It is No Buy November and we certain need it this year.. I have done this challenge in years past as a way to remind myself to not hit that “holiday” splurge that is SO easy to get caught up in.
We have all been there..
O that is so cute? Ah.. its the more adorable snowman ever..
O my gosh.. they have a light up chicken! I want one
50% off
80% off
Buy one and get one 50% off
Buy two and get the 3rd free
And watch out.. Amazon and BLACK FRIDAY SALES ARE COMING!
Why challenge yourself at such a hard time of the year? Early Christmas shopping, black Friday Shopping, Thanksgiving in the states, pumpkin spice crossing over to everything mint.. O those chocolates!
There are a few reason’s to consider doing a No Buy November
- Use the savings in the month of Nov as your Christmas spending budget in Dec?!
- This challenge will give you a “fresh eye” when looking at Dec and all that comes with that month. If you are putting things down in Nov.. its a lot easier to get more picky and put things down in Dec when you are shopping.
- Second hand shopping is allowed.. This helps keep things in good shape out of the land fill and it will encourage you to poke around in little thrift shops that you normally drive by
- Homemade is allowed as long as you can meet the peaple who make the products.. this means you can shop at farmers markets, you can shop at local community events, at church Christmas events and so forth..
- While it does adjust how you spend time with people it does not mean you can not have lots of social time. Its just needs to be done a little differently. Everyone might love having that dinner party, that board game night, Learning how to play a new card game.
So what do you need to do to join me in this challenge.
As the most basic, you do not buy anything new for the month that is not food or fundamentals.
Now you get to play..
Maybe you want to go a little more hard core.. maybe you want to limit your food budget as well.. Maybe you want to do homemade lunches all month, Maybe you want to create your own rules an limits.. It can be as small as you want or as sky high!
Farmgal’s No Buy November rules 2019
- No buying anything new
- Limiting myself to a total of 10 dollars a week in regards to food budget (if its needed at all)
- Medical needs are excluded.. (While I am working towards better health, I need to have freedom on this one)
- No paying events
I could have issues depending on sales on keeping to my food sales.. we will see.. I do have some flex there thankfully.
I think the one that will be the hardest to be honest will be the no paying events.. I have a number of events I have been invited to that all have some cost attached to them.. This will require some things.. some I can adjust and bring my own things to drink or eat.. other’s I might have to not go to.. and some others, I might go and then just have to own up here on the blog.. with full cost shared.
So are you going to do a no buy November? and if so.. what are you going to try for?
Just another Day on the Farm 
I love watching other people’s no spend months, but my husband has a low tolerance for any kind of deprivation, so the food no spend is never going to happen. I think trying to make do and be creative is fun. Him, not so much. I do try to be conscious in my spending on myself. A general no spend would not be supported so I control what I have dominion over! 🙂 I have a general rule of not spending anything on myself that I haven’t earned myself. So that’s spinning, knitting and selling things online, in the main. Our lives are pretty simple, so there’s not much needed, or wanted beyond what I have. My total toiletry spend is about $20 a year :-D. This month I have bought an $8 preloved, amazon (because I couldn’t find it locally) book and a bra. I don’t expect next month will be much different. We do a small spend for the (adult) kids at Christmas but not on each other and we just pick things from the garden to go with the decorations we have.
All good things and lovely way of being.. I do give gifts to my nieces and do a house to house box with my one sister in law.. but its going to be a very quiet Christmas for sure.
Oooh what an interesting challenge.
No buying anything new – yes, could probably not do any new shopping until December…
Limiting myself to a total of 10 dollars a week in regards to food budget (if its needed at all) – I don’t think we have enough food at home to make this feasible. But I will try – it’s a tough sum, £5.87 a week on food!
Medical needs are excluded.. (While I am working towards better health, I need to have freedom on this one). I agree with this one. My throat is feeling really horrible at the moment so think I will have to buy some cold medicine.
No paying events – I already have a visit to Sharing Sherwod planned but other than that maybe this could be done?
Hi Silver, I think it you want to be even an fair, you should get 10 a week in your money just as I get 10 a week in my money..
Having said that I also think you should have a high amount in food money to spend to be honest. Its just not fair to compare. I will explain why and let you mull it over..
So while you have sticker items at prices and at a volume that would NEVER be seen here in my area, plus I would have to dirve 18 minutues to get to the nearest store and they might? have one or two things on their tray but never at the prices you get..
However, I have the farm, that means I get fresh eggs in daily, fresh milk coming in, I am still harvesting things from the garden, and I have a full stock of pantry of months worth of stored fresh food, plus three freezers full of fruits, veggies and meat.. plus I have live meat on the hoof, or claw depneding on type..
So in that way I would say raise your food budget to perhaps 20 a week..
As for paying events, if something does come up, I just own it on the blog week report and then I show at the end of the month the difference in what I would have saved vs what I saved if I had not done the event.. I have one event I have planned as well.. so I totally understand.
Yes, you are very lucky to have so much lovely food in storage. I think we could do it for £20 a week, it would be tight, but we could probably manage it. Maybe it’s a challenge we can do for January instead?
Sure, I will be doing a winter challenge and have no issue if you want to join me. I normally do No buy Feb year.. so maybe that works better for you 🙂
I’m in! With the exception of buying some kind of mattress/foamy/sleeping pad for a guest, I should not have to buy anything new. Maybe a challenge will keep me honest.
Awesome, Sounds like Silver is in as well.. so that is at least three of us! NICE..
I’ve been on a no buy for cloth pads because I have enough
Good for you Monetta, I like my cloth ones as well, they can when well made work so well.
Love this idea and I am sharing it in a link back to your site, coming up in today’s post. So much better when we get creative with being frugal and saving money, thank you.
Awesome, look forward to reading it and following up on yours. I will share your post in my round up as well.. I am hoping to do Silver’s and anyone else’s that join in.
I think this is so nice and it also helps the planet too, sometimes we do spend too much on unnecessary items,,especially during the holidays. Then January rolls around and all those bills come in.
I’m a week late to this game, but I would like to join in. Luckily, I didn’t spot this until my new cookbook and weights got delivered today (I need the weights for rehab on the arm I broke, and the book was on my wish list and allowed me to get free shipping 🙂 ).
Lovely, I look forward to hearing how it goes for you.. I am sorry you broke your arm but best of luck on rehab and all cookbooks should always be a freebie.. well.. maybe not.. but they SHOULD be lol.. glad you got yours.. what did you get?
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