31 days of Zero

So this new year, instead of making a list of all the resolutions that I will proceed to break by January 2nd, I have roped in the rest of the family to have a month of spending nothing.

There are several reasons why I want to do this; firstly with our move in April, we need to cut back materialistically. We have a plethora of Christmas leftovers and a freezer full of food that we can't move. We are also moving down a bedroom size and with it being our own home finally, one where we do not intend to move from again, we are finally able to put up shelves, unpack boxes etc, so I can downsize.

I have also nearly come to terms (there is still the occasional tear and pang) with the fact that I won't/can't be a mama again in this lifetime and as one of my dear friends is now expecting her first, have passed on  a huge bag of goodies to her, this means that I can free the garage of baby swings, cots and pushchairs and sell on or giveaway some of the toys the children have now grown out of; the ones I've been hanging onto...just. in . case!

So, my plan of action for the month is to only spend on fresh groceries such as milk, veg and fruit and maybe a joint each weekend that we can then find different and inventive recipes for the leftovers in the week. I am intending to write a menu for the week so that my shopping is strictly minimal and to the list exactement!

No clothes, home items, garden stuff etc will be bought and we can make or mend what we have.

We may well be able to swap things with friends, I have boxes of homemade chutneys and jams that I may be able to exchange for half a dozen eggs from one of my friends with chooks. 

No cinema trips, meals out, pub jaunts this month - we can play board games - the kids got loads for Christmas - and watch the movies we were given, recorded or that we get on our monthly sub from Love Film which is already pre-paid for, so doesn't count ;-)

The sewing machine will be set up in the lounge so that I WILL complete the projects I have in my cupboard and I am going to aim to finish all the started knitting projects (of which there appear to be quite a few!) by the summer!

Magazines (other than the boys' subscription to The Beano and Mr Beehive's Private Eye) will be bought - not sure how I'll live without February's Country Living, but I intend to cut out all the bits from the last few month's editions that I wish to save and put them in my file (er...yes...I am THAT woman...I have a file of pages I've cut out of magazines that inspire me or remind me of how I want my room/s to look!)

We don't have any real vices, we don't smoke, we don't wear Jimmy Choos, we don't drink - a lot ;-) and we have stores of wine thanks to Mr Beehive's job! we don't even get a daily paper as we don't have time to read it.

I intend to blow the dust off my running shoes again as long as the snow holds off and that way I can work off the wine and sitting on my arse-ness that might be a result of not going out - yeah, cos we're normally such party animals in this house *guffaw*!!!

Blogland will henceforth be used this month, to record how well we get on with this. I intend to be honest and record how many times we slip up, or use the car unecessarily and try to log how much money we waste/save.

If anyone is up to joining me, I'd be very happy to either link to your blog or invite you to write a guest post for this blog.

Who's with me?

Happy New Year!