have a spend free week

I don’t think I could possibly do this right now. I’m relient on public transport so have to pay my bus fare to work each day.

I’m doing fine with this, might even make it to 2 weeks.

It was interesting, it was fun, and it wasn’t even very difficult. But that’s only because Alb is such a good shopper: we even had cardboard milk in until the very last day. On the food side of things, I reckon we could quite easily do another 7 days without real deprivation. But Alb has already been shopping tody (and came back with 31 kg of stuff—how is this possible? And was it really the object of the exercise???), so it will be my duty to cook and eat it.
I’m not a huge spender, but I do tend to engage in retail therapy when I’m bored or feeling in need of a reward. So it was good to have an enforced break from that.
I set myself this short-term goal because I was in desperate need of a sense of achievement, however far removed it was from what i am supposed to be doing. But (maybe on a subconscious level) also because I know our shopping habits could be a lot more ethical (as discussed this week on 43t). So the logical step is to replace this completed goal with this one (argh, have just seen that 73 people are being more conCious consumers! argh!). Am pleased with that outcome :-)

want to write a summing up entry and tick it off but can’t now because i’m working hard. still, i wanted to say that i’ve done it and spent my first 2 euros in the canteen at lunch time. big spender!

mastered triumphantly, the crowning glory of spendfreeism being my polenta pizza prowess.
thank goodness, something i can do, at last.

Well, today I had to buy a flight to Nuremberg and book a hotel, but that is work-related expenditure that will get reimbursed, so it doesn’t count, right?
And there was a whip-round for a colleague’s birthday—and I could hardly pay in dried apricots, could I?
Proudly ate my avocado and ryvita in the canteen, and got treated to a latte, yum.

Have brought Ryvita and mushroom spread to the office. Surprisingly yummy. The fruit bowl is almost empty, but have found some dried apricots and stuff in the cupboard. With any luck there will be some berries in the freezer, too. Veg stores still bearing up, but the pot luck contribution is really going to be a toughie.

Success! No spending at all today. The next three days will be much more challenging because I’ll be at the office rather than working at home…

Was doing very well, even went to my evening meeting without money on purpose … but then ended up in the pub with Mary after all. Didn’t actually spend anything - Mary bought us each a pint and a half when I told her what I was up to - but it’s only delayed spending really; clearly I’ll be paying for the drinks next time. And now I’ve a pot luck dinner date on Sunday. By then we’ll be well out of fresh foodstuffs—wonder if there’s anything presentable I can make from storecupboard stuff? Oooh, the challenge!

~ Alb noted today that it’s a good job we’ve got lots of loo roll in. Yes indeed. ~

to start this on monday and am quite excited. alb reckons it will be really difficult, and he’s bound to be right. for some reason, though, i can’t imagine it being that hard. illusory optimism again, no doubt.