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post #41 of 350
10/1/09 at 8:53pm
ARGH! It's only the first of the month and . . . my tailight met with a palm tree this morning. At least $500 collision deductible to get it fixed and the dent pounded out and the side of the van repainted.

No damage to palm tree.

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post #42 of 350
10/1/09 at 9:13pm
I am Vicki, have 4 girls, I did this last month, and am so proud of myself! Spent $1163 LESS in September than the month before.

My goals--Short term goals right now, and additonal $1000 in savings by the end of the month. Pay off 1 small credit card.
How I plan to do this....
Not eating out!! Once or twice a month for DH and I to have a date night, all of us out to eat only when "kids eat free". Buying necessities and really thinking about purchases outside of necessities (will wait 24 hours for anything over $10), "gasp" cutting out my paper towel addiction- been doing great on this. Having at least 2 no-drive days a week.

My key:
No Spend
No Driving
Budgeted Spending/Necessities/Thought Over Purchase
Unnecessary Spending
: Exercise Day

1st- :
post #43 of 350
10/1/09 at 9:44pm
1. had to resist unbudgeted birthday gifts for dd. Stuck to plan!!!!
post #44 of 350
10/1/09 at 11:16pm
Back again. Didn't do bad last month. Hope to do better. I'm going to try and add 2 no spend days and deduct $50 from budgeted spending. Wish me luck!!

Also, I think I really need to buckle down and get my spending in check. This week, I'm going to inventory my pantry and get it together. I really have no reason or the overspending on groceries and stuff, especially with all the bills I need to pay!! We are all stocked up on toilet paper and tissues, too, so those are two less things we need. The only staples I really need to get every week are cold cuts, milk, bread, eggs and bananas. I need to keep telling myself that. My weekly food budget should be around the $20-$25 mark. I think I need to make myself accountable by coming on here every day and consciously decide whether I need to go food/household shopping or not. I'm really unhappy with the way I've been handling things and I need to take responsibility.
I know tomorrow is going to be a spend day bc Friday night we always bring dinner in. It's our 1x weekly thing.

My Key-
No Spend
Necessary/Planned Spending
Unnecessary Spending

Goal
No spend 1/12/30 days
Groceries/Household Budget $0/$400
post #45 of 350
10/1/09 at 11:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by akichan View Post
ARGH! It's only the first of the month and . . . my tailight met with a palm tree this morning. At least $500 collision deductible to get it fixed and the dent pounded out and the side of the van repainted.

No damage to palm tree.
That really stinks! At least everyone is ok. Make sure to look around to get the same price and don't forget some colleges have auto shop classes where you can get really cheap price for letting them repair your car.
post #46 of 350
10/1/09 at 11:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by OkiMom View Post
That really stinks! At least everyone is ok. Make sure to look around to get the same price and don't forget some colleges have auto shop classes where you can get really cheap price for letting them repair your car.
This is very good advice! My husband saved about $1 K when he had college kids at the local tech convert his suspension. They didn't charge labor, only supplies and my husband ordered/paid for the parts.
post #47 of 350
10/1/09 at 11:30pm
I'm Summer (now a WOH mama to 2 little girls) and I'm back on the no-spend wagon, especially as I'll be paying for childcare soon.

My goal is to spend less than I did last month. I will track everything I spend and record only the frivolous (eating out, un-planned/budgeted items, etc)

I intend to get there by setting an intention to spend less and being conscious of where my money goes.

Oct 1: $28- :
Oct 2:
post #48 of 350
10/2/09 at 2:00am
I'm Sam, I have 2 little boys and a new baby girl that was just born on September 12. My husband has been out of work for the last 8 months, but is just now starting a new job on Monday (yay!) I need to join this thread because we are going to have NO income this month (his new job pays only once a month). I also have some bad habits that I need to break (eating out, buying too much for the kids, etc). Hoping this can give me some accountability!

1 - No spend day
2 - $58 Gas, $5.31 milk, $0.81 eggs & cream cheese (had grocery store dollars to use), made $20 cashing in an old lotto ticket
3 - No spend day
4 - No spend day
5 - $4.40 groceries, $155 groceries/winter gear for the kids (boots, gloves, snow pants), $45 used babyhawk (paid for with paypal balance from selling)
6 - $4.69 McDonald's (had to drive DH to work and kids were hungry) $60 cloth diapers (preplanned, made by friend)
post #49 of 350
10/2/09 at 7:53am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Akie! I'm glad you came out of lurkerdom to join us -- good luck this month!
post #50 of 350
10/2/09 at 7:56am
Thread Starter 
Grrrr...yesterday would have been a no-spend day but I came on MDC to update here on this thread and someone posted a thread about buying children's winter clothes on-line and they linked Sierra Trading Post.

I mosied on over there and $61 later...

I have to be careful on the internet because I can shop there just as well as I do at Target and Costco (my nemesis).

Maybe I'll make "no internet shopping" one of my goals this month.


01.. $61 for kid winter gear from Sierra Trading Post
02..
03..
04..
05..
post #51 of 350
10/2/09 at 8:22am
Pay day! Made all the regular payments and sent $600 to our savings account. Starting off the month on the right foot.



Oct 1 --
Oct 2 --
Oct 3 --
Oct 4 --
Oct 5 --
Oct 6 --
Oct 7 --


600/2250.00 savings (extra paycheck this month)
69.20/600.00 groceries/household stuff
100.00 ds's birthday/Halloween
post #52 of 350
10/2/09 at 8:25am
Key
No Spend
Budgeted Spend
Unbudgeted but necessary spend
Unbudgeted/unnecessary spend.
No drive
Ate at home

Oct 1- 3000 plane tickets.
Oct 2
Oct 3
Oct 4
Oct 5
Oct 6
Oct 7
Oct 8
Oct 9
Oct 10
Oct 11
Oct 12- Travel day!!!

1/20 No Spend Days
2/25 Eat at home days
2/10 No drive days
0.00 unnecessary spending
post #53 of 350
10/2/09 at 8:47am
=No Spend Day!
=No Spending outside of Prewritten Budget
=Unnecessary Spending
=Not Budgeted but Needed
=No drive days

50.10/566.10 Paid to Hospital
50.00/500.00 To Emergency Fund
2/10 No drive days

1-
2- Paid Bills Ordered Floradix (in budget for the week)
3-
4-
5-
6-
7-Grocery Day 0/125
8-
9-
10-
11-
12-
13-
14-Grocery Day 0/125
15-
16-
17-
18-
19-
20-
21-Grocery Day 0/125
22-
23-
24-
25-
26-
27-
28-Grocery Day 0/125
29-
30-
31-
post #54 of 350
10/2/09 at 10:22am
No Spend
Budgeted/necessary Spending
Unnecessary Spending

Goals
15
3 out days

01- 40.00 gas still though
02-
post #55 of 350
10/2/09 at 10:28am
01: $0!!
02: Necessary/grocery spending ($200 to renew car permit, ouch! $3.75 for eggs)
post #56 of 350
10/2/09 at 10:36am
10/1 - $35 gift.

Probably a waste of $ but I got that errand ticked. I knew this day was going to be tough because I promised to take my mom to the mall to shop for clothes. She got some great stuff that I know she'll wear a lot, and I tried on a few maternity clothes but did not succumb. At 7mo it's kind of ridiculous, although I am sitting here at work in a hand-me-down hoodie that is for sure at least a size too big. When I got home DD was in bed so I stayed up to write a press release for an event I'm helping organize, and here I was 20 mins late for work with neither breakfast nor lunch in hand. There will be spending today, like it or not.

It feels like since it's the beginning of the month I shouldn't have to restrict spending absolutely, but I have to remind myself that the car is going in for service, it's our 5th anniversary, and we need to come up with cash for the doula, Christmas, and a couple things for the new baby. No, we cannot afford $5 at Starbucks or a $25 maternity shirt. Blechhh.
post #57 of 350
10/2/09 at 11:36am
Goals:
1/12 - "no spend" days
0/3 - Eating Dinner out days

Spending Goals:
$13.00/500.00 for groceries
$0.00/100.00 for halloween spending

Key:
- no spending
- budgeted spending
- unbugeted spending
- unbudgeted & emergency spending

October
1 -
2 -
post #58 of 350
10/2/09 at 11:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by caiesmommy View Post
:

01- 40.00 gas still though
02-
That's how I feel about getting gas everytime for the cars!
post #59 of 350
10/2/09 at 12:08pm
October 1 - ($10 breakfast & lunch)



My goals and key:

$625 Groceries/Household items
$10/$100 Frivolous Spending (including lunches at work)
- No Spend
-Budgeted Spending
- Unbudgeted Spending
post #60 of 350
10/2/09 at 12:36pm
10/01:

1/20 No-spend days
$0/$100 Frivolous spending
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You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › ~ October No-Spend Challenge ~ The treat is having money in the bank. The trick is keeping it there.