Compacting Mommas Winter Thread - Page 7

[chanibell]

Is this a thread about compacting to save more space or compacting to get rid of things? One of the things I'm post proud of this week is that I got rid of all of our CD jewel cases and put them in a CD folder instead. It has freed up so much space on a bookshelf that we are now able to use for more...crap

[chanibell]

One more thing is that I decided not to renew 2 magazine subscriptions and instead buy a membership to the science center.

[chiromama]

I'm in. working on my pledge this week.

I'm excited to join you all! Kara is my inspiration too.

[Malva]

Originally Posted by chanibell

Is this a thread about compacting to save more space or compacting to get rid of things? One of the things I'm post proud of this week is that I got rid of all of our CD jewel cases and put them in a CD folder instead. It has freed up so much space on a bookshelf that we are now able to use for more...crap

Chanibell, it's a thread about not buying anything new for a year.

[chiromama]

quiet in here! tell me some successes as i get this rolling!

[gwen's mom]

Great success at Goodwill this week-2 pairs of dress pants for me, two dress shirt for DH (with the tags still on them!) for $8.25! Woo Hoo!

[Malva]

It's been 5 full weeks and I haven't even wanted to buy anything.

However, on Saturday my MIL arrives at our house with a Reitman's bag saying: " Here, since you're not buying anything this year, I got you something! " Sigh. I told her that it beyond the point but thanked her for thinking of me.

She just doesn't get that I'm not feeling any deprivation or anything. I had never noticed before but she mostly talks about stuff she's has bought or wants to buy. I find it pretty depressing.

[KnittingKara]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

Subbing because we are there....thanks Kara!

Will read more later....onward.

Originally Posted by chiromama

I'm in. working on my pledge this week.

I'm excited to join you all! Kara is my inspiration too.

awwwwww, thanks ladies! (for once it is nice to be a good influence) Great to see you both here!

Originally Posted by Malva

It's been 5 full weeks and I haven't even wanted to buy anything.

wow! That rocks!

Me? It seems like every single day I've had to talk myself out of something, especially for the kids. I seem to have this shopping addicition: I get bored, I want to shop. I'm sad, I want to shop. I'm depressed, I want to shop. : I have made it 29 days though, so that is actually starting to become part of the motivation - like I don't want to break my streak

Ironically, we ran into another family while dropping things off at the Goodwill store over the weekend and they were both like, "wow, that's so cool for you guys" about reading on the blog about our Compacting, but then they also said "we could NEVER do that" and it was almost with the inflection that we were doing something insane or something, you know? Like the very *idea* of not buying brand new off the rack was just crazy. I mean, you wash a shirt once and it is "used" right? So, I guess I just see it as all new items are one use or wearing away from "used" (or, at least, that is how I'm working very hard to *try* and see it ...)

I've still got only 466 of my goal of 500 items decluttered and downsized for the month ... but perhaps I'll tackle the kitchen cupboards this evening after the kiddos go to bed? We have so much we aren't using and it seems so wasteful to be storing it and having it take up space in our lives when I know that someone else out there could be using it. Ykwim?

Okay, Compacting folks! I'm off ... best wishes!

[KnittingKara]

Originally Posted by gwen's mom

Great success at Goodwill this week-2 pairs of dress pants for me, two dress shirt for DH (with the tags still on them!) for $8.25! Woo Hoo!

Yes! Gotta love that!

This isn't *my* find, but a friend IRL recently found her daughter's 1st grade homeschool curriculum at Goodwill - I guess a whole set of abeka books that would usually be around $160 and my friend got them for like $8. She said with a deal that good she can afford to donate the set after they are done with them next year, too in order to keep passing along the good Compacting Karma

My best find recently has been a play silk from dye pot & shuttles, new with the tags on it and everything for 99cents at Goodwill. I have acutally made a list of things I'm looking for and it is funny, but I have got a few items checked off of it already and I haven't even been going to the thrift store regularly and it isn't even garage sale season yet

(sorry about the double posting! Guess I'm extra chatty today)

[amyamanda]

Did I fall off the wagon?

There was a huge inventory sale at a locally owned store this weekend. My kids have been making do with worn cotton socks for years. Their feet were cold last week when they went skating with friends, and my friend took pity and lent them some Smartwool socks. I bought each kid two pairs new at the sale - figured I would never find them used. I also bought myself a pair of super fleece gloves to temporarily replace the awesome gloves I lost earlier this winter (after wearing them for 3+ years without losing them). It didn't occur to me until afterward to look for some used, though earlier I had glanced at some used mittens at the thrift shop that were not at all what I needed. It's been in the single digits and I really think I need decent gloves (but I'm second-guessing myself for some reason - argh!).

Also I visited the locally-cooperatively-owned hardware store and bought parts for my canner - it's no good without the parts - but it isn't canning season yet. I just wanted to get it done when I had the money. Though it was fixing something used, not buying new. And I bought a small "wool duster" which I have been wanting for ages and have never seen used. I absolutely LOVE it and I'm so thrilled to have it - my room corners are cobweb-free for the first time ever. My broom just didn't do the job right. Now I feel like it was maybe uncompactish to buy it, but... ??? I should have tried to get one on the TP instead. And I bought a bunch of compact fluorescent bulbs, but bulbs are consumables so I'm thinking they are acceptable. ???

Live and learn. I guess I don't regret the socks purchase, or the canning supplies, or the bulbs...the duster was pretty iffy though. And I am not sure about the gloves as I could have made do with my old mittens, but they are not really warm enough and I've never had good luck finding gloves I like at thrift shops, but I could have tried harder.

[chiromama]

Originally Posted by KnittingKara

Like the very *idea* of not buying brand new off the rack was just crazy. I mean, you wash a shirt once and it is "used" right? So, I guess I just see it as all new items are one use or wearing away from "used" (or, at least, that is how I'm working very hard to *try* and see it ...)

Yes, it's funny how many people I know think we're insane for this, wether they say it or not, I can't imagine my MIL every buying used, although she is a great sale shopper.

I'll share my success... well first we bought a used Prius yesterday We've been looking and looking for a used car since ours was smashed in october, and finally settled on a prius. Ooooooh it's great to drive. I just feeeel like the air is cleaner. Adina is my inspiration on that one : hybrid drivers unite!
SO... after we picked it up, I had to return some stuff to BRU (and now have $50 in credit there... safety items I guess?) and needed some office supplies. So... headed to Office Depot, when I spotted a Value Village (thrift store)... lo and behold, I found just what I needed for less than 1/3 the cost, AAAAND i found a little bead slidy toy thing that I have been coveting of Adina's ... and it was only $2. Woohoo!!! Of course Ruby LOVED the bead toy, which made me super happy.

Today I inventoried my freezer, and dumped some stuff that I have no idea how old it was. That felt great. Next the fridge and pantry. Then... I'm moving to my closet.

I : this thread. such great inspiration!

Oh, and I'm compacting more in the office... I'm re-using old patient files, instead of buying new feels great!

[chiromama]

Amanda, I'm thinking about this not just as not buying anything new but really THINKING about purchases and only buying new when i NEED to. you know? another important thing for me is where it's made. you're still on the wagon. hang on!!

[AdinaL]

Nice score on the toy K!

I find myself wanting to buy things all the time. It has been a daily conversation with myself to not buy anything.

The last new thing I bought was the day I put my contract on my blog, and it was a baby food grinder. I thought that was a nice way to end the new purchases. Buying something that will help me make homemade baby food, and stop buying jarred.

The only thing I am having a tough time with is food. Eating out is my biggest problem. We did eat out twice this weekend, both very cheap, and both due to unforeseen circumstances. And I : grabbed fast food on the way home from work today. I am thinking that as a motivator, I am going to take the $$ I would usually spend on food out during the day and put it in my CSA fund. Then it is going somewhere good, and I am making progess, instead of eating french fries.

Decluttering is going a bit slower. But I am going to start today - with unpacked boxes. Most of which I haven't looked inside of in about a year.

Should be easy to declutter!

[mightymoo]

I am thinking of doing a compact where I will try for at least a period of time like a month to find something used before considering buying it new. Is there anyone doing something like that? I do like the idea of buying only used, but I don't feel I can really buy nothing new and I'd rather construct a compact I can reasonably achieve rather than breaking it when I feel like it. Does anyone have a compact with this kind of clause? What do you think?

[snowbunny]

Originally Posted by chiromama

I'll share my success... well first we bought a used Prius yesterday We've been looking and looking for a used car since ours was smashed in october, and finally settled on a prius. Ooooooh it's great to drive. I just feeeel like the air is cleaner. Adina is my inspiration on that one : hybrid drivers unite!

That's awesome! I want a Prius so badly, DH would prefer a diesel because he wants to learn to make biodiesel. We were thinking of buying our friend's 2004 Prius, but want to wait until we have more $$ saved up.

Nice purchase!

[snowbunny]

Originally Posted by mightymoo

I am thinking of doing a compact where I will try for at least a period of time like a month to find something used before considering buying it new. Is there anyone doing something like that? I do like the idea of buying only used, but I don't feel I can really buy nothing new and I'd rather construct a compact I can reasonably achieve rather than breaking it when I feel like it. Does anyone have a compact with this kind of clause? What do you think?

I think that some people are choosing only to compact for a month, three months or whatever.

We're going for the whole year, and here's the secret: IT'S NOT THAT HARD! The first month-6 weeks was the hardest. I had to keep reminding myself about the Compact.

When you get used to not buying new, it goes really well.

For myself, I'd be concerned about making such a short commitment. I know I'd be saying to myself, "Well ... I'll just hold of for a month, and then I'll buy new." Making the commitment to not buy new for a longer period forces me to find other solutions. As with anything YMMV.

[KKmama]

subbing.

[mommyddeville]

I haven't signed up on this thread, because I didn't want to write about how long it had been and then want to shop. I haven't bought anything new, except groceries, since the new year. Honestly, I haven't even wanted anything new. DH bought a new book today from Borders, but he's not really compacting. Also, it's for a job (although they won't pay for it). I guess that's better than nothing.

[KKmama]

Dh and I are definitely in a decluttering mode, and compacting will aid that. I'm going to think some more about what kind of compact I can realistically make... I'm willing to get just about everything used except shoes. So more later. (Actually, I guess it would be "less later" )

[KnittingKara]

Originally Posted by snowbunny

here's the secret: IT'S NOT THAT HARD! The first month-6 weeks was the hardest. I had to keep reminding myself about the Compact.

Whew! good to know! I've really been struggling this first month (DH, on the other hand seems to be having no troubles) but it is nice to know that it will get easier ... I just have to remind myself about patience and not needing every thing "now"

Also, I am noticing that I am looking at the things we already own with more of an eye for re-purposing. For instance, the hammer is missing from a thrifted pound-a-peg set we bought. But, you know, one of those round blocks and a dowell rod would probably make a nice new hammer for it, eh?