April No-Spend Challenge ~ We're in the home stretch... - Page 9

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Ok, so I have been avoiding this thread like the plague because I spent again yesterday. But.... I am back to fess up, write it down and move on. I can get it under control.......

1.
2.Allowance day $3.21 for a pail and shovel for DS and $4.99 meds for me.
3. $3.21 Easter treats for church egg hunt.
4. $10 totally frivilously spent on books that were not needed in the least. Grrrr...., plus $1.75 on the paper to get coupons. Over allowance by $2.94 for this week so far.
5. $6.03 spent on fast food. (not nuggets for DS though!)
6. ,
7.
8.
9. Allowance day
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Goals for the Month of April
1. No unplanned spending above my weekly $20 allowance $28.97/$80
2. No eating out that isn't already planned for: 5/30
4. 100 items decluttered: 0/100
5. Car left at home/take the bus/bike/stay home 0/5

- No Spend
- Planned Spend for allowance
- Unplanned Spend
- All meals eaten at home
- Decluttered stuff out of the house
- Car not driven

[Mirta]

Goals for the Month of April
1. Half the month with no spend days: 0/15
2. Unplanned spending 5 or fewer days: 0/5
3. No eating out that we pay for all month: 2/31
4. 400 items decluttered: 0/400
5. 13 days with exercise in them: 0/13
1/18 Days of laundry hung out to dry


Key:
- No Spend
- Planned Spend
- Savings (couponing)
- Unplanned Spend
- All meals eaten at home or shared with friends/family but didn't cost us anything
- Ate outside of the house (unplanned)
-Exercise Day
-No Driving
- Used cloth diapers
- hang clothes on line
- Decluttered stuff out of the house
- took Iron supplement & Vitamins
- DS sleeping in his room

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2
3
4
5
6


I posted the other day about my Grandfather's death & funeral.. sadly we will not be attending due to cost since DH is presently unemployed.. Though the number of calls and emails he is getting regarding jobs looks promising! (several interviews lined up, including one 2nd interview!)

Kym

[eirual]

eirual, mom to one, working PT. We've been doing DR for 7 mos now and have $1,600 worth left of debt to do away with (car's done, cards are gone, working on the LOC). Before we tackle that debt though, we need to stock-pile our cash for a move out East and DH's university tuition (starting FT in the Fall).

I've been avoiding this thread because spending happens, but as long as the budgetted necessities don't count, I'll giv'er a whirl!

key
no spend
budgetted spending only
ooops!


1:
2:
3: (clothing and grocery shopping within the budget. Trip for home improvement items, not in the budget $33)
4:
5: (movie outting with coupon and snacks within the budget. DH wanted to take us out to lunch. Nice, but a painful $45.)
6: (got gas with $5 to spare. Should have saved it, but stopped for donuts instead).
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:

Total un-budgetted spending: $78....ouch!

[FillingMyQuiver]

I updated my last post, we got McD's last night for dinner DS1 had his first soccer practice of the season last night and the practice field is about 30min from us. Practice is 5:30pm-6:30pm, and I was unprepared for how it would affect our schedule. I had planned on pasta for dinner, but by the time we packed up and left the field, it was 6:45pm and the kids were RAVENOUS.

Now I know that Tuesdays will be sandwiches for dinner that I will pack and take w/ us to practice. Lesson learned.

[highlandmum]

No spend:
Planned spend, within budget:
Overspent, or spent when shouldn't:
MADE money:
4/5
4/6 So frustrated. When DH and I went out with BIL and SIL, we had budgetted this in....at $35. NO ONE ELSE had planned on 'buying' so DH and I got stuck with ENTIRE bill!!!!! So so so so mad!!!! Spent $105 that we DON"T HAVE this month!!!!!
4/7
4/8
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12
4/13
4/14
4/15
4/16
4/17
4/18
4/19
4/20
4/21
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26
4/27
4/28
4/29
4/30

[mamaofthree]

highlandmum: frustrating! i am so sorry. maybe next time you should do separate bills or just put your amount on the table and look around at everyone and say, "well, pay up!" lol

h

[KnittingKara]

Monthly Goals:
- rebuild Emergency Fund (had to dip into partially in March)
- get Debt Snowball Rolling again
- as many NO Spend days as possible
- Less than $500 Grocery budget this month. As of 4/6 $108.65

No Spend:
Planned Spend:
Unplanned Spend:

4/1:
4/2:
4/3:
4/4: got Starbucks $7.65
4/5:
4/6: [organic food box delivery day $101]
4/7:
4/8:
4/9:
4/10:
4/11:
4/12:
4/13: [food delivery day]
4/14:
4/15: [Tax Day and Pay Day]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

Wallet = BACK in the filing cabinet

I love that!

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to talking yourself out of spending?

How do you motivate yourself NOT to spend money?

Well I really like your trick of making the cash difficult to get to

Usually I can talk myself out of things if I delay the purchase time. I *try* to have a 24 hour time to think about purchases before we make them.

Ask myself a lot of questions:
- Do we NEED this? Or is it just a WANT?
- How badly do I want it? Enough to budget and save for it? Or do I just want to buy something right now (so it really isn't about the thing so much as the feelings)
- Could we MAKE DO? Do WITHOUT? Make something similar ourselves?

Almost a week into April - we're doing great folks! A few little slips here and there, but people are hopping right back on the No Spend wagon and not giving up, which is always inspiring to see for me as I tend to want to just throw in the towel after a mistake and sigh and say "Oh, well, next month ..."

Way to go!

[Hollysmom]

1 $20 lunch with my sister ~ this was planned however not necessary
2
3
4
5
6


4/20 No Spend Days
Frivolous Spending: $20

Prudence, why oh why did you mention those Keen shoes after your post I had to look them up and now I am desperately wanting a pair.

[ambersrose]

no spend day =
no drive day =
budgeted spending =
unbudgeted spending =

1=missing ingredients for dinner caused a grocery run
2=
3=
4=
5=
6= fell sick again and bought lunch and dinner instead of cooking
7= snack for church meeting

[simonsmama]

1- Cadbury Caramel eggs
2-
3- ate McDonalds
4-
5-
6-

Why is it that I suddenly want everything, and it all seems so urgent?

[greenmom4]

1-
2 -
3 -
4 -
5 -
6 -

I realized this week that the front tires on my car are completely bald, I'm going to replace them on Friday. I'm dreading spending the $$ on it, but I think if I move things around, I will still come in on budget.

[triscuitsmom]

Goals for the Month of April
1. No unplanned spending: 7/30
2. No eating out that isn't already planned for: 6/28
3. Bring in extra money from my business: 0%
4. 450 items decluttered: 22/450
5. 13 days with exercise in them: 4/13

Key:
- No Spend or only planned spending
- Unplanned Spend
- All meals eaten at home or shared with friends/family but didn't cost us anything
- Planned eating out
- Ate outside of the house (unplanned)
- Decluttered stuff out of the house
- Exercise

Apr 1: x 12
Apr 2: x 5
Apr 3:
Apr 4:
Apr 5:
Apr 6: x 5
Apr 7:

[eirual]

key
no spend
budgetted spending only
ooops!


1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:

Total un-budgetted spending: $78....ouch!

[scrapadoozer]

04/01
04/02
04/03
04/04
04/05
04/06
04/07

$0 Frivolously spent
7/20 No-spend days
7/30 Not buying clothes for my kids days
6/10 Loads of laundry hung out to dry
$91.06/$500.00 Groceries

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by greenmom4

I'm doing well packing lunch and breakfast for myself. That's been much more difficult for me than cooking dinner.

Planning ahead is always the hardest. You are doing great!

Originally Posted by scrapadoozer

I was terribly tempted to buy some clearance clothes for dd today. Cheap, cute clothes are usually completely irresistible to me, but this time, I just said no!

Jenny -- I hear ya. Kids clothes are my downfall too. That is a hard call because clothes ARE a necessity and kids do nothing but grow...so they are always needing them. It is hard to figure out how much is enough.

Originally Posted by colsxjack

We also want to curb unnecessary spending on things we do not need to live a simpler lifestyle and model a good lifestyle for our DD.

Welcome! And very good point about the modeling for your daughter.

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_Pie

Ok, so I have been avoiding this thread like the plague because I spent again yesterday. But.... I am back to fess up, write it down and move on.

We ALL spend, Kim. Only on one or two occasions have we had a person make it through the month without spending anything (and it was never me). It's okay. Whenever someone is not posting, they are usually out spending. FIDO. We're extending a hand to you to pull you back up on the wagon. We're glad you are back.

Originally Posted by Mirta

I posted the other day about my Grandfather's death & funeral.. sadly we will not be attending due to cost since DH is presently unemployed.. Though the number of calls and emails he is getting regarding jobs looks promising! (several interviews lined up, including one 2nd interview!)

I'm sorry to hear that, Kym. Sending Good luck your way for your DH with his interviews.

Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver

I updated my last post, we got McD's last night for dinner

McD's is often my downfall. That was my (first) slip-up this month too. FIDO. Forget about It and Drive On. That is my motto.

Originally Posted by highlandmum

When DH and I went out with BIL and SIL, we had budgetted this in....at $35. NO ONE ELSE had planned on 'buying' so DH and I got stuck with ENTIRE bill!!!!! So so so so mad!!!! Spent $105 that we DON"T HAVE this month!!!!!

Oooh...that would make me mad too. This means that they now owe you a dinner out, right? So you need to plan strategically when that will occur

Originally Posted by Hollysmom

Prudence, why oh why did you mention those Keen shoes after your post I had to look them up and now I am desperately wanting a pair.

I know. I'm an enabler. You do NOT want to come shopping with me. And they are soooooo comfy....

Originally Posted by greenmom4

I realized this week that the front tires on my car are completely bald, I'm going to replace them on Friday. I'm dreading spending the $$ on it, but I think if I move things around, I will still come in on budget.

That sounds like a necessity to me. You shouldn't count that against yourself.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Still home sick. Another pajama day.

Hard on the spirit, but great for the budget.

01.. sos
02.. sos
03.. --- $14 snacks out with my daughter, Latte from starbucks
04.. sos
05.. sos
06.. sos $10.55 McDonald's
07.. sos
08..
09..
10..
11..
12..
13..
14..
15..

Goals for April

1. 6/30 Stay Out of Stores (sos)
2. 5/20 No Spend Days

[Mirta]

Key:
- No Spend
- Planned Spend
- Savings (couponing)
- Unplanned Spend
- All meals eaten at home or shared with friends/family but didn't cost us anything
- Ate outside of the house (unplanned)
-Exercise Day
-No Driving
- Used cloth diapers
- hang clothes on line
- Decluttered stuff out of the house
- took Iron supplement & Vitamins
- DS sleeping in his room

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

[Mirta]

Originally Posted by simonsmama

Why is it that I suddenly want everything, and it all seems so urgent?

That has happened to me so many times... what was really sad was several times when I was planning on starting the no spending challenge and I was plotting all the things I would buy BEFORE it started and the list would grow and GROW because I kept coming up with more things I suddenly wanted/needed... I didn't do that this time... I am SOOOO glad!!

Kym

[jewellz]

My key:
no spend day=
unnecessary spending=
no driving=
eat at home=
Used cloth diapers= (gotta clean out the diaper closet first)

Goals:
1. Only go shopping/errands 0/8
2. Stretch out FS money=$0/$514
3. no eating out for lunches this month 0/0
4. major clean (and keep clean) 1 room per week, getting ready for baby's arrival 0/4

Tues 6th-appt & shopping at walmart
goals=
1. 3/8
2. 239.71/$514
3.
4. nope

Wed 7th-
goals=
1. 3/8
2. $239.71/$514
3.
4. YUP, cleaned out the diaper closet so I started using cloth diapers again.

[colsxjack]

It's been a good day. We are usually on a head start as we do not own a car and I work for a non-profit org. that deals with food security and feeds me a healthy lunch everyday. If it wasn't for that it would make it harder for me to not buy lunch out.
I had recently quit smoking for 4 months and then started again. I am now quitting again (for the last time!)

Legend:
planned meal
did not stick to meal plan / ate out
no unnecessary spending
bought something not needed/budgeted for
smoke free day

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. very good day overall. I was tempted to buy our DD a new sleep sack on-line...but I didn't, even though it was 60% off.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.