I think we can clarify that October’s no buy was a complete flop. Although I myself didn’t buy any make up or shoes so I am taking that as a win. Did you notice that specific ‘I myself’ because hubby surprised me with an advent beauty calendar from Fortnum and Mason. It is beautiful and it is very expensive and I do adore it and yes I know I am a very lucky girl. It will be fabulousness personified to play around with all of their luxurious goodies and I am looking forward to the next few months of playing very much.

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So what did I spend on.

Well I bought some wool. I started a crochet blanket and realised that I would much rather have a larger blanket than one that won’t wrap around me, and a very kind lady on Ravelry was willing to part with some of her stash and help me out, at a very generous price too, so I am very, very happy. As is Eric who has already found my pile of granny squares.

There was a small clothing purchase. I looked high and low for my deep pink Dents gloves, (I think they call the colour claret) I have other colours but I love this pair and I could not find them. So after two weeks of searching, I realised they were lost and seem to remember not being able to find them at the end of last spring. It’s always a tricky time for gloves that, if you leave a place in the middle of winter you realise pretty quickly and go back for them, at the end of the spring you might just forget that you had them with you. This will be my second pair of gloves that I have lost in my life, the first and I remember the restaurant I left them in and rang them to which they denied all knowledge, was my first pair of hand knitted gloves, in a variegated yarn which had turned out beautifully. I still mourn the loss of that particular pair. But these are beautiful and more than make up for my recent loss.

There was a purchase of a small chest freezer, which I hadn’t realised I might need, but the plot has been doing quite well along with being able to purchase that whole lamb from a farmer just up the road, so I realised I would need another freezer to be able to cope with the overspill from the plot as well as extra items we enjoy at Christmas. I’m calling it my Christmas freezer and hope to have it shut down by the end of February.

And now we have the cookery book situation. It is such a bad time of the year to not buy, just as they release all of the new season cookery books of which to tempt the Christmas present shopper. I generally buy my own cookery books because I do have quite an extensive food/cookery book library. Not as many as Nigella Lawson, google her library, I am completely in awe.

Son no.1 bought me last Christmas How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry, which is a beautiful book and has some lovely recipes in it. The more I read of Diana Henry the more I liked her and it reminded me of a chicken book of hers that I wanted to buy when I visited Books for Cooks in Notting Hill about four years ago. I remember standing over ‘A Bird in the Hand’ for what seemed like hours debating whether to get it or an Italian book I’d had my eye on for a while, it was the middle of summer, I went with the Italian, but as soon as autumn approached I wished I had bought the chicken book. Books for Cooks have over 8000 books so to remember one that keeps calling to you is an impressive feat.

So when Diana Henry released From the Oven to the Table I bought it immediately, knowing that this type of food is right up my street. Then later I thought I’m just going to get that chicken book so ‘A Bird in the Hand’ arrived yesterday.

During that process I had started to watch Jamie Olivers new series on Veg and really enjoyed it, so VEG has come home to roost during the month as well.

Am I a lost cause on no buy? probably. Am I more aware of my buying patterns? Definitely. Is it fun to challenge one’s self? Always.

I think that I can definitely own at this stage in my life that I am an avid home cook who enjoys new seasons, new ideas, cultures and ingredients so will probably always buy and keep and use as many recipe books that I am able.