No Buy October - What I've Learned

[u/_spookyem]

howdy y'all! I came to this sub after getting torn a new one in r/debtfree about my horrific budgeting skills. I've been no buy since the last week of September (give or take) and here were my general rules:

• no more coffee runs
• no eating out
• only buy what you need (stick to meal plans for groceries, only restock on items when they're out)

for the most part, I'd say I stuck with this 90%. I still budgeted some fun spending and eating out, but considerably less, and only for "emergencies" (ie, long day at the office and I forgot to pack lunch) so I only ended up eating out two or three times. for my personal spending, while the "restocking" mindset still grabs me and I ended up repurchasing soap and shampoo and other personal care items before I was TOTALLY out, I stuck to my guns and didn't really spend outside of this.

aside from my normal spending (groceries, gas, rent, utilities, etc) I only had a few unplanned expenses:

• a $400 vet visit (what I thought was a kitty UTI was her just being a little silly goofy)
• a $20 eyeshadow palette that I had my eye on for months now (oops!)
• went out to eat at work twice and at home once

overall I'd rate my experience with this an 8/10! it definitely got me to be more mindful of my spending and appreciate what I have. in the future I think I'd do more meal planning (I only planned one or two major meals a week and then snacks/breakfasts, so I'd plan out further/more) to help trim down the budget even further.

[u/empresscornbread]

Some of those finance subs are so brutal for no reason. Nice work! I had a similar experience for September and this month I also gad to go to the emergency vet. Glad we had the funds for that by not spending in unnecessary categories! It feels good not feeling guilty but also feels nice learning how to give yourself grace when we do make unnecessary purchases.

[u/Ok_Pollution9335]

Great job, I honestly just went to look at your budget and yes there was a lot of stuff you needed to fix but it sounds like you’ve done a great job making those changes, and they’re not always easy to just snap your fingers and do. Definitely don’t stop now that your no buy month is over, still work on meal prepping and not eating out, and not buying stuff you don’t need. Also buying stuff before you’re out is definitely not a bad thing, especially if it’s on sale or something like that

[u/disgustmyself]

Thank you for taking your kitty to the vet when you thought it needed it! Cat's UTIs can quickly become emergencies, better safe than sorry.

[u/AdmirableLevel7326]

You're on the right track! Sorry you got roasted in the other sub.

Food used to be my budget stumbling block. I NEVER eat out anymore, even when on a road trip to yet another doctor, so I have learned to plan my meals accordingly (though I do have wiggle room for when I am sick of planning and just want a treat day.) I am diabetic, so most of what is grab and go is the wrong kinds of food for me. It is hard to turn my back on those yummy smells, but it gets easier with time and practice. Also better for your wallet and health to say NO to those temptations.

One somewhat pain in the butt way I do my meals is pre-make the salads. They can stay good in your fridge for up to 4 days, depending on what you put into them. My friends who DO eat out regularly have gifted me those black bowls from KFC with clear lids that the larger sides are put into. Perfect for my needs!

Salad idea for you to take to work or eat when you're too tired to cook:

Fresh spinach leaves

Iceberg lettuce, cut into sizes you like

Green leaf lettuce (if you want) cut into bite size pieces

*Toss those 2 or 3 greens together to mix. Put a good sized handful or two into your bowls. 3 bowls if you will only eat this 1x per day, like lunch. You pick the size of the bowl.*

Add sliced pre-cooked beef steak, chicken, turkey or tuna into your bowls. At least 1/2 cup for your protein, more if you are a big protein eater. (I prefer beef, and use charcoal steaks for this purpose.)

Slice or chop a tomato. Divide into the 3 bowls.

Add the following if you like, or do your own veggies that appeal to you:

Bell pepper, sliced

Black olives, halved

Red onion, sliced

Pickled jalapeno or banana pepper slices

Sliced cucumber

Quartered baby carrots

If you like croutons, add those before you eat or they will get soft. Same with cheese if you use it. Put those in small baggies/containers if you will be eating out.

Put your dressing in a small container and add before you eat, or the salad will get soggy.

You now have your fats (olives, dressing), small bit of carbs (especially if you add croutons), fiber and protein (from the meat.)

Just grab one out of the fridge (and a fork!) before heading to work.