~December No-Spend Challenge~ End o' the month. How did you do? What will you do differently... - Page 17

[scrapadoozer]

12/01:
12/02:
12/03:
12/04:
12/05:
12/06: $3 Post Office, $4 wrapping paper I didn't really need.
12/07:
12/08:
12/09:
12/10:
12/11:
12/12: $10.50 extra portrait sheets.
12/13:
12/14: $5 Doughnuts.
12/15:
12/16:
12/17: $4 Post Office.

13/20 no-spend days.
$26.50 unnecessarily spent.
$250/$300 saved for the midwife.

[FeelingBlessed]

Thrilled to spend $40 today on the Playmobil camper DD requested for her b-day (has been a challenge to find one in-stock, and this arrived just in the nick of time on last night's truck - DD's b-day is tomorrow). In 5 years of DD's b-days, this is by far the least amount of $ we have spent on gifts (if her parties tomorrow are factored in, b-day budget is more like $250-300, but very reasonable considering the significant # of guests who will be in attendance). Positively thrilled she asked to have a "Veterinarian/Shelter-Benefit/Pizza B-day Party", meaning any gifts in the door will be for 4-legged friends at the local shelter. It has been wonderful to see how excited she is by this idea, extending to decorating tonight with pictures of the animals being helped (beneath a large "Thank You" sign).

Kim :

Dec. 1:
Dec. 2:
Dec. 3:
Dec. 4:
Dec. 5:
Dec. 6:
Dec. 7:
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Dec. 11:
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Dec. 13:
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Dec. 15:
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Dec. 17:

DECEMBER GOALS:
* Less than $50 in frivolous spending: $0/$50
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 17/25
* NO library fines: month to date $0
* Stay within grocery/eating out budget: $572.12/$600
* ORGANIZE/declutter (lack of organization = spending): 15/25
* Exercise (feeling good = decreased emotional spending): 6/25
* Meal plan created (I REALLY want to develop the habit of meal planning!):
11/30-12/6: started...maybe 1/2 complete
12/7-12/13: nada
12/14-12/20: meals plans for DD's b-day parties done
12/21-12/27:
12/28-1/3:

[kalisis]

I'm behind a whole week...

1. No Spend.
2. No Spend.
3. $2 coffee at DD, $13 at Indian Grocer, $75 EZ Pass Fees
4. $33 gas, $1214 Rent
5. $13 groceries, $5 Wendy's, $52 Wal-Mart (not counting), $400 DS School, $370 DD's School.
6. $4 for apples at the market and then $45 at Target for a yule gift and a bottle for our solstice water.
7. No Spend
8. $4.50 on raspberries (for DD - YAY!), yogurt, crackers and lunch for myself. $26 (cash!) at Walmart for dinner and some crafting supplies, which I'm not counting.
9. $6 BK for breakfast. $3 on lunch.
10. $28 gas.
11. $18 dinner/drinks with a friend, $50 Borders, $5 BK on breakfast again, $200 to DS's school
12. EZPass $75
13. Walmart $67 (included $40 cash that I used for dinner), Van Heusen $42, total impulse, wish I could take it back, Hanes $25 Christmas Gift, Panera $3.24
14. $47 Thrift Store (Great Scores! ), $14 Gas, McDonald's $8.50
15. No Spend
16. $15 Grocery
17. $20 cash pizza, $370 DD's school


Tallies:

$17.25/20 - Misc
$51/300 - Groceries
$75 - Gas
$150 EZ Pass - two refills! yikes!
$1340 - School/Daycare

[mamayarn]

We ate dinner last night (roasted chicken and mashed sweet potatoes) an an hour or so later we were starving(!!), and DH went out to Wendy's after I blurted that I wanted a cheeseburger. He's been really hungry lately and I am 17 weeks pregnant... I feel bad about spending the money but it was soooooo good.

Dec 1: :
Dec 2: $1.42 Christmas
Dec 3: grocery trip $34.71/$50wk, Christmas shopping groceries $15.43
Dec 4: :
Dec 5: : $6/$25wk in Else
Dec 6: Christmas $13.99+$3.50, Else $9.26, Groceries $7.52
Dec 7: $25 Christmas, $14.93 else (stashed birthday gifts)
Dec 8: :
Dec 9: :
Dec 10: $38.89 groceries, $10 prescription (else)
Dec 11: :
Dec 12: - I guess - $10 lunch emergency, $4.15 for Christmas gift, $4.30 coffee emergency, $4.09 ice melt : under Else.
Dec 13: $9.10 emergency lunch again, $39.89 gas both cars
Dec 14: $11.29 groceries
Dec 15: only spending was on a gift card
Dec 16: and $25.67 - $11.45 Christmas 1.25 groceries, $12.97 else, $4.80 Christmas postage, $4.30 candle (else)
Dec 17: : $8.27 Wendy's

Running total for December
Grocery: $93.66/$200 - one man, one pregnant woman, one breastfeeding toddler
Else: $109.71/$100 (gas, eating out, personal care - everything but groceries)
Christmas: $79.74/$50 Oh, this was unrealistic.

: No driving (only me, not DH)
true no spend!
No spending outside or over budget
Spending outside or over budget[/QUOTE]

[Brisen]

1: :
2: $19 convenience groceries I had dh pick up when he took ds to cubs... I'm sick with mastitis at the moment and I needed some easy food for the kids.
3: :
4: :
5: $450 groceries, household items, bit of clothing, and stuff for St. Nick's Day.
6: :
7:
8: :
9: :
10: :
11: :
12: $46 stocking stuffers & household stuff at dollar store; $172 groceries; : $15 treat-type stuff we didn't need
13: $35 Christmas tree
14:
15: :
16: :
17: : $45 on gifts for the kids to take to a family Christmas brunch at dh's work, and then I topped up my order with some books I was planning on getting in a few months so I could get free shipping. $26 milk and a sippy cup for R

no spend:
necessary spend:
unnecessary spend: :
no drive: :

Household spending: $774/$600
No-spend days: 12/18

[schreiberwriter]

12/13:
12/14:
12/15:
12/16: Even earned some $$ babysitting. Plan on spending a little for lunch tomorrow when out with the kiddos. Hope to get out, snowy roads might prohibit it. Otherwise, it'll be another no spend day!
12/17: $5 for lunch, $11 to send diapers that I sold (ouch), $31 on groceries (funded by babysitting), restrained myself because I knew if I bought a smoothie I'd have to document it here.

[slsurface]

Dec 1:
Dec 2: $2 for parking on campus for meet with my adviser, $6 for sewing supplies to make bible cover for SIL for Christmas
Dec 3:
Dec 4:
Dec 5: $30 for bulk spices and flour for baking Christmas goodies, received checks for remaining balances in Flex Spending Accounts and finally received check for travel reimbursement from work. Deposited flex checks into savings and reimbursement check into checking - will use the later to pay off CC bill this month.
Dec 6: $83 for groceries and Aldi, $35 for fuel in both cars
Dec 7: $116 at IKEA for futon mattress and set of small glass tumblers for DS (slightly over budget, but all items were needed ).
Dec 8:
Dec 9:
Dec 10: $8.40 for a book of stamps, wrote check for $59.75 to pay off my milk/cheese account for the year
Dec 11: $10 for subs tonight - I came home too tired to cope with dinner, but I transferred $1000 from paychecks to savings & paid off CC!
12/12: $10 copay at doctor’s office, $20 at thrift store on clothes & toys for DS, & holiday decorations
12/13: trip to cousins was cancelled – took DS on train ride instead, $34 for tickets and $14 for lunch ($48 total for trip), $92 on groceries (at least $20 of this was for holiday party next weekend), $30 on fuel for both cars
12/14: , $14 on stocking stuffers for DH, $16 for holiday craft supplies
12/15:
12/16: , mail last payment on car-paid it off over two years early!
12/17: Ugh, a bad day! $24 for hair cut and tint (I haven't had my hair done in AGES, but at least I got a good deal because I know someone at a beauty college - I consider it a Christmas gift to myself ), $28 for misc. holiday-related items
12/18: $9 for roll of city trash bags (not all my guest this weekend will wrap their gifts in reusable bags :, so I have to be ready for all the trash)

Here are my spending goals for December:
$330/$600 for food and fuel & misc household expenses
$48/$50 for travel
$114/$150 for food/decorations for our extended family holiday party
$50 for misc. home improvement/emergencies - something is always breaking around here!
$116/$100 for futon mattress from IKEA
DONE-Pay off small CC debt this month
DONE-Pay last payment on our car!
7/10 no spend days
$1000/$300 to savings
$34/Less than $50 on unplanned/unbudgeted spending

Key
No spend day
: No drive day
Necessary/budgeted spending
Unplanned/unbudget spending
Put $$ in savings

[triscuitsmom]

Yesterday I had a challenging day. Ended it with Tim Hortons... my last of the month unless I go over my 3... we'll see if I can stay strong!

Tomorrow is pay day... and therefore bill paying day and we may also buy our freezer tomorrow too

My Goals
1. Half the month with no spend days: 11/16
2. Unplanned spending 5 or fewer days: 1/5
3. Emergency Fund funded/not spent from: $168.02/$168.02 added, 18/31 days with no spending
4. Pay off the next debt in our snowball: $225.00/$225.00 paid off
5. Tim Hortons 3 or fewer days: 3/3
6. Buy our freezer without credit and come in under budget

November 08 totals: 16 no spend days, 5 days unplanned spending, 1 Tim Hortons run; total $104.35 in unplanned spending

Key
: No spend on anything
: Necessary/budgeted spending
: Unnecessary/unbudgeted spending

December 1: and
December 2:
December 3:
December 4:
December 5:
December 6:
December 7:
December 8:
December 9:
December 10:
December 11:
December 12:
December 13:
December 14:
December 15:
December 16:
December 17: Tim Hortons $3.93
December 18:

Running Totals:
Budget set spending (tithe, rent, utilities, phone/internet/cell, insurance, bank service fees, debt minimum payments): $1158.14
Budget discretionary spending (everything else on our budget, not including food, debt snowball payments): $442.04
Groceries: $110.17
Unplanned/Uneccessary spending: $8.90

[Amys1st]

Grocery and Gas run. So far on my grocery- 331.73/400.00 for the month. Not bad with 12 days left.


I cancelled the produce and delivery for next week. WIth the bad weather, holiday week and anything else you can think of, its easier not to have to worry about it. Plus we have plenty of food and supplies here.
I am sending DH on a target run for toilet paper. I wish I can talk my family into family cloth....That is all that is left of not cloth in my house and 3 bathrooms.

[Patrick's mummy]

Dec 1st:£77.34 groceries. All still sick :
Dec 2nd: £6.50 groceries that DH insisited on to facilitate his recovery (no one ever recovered from flu without melon right?!)
Dec 3rd: £7.50 groceries, this time DH went and got them himself! £70 car tax, £1.14 postage.
Dec 4th: No spending at all. All still sick. School closed due to snow. :
Dec 5th: £49.40 groceries and household goods (inc some small Christmas gifts), that should last til 12/12 hopefully.
Dec 6th: £101.64 on Christmas gifts at Amazon.co.uk - that is it now, finished, apart from printing a few photos for frames we have bought as gifts for people. £4.23 on wooden play food for DS2's Christmas box - (was actually £12.50 but I used a gift card for the rest.) 80p parking. £48 petrol - a full tank.
Dec 7th: Oh man, DH spent again! £7.55 on various things he think will help his cold go away. Geez, did a cold ever go without lozenges, energy drinks, cakes?!
Dec 8th: £2 DS1's school Christmas play tickets, £3.50 DS2 playgroup (budgetted.) £1.40 treats for kids after school - I caved in
Dec 9th: No spend!
Dec 10th: No spend! Feeling pretty proud of this one as I've had a crap day!:
Dec 11th: £76.48 groceries. £0.58 on Kinder egg for DS1 after his school play. £5.05 at pharmacy on various pills for DH who then went and spent £9.07 on various other treats to make himself better
Dec 12th: £3.50 playgroup (budgetted)
Dec 13th: £1.70 parking.
Dec 14th: £40 meal with guest. (The restaurant we were supposed to be going to was closed so we ended up somewhere more expensive plus DH ordered a dessert: ) £8 groceries (mostly Xmas deals.)
Dec 15th: £3.50 playgroup (plus paid £2.50 in advance for the playgroup Christmas party on Weds) £1.20 bread. £2.90 DH spent on lunch :
Dec 16th: £2.03 milk (and a can of Coke- I knew it was going to be a long old day!) DH bought medications and Lucozade but no idea how much...
Dec 17th: £3.05 drinks/snacks at playgroup party: (lack of willpower) £1 charity donation. The guys came to clean my windows and I didn't get chance to ask them not to both til spring so they'll be knocking for £4 later DH spent £2.50 on lunch:
Dec 18th: No spend.

[scrapadoozer]

12/01:
12/02:
12/03:
12/04:
12/05:
12/06: $3 Post Office, $4 wrapping paper I didn't really need.
12/07:
12/08:
12/09:
12/10:
12/11:
12/12: $10.50 extra portrait sheets.
12/13:
12/14: $5 Doughnuts.
12/15:
12/16:
12/17: $4 Post Office.
12/18:

14/20 no-spend days.
$26.50 unnecessarily spent.
$250/$300 saved for the midwife.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02..
03..
04.. , :
05.. $200 gymnastics and preschool
06.. $36 Christmas ornaments, $13 Christmas candy
07.. $45 Tree and candy and hot cocoa and chicken
08..
09.. , :
10..
11.. , :
12.. , :
13.. $40 babysitter, $2 coffee
14..
15.. $47 indulgences, $17 Tightwad Gazette Book
16..
17.. , :
18.. , :

My Goals for this month:
13/20 No Spend Days
6/4 Let the Car Rest :

[kalisis]

1. No Spend.
2. No Spend.
3. $2 coffee at DD, $13 at Indian Grocer, $75 EZ Pass Fees
4. $33 gas, $1214 Rent
5. $13 groceries, $5 Wendy's, $52 Wal-Mart (not counting), $400 DS School, $370 DD's School.
6. $4 for apples at the market and then $45 at Target for a yule gift and a bottle for our solstice water.
7. No Spend
8. $4.50 on raspberries (for DD - YAY!), yogurt, crackers and lunch for myself. $26 (cash!) at Walmart for dinner and some crafting supplies, which I'm not counting.
9. $6 BK for breakfast. $3 on lunch.
10. $28 gas.
11. $18 dinner/drinks with a friend, $50 Borders, $5 BK on breakfast again, $200 to DS's school, $20 therapy
12. EZPass $75
13. Walmart $67 (included $40 cash that I used for dinner), Van Heusen $42, total impulse, wish I could take it back, Hanes $25 Christmas Gift, Panera $3.24, $200 therapy
14. $47 Thrift Store (Great Scores! ), $14 Gas, McDonald's $8.50
15. No Spend
16. $15 Grocery
17. $20 cash pizza, $370 DD's school
18. $30 dollar store (will be reimbursed by work), $37 Aldi's, $20 therapy, $5 Starbucks
19. $4 BK, $28 gas


Tallies:

$17.25/20 - Misc
$88/300 - Groceries
$103 - Gas
$150 EZ Pass - two refills! yikes!
$1340 - School/Daycare

[Amys1st]

This is easy today. We have a major snowstorm. School shut down so no winter party today at school. DD1 is up the street at a neighbor's sledding with 4 other friends. They will come here after for some mac n cheese. Then play in the bsmt.

One of the room parents had this whole Pin the scarf on the snowman etc game all planned. Since most of the class lives around here, we will scronge up enough kids to play the game today!

[schreiberwriter]

12/13:
12/14:
12/15:
12/16: Even earned some $$ babysitting. Plan on spending a little for lunch tomorrow when out with the kiddos. Hope to get out, snowy roads might prohibit it. Otherwise, it'll be another no spend day!
12/17: $5 for lunch, $11 to send diapers that I sold (ouch), $31 on groceries (funded by babysitting), restrained myself because I knew if I bought a smoothie I'd have to document it here.
12/18: $38 for my share of a fabric co-op. I need the PUL, but I'm not sure about the bamboo. Maybe I can sell what I make with it. Kinda regretting it.
12/19: I can't see the future, but with a foot of fresh snow we're probably not spending anything. Good news is that I got paid and it was more than I expected. I hope we'll make it!

Goal: spend as little as possible while unemployed

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Snowstorm here today too. We're cozy at home, watching the white stuff.

01..
02..
03..
04.. , :
05.. $200 gymnastics and preschool
06.. $36 Christmas ornaments, $13 Christmas candy
07.. $45 Tree and candy and hot cocoa and chicken
08..
09.. , :
10..
11.. , :
12.. , :
13.. $40 babysitter, $2 coffee
14..
15.. $47 indulgences, $17 Tightwad Gazette Book
16..
17.. , :
18.. , :
19..

My Goals for this month:
14/20 No Spend Days
6/4 Let the Car Rest :[/QUOTE]

[quelindo]

12/1:
12/2:
12/3:
12/4:
12/5: $8.99 on a gluten-free pizza that I bought only because I really wanted it. The rest of groceries were mostly necessary, or at least reasonable.
12/6: $42.40 Christmas present for my mom.
12/7:
12/8: ~$10 on unnecessary groceries (gluten-free cookies & Soy Nog)
12/9:
12/10: $5 juice and coffee at Starbucks for DS and me
12/11: $8.99 on gluten-free pizza
12/12: $42 stamps for Christmas cards
12/13: $36.12 Walgreens misc. needed stuff
12/14:
12/15:
12/16:
12/17:
12/18: $34.34 mostly needed groceries
12/19:

KEY:
True no spend
Necessary/planned spending
Unnecessary spending

Not included: Gasoline, needed groceries and reimbursed medical expenses.

[Amanda Williams]

1st: $25 in gas, on credit card, not included in my $500 cash budget
2nd: No spend
3rd: No spend
4th: No spend
5th:$69 on groceries.
6th: No spend
7th: $18 on groceries
8th: No spend, we tithed actually, but I'm not counting checks we write on here.
9th: $9 on Taco Bell for lunch, budgeted for
10th: $14 on groceries
11th: No spend
12th: $66 on groceries, $3 overdue fines at library, $12, impulse buy, puzzles for DD
13th: No spend
14th: $60 on groceries,$11 on lunch, $26 on gifts , $20 in gas
15th and 16th: No spend days!
17th: $10 Mc's, $6 Ross, gift, $36 on groceries
18th: $5 Sandwich
19th: $14 Groceries for Christmas


Tallies:

$45 in Gas
$277 in Groceries
$35 in Fast Food
$3 Library fines
$44 in gifts


Hubby gave me $25 in extra cash, but I am hoping to roll that over into next months budget.
I have $60 (or $85) left for the month (I am saving the other $100 for a large co-op order next month) and think I will make it! It is nice to have that $25 cushion.

[Patrick's mummy]

Dec 1st:£77.34 groceries. All still sick :
Dec 2nd: £6.50 groceries that DH insisited on to facilitate his recovery (no one ever recovered from flu without melon right?!)
Dec 3rd: £7.50 groceries, this time DH went and got them himself! £70 car tax, £1.14 postage.
Dec 4th: No spending at all. All still sick. School closed due to snow. :
Dec 5th: £49.40 groceries and household goods (inc some small Christmas gifts), that should last til 12/12 hopefully.
Dec 6th: £101.64 on Christmas gifts at Amazon.co.uk - that is it now, finished, apart from printing a few photos for frames we have bought as gifts for people. £4.23 on wooden play food for DS2's Christmas box - (was actually £12.50 but I used a gift card for the rest.) 80p parking. £48 petrol - a full tank.
Dec 7th: Oh man, DH spent again! £7.55 on various things he think will help his cold go away. Geez, did a cold ever go without lozenges, energy drinks, cakes?!
Dec 8th: £2 DS1's school Christmas play tickets, £3.50 DS2 playgroup (budgetted.) £1.40 treats for kids after school - I caved in
Dec 9th: No spend!
Dec 10th: No spend! Feeling pretty proud of this one as I've had a crap day!:
Dec 11th: £76.48 groceries. £0.58 on Kinder egg for DS1 after his school play. £5.05 at pharmacy on various pills for DH who then went and spent £9.07 on various other treats to make himself better
Dec 12th: £3.50 playgroup (budgetted)
Dec 13th: £1.70 parking.
Dec 14th: £40 meal with guest. (The restaurant we were supposed to be going to was closed so we ended up somewhere more expensive plus DH ordered a dessert: ) £8 groceries (mostly Xmas deals.)
Dec 15th: £3.50 playgroup (plus paid £2.50 in advance for the playgroup Christmas party on Weds) £1.20 bread. £2.90 DH spent on lunch :
Dec 16th: £2.03 milk (and a can of Coke- I knew it was going to be a long old day!) DH bought medications and Lucozade but no idea how much...
Dec 17th: £3.05 drinks/snacks at playgroup party: (lack of willpower) £1 charity donation. The guys came to clean my windows and I didn't get chance to ask them not to both til spring so they'll be knocking for £4 later DH spent £2.50 on lunch:
Dec 18th: No spend.
Dec 19th: :H spent £3 on lunch, £8 on treats. I spent £9 on McD's for the kids, £8 at Aldi on essential groceries. : Not a great day.

[scrapadoozer]

12/01:
12/02:
12/03:
12/04:
12/05:
12/06: $3 Post Office, $4 wrapping paper I didn't really need.
12/07:
12/08:
12/09:
12/10:
12/11:
12/12: $10.50 extra portrait sheets.
12/13:
12/14: $5 Doughnuts.
12/15:
12/16:
12/17: $4 Post Office.
12/18:
12/19:

15/20 no-spend days.
$26.50 unnecessarily spent.
$250/$300 saved for the midwife.