out, lol. It was amazing–and such a lesson for me about my splurging habits.
Also, I have followed Cait for a few years. I love her work!! Yay!