Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Buy Nothing Sunday Confessional - Week 1

Buy Nothing Sunday ConfessionalForgive me people, for I have spent. This month started out with a bang since we were still travelling in New York for the first three days. So, we ate out for all of our meals on those days, but it was well worth it. We got to try one of Mario Batali's restaurants (Esca) before we saw a Broadway play (Mary Stuart).

We ate some fantastical pizza in Greenwich Village, hung out at Almondine hoarking down French Pastries and Jacque Torres' chocolate shop in DUMBO and ate some wonderful desserts on the Upper East Side at E.A.T. where I'm fairly sure we saw the housewives of both New York and New Jersey (pretty much everyone else eating there arrived in a private, chaufferred car).

Since then, I've bought a couple cappuccinos and ate out lunch on Friday (kind of an anniversary meal thing). And, to wrap it all up, I got my hair cut and highlighted because it's been since March and I figured if I'm going to do this TV pilot I should look somewhat groomed.

So, I can't say that I'm not spending, but I knew these expenses were going to happen this last week. The rest of the month should hopefully be a bit easier.

How about you guys? How's the challenge going for you? Feel free to link to posts about it on your blog...

31 comments:

Juli said...

I've been wondering what you saw and ate in NYC! Sounds like you had a great time.

Erika said...

I continue to purchase ready to eat foods - especially at work... ugh. And coffee/tea/beverages... and I purchased several pair of nylons - but they were from Value Village - they're for storing onions and potatoes in and will be re-used until they can't be re-used anymore...

--Erika

Farmer's Daughter said...

I went out to lunch a few times with my mom and MIL, but they paid, so does that count? I think not.

I bought a bouquet of sunflowers for my best friend who got a new job. Other than that, I haven't spent a dime on anything other than food.

Robj98168 said...

Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: Have not done any shopping per say except for projects. I made an outdoor bar table out of a stop sign and some plumbing pipe and fittings- only thing bought for this project was 4 wood screws, and technically I didn’t buy them I used my gift card I received from Ace Hardware. I can happily say for the first two days I only bought a 2” PVC Bushing, to make a fruit picker out of, Some clear plastic tubing (not counting as it is to make a sight gage for work out of) A thermometer for the Community garden. Oh yeah a replacement grill for the BBQ I made out of a steel truck wheel. I should get credit for that one though- the wheel came from Freecycle, the legs I had sitting around. The only part I bought was the grill. I would have looked at free cycle, but then what to do with rest of the BBQ? I thought it was more wasteful to take an old BBQ just for the grill, and then throw away the base- of course I could have taken it to the recycle center as scrap or made a funky planter out of it. I bought an Ikea office chair from Value Village for 4.99. Used it was. I am making a new office chair out of it. So I will probably have to by some wood and screws in the near future. Oh Yeah I bought a (broken) Wicker table/stool at VV the same day that will be come a new table when I add atray bought at a thrift store months ago to the top. Nothing new or boxy was bought by Rob this week. And I got two new books, “Depletion and Abundance” by Sharon Astyk and “Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn ” By Fritz Haeg. But both where paid and ordered for before August 1st, and Edible Estates was a used book, so I doubt that counts against me.

Robj98168 said...

OH PS! Every morning I have coffee and most mornigns a nuffin or pastry from Burien Press Espresso shop. Not apologizing for that- they are a new local shop and really nice folks and I want to see them succeed.

Sonja said...

Thought we were going to do really well, even had hubby on board....then he called me, "There's this dog I want you to come look at". Nuff said. Forgive me for the dog, the pillow, the food, the treats and the new collar to keep him in our yard. He may have cost a bunch, but he is a really good dog.

Tina Cardone said...

I ate out a couple times but at cute local places so I don't feel terribly guilty (plus the food was delicious!). I also downloaded some books for the kindle program on my iPod but that meant I didn't buy a paper book and they were only books my library didn't have. Does anyone else feel bad only borrowing books because the author doesn't get any money? Or am I just trying to justify my purchases?

The 4 Bushel Farmgal said...

My spending was mostly on necessities, groceries and gas.
But.....I did buy one breakfast out and spent $6 at Goodwill on supplies for a Christmas project.
So I'm $10 over my goal, but that's A LOT better than my average week!

Radioactive Duck said...

Fast food has been my vice. Four out of the last nine days have included fast food, but I only opted for fast food when I was out and really needed to eat. The first week has highlighted my need for new coping mechanisms for my food issues. I've made a grocery run and a pet supply run. I almost paid for a yoga class, but I moved my wallet and thwarted my attempt without even knowing it.

I now have to make a 15 hour car trip back home to Florida which means some fast food is again in my future.

mudnessa said...

I can't even begin to count the times we have eaten out except to say I don't think we have cooked dinner in the last week, but that is because my husband refuses to do the dishes he said he would do and we are basically having a standoff, yeah I know not productive or a constructive way to deal with the issue.

Anyways, I have also bought quite a few things but they were things that were going to be bought no matter what. I got myself a new vacuum, my old one had a short and if you touched any metal part you'd get a little shock and I needed to buy new bags for it too so I got a little bagless stick vacuum. The vacuum I had was a hand me down from my mom, it had been home repaired once which is what eventually led to the short and there isn't enough wire left for me to fix it now. It is also HUGE for our tiny apartment.

My birthday was in July and my MIL gave me some money at the beginning of August and I bought myself two picture frames and some exercise dvd's and a movie. All will be put to good use.

Last night I bought myself a used book off half.com, that kinda goes with the guidelines of the challenge doesn't it, it's used. It is the 6th book in a series I am currently reading and I have been getting them at the library but the system has 1 copy of this book and I am the 9th hold on it and I just can't wait that long and with my luck that one copy would get lost. I think I might see if I can donate it to the library when I am done so they have another copy not sure if they actually put donated books into the system of just sell them at their bookstores.

I will be going to the grocery store today and will try and plan for the next weeks meals so we don't need to eat out at all, but there is still the issue of the dishes....
I also don't see myself purchasing anything else for a long time and since the challenge last year I have really really cut back on unnecessary purchases.

Allie said...

The only money that I've spent so far has been for gas, smokes and bills. I actually haven't even been grocery shopping since I have so much stuff in my pantry anyway.

Manda said...

I'll admit it, the first day of the challenge I went out to town with a friend. Spent way too much :P I hadn't been out in ages so I think its ok, and there was one day where I was running too late to make lunch but other than that Iv been good. Does buying chocolate when I went to the supermarket count? It was neccesary for my sanity!

Anonymous said...

I did really good last week. Only purchased the bare essentials to make lunches for day camp. Since I was at day camp too I didn't go out shopping and was too tired at the end of the day.

Today was another story - after going to the farmers market in town for veggies and plums... I hit Target for tennis balls and plastic tubs and undershirts for the oldest. Its closet cleaning time and the cardboard diaper boxes have given up the ghost after 10 years of service. There is enough of an age space between my kids I have to store the handmedowns in something.

That should be the only out to the store outing this week though. well except for milk on Tuedays

Sandy said...

I thought I was doing well until I realized that I spent some money on jewelry findings at the craft store today. I've been teaching my friend's granddaughter how to make lampworked beads, and she's about to leave for home later this week, so I wanted to make sure she had some stuff to work with...and then I saw all those pretty beads, so I caved. Bless me, Crunchy, for I have spent...it's been two or three months since my last beading binge. (I'm a recovering Catholic; some things you just don't forget!)

Anonymous said...

a couple times i ate out for breakfast, but not nearly as often as i usually would. doing well... hoping to save some $$. :)

Jenni said...

Forgive me Crunchy for I have sinned. Never knew how much I shopped untill I tried this challenge. Avoiding Target, Macy's and Michael's. LOVIN' garage sales, and scored some killer back to school clothes (Tony Hawk shirts, Hurley sweatshirt). My purchases that weren't food were beach parking, gym babysitting, donuts, iced coffee at McD's (they won't use your own cup)& one mag!

knutty knitter said...

Very unusual here - ate out twice! The last time I ate out was about 3 months back. The first was a meeting - couldn't very well sit eating/drinking nothing. The second was a delayed celebration. Also did one fast food (local chippie) dinner.

Then there were the bits to raise our bed onto the wall so I can get most of my living room back. There was some sneaky chocolate in that too! And a watering can - metal this time as my old plastic one has decayed to pieces. 30 years use will do that to plastic.

That was it apart from food shopping.

viv in nz

Q said...

I had to get a hair cut for work.

But other than that, it's been all food.

Pam said...

I've spent less than normal, but haven't been awesome. I bought batteries for my cat's laser pointer (she considered that to be a necessity) and got a candy bar while at the store. I've eaten out once and bought a 12 pack of cheap beer.

Tel said...

Bought food for lunch from work cafe twice, plus a hot chocolate or cappacino (but in my thermal SIGG mug). And ate out once (treated my grandma). My partner did show me to an online bookstore here in Australia, but refraining from even looking at it until the first of September!

FernWise said...

So far, no spending. Am sending Spawn out for some school/office supplies that are on sale this week as loss leaders at the office supply stores - but they are supplies we'd need to have anyway this month. Spiral notebooks. Printer paper.

I wouldn't even buy the Spawn a charger for his cell phone - when on vacation he realized he'd left his charger at home. And somehow he didn't think it was worth him spending HIS money to buy one.

Frondly, Fern

Billie said...

I had to travel for business. Obviously, this meant I ate out. I confess this although I don't think it particularly counts - it wasn't for pleasure after all.

The only thing I have purchased is swim lessons for the kids. Do these even count? There is no stuff created for this. I couldn't put this off as most classes were already filled less than a week into the registration period.

Adrienne said...

Well, I did order a sofa as I pre-confessed that I would. And there were a few thing I needed for the new apartment that I wouldn't have bought in an ordinary month. But the only things I bought that I didn't *need* were a couple of planters, some potting soil, and seeds- I'm going to try to grow some lettuce and chard on my new balcony before summer's over. The planters and the soil will be re-used in spring and the seeds are technically food, so IMO it's money well spent.

SusanB said...

Bought a bunch of materials for completing the installation of our rainbarrels and the garden bed around them and for starting a coldframe -- which may or may not be within the challenge guidelines.
And did the monthly liquor store stock up for dinner wine, but also bought some raspberry vodka on impulse for hot weather relief.
Oh, and birdfood.
The rest just groceries.

Sadraki said...

I did pretty well this week. I took a friend out for an Indian food dinner to celebrate her wedding--since I wasn't able to go and she doesn't have an Indian restaurant near her. I bought some new cloth pads as there was a sale and I've been waiting for one but then I count that as a necessity. A big grocery stock up and that was it.

Heather said...

Well, I can't say I haven't been spending. I had my niece visiting so there were entertainment expenses (although these were planned). I also had to buy dog food for my dog (a regular expense so I don't think that counts), 3 pair of shorts for 50% off (planned purchase and an annual sale), and some lunapads (as these ultimately save money do they count as a purchase?)


Now that my niece has left (she left today), I should be back on track only buying food.

Amanda said...

I forgot about the challenge and bought a tiffin to use as my lunch kit for grad school. I used birthday money from my parents and in the long run this lunchkit will save money by bringing instead of buying lunch at restaurants everyday. I dont really think this counts as cheating.

Mama Bean said...

I too, spent. Outside of gas and food (including some questionably essential food items) I spent $3 to get into the beach and $12 for a bunch of cream of tartar for playdough making... oh yeah, and $10 for a Primate Fiasco CD because they are an awesome band and they were playing a free concert.
Not bad, I feel, for a week alone with a two year old.

Notwasted said...

We were on a road trip for the first week of August, so 7 days of mostly eating out (we had a cooler stocked with fruits and veggies and some bread for pb&j though).

I bought my daughter a play barn and some animals to help relieve the guilt of leaving her for the first time, a t-shirt for her, and a new dress for myself.
Oh....and a bella band for my SIL...
Week 1: Tremendous Failure.
and today I bought Scott a coffee at the coffee house...but will do better.

Unknown said...

I have blogged my confessions. Hoping to do better next week!

http://countingmypennies.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/buy-nothing-challenge-confession-time/

Sorry I don't know how to make that a nice little link!

LynnieBee said...

Mostly I've just been buying food and gas. However, on Saturday the 8th of August I was at the Sterling Reniassance Festival and, as a present to myself for completing my Master's Degree, I bought a new corset to add to my costume collection....been doing well this week though...