More than half of the year has passed!
I can't say that I'm pleased with my 'performance', I haven't really lived up to my intentions of buying nothing - but I've still done really well.
The greatest expenditure this year (as always) has been plane tickets, it is expensive to live in two different places.Especially when they're on two different continents, 9 hours apart. And I've done the trip twice, well...maybe I should only count the one trip as the first one took place on New Year's Eve which was really in 2014 :)
Back to my spending! I have done well, really well, but I have bought a few items and that is a few more purchases than I had planned to make. But a girl's got to live, and shop even just a little....
I went to Milan in April and spent a gorgeous spring weekend in the fashion capital of Europe (the world?), and I came home with one pair of shoes. One pair! Now, isn't that a success? My daughters would be happy to tell me that is was really a failure.
To sum it up, I have probably bought a 10th of what I usually would have done in the same period of time and that is good. Not great, but good.
And the summer sales have passed me by, I have visited quite a few stores but not been the least tempted! Success :D

A month in, and doing good!

I've now survived just over a month of this buy-nothing-year of mine! And all is well. Well, obviously it has been hard - how many shoe sales haven't I passed? But so far, so good :) Since my lapse in early January I have actually bought NOTHING to wear for myself. I did buy a shirt for my youngest daughter, she had tried it on a few months ago but found it too expensive. Now the same shirt was $11 including tax, so I just had to buy it. Had to. And I have bought a mixing bowl for the kitchen - the daughter (she's the one making me spend 'all' this money!) wanted to bring her boyfriend over for Swedish meatballs and I had absolutely nothing to prepare these in, so what could I do? Fortunately is was only $12 and made the 'cheating' easier.
Obviously, I have spent money on other things: Starbucks (yes, I am an addict), restaurant meals, a Super Bowl Sunday snack 'n' drinks at the local pub with my daughters, a wine tasting evening together with my friend Pia and the odd edible treat here and there. And groceries, but that doesn't count - and I have been very frugal there as well!
So all in all, everything goes just swimmingly well!

And while I am at it - trying to make changes in my spending habits - I might as well try to make a few other changes in my life. No, I am not trying to make too many, but there are things that could be tweaked a bit. I just found this post on a friend's FaceBook page and it 'talked to me':

But I will get back to that! 

The Year has begun!

Oh My!

The Old Year ended and the New Year begun.
I can't say that it is easy giving up my old ways, but what better time than at New Year when we are supposed to start afresh with new energy and new excitement?

The last week of last year was spent working, a really, really good idea for somebody who is trying to change her buying habits - I didn't have time to go shopping even if I wanted to! Well, that isn't entirely true as I did. Of course. Just for old times sake. I just had to spend an afternoon or two downtown Stockholm, just looking, just in case... All the Boxing Day sales were just too tempting to pass up, but I have to say that I was really, really good :) A pair of slacks and a blouse. C'est tout!
Oh, that is a lie. I actually bought a pair of hiking boots and was I ever happy about that! See, I had a big, big dilemma. As I was going back to hiking-country, more about that later, I knew I needed a pair of winter-worthy hiking boots but how was I going to do this - I was only arriving on New Years Eve when the stores were closed and next day, January 1, then it would be the new shopping free year...
Aha! A Boxing Day sale at the sports store, XXL, and space in my suitcase. What a great idea.

So yes, I started off the new year not only with a new fresh mind - wishful thinking - but on the other side of the Atlantic. Yet another trip over to Vancouver, Canada. It really wasn't too bad spending New Years Eve onboard a KLM-flight, and I was accompanied by a jam-packed plane. Guess I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the only decent priced flight that week. Besides, the flight landed early in Vancouver at 2pm - plenty of time to get ready for whatever excitement the evening would hold. In my case just a quiet evening with friends.

So how have I done? The big question!
Well, I have had relapses... The first one wasn't so bad as the only thing I bought was a garlic press - and how could I make pesto if I didn't have a garlic press? Totally legit. And a small tray. That was worse, I do have trays even if not in this perfect size. The next one was BAD. I am ashamed. I bought a pair of courderoys, pants, and how many of them don't I already have? Sure, they're all in Sweden and not here, except a black pair. If I have to look for excuses for my naughty, naughty behaviour :D it will have to be that they were only 9:97 and I don't have that colour, camel. It is obviously not the money, for that price I would only get a coffee and a sandwich at Starbucks, which wouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, the year is only two weeks old and I have relapsed. But, I hope I can keep it up! I have passed numerous shoe sales and haven't even batted an eyelid. There's real hope here. Hold your thumbs :D

Getting closer...

In fact, just thinking about a year without shopping makes me want to....not shop! At this time I really should be running in and out of stores looking for Christmas presents and goodies for myself, but I am not. Of course, I still have to buy a few presents - I mean, people do expect presents at Christmas time and I guess they shouldn't have to "suffer" for my lack of interest in my previous favourite past time. Anyway, this year I don't like Christmas. It's personal, but still true. I wish Christmas wasn't on. Maybe I'm the grinch?

Thinking about buying those Christmas presents I still have to get made me think... There is a dilemma. I am planning to buy nothing, but does this include presents? I still have loved ones who will have birthdays and there will, I guess, be another Christmas. Guess I just have to make an exception. But if I start making exceptions, well, then the whole project is defeated. I will have to sleep on it.

Christmas Deer at Nybroplan. You can view these without a shoppingbag in your hand. Even if that maybe feels better :) Or does it? I guess I will find out, won't I?

Work in progress...

Still shopping! Not like crazy, but it is almost Christmas and I can't let others suffer because of my 'foolishness' :D Besides, I might as well make hay while the sun shines. As of today I have exactly 26 days left and I still think this is a great idea :)