raven ranson wrote:I hate shopping, I hate shopping more than I hate just about anything else in the whole world, except perhaps eggplant - that stuff is just not edible to me. My parent's taught me not to use the word 'hate' as it's a super-strong and powerful emotion. I HATE shopping!
Recently I read Paul's story about Fred and Gert. Somewhere, someone mentioned that Girt (our permaculture protagonist) buys expensive things, and saves money. This I think is a financial strategy that is sadly neglected.
I'm not rich. My income is well below the poverty line for my country. Even worldwide income, I don't think I make "middle class." I know a bit about saving money. Hating shopping is the first step.
So there you have it. My style of frugality: Hate shopping, tranform consumption into production, spend more.
It works for me, but I'm wierd. It probably won't work for anyone else. ... then again, this whole 'buy for life' movement I keep seeing is very much my style.
I am right there with you!!~! I hate shopping and hate is word I too do not like to use! I am frugal, make as much as I can homemade, forage, garden as I can without land of my own, shop thrift when needed look for quality, prefer to buy things that will last a lifetime. I live in a 11ft by 11ft space. My belonging fit in a tote, backpack, 1 med suitcase and a purse. Not including my bird or yarn...
I prefer clothes that are earthtone/fall colors/neutrals as that way nearly everything matches for mix and match making my waredrobe look much bigger. Not that I care but other people freak over wearing same clothes too often so if I can mix and match a bit it looks like a new outfit...I cheat. They also stay cleaner longer and it's a bit like camo. I eat very little at this point but healthy mostly veggies with meat as condiment rarely. Starting to forage and grow things around my area nearby for myself and just in case. Learning more about all-natural remedies. Pine needle tea is one of my new favorites 3x's the Vit C than orange juice, no sugars, great for sore throat, decogestent, immune builder, overall great for winter and colds!!~! And I have 3-5 pines less than 20ft away so it's FREE!!~! Plan on starting garlic and shitake mushrooms as well as basic herbs/spices which will really save money in the long run if they grow...
I'm looking more and more into products with lifetime guarentee replacements as long as they are worth it after researching a bit as I can always get it replaced for nothing.
Learning to hand-sew clothing just in case I ever need that knowledge and I am sure it will build my appreciation level of what it takes to make them by hand. This way I choose the fabric and high quality. If it falls apart to fast I know I need to work on my skills and have only myself to blame! I mend all my clothes so they last even longer. Before all my stuff was stolen all my meager clothing was 7-10years old and still looked fairly new minus one cheap skirt that their was no saving material was flimsy and rotting away faster than I could mend. I have one outfit still from that time period and only had to mend the skirt recently. My current clothes just bought have held up for a year and still going...one skirt mended and one skirt and handful of socks need darned. Darned socks are so much more comfortable as well - the padding usually ends up in all the right places!!~! I do not wash clothes after each and every wear unless it truly needs it...clothes last much longer this way...spot wash if you can as well until they really need cleaning. Saves on water, detergents, clothes, time, and toxicity (unless you use all-natural stuffs).
Anyway...I could go on. I am trying to buy less and better quality for life as well. I've been wanting a fountain pen for years but thought the ink would cost more...please send me a link for the pen if you see this I would love to save up for one as well!!~!
