use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without

People could see this goal as kinda scruffy. If you can’t buy new things all of the time then where does that place you in society? If you have to make do with what you have, what kind of person are you?

Yet, in all honesty using up what you have before you buy another doesn’t make you any less of a person. It simply makes you aware of the resources we have on the planet that are being used up too fast.

I spend a fair amount of money on Jeans, Stationary and Jewelry.

From now I promise myself and all readers that I won’t buy any more Jewelry as I really do have enough. I will only buy stationary when I need it and if I run out of stuff.

• JEANS: My nicest pair of jeans started to wear a little.. I would have normally bought a pair to replace them and kept the original ones in my wardrobe, instead I wore them as usual. When they eventually wore through I bought a new pair.

:} im pretty proud.

money is so tight we dont have a choice anyways!

The nest is empty. I am out for the summer. For the first time in over 50 years I have time and no schedule…to speak of. I have had a great time recycling t-shirts into all sorts of delightful things. I began by seeing an idea for making a quilt out of the kids’ shirts. With five kids gone they left behind a huge pile of t-shirts which neither fit nor represent the current school, cause or band. Now I am well on my way to finishing five quilts for Christmas which will represent many fond memories for each of the kids. But I was left with the backs of the t-shirts and couldn’t bear to throw them away. I found a book – Generation T – and have had a great time creating new things from the old such as dresses for the wee ones, burp rags, halter tops, pot holders, baby hats, etc. Also with one seam and a few snips of the scissors great cloth shopping bags can be made from a t-shirt. Now before any thing is tossed or taken to the recycling center I look at everything with a critical eye and wonder if I can turn it into something “new”

I’ve always annoyed the hell out of my family by “bargin” shopping.My parents were confirmed consumerists (is that a word?)and could never understand my thrift, even at a young age. Now that I’m older, my kids have to deal with it. At first, they didn’t understand the whole,”a penny saved is a penny earned” thing until one day, when we were clening an apt. of a tenant that recently moved. I started picking up the loose change that was every where! I even picked it out of the dust piles! My daughter thought that was gross, but when we were done cleaning, we had enough for all three of us to go out to dinner. later, when my son was getting close to graduation, he came across a bank statment with his name on it, on my desk. Since the amount was over a thousand, he asked me about it. I told him that was his graduation present and that was all the loose change I had picked up over the years since he was a baby. He asked if his sister had one too (she’s four years younger) and I said yes. Her account is now growing by leaps and bounds because she too is depositing “loose change”. I explained that every time we cut budget on one thing, it allows us to spend on another. It suddenly all made sence to him and he understood all the composting, recycleing, home made meals, and repurposing had allowed us to enjoy name brand clothes, fine furniture and free time. He made a comment: “no wonder my friends thought we were rich! I just thought those were your hobbies!”

I know for a fact that I’m not the only person on the planet that has a shelf or cupboard full of half used shampoo’s, body washes etc etc. So in an attempt to even get this goal going I’ve been using them all up. Can’t wait until my shelf is totally clear and I can repaint them then research some nicer replacements.

Even though I just added this goal, I’ve already been on this kick for 09. Rather than buying new beauty products, I got out the enourmous stash of soaps etc. that people have given me over the years. I have enough stuff to last me a schmillion and one showers! Why be buying new when this stuff is perfectly good?! I found shampoos, conditioners, soaps, lotions, contact solution, hair potion, deodorant … you name it. Operation Use It All Up is currently underway. I’ve also put a moratorium on clothes-buying. Every time I’ve been tempted, I’ve just reminded myself that I have plenty of clothes already. I’ve even been cooking through our cupboards lately, and choosing to eat my homemade soups and things rather than grab a sandwich out. It feels great, in more ways than one.

This is pretty much my only resolution for 2009. Like the person before me, I feel like I have enough and need to just purchase consumables and services for 2009 – and likely beyond.

I certainly have enough things to last me for a year or more. My goal is to only purchase consumables and services for a year.

...means denying myself now. I really, really want a house in Cherry Valley, California, where I can get enough freeze hours to grow cherries and apples and get the occasional snowfall in the winter. Way cool. Snow. During summer, it can get up to 113 around here, so snowfall is so ahhhhhhhh….

It feels like I’m pulling out my checkbook, debit card, or credit card every time I turn around. NO, NO, NO! I’m a sweets addict, and that adds up. I’m not huge on Starbucks, so that doesn’t feel like deprivation, but give me my candy, cookie, cake, or pie.

My son also LOVES to spend money, and he works at Marshall’s. He loves his gadgets. I’ve asked him to stop telling me about stuff on sale.

It’s back to basics for me. I’m glad to find this site and this group!

I’m new here … and very excited about my new life change! As a child/teen/young adult, I was always the one that truly didn’t “want” for anything … it wasn’t because I came from a well-to-do family either. I truly just don’t seem to want extra or unnecessary things … I’m very happy with having little or “just enough”. But somewhere along the way, I got off track. Over the past 6 years, My husband and I got very used to buying anything/everything or little hearts desired! Never did we plan for something or look forward to getting it … it was instant gratification for us! And I’m tired of it! We worked our bottoms off to provide for that lifestyle … yet we still found ourselves in credit card debt. All this frivolous spending has made me nervous and irritated. I’m realizing that I am happier on a tight budget – it just makes choices in life easier.

Well, it’s time for a change! Back to a frugal way of life! I’m happy to be making this change. I feel free again! I’m hoping my husband gets with the program too. So far we have made many changes: Changed careers and moved to be closer to family, took a smaller salary in exchange for more time with family, sold our brand new autos and purchased more older ones (which cut our payments by 70%), down-sized our house (cutting our mortgage by 50%), accept hand-me-downs for our children’s waredrobes, taken our unnecessary items to Good Will, started eating at home more, are planning a summer garden, entertaining ourselves more at home …

If any of you have other suggestions on what has worked for you, I’m all ears! Thanks! And good luck to all.