No Spend, No Point

In times gone by, people paid attention to omens, portents, believing ‘It’s a sign!’, to guide them to pastures new.  Nowadays, we have algorithms.  It was one such algorithm that has inspired me to try a ‘no spend month’ this October.  Obviously, I’ve stocked up on candles beforehand.  The principle of no spend is that, apart from essentials like food and paying your utilities, nothing else is to be purchased.  No clothing, magazines, take-away coffee, sitting-in coffee, tuna with red onion on malt.  Nothing.  (I can’t bring myself to add ‘books’, but must).  A list may be made for a couple of ‘allowables’, such as one cinema ticket per month, perhaps one fish supper if passing the good chippie on way home from said cinema.  But even grocery essentials need to be properly defined and adhered to from the get-go.  For instance, liquorice, not essential.  Hallowe’en chocolates, absolute must haves.  Now, the narrow-minded will want to tell you that chocolate, Hallowe’en or otherwise, is not ‘an essential’ and should therefore be disallowed in a no spend month.  One word – magnesium. 

I rest my case.

In preparation, on Thursday I went on a stocking-up road trip to Elgin, where there are many superstores and reasonably priced petrol.  I have advanced DIYtus now, and must have a fix of bounteous B&Q aisles before October 1^st.   I had a £6 off token for Tesco, so may as well go to a big one where fabulous non-essential delights are on hand.  I stopped at Gordon Castle Walled Garden on the way home and bought one last take-away coffee.  It was a glorious afternoon; the garden simply abundant with non-essentials. 

Replete with my bags of figs, yellow courgettes, and gold-trim draught-proofing, I say, bring it on October.

Is going away for a weekend an allowable?

Images for this journal have been posted on Insta @purplehaze_journals