~December No-Spend Challenge~ Climb up on the wagon with us -- start today! Newcomers welcome - Page 2

[milosmomma]

I'm back (after a couple month break).

I'm Jessica, WOHM to 2. Currently I'm working overnights, which is either great (I don't go anywhere during the day) or awful (I drown my sorrows by buying make-up and coffee) depending on the day.

DP and I both need to curb our extraneous spending. I'll be logging my "extras" spending and my grocery spending. I feel like I've done well with grocery shopping lately, but I'd like to keep a solid record of what I spend.

We've finished a majority of our Christmas shopping (a lot of it from the thrift store DP manages ), so we SHOULD be good. We'll see though. DP & the kids will be taking a trip to VT in a couple weeks and I'll be home alone, so we'll all have to make a conscious effort not to spend any extra!


12/1

[Hollysmom]

December 1 - $10 Lunch

Not off to a stellar start. I already bought my breakfast this morning and am having lunch out today


Unbudgeted/Frivolous Spending: $10

[sweetjasmine]

a. Who you are - Aileen, married to dh, five stepkids (two youngest live with us part time), two grandbabies.

b. Where you are going (your financial goals) - Pay off last cc and the car loan. Build up 3-6 months living expenses.

c. How you plan to get there - I've been cutting drastically back on the grocery budget, mad money and lunch money. I try to check sales at various places before I buy things like household items, clothes, etc. I check out the Goodwill store, too. Money I'm saving will be snowballed on the debts but this month and next month will be curtailed somewhat.

budgeted spend
no spend
unbudgeted spend

December
1. didn't plan well enough for lunch, had to get something out of the vending machine.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

[justamama]

I am already marking today as no-spend because I did our budget and paid bills and we have nothing extra to spend! We have a $50 grocery budget for the week, so there will be lots of creative meals going on here!

Dec 1: $85
Dec 2:

[dsaucone]

1 $7 breakfast and lunch at work - not off to a good start over-slept this morning. Getting a head start and preparing food tonight; coffee ready to just hit a button, lunch packed, cheesy egg bake from the other nights dinner ready to pop in the microwave. . . I'm totally getting a tomorrow!
2

Totals&Goals
Lunch 0/22
$7

[mamakah]

a. Who you are
I'm a stay at home mom to beautiful 18 month old boy. My partners job is slowing down (he is on 100% commission, no hourly pay). I just tried to estimate how much we will be paying in taxes this year and got really scared. I also realized that we spent more than 50% of his income. Saved 25% for taxes (he is 1099 so he gets his checks without tax deducted, then we pay a lump some at the end of the year).
b. Where you are going (your financial goals)
My financial goal is to stop the frivelous, useless, impulse spending and save every penny we can from this day on.

c. How you plan to get there
I am having a contest with myself to see how long I can go without going to the grocery store. I am trying to cook every meal with ingredients I have in the house. So far, I'm on day 2 and it's looking good. My mom and I have agreed to split costco produce and other items to cut down monthly and weekly costs. I will only make dinners and meals that contain in season produce...cheaper that way. Coupons. Grocery ads. I have told dp that he has to make his usual everyother day pack of cigarrettes last 3 days
my key:
Had to be spend:
Shouldn't have and didn't need to spend:
Didn't spend:
Was going to spend but found a free alternative:
1.
2. DP bought a set of books he's already read off ebay.
3.
4. and

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02..
03..
04..
05..
06..
07..
08..
09..
10..
11..
12..
13..
14..
15.. Payday

My Goals:

2/25 No Spend Days
0/5 Let the Car Rest Days

[Hollysmom]

December 1 - $10 Lunch
December 2 - $3 Breakfast

I got my lunch bought for me today so at least I didn't spend on that

Unbudgeted/Frivolous Spending: $13

[Smithie]

a. Who you are

Smithie, SAHM to three with a WAH dh.

b. Where you are going (your financial goals)

I desperately want our household to be in the green for 2009. Quicken says we will be $2500 in the green on December 31st. But Quicken is a fickle tease. It's December. I have houseguests for a week. Our lump interest payment on the house we live in is due. I have blown my budget with alarming regularity all year. I need help.

c. How you plan to get there

Not blow my grocery budget or my "Christmas and Hanukkah" budget. Our food spending last month was OBSCENE. And I've done a nice reasonable selection of gifts for Hanukkah, plus the Christmas stockings because I am still emotionally hooked on that concept from childhood, and everything will be fine if I just buy some candy and underwear for fillers and call it good.


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dec. 1: $100 for babysitting this month, $100 cash for miscellaneous spending this month, $100 for cleaner. $724 holding costs on the house we cannot sell.

Dec. 2:



-------------------------------------------

Grand total 1024 actual/8833 budgeted

[mommyto4grits]

I am Vicki, I have done this for the last couple month's, and am so proud of myself!
Short Term Goals- Not to buy meaningless junk, save $300 towards a vacation coming up, have at least 2 No Spend days a week.

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

Dec 1-
Dec 2- :

[quelindo]

12/1: $125 session with my energy worker
12/2:

__________________________

My Key:
No Spending
Necessary Spending
Unnecessary spending
No Car Day[/QUOTE]

[xekomaya]

Boo today. This shouldn't count against me but it does. DH was in a rush and didn't take the lunch I packed him so he spent $7 on lunch.

December
1:
2: $7DH

key:
- no spend
- budgeted, necessary
- sent DH off with lunch, cooked dinner
- unnecessary, bad spending.

[milosmomma]

12/1
12/2

I picked Amelia up at school and then drove straight home....even though she was begging to go to Waffle House/Target/Kroger/SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN HOME....and then she had a tantrum and screamed that she hated me....and then apologized and asked if we could go get ice cream. Yeah, it was THAT kind of day

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Jessica -- Welcome back! That must have been tough with Amelia.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I'm standing firm with the no-spend thing, however .... I did unwrap a Christmas gift this afternoon and eat it though. I was going to give my brother chocolates, but it is raining here and I couldn't resist the chocolate craving.

01..
02..
03..
04..
05..
06..
07..
08..
09..
10..
11..
12..
13..
14..
15.. Payday

My Goals:

3/25 No Spend Days
0/5 Let the Car Rest Days

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

"Money slips through our fingers in simple and subtle ways. We spend a little here on something forgettable, spend a little thre on an unimportant thing, and at the end of the month, it's panic time -- we're left with very little money. Spend a month keeping track of every penny that you spend, noting exactly how much you spent and what you spent it on...You'll find two things: The need to write your spending down makes you more vigilant against wasteful spending, and the end of the month review of your records will suprise you when you see how much of your spending was nonessential. Use that information as a springboard to see what you need to work on."

... Trent Hamm, Author of "365 Ways to Live Cheap" and founder of thesimpledollar.com

[scrapadoozer]

A: I'm Jenny. Homeschooling SAHM to two kiddies.

B: DH has an outdoor job and we live in Maine so as you can imagine his hours get pretty slim this time of year. My goal is to get through this month without charging anything or taking any money out of the bank.

C: Avoid shopping as much as possible.
Eat at home.
Don't get the "I needs".
Remember the season is about what you do, not what you buy.

12/01
12/02
12/03

3/20 No spend days
$0.00 in frivolous spending

[scrapadoozer]

Welcome back Smithie!

[mommyto4grits]

I am Vicki, I have done this for the last couple month's, and am so proud of myself!
Short Term Goals- Not to buy meaningless junk, save $300 towards a vacation coming up, have at least 2 No Spend days a week.

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

Groceries- $65

Dec 1-
Dec 2- :
Dec 3- :

[quelindo]

12/1: $125 session with my energy worker
12/2:
12/3: $1.50 on eBay to buy coupons

__________________________

My Key:
No Spending
Necessary Spending
Unnecessary spending
No Car Day