When I started blogging in 2013 lots of people had frugal blogs and did a No Spend November challenge. I pondered on trying again this year. It's usually a fail but ....................
Here's my version of Thomas Hood's well known miserable November poem, my version sounds just as miserable and after I'd written the list I thought "Blimey, almost makes life not worth living!"
No Spend November
No books
No clothes
No pensioners Fish and Chips
No Ingredients for Christmas Cake or Puddings
No Advent calendar
No coffee and cake out
No random spending on hobbies
No food except fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and cheese and anything I don't want to run out of
No suddenly buying things I don't usually buy (make up, jewellery, magazines etc)
No Newspapers or TV schedule magazines
No flowers
No more Christmas food things for me
November
BUT I will have to order heating oil and start finding the 9 Christmas gifts needed for family.
And the spending so far?.....Direct debits for Council Tax, Charity, Phones and Broadband total £242 - without even leaving the house!
Actually I'm doomed to fail as I'm off to a second hand book sale today and it's the first of the season local Christmas Craft and Food Fayre tomorrow and anyway I really have no need to be as frugal as my list and definitely don't want to slip into a black hole of depression!
Finished the Gypsy Caravan puzzle - all complete. Now back in the box and labelled 'Complete November 2024' ready for the next person and the table has been cleared ready for doing some scrap booking. It's good to have lots of different hobbies.
Back Soon
Sue
Well that is depressing. Glad you don t plan to follow your list closely.
ReplyDeleteI do my Christmas shopping in November, such rules would certainly kill that joy.
Much too depressing to take seriously! I need to sort out 9 gifts this month too
DeleteIf there's an amount for 'treat spending ' in the budget then treats can be bought without feeling guilty... at least while the treat money lasts!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes have coffee/breakfast out a bit more than sensible for a pensioner
DeleteDon't be so harsh on yourself. First, it's not a fail if you have to readjust and if someone else had organised the book sale in October then it would have been okay, yes? Rewrite it Morevember? I have virtually no income to speak of but I make jolly certain I get some treats each week! You've worked hard all your life so enjoy it a little now.
ReplyDeleteI'm not taking it too seriously and the book sale was interesting - photo to follow!
DeleteHave fun at the book sale. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you it was interesting to visit it
DeleteNo coffee out?? Not likely!! And a second hand book sale? Pure joy!
ReplyDeleteIt would be hard to go without coffee out all month - it won't happen
DeleteI like the new photo.
ReplyDeleteVery November-ish I thought
DeleteNo spend January makes much more sense than no spend November. As for book sales - bring them on! In my world books are definitely classed as essential spending ;)
ReplyDeleteNo Spend January might happen as well - if possible -but also unlikely! Books are essential here too
DeleteI always find I can do a low spend September, house and garden spend can be withheld that month.
ReplyDeleteNo spend January is easier to do too. I'm not taking it seriously
DeleteThere's no joy to be found in scrimping if you don't need to - enjoy life!
ReplyDeleteI like the jigsaw - very colourful.
Most of the time life is enjoyable - no November depression I hope
DeleteNo spend November? No chance of that here with a Double Dental appointment on Tuesday - hygienist visit then my new implant. And Bob's razor just died....
ReplyDeleteOh poor you. That sounds horrible - and expensive.
DeleteI could never do No Spend November. It's a spendy month for me, with holiday shopping, Thanksgiving, and this year too much home stuff. I'm better not spending in January or February! Just leave me home with a pile of books and I'm good.I hope you find good stuff at the book sale. (I have to say, one of the things I loved most in England was the vast array of charity shops -- so many had really good books!)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked our charity shops.
DeleteNo spend January is much easier to do although I'm hopeless at both!
Lots of interesting things to find in the jigsaw. One I’d enjoy doing.
ReplyDeleteThere’s no way I could have a ‘no spend’ month…..sometimes I try to have maybe a week without spending but there’s always something that’s needed out of the blue
The sky and then the tree were the last and worse bits to do but didn't take long. It looks good finished - colourful
DeleteI went to a thrift store yesterday, and wound up spending $40. Tim needed pants. I needed a new hairdryer. But...then...there were a few things that caught my eye.
ReplyDeleteSaw your blog post - you found good, useful things and the scarf is pretty.
DeleteWow! You finished that puzzle pretty quickly!
ReplyDeleteNovember is the month I will start shopping for Christmas gifts and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner at my house adds up. I could never not spend in November. I consider myself pretty frugal all year long. You seem to be that way, too, Sue.
Under two weeks I think - that's the problem with me and jigsaws - I always want them finished quickly and put away!
DeletePerhaps November is the month when we should all be treating ourselves well - after all, hopefully, in December others will give us treats and surprises!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about having plenty of hobbies, especially at this time of year when being outdoors is more difficult. Love the completed puzzle.
Alison in Wales x
I can't imagine having no indoor hobbies to get into on a dull day
DeleteThose direct debits without even the pleasure, do me in,too! I think of spending as something I do on purpose. I think no spend must apply to extras, the things that keep your spirits up, so I don't think I'll sign on!
ReplyDeleteI doubt I will take it seriously - much too depressing
DeleteNovember is a dreich month and my father and Norrie’s mother died suddenly in November 1980 and 1982 leaving a heartbroken small child not understanding what had happened. I’m preparing for a workshop of card making with between 50/60 women in a club-I really need to learn to say NO! Catriona
ReplyDeleteHope your ladies at the club enjoy the card making
DeleteI can't imagine not enjoying life's little pleasures.
ReplyDeleteNovember for most of us involves a bit more spending as we are all getting ready for the holidays. Also, buying high cost brand new items is not always the ideal. I find estate and thrift shop sales offer great quality at a good price.
I'm glad we don't have Thanksgiving and Christmas! Just one winter celebration is enough
DeleteI am really amazed how this has caught on. I'm glad for it. When I was a child, second hand clothing was considered shameful. I'm not at all sure that you could find the quantity and quality of the goods that you find in today's thrift shops, but truly, we have always had everything we wanted. The secret was that we rarely bought new.
DeleteI have an annual budget, I don’t do no spend days or months as I would just be delaying spending. I don’t have pocket money if we can afford it and it makes me happy I get it. Don’t get me wrong I am frugal no designer handbags here, but we do travel a lot, that is another budget. We live within our income and stretch it like a piece of elastic, have a great November.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if you have things just right.
DeleteI'm hoping for less gloomy weather for November here
Why do you think you should do a no-spend November? Are you hard up?
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, by the way.
No I'm not hard up. No spend November was a big Thing in blogland years ago. I don't take it seriously
DeleteI would just alter your list 'slightly' -
ReplyDeleteNo Spend November
No more than 6 books to be bought this month.
No clothes, unless a REAL charity shop bargain comes up.
No more than 2 pensioners Fish and Chips
No Ingredients for Christmas Cake or Puddings - I'll let you have that one, I don't like either.
No physical Advent calendar, buy the Jacquie Lawson online version.
No more that 2 coffees and cake out
No random spending on hobbies, possibly a good one!!
No food except fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and cheese and anything I don't want to run out of ... maybe one little treat on each shopping expedition.
No suddenly buying things I don't usually buy (make up, jewellery, magazines etc) ... a challenge, but a good one. :-)
No Newspapers or TV schedule magazines ... sensible considering the cost of them now, but RT subscription price is still good compared to the shop price!
No flowers, but picked greenery would look amazing.
No more Christmas food things for me ... Bah Humbug ;-)
November
It's funny I must have taken part in no Spend November, we all did, but my mind is blank.
I feel like the little naughty imp on your shoulder tempting you to spend.
Enjoy!! :-)
Good thing you put the limit on books at 6 as I found 5 at the charity book sale !!
DeleteOther wise you are no help at all!
Haha ... that has been said about me before. 😄
DeleteThat looks like a puzzle I'd like. Want to send it to me? I'll write you a check for the postage. As to Christmas shopping I'm almost done! I think I've made all the cards I need too. Family in Buffalo coming here at end of month for Thanksgiving so I needed to have their gifts ready for them to take home. They will be traveling to Georgia for the holidays.
ReplyDeleteWish my Christmas shopping was done. I need to start asking for ideas from everyone this week
DeleteI am still working on Christmas gifts and making calendars online from photos that I have taken this year. I usually make 3-4 calendars and keep one for our house. I have enough tea now which ordered in October and it arrived in the mail on Saturday. It's an advent tin of 25 teas for Christmas time from Plum Deluxe Tea. Some that I like are Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea. Have a good week!!
ReplyDeleteLovely puzzle. I'm going to try to do a bit more of a frugal Christmas this year going forward. Husband is looking to retire in a few years and I want to get things sorted before then.
ReplyDelete