Well, its a good thing I have been doing this for a while.. it makes getting ready for it fairly easy at this point and yet it also means I know how much this will hurt as well..
Yup, I am planning yet another No Buy Feb.. This will be my 4th year doing this..
The goal..
Become more aware then ever of what we are spending our money on..
Personal goal.. Each winter as you can imagine, we get a bigger power bill then normal, the joy of no buy feb, it that it helps save enough money that not only do we walk out wealthier at the end of the month but that we can easily make up the difference.
As always I will do one week updates on where it hurt, where it worked and detail what my cheats are..
So the regular two cheats are in place..
Critters– Anything related to the critters is off limit, be it food, or vet care or bedding etc.. however, nothing extra above and beyond.
Example : if I want doggy treat, while it is a critter, its a treat, and therefor must be hand made for them..
There is one extra cost critter items this month but its time related, and part of my continue education, which is a equine first aid course..
Garden- I need to be able to order plants, seeds and other garden related things for our years food supply.
However, I can not just go buy a new seed heat mat, because it would be a want, not a need.. you get the idea.
The one extra cost item in regards to garden, farm and critters this month is the Eco Day event that is happening this month, I am already booked to attend, so I am not paying this month but I will be attending, however I will not cheat, if its not provided at the event, I will bring everything else with me in my bag.. NO buying 🙂
Ok, there is just two more to talk about..
1) my 20 dollar, fruit and veggie box
Its already paid and I will be spending 20 for next months box, this only can be ordered and got once a month.. and in the winter, I count of this box to provide a nice mix of fresh things for the house and kitchen
2) One lunch out.. A dear friends sweetheart only comes up to Canada about once a year, and we get together and have a lunch out.. They have been hold this off for me to get better but like the others, it needs to be done in Feb
We will have a budget for the lunch out and ideally we will keep to it..
Now on the rest.. No buy Feb, is just that.. NO buying! No shopping, no eating out, no coffee while you do your this or that.. no, oh, that is on sale etc. No E books other then free ones, whimper.. No ordering movies that come out.. double whimper!
Ps, I got my Valentine Day presents a couple weeks ago, just so you do not go! Hey, I am not so sure on the hubby.. we will see..
Just another Day on the Farm 
Can’t help but think that this year’s going to be tougher than normal, what with all the complications that interrupted your normal schedule in 2014 – your pantry has to be a little thinner than usual, hey?
yes, but its the march pantry month that is going to really hurt this year..
Your tough! and supplied and can do this easy-peasie! I’m frugal all year and the only “impulse” buying I do is when I find a product that I know is regular priced at $3.99 and it’s at $1.75, then I buy the whole darn case. It would be beer that I would miss. We here in the PNW (Pacific Northewest) are a bit fond of our beer. Val, have you thought about a winter/early spring growing hoop house? I’ve been watching that Kilcher family show up in Alaska and Eve has a hoop house that she gardens in. Seems to give her a real jump start to growing. B.C. Canada is very well known for their hot houses and much of our store bought produce here comes from there.
its a interesting challenge every year because you just do not realize that you get a little here or there, I do find it a bit hard to go a whole month and explain that either I need to either go to your horse, come to me or I need to bring it with me 🙂
I do have a hoop that expands my growing season but right now its -27 and most of my farm is under a foot to two or even three in drifts of snow, and I will not heat a greenhouse, but I have sprouts starting now and will start bean sprouts this week, another six weeks and things will start again..
it will be march challenge that will be harder, as deb said, I do not have near as full of a pantry as normal and coming off no buy feb, will have had nothing extra added to the house for a month.
Well, I guess it’s a good time to take inventory stock and rotate some of those older jars to the kitchen for suppers. About this time last year I looked over my pantry goods and cleaned out some jam’s that didn’t turn out so good. I figured the worms would enjoy it!
you are so clever, that is just what it does, it tells you what to grow more off, what you did not can enough of, and it makes you get creative on foods that are just sitting there
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