Now I have always adored No Buy Feb because it leads into my Pantry March Challenge.. these two combined have let me find so many weakness and build in strengths into my homestead.

What is No Buy Feb?

Its pretty simple.. Only buy what must be got (clearly you are going to need to buy your pet food) most peaple do allow themselves to buy basic food items but not all do.. and otherwise, anythign that is a want/wish/would be nice is NO BUY..

I am stunned to realize that I did my first No Buy Month (feb) in 2011.. that means this is my 10TH year for doing some version of this..

Anything that is a need, as in I need to X, then you can get it.. On average in a non-pandemic year you should be able to save at least a couple hundred dollars over the month.. its a way to put up a little extra, pay off those last of the christmas bills and so on.

I am leery this year to put a No Buy Feb full stop on the farm as a whole.. A good friend of mine was going to host the No Buy Feb and then decided that it was not a good idea due to the fact that here were we live that we will most likely only have a small window in feb when the lock down ends, the stores open with regs in place between the next lockdown with the coming varient waves.. (which for my area the general thought is it will start to pick up in mid-march and roll on strong though the spring.

However I have been mulling this over hard and I am going to do a No Buy Feb.. because of the very above.. and something ValB said..

Which in a nut shell was, its hard to have had the nose to the grind for a year, always trying to figure out the next “what is going to be hard to find”.. and that it wears on you.. I agree it does..

Now I am darn happy that I can and did see the writing on the wall and moved ahead of the base pop and I am sure she is as well..

However it went in the old noggin and stewed there.. I think that having the No Buy Feb in place, which means I have to report my success or failure on the blog is a great way to keep me from spending more then I need to..

I mean, honestly, I fully believe 2 is 1 and 1 is none, and in a very well stocked pantry, farm and so on but there is a temptation to get more then you need..

The feeling of worry in regards to what I believe is coming and I am beyond grateful that there are places and friends that will not have this effect and I want to be wrong.

I need to prepare like I am right.. but I also do not want to go over board.. I will to stay the course, straight and true.. No Buy Feb will help with that..

So Here is my No Buy Feb Rules

No Personal wants!

This right there cuts out any chance of me doing a add on to a online order or asking for a few extra things on the once or twice monthy go to town get it done shopping

Local Food programs is allowed but I will do my best to limit myself this month to fresh fruit/veggies/grains.. no extras unless it comes with the basket. They often sell add-on’s and that is where I will look for extra savings.

Extra for hubby that fit into his requirements for his diet requirements are allowed, example Nuts or his order of pork rinds etc.

When it comes to the farm, the same rules have applied for the past 10 years.. if the farm or the farm critters need it.. its allowed.. period..

Now comes the far more tricky part.. the above are standard rules and while they can be surprisingly harder to live by then you think.. a little buckle down and it happens pretty well..

How do I work in future needs/restocking/back orders?

I heard someone say on a meeting chit-chat.. “I got a tent for camping this year.. and someone else says.. o did you get it on sale? and the answer was.. no, I paid a high price for it but its ok because it was on backorder for 6 months.. and it was finally available”

This little 45 second chat is a sum up of my issue.. In years past we used to talk about sale cycles and how some things came on every few weeks, some in 6 to 8 weeks and some only twice or even once a year and you can’t miss that “sale” for the years stock up.. and so flex was given in the no buy and the pantry challenge to do the stock up but you could not use it until after the challenges were done.

This year, there will be no sales.. I think its going to be all about.. stock and back orders..

So here is my general rules in this regards.. If its been on my pick it up list for more then 3 months and its been not available and or on back order and shipment came in..

I am allowed to get it..

If I know I need it for something within THIS YEARS coming projects and I KNOW just! what it will be used for and when, then if its stock and I am not sure at how long that might remain.. then if I can find it this month, I can get the amount I would need for 2021 and 2022 but I have to own why I feel it would need more then this year..

That really narrows the window of what I can consider but keeps some flex and common sense in there..

Wish me luck and Keep you posted!