~December No-Spend Challenge~ End o' the month. How did you do? What will you do differently... - Page 22

[FeelingBlessed]

Yesterday was busy with 2 post-Christmas celebrations, so no time for spending!

Kim :

Dec. 1:
Dec. 2:
Dec. 3:
Dec. 4:
Dec. 5:
Dec. 6:
Dec. 7:
Dec. 8:
Dec. 9:
Dec. 10:
Dec. 11:
Dec. 12:
Dec. 13:
Dec. 14:
Dec. 15:
Dec. 16:
Dec. 17:
Dec. 18:
Dec. 19:
Dec. 20: $8.95 - library fine
Dec. 21:
Dec. 22:
Dec. 23:
Dec. 24:
Dec. 25:
Dec. 26:
Dec. 27:
Dec. 28:
Dec. 29: overbudget - groceries
Dec. 30:

DECEMBER GOALS:
* Less than $50 in frivolous spending: $8.95/$50
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 27/25
* NO library fines: month to date $8.95
* Stay within grocery/eating out budget:*overbudget* - to update/$600
* ORGANIZE/declutter (lack of organization = spending): 26/25
* Exercise (feeling good = decreased emotional spending): 13/25

[lactivistmama]

12/25
12/26
12/27
12/28
12/29
12/30
12/31

[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:
12/20: $30 fast food , $3 picture frame
12/21:
12/22:
12/23: $16 over budget on DH's Christmas presents.
12/24:
12/25:
12/26:
12/27: $8 fabric
12/28:
12/29:
12/30:
12/31:

24/20 no-spend days.
$83.50 unnecessarily spent.
$300/$300 saved for the midwife. (Paid on 12/27!)

Spending breakdown:
Eating out: $35 (Better than last month but there's still room for improvement!)
Fabric: $8 (Not bad. I haven't purchased any fabric in months.)
Shipping $7 (Fine by me.)
Over budget Christmas $20 (Well, it's still the best year I've had in years.)
Picture related $13.50 (At least portrait time only comes once a year!)

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I spent a lot this month, but since last December I wasn't even able to stay on the wagon, I'm happy because I feel like I'm making progress. Just keeping track is progress for me.

I'm going to get more aggressive with my no-spending in January. I'm going to set my goals over on that thread.

Thanks guys for sticking with it to the end this month! Your comraderie really helps me keep that money in the wallet.

See you in 2009!

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..
20.. $14 christmas stuff
21..
22..
23.. $52 kid clothes
24.. $8 kids clothes, $20 baked goods, $30 pizza
25..
26..
27..
28.. $18 house stuff at Home Depot
29..
30.. $30 haircut, $30 repay Dad
31.. $9 calorie-counting book

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

Tally of evil: $611

[becoming]

1 -
2 -
3 - $141.18 groceries/household, $8.40 stamps
4 - $40.00 photos, $52.61 car seat, $15.00 co-pay, $30.71 meds, $18.95 lunch
5 - $66.53 groceries/household
6 - $23.00 lunch, $83.52 groceries/household
7 - $10.92 lunch, $81.68 clothes & shoes, $34.41 gas
8 -
9 - $11.49 breakfast, $94.18 groceries/household, $22.32 dinner
10 - $15.00 contribution to boss's Christmas gift
11 - $47.92 Christmas gifts, $38.39 dinner (planned)
12 - $19.16 lunch, $25 haircut, $38.53 movies, $14.57 dinner
13 - $133.03 Christmas gifts
14 - $37.16 dinner (unavoidable)
15 - $27.43 Christmas party stuff
16 - $93.10 clothes, $20 lunch, $58.82 dinner
17 - $136.07 groceries/household, $18.90 dinner
18 - $34 gas, $12.03 teacher gift, $58.46 Christmas gifts
19 -
20 - $15.36 dinner (unavoidable)
21 - $164.26 Christmas gifts I shouldn't have bought
22 - $64.93 bedding for DS, $17.00 dinner
23 - $24.18 dinner (planned)
24 -
25 -
26 - $183.26 groceries/household, $52.76 Christmas gifts, $18.57 dinner
27 -
28 - $8.00 car wash, $23.76 movies, $73.97 groceries/household
29 -
30 - : $21.89 DS1's shoes, $94.49 groceries/household
31 - $17.70 lunch, $13.47 household

8/10 no-spend days
16/20 no-eating-out days
$906.67/$600 groceries/household

[becoming]

I did *horrible* on groceries/household this month, but I learned from my mistakes and will do better next month. My big mistake is going to the d@mn store so much (mostly out of boredom, and then I end up spending $100 or more), so my goal for January is to only go once a week.

[slsurface]

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)
12/19:
12/20: $32 on groceries, $15 for fuel in one car, $60 for science museum membership for DS's Christmas
12/21: , : (Family holiday party at our house today!)
12/22:
12/23: , deposited $500 into savings
12/24: $7 for craft supplies to make my sister’s best friend a last minute gift, $82 for bulk food order
12/25: , :
12/26: $3 for breakfast…it's been a hard morning back to work
12/27-12/28: – we spent the weekend traveling to visit my mom and aunt out of state. We took $60 cash (left over from our grocery budget) and came home with $20, so we spent less than $40 for food and fuel on the road.
12/29: – I spent $13 of the money I had leftover from this weekend at the thrift store. Then I spent $50 from my Christmas money at Hobby Lobby for much needed scrap booking supplies that were 50% off this week (I haven’t bought anything for DS’s scrap book in over a year). Merry Christmas to me ! put $75 of Christmas money into savings, plus $50 in savings for DS
12/30:
12/31: , :

How I’m finishing for the month:
$512/$600 for food and fuel & misc household expenses
$48/$50 for travel
$121/$150 for food/decorations for our extended family holiday party
$0/$50 for misc. home improvement (nothing spent!)
$116/$100 for futon mattress from IKEA
DONE-Pay off small CC debt this month
DONE-Pay last payment on our car!
14/10 no spend days
$1575/$300 to savings (I really worked hard on this!)
$34/$50 or less on unplanned/unbudgeted spending

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

[FeelingBlessed]

Onward to January...

Kim :

Dec. 1:
Dec. 2:
Dec. 3:
Dec. 4:
Dec. 5:
Dec. 6:
Dec. 7:
Dec. 8:
Dec. 9:
Dec. 10:
Dec. 11:
Dec. 12:
Dec. 13:
Dec. 14:
Dec. 15:
Dec. 16:
Dec. 17:
Dec. 18:
Dec. 19:
Dec. 20: $8.95 - library fine
Dec. 21:
Dec. 22:
Dec. 23:
Dec. 24:
Dec. 25:
Dec. 26:
Dec. 27:
Dec. 28:
Dec. 29: overbudget - groceries
Dec. 30:
Dec. 31:

DECEMBER GOALS:
* Less than $50 in frivolous spending: $8.95/$50
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 28/25
* NO library fines: month to date $8.95
* Stay within grocery/eating out budget:*overbudget* - to update/$600
* ORGANIZE/declutter (lack of organization = spending): 27/25
* Exercise (feeling good = decreased emotional spending): 14/25