Compacting Mommas? - Page 23

[bendmom]

Originally Posted by binkin

One other thing; my mom's dog, a papillon, is dying of cancer. There's a neat papillon pendant, handmade, on Etsy, that I'd like to get for her, but I can't decide whether this is justifiable or not. It is handmade, but it's also new. I feel like it's kind of a special situation, though, and it isn't the kind of thing I can find secondhand, you know? Hm.

Oh yes, Buying from crafters on Etsy is good! I am an Etsier myself and consider purchases from shops on there to be handmade. Alot of us that sell on Etsy do it to have a little money on the side, or just keep our craft expenses out of the family budget. Go for it!

[bendmom]

Momaste~ Does the place you purchased the items for cover return shipping? Most catalog companies will include a return label in the package, or return the shipping back on your card. I would call the company and ask.

[binkin]

OK, so I'm on day six of the Compact, and so far so good. I have been really thinking of ways to get what I need without buying new. I have also been decluttering my basement and trying to come up with swaps or just give things away.

One thing I will be doing again - I need yarn for presents and to maintain my hobby, but I hate to buy new (even though knitpicks.com is calling to me). I need to go again to the secondhand stores; you can buy nice wool sweaters there and unravel/reball the yarn. I don't know if this suggestion will help any of the knitting Compacters!

I have to say that I am feeling really, really good about doing this. It seems like the kind of thing that can really change your life. I think I'd like to start a blog, but I don't think I have the time to keep up with it properly. We'll see after the holidays. I'm not sure I'd have been in a position to want to do this if I hadn't broken my foot and been unable to buy new stuff for a couple of months. When it's forced on you, you kind of realize that it's not such a big deal - that you don't NEED as much as you think you want.

I think I will get the pendant for my mom. I have purchased from that Etsy seller before and I like her work, and I know my mom would enjoy it.

I was also wondering... I have sort of an addiction to magazines, and I'd like to get a few Martha Stewart (I KNOW, I KNOW, but I like to look at the ideas and adapt them) wedding magazines. It's a long shot, but does anyone have any they'd like to give up? I also recycle the magazines when I'm done with them by making paper bowls (found the idea on craftster.org). I don't absolutely need them, so I guess I can't really justify buying new.

[Malva]

Originally Posted by binkin

I was also wondering... I have sort of an addiction to magazines, and I'd like to get a few Martha Stewart (I KNOW, I KNOW, but I like to look at the ideas and adapt them) wedding magazines. It's a long shot, but does anyone have any they'd like to give up? I also recycle the magazines when I'm done with them by making paper bowls (found the idea on craftster.org). I don't absolutely need them, so I guess I can't really justify buying new.

If you want the magazines mostly for the ideas, check your library to see if they carry them.

[binkin]

Wow. Is there a "DUH" smilie? I forgot about the library altogether. :

(In my defense, I haven't been able to get TO the library in several months, so, um... yes. That's why.)

[celestialdreamer]

Confession...

I bought new bath towels. :












They are super soft organic cotton and although I really *wanted* some new ones because our other ones are really scratchy and mildewy smelling after one use... I didn't need them. Every time I look at them I'm going to feel guilty

[bendmom]

Originally Posted by celestialdreamer

I bought new bath towels. :

It was a family need. You could have bought used, but if you buy a family need new they will last longer, right? Plus it sounds like you are very mindful of your purchase. I am still holding off. I have a devil on one side and an angel on the other. I wonder which will win?

[weliveintheforest]

Don't feel guilty about bath towels, especially if they are organic cotton. If my towels were scratchy and mildewy smelling I would consider new ones a 'need'.

Still working on scaling back until Dec 1 when we take on the compact for 1 year!

[Ravin]

Regarding the Keeper/Diva cup: The last one I had (I lost it!) took me several cycles to "break in", and get used to using.

Since I lost the stupid thing, I've been using cloth, and making it for myself. I want another Diva, but I have alternatives so even though it's a health/sanitation item, it's not a NEED.

Right now, we have no washing machine. A new one is coming tomorrow (mgmt company's doing, not ours; it will probably be crappier than the one that broke). In the mean time, I have no clean cami to wear tomorrow! The down side to downsizing your wardrobe: when a crisis hits, you run out of clothes FAST! The thought has crossed my mind to stop by Target and pick up a cami or two, just to avoid going to a laundromat. I though about stopping by Goodwill, but the idea of wearing an undergarnment from Goodwill w/o washing it first squicks. I'm wearing a yoga top tomorrow and holding out.

[celestialdreamer]

I guess you are both right about the bath towels, but I think we probably could have made do without them. I only bought a set of 4 (4 members in our family) and specifically bought organic cotton. So its not like I went to Target and bought 10 cheap ones, ya know? DH needed socks recently (his were full of holes) which we had planned as a purchase pre-Compact. I bought him organic cotton socks :-) I like the idea of being able to spend the $ on something quality and environmentally friendly when I really have to, because I'm not spending $ on anything else! I've been so good on the Compact except for the towels, which I'm trying to do a really good job of justifying right now

Now I just need to work more on decluttering! Seems like something always comes up when I am ready to work on a clutter spot.

[momaste]

My family does a name exchange every year for Christmas, with a $50 spending limit (as in, it's expected that everyone will SPEND $50, not that the gift is WORTH $50.) I am buying gifts this year (may Compact next year's gifts) and spent some time yesterday buying the gift for the family I selected -my cousins, a mom and dad in their early thirties and their two kids, 6 and 4. I am making them a "family fun kit" - all the makings for a hot fudge sundae (just add ice cream), a GC for Blockbuster, a book of paper airplanes, and the board game Mouse Trap.

I wanted to come up with CONSUMABLE things so they wouldn't just have a bunch of clutter, but then remembering how fun Mouse Trap was when I was little, I bought that, negating the clutter-free-ness of the other parts. Haha. Does this seem like a fun gift for a family? Do you think the parents will be bored with it? I got them last in 2001 and made them a scrapbook to add pictures to, and the mom said she never got around to filling it in. I kind of don't want to do more home made since I don't feel like it was appreciated.

Ravin - how about handwashing a cami or two and hanging it to dry in the house tonight?

[Ravin]

No worries, the new machine is here, and it's actually a bigger one than the old one, with more cycle choices. Yay, efficiency!

[EnglishRose]

Oh, help

I was all set to join the Compact, and then I received several gift cards for Christmas gifts from my family.

I used a couple of them to purchase things for the "wishlist" at the local homeless shelter (new, but for a really good cause...can I justify that???).

I want to use the other one to buy a few very specific items to help with my decluttering goals. :

Maybe I should just use them up and then join the Compact?

[kathirynne]

Delight-

Clear out your p.m. box!! I need to send you a message.

[kathirynne]

Imho

Originally Posted by EnglishRose

I was all set to join the Compact, and then I received several gift cards for Christmas gifts from my family.

I used a couple of them to purchase things for the "wishlist" at the local homeless shelter (new, but for a really good cause...can I justify that???).

I want to use the other one to buy a few very specific items to help with my decluttering goals. :

Maybe I should just use them up and then join the Compact?

Perhaps you can join after the holidays? (Like a New Year's Resolution?)

In the meantime, you can practice being mindful in your purchases.

ETA: I think the gifts for the homeless shelter are justifiable.

[Malva]

New winter thread here.

[Tbzmom06]

I have actually been trying to do this for some time...who knew I was "compacting". I guess my next step is to actually create a plan for our family.

Thanks everyone for the awesome ideas...

[Overproducktion]

subbin' thanks Bex!

[Malva]

Originally Posted by Malva

New winter thread here.

Ok, I'm quoting myself here...

Please post in the new thread, not in this one.

[KKmama]

I had a compacting moment this morning. I feel like a dork for sharing, because it's so small, but hey... My oldest is in a jump rope club at school, and I'd been meaning to get a jump rope to practice with him while the younger 2 nap in the afternoons. So I was making a shopping list (of food etc) and was about to write "jump rope" down, when I realized, "Hey! A jump rope can be a piece of rope! We have rope in the garage!" So I'm gonna cut me a length of jump rope.