I'm gunna do it....

[Maruschke]

Well, I am so totally over TTC to the point where I need something else in my life as a goal to distract me from the torture. So here it is...

Today I went to Vinnies to look at bedding for DD1's single bed (which we were given, free, a lovely white 4 poster bed with matching set of drawers, seat, and bedside table ).

There was good stuff there and it was so cheap compared to new stuff from Kmart etc.

So here is the challenge.

Buy absolutely nothing new for 6 months. Nothing except food and toiletries. Second hand is fine, hand me downs are fine, borrowing is fine, just not new.

It can be done, I am so sure of it, it's just easier to buy new than to hunt around second hand stores... but the extra expense I can't justify for so many things, as well as the environmental cost of producing what already exists.

Keep me accountable .

If we are sucessful at this, the next thing we will tackle is processed food .

[Aligater]

Ive done it mostly other than shoes for the last year I will buy the occational item new but only when really cheap. I love opp shops You can do it

[Maruschke]

Ive done it mostly other than shoes for the last year I will buy the occational item new but only when really cheap. I love opp shops You can do it

Thanks, it's great to hear others have done it. Any tips? I really really want to do this. Last week I had a thought that I wanted to do it for my second child, get through the pregnancy and first year without buying anything new, and blog about it.

[Kazzo]

What a brilliant idea. What will you do if you need to buy a present?

[Phteven]

I read an awesome blog about this except that the woman and her family did it for a year not 6 months. I wish I had the link for you.
Are you a member of freecycle? You might find it useful.

[Maruschke]

What a brilliant idea. What will you do if you need to buy a present?

Hmm some home made craft? That will be a challenge. DD1's birthday is in May, DH's birthday is in June.

[Maruschke]

I read an awesome blog about this except that the woman and her family did it for a year not 6 months. I wish I had the link for you.
Are you a member of freecycle? You might find it useful.

Thanks Onyx I'll check out freecycle and google some similar blogs.

[HotI]

i like it!

Can you buy stuff to make other stuff? e.g. I sew with alot of previously used material (curtains & bedspreads and stuff) but i still have to buy cotton thread.

[Maruschke]

i like it!

Can you buy stuff to make other stuff? e.g. I sew with alot of previously used material (curtains & bedspreads and stuff) but i still have to buy cotton thread.

Yep. By the way you can get fabric at second hand stores too, it's just not very common.

[krystals]

great idea!!!!
I've been doing something similar- setting up a new lifestyle for ourselves making sure we buy most things second hand.

The exceptions will be
*something that will make future 'upcycling' or recycling more attainable (like a sewing machine- maybe im trying to justify my 'new' purchase today)
*shoes
*bike parts

Our food journey has begun and I'm making most things from scratch, we already did, but I've started making bread and pasta as well as juices and sauces- it's our first month of single income and we're already seeing money leftover at the end of the fortnight- it's making a huge difference to our wallets but most importantly, I think it's setting up good habits for us to teach the young 'un.

Will look forward to your blog!

[Maruschke]

great idea!!!!
I've been doing something similar- setting up a new lifestyle for ourselves making sure we buy most things second hand.

The exceptions will be
*something that will make future 'upcycling' or recycling more attainable (like a sewing machine- maybe im trying to justify my 'new' purchase today)
*shoes
*bike parts

Our food journey has begun and I'm making most things from scratch, we already did, but I've started making bread and pasta as well as juices and sauces- it's our first month of single income and we're already seeing money leftover at the end of the fortnight- it's making a huge difference to our wallets but most importantly, I think it's setting up good habits for us to teach the young 'un.

Will look forward to your blog!

That's awesome! I really want to do the food thing as well.

How much extra time does this take you?

[Livinthedream]

What about grundies?

[Maruschke]

Oh man... grundies. I dunno! Didn't think of that

[krystals]

What about grundies?

hahaha- yes!!! those as well! I think my list will get longer

Marushke, I have the time, and I enjoy the process of making everything. We pretty much made all of our sauces etc anyway- to make a tomato sauce for pasta for instance, the only extra time it takes is chopping the veggies instead of pouring it from a jar- either way you still have to 'cook' the sauce. I put a call out on FB to see who had a breadmaker in the back of their cupboard gathering dust and within 5 mins had 3 offers to take it from people's hands. With the breadmaker, it's a chuck the ingredients in and leave for 3 hrs for bread kind of affair ... easier than the 3 hours it takes for me to 'pop' in to get bread (I live rurally). I make a loaf or rolls every few days.

We plan our meals, so one way of doing it is after you've planned and shopped ( we do it weekly or fortnightly ), set aside an afternoon to cook bases, and another to make the pasta, or just add whatever additions each day/night- it works well for me. It actually saves time on trawling the supermarket aisles looking for something I want for dinner as well.

I would love to start a veggie garden so our trips into the shops are even fewer- I have to get over my fear of gardening though, in the past it's always been a horrible disaster!!!!

[Nettie]

I wish I could shop in op shops, but they're not open when I can shop as I work full-time.

Good luck with it and I'm sure it can be done! Maybe you can sew undies?? Out of second hand material?

[krystals]

Maybe you can sew undies?? Out of second hand material?

I've seen a pattern to transform a tshirt into a couple of pair today!!!

[Maruschke]

hahaha- yes!!! those as well! I think my list will get longer

Marushke, I have the time, and I enjoy the process of making everything. We pretty much made all of our sauces etc anyway- to make a tomato sauce for pasta for instance, the only extra time it takes is chopping the veggies instead of pouring it from a jar- either way you still have to 'cook' the sauce. I put a call out on FB to see who had a breadmaker in the back of their cupboard gathering dust and within 5 mins had 3 offers to take it from people's hands. With the breadmaker, it's a chuck the ingredients in and leave for 3 hrs for bread kind of affair ... easier than the 3 hours it takes for me to 'pop' in to get bread (I live rurally). I make a loaf or rolls every few days.

We plan our meals, so one way of doing it is after you've planned and shopped ( we do it weekly or fortnightly ), set aside an afternoon to cook bases, and another to make the pasta, or just add whatever additions each day/night- it works well for me. It actually saves time on trawling the supermarket aisles looking for something I want for dinner as well.

I would love to start a veggie garden so our trips into the shops are even fewer- I have to get over my fear of gardening though, in the past it's always been a horrible disaster!!!!

Ahh you are getting me so excited! DH is starting his own veggie garden, he loves the idea! Starting small with pumpkin and beans, will see how we go from there. Perhaps I should try this experiment on fb too! Will let you know how I go. Thanks so much for the help.

[HotI]

Yep. By the way you can get fabric at second hand stores too, it's just not very common.

I know! that's where some of my funkiest stuff has come from. i'm always looking out for it. I don't get to indulge so much now i'm not living in Melb