It seems to be a common theme running across the internet of people doing a low buy year or no buy year. Everyone seems to be sharing their ideas and goals for the year of how to save money.
Welcome to 2026 where it seems almost everyone is feeling the pinch and searching for ways to save money, buy less, make do and reuse what they have.
I noticed that one of my top blog posts here is Frugal Friday and Preparedness which is highlighted to the right under Featured Post. I wrote this particular post back in April 2022, almost 4 years ago. Everything I wrote about could be today, this year. I wrote about exactly what I mentioned above, everyone feeling the pinch, needing to save money and make do with what they had.
So, instead of me repeating that here, just click on that post and have a read as the content is just as relevant for today and this year going forward.
It is crazy to think that four years on we are still in the same state globally, in fact, worse.
Inspired by what a lot of other people seem to be doing and in keeping with the spirit of Wartime frugality, this year my husband and I have a set a goal of having a low buy year. We are generally very good with our money and I like to be frugal and considered with our purchases and expenses but with rising costs of everything and a few more financial expenses, we also need to be more frugal. Last year we had more health related expenses and because of the stress of the year with most of my family taking it in turns to have unexpected operations and ongoing health concerns to work through, I think I brought too many books ( there's no such thing!! 😂 ), as a way to escape, when I had a chance, into another world and as an introvert who felt like I spent a lot of my time last year in hospitals, talking to doctors and other health professionals, sitting in waiting rooms etc, I needed that little pick me up. Books feed my soul and give me a lot of comfort. I have always been a bookworm. In fact I used to be a librarian before we started a family over 20 years ago. I even take books with me when I go places, even if I know I won't get a chance to read!
But this post is not about books but about how I am setting some goals and challenges to save more and spend less and I hope to encourage you all as well.
I am not writing a list here of all the things I am not buying.
However, to give you an idea that hopefully encourages you to start thinking where you might be able to cut expenses, I will tell you that my number one challenge to myself to save money is to buy no books this year! 📚
This will be incredibly hard for me, for the reasons I wrote above. However, I have a stash of books that I purchased last year that I haven't read all the way through yet. I have two very good local libraries and I can reserve more through the main city library. Recently a friend of mine, probably feeling sorry for me with the challenge I set myself, gave me a series of three books ( christian historical fiction ), not only to read but to keep. I was so excited and felt like it was an answer to prayer because I am serious in this frugal challenge. I felt this was a real blessing which has encouraged me.
So, are there any areas of your expenses and purchases that you can take a hard look at and cut back or cut out all together?
☕ Buying too many takeaway coffees or other drinks?
🍟 Buying too many fast foods or eating out too often?
👗 Already have a wardrobe full of clothes, shoes and handbags? Perhaps go through what you have and see if there are any items you haven't yet worn or haven't worn in a long time and maybe mix and match to create new outfits? I have also set myself a challenge of not buying any new clothes this year as last year I brought myself some new dresses and I don't need any more. The only exception is a new winter cardigan if I can find one I like and items such as socks, underwear or workout clothes if really needed.
📚 Do you regularly buy a lot of books as well? We don't all need to be so drastic and not buy any but maybe reduce the amount and set a budget for the year.
There are lots of ways we can all save money, we just need to think realistically about what we can reduce or cut out. Thinking creatively about how we can save and alternatives to still having things or experiences. For example, loaning books from your local library instead of buying, going on a picnic instead of visiting a cafe or restaurant.
🏃 Which leads into reducing costs of activities and experiences where possible and opting for free activities. Exploring new areas where you live, going for walks and picnics are all fun and so good for us to be outside with fresh air and nature instead of cooped up inside. Of course this is often weather permitting. Art galleries and museums are great if that's your thing. Visiting friends and family and sharing a meal or afternoon tea together. Instead of going out and spending money, why not stay home and make some treats and watch a movie or play a board game.
🍯 Making do and mend. That old time favourite quote from the Wartime years. Recently I reused a plastic container that some vegetables or fruits came in and have reused it to hold our honey jars as they always seem to be sticky and leave a sticky mess on the pantry shelf. Yesterday I did some mending on an item of clothing to extend the life and to be able to keep wearing this item. I also have an old towel that I am saving to cut up for cleaning cloths which saves me buying disposable ones. I make a mixture of vinegar and water and soak the cloths in it and it works perfectly for all kinds of jobs. I wrote a post a few years ago about it. You will be able to find it under the Frugal labels.
📺 We are looking at how many streaming channels we have, some can now go for the time being as we have completed the movies and programmes we were watching. These kinds of subscriptions really add up fast before we know it.
🥦 One big area that I really want to reduce is groceries. I am sure you are all the same! It is getting crazy out there in the supermarkets and this is becoming a real challenge for a lot of people. We like to eat healthy nutritious meals with lots of vegetables and fruits but this is getting expensive. Even as I am switching out brands of items like every day staples of pasta, canned beans, oats, crackers etc, my grocery bill is still rising. I bake our bread from scratch, do baking, make my own muesli, cook meals from scratch, make my own pizza dough and sauce, cook a couple of meatless meals a week for dinners, you get the picture. But still I can't get the total bill to come down all that much. I recently did a big cook up of dried chickpeas and kidney beans and froze them in portion sizes suitable for the meals I cook, to reduce the buying of canned beans.
This is where I am finding wartime cooking comes in handy. They are super frugal, especially the vegetarian recipes. I occasionally do a wartime rations challenge, just for myself and I really enjoy it. I am usually quite hungry by the end of the week! My husband and three sons don't participate fully but they are happy to have the wartime meals spread throughout the week for lunch or dinner. I am considering doing another challenge next week, I really enjoy it and find it strangely interesting.
I will be posting ( hopefully if I don't forget to take photos like I did last time! ), over on my Instagram.
@sacredsimplicitylife
Thank you for being here today. I hope you are all well and having a great week so far. For all my American friends, I hope you stay safe and warm in this winter snow storm that you are currently experiencing.
Let me know where you live and any frugal tips and ideas that you have.
Many blessings,
Love, Fiona
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you" Hebrews 13:5
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