Zero spending, could you do it?

Captain · 18 Dec 2017 at 21:38

Quite easily, I did 8 weeks of 6 nights a week, only working and sleeping.

Didn’t touch a single penny, food and drink was provided by work and what I didn’t finish, I took home with me.

Direct debits etc still came out but I spent no money on myself.

I was working 12 hours until 6am, sleeping until 3pm and then chilling out before work, didn’t have time to spend money.

Orcish-Horde · 18 Dec 2017 at 21:42

With 4 daughters and christmas, I had to buy glue to fix my trainers. I can and have done so for years, but there is no point in doing so unless you have a long term goal and every penny counts. Life is too short to not set aside a little to treat yourself.

helpimcrap · 18 Dec 2017 at 21:49

I can go most weeks without spending anything bar bills. I'll have a blow out every so often but haven't bought clothes in years.

Need to buy some new shoes as soles are falling apart and missing about 2" of the tread now so leaking water in.... but I generally look after my stuff - only replace it when it is broken.

Tee Hee Johnson · 18 Dec 2017 at 21:51

Not long!

CaptainRAVE · 18 Dec 2017 at 21:53

Managed it for 6 weeks. Need to do so again.

The_Abyss · 18 Dec 2017 at 22:05

https://www.theguardian.com/money/b...ding-year-over-new-way-living-wealthier-wiser

I know the journalist fairly well. She's quite alternative lifestyle, but she stuck to this having built up to it for a couple of years. It shows what can be done.

I did buy her a couple of lunches during the year, but hey, she still had to do her job!

Rannoch · 18 Dec 2017 at 22:10

Spook187 said:
Impossible with a Marine tank in the home, who really cares though if you spend, no point in being the richest man in the graveyard is there.

Completely agree.

Zatoichi.uK · 19 Dec 2017 at 06:12

Been watching a few of these lately. The minimalists documentary is also pretty good.

,https://youtu.be/CyKmpyYy14k
https://youtu.be/L8YJtvHGeUU
https://youtu.be/GgBpyNsS-jU

Sankari · 19 Dec 2017 at 06:44

Forget about 'programmed to spend', we need to spend money if we want enough food and resources to stay alive.

You can't simply choose to stop spending unless you've already spent a lot on long term supplies.

Sankari · 19 Dec 2017 at 06:45

Zatoichi.uK said:
Been watching a few of these lately. The minimalists documentary is also pretty good.

,https://youtu.be/CyKmpyYy14k
https://youtu.be/L8YJtvHGeUU
https://youtu.be/GgBpyNsS-jU

Minimalism works fine until you realise that you're wearing out your clothes and shoes twice as fast as you would have done without minimalism.

spoffle · 19 Dec 2017 at 06:51

I could do up to a year, probably. I have most of what I need. I've got loads of games in my backlog, so I could play a new game a day for at least a year and still have more to play. Hobbies wise, I've spent out on them already for the most part, so I could go up to a year not buying anything. The only thing that would get in the way would be if something broke, and I had to buy a new one.

bayo000 · 19 Dec 2017 at 08:00

Hmm probably not completely. Back when I was saving for my deposit I spent very little on non essentials but every now and again I did buy myself something.

Zatoichi.uK · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:11

Evangelion said:
Minimalism works fine until you realise that you're wearing out your clothes and shoes twice as fast as you would have done without minimalism.

I don't think it stretches to owning one pair of shoes. Perhaps taken to the extreme, but many people have way more clothes/shoes than they actually use. I may have a clear out actually.

Tom_ed1987 · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:23

I could quite easily do this, infact I pretty much did when saving for a house deposit & don't really recall it being that detrimental to my lifestyle. Less extravagant holidays & I only had 1 car instead of 3.

Randomface74 · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:26

My 2 main games I've played for 16 and 12 years lol.
TV/Movies cost nothing.
Wasting time on OCUK costs nothing.
I watch a lot of parliamentlive.tv, costs nothing.
Walking costs nothing.

Supernova · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:38

Hard to define what is a necessary expense. People have differing ideas on that. For example I spent £100 on 5 shirts for work recently which felt like a lot. But to me it is a necessity as some of the ones I was wearing were 5 years old. Others would say unless there are holes then I'd not replace them. It all comes down to relativity in the end because the more money you have available, the more you will see purchases as necessary to maintain a certain quality of life.

If I cut spending right down to bills and food, then my house would begin to get shabby as there is always something that needs doing, or I wouldn't be able to cycle to work because some expense is always required to keep the bike going.

chroniclard · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:40

Could quite easily not spend anything myself and quite easily stay at home 24/7. Its the wife and kids that would ruin it.

subbytna · 19 Dec 2017 at 09:44

I can go from Sunday to Thursday without spending any money. Then I need to buy more chicken breasts for my meals.

Sankari · 19 Dec 2017 at 10:20

Software piracy: the new minimalism!

MookJong · 19 Dec 2017 at 10:26

I'm pretty sure I go 2 or 3 weeks all the time or even a month. If I have a book, or a game on the go I tend to focus on it till it is finished. Other hobbies are making music and photography and there are no consumables involved. I like reading the web on my iPad and listen to a lot of podcasts and that is all free.

Clothes I tend to go on a spree for so will go a couple of months without new ones.