April No-Spend Challenge ~ We're in the home stretch... - Page 3

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by greenmom4

I'd like to add $500 to savings (and have it stay there!) by the end of this month.

That's my real problem. Keeping it there. I've added it plenty of times.

[pbjmama]

I love how so many of you are including other healthy goals here!

a. Who you are
SAH mama to 2 preschoolers. I'm very involved in my community with various volunteer positions.

b. Where you are going (your financial goals)
We have slowly climbed out of a very deep credit card debt hole. Should be finished paying off my dh's cc next month! Alot more to this story...but the reason I'm joining this month is because I want to buy a summer pool pass ($210). We should have the money for it but I nickle and dime us. This month I'm not going to do that and paying for a pool pass should be easy! And hopefully going to the pool will cut down on other spending.

c. How you plan to get there
Think before I spend, evaluate want vs. need. I can use gift money, already owned gift cards, swagbucks and the like for my fun money.

Goals for the Month of April
1. Think before I spend
2. exercise a minimum 2x a week
3. Do a freezer meals day
4. Consign some of my old clothes
5. Prep to consign for local kids sale
6. List the things I want vs. need and give myself a cool off period before I make the purchase.
7. Make a plan for the 'extra' money we will have now that the cc will be paid off. Otherwise it will magically disappear!

Key:
no spend
thought out purchase
unnecessary purchase
exercise

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:
no spend/ budgeted spending
unnecessary/ unbudgeted spending
hung laundry to dry

Goals for April
no spend days 1/20
eating out 0/3
hung laundry to dry 1/10


1.

[greenmom4]

Okay, here I go!

= no spend
= planned spend
= unplanned spend

1.

I'm not sure how to come up with my no spend day goals, so I'm going to ignore that this month until I have a better grasp on how often I'm/we're spending. I'm going to shoot for no more than 5 meals out. The challenge here for me is to pack my breakfast and lunch every day for work. Oy.

Right now I'm

0/5 eating out.

[thatgirliknew]

1/30 days no spending
0/100 get rid of 100 "things" (yard sale or donate)
No progress on getting rid of paper clutter
0/$100 extra toward new bills


I have a HUGE pile of things to get rid of or put in the yard sale today but I haven't counted yet. I might have already made it to 50...

[mommyto4grits]

You and I both!

Originally Posted by thatgirliknew

That's my real problem. Keeping it there. I've added it plenty of times.

[mamaofthree]

hung the clothes on the line.
i did go to the grocery store for produce.
i ordered three silk scarves for a gift i am making for ds#4 birthday. which i was planning on getting once we got paid, which was today. otherwise we are good.

h

[major_mama11]

Joining!

Who you are- I'm Kirstin, mom to 2 great kids.

Where you are going- Usually I say that my goal is to be able to be a SAHM in the near future. But DH's work is going through a really bad time, and I am working a lot more hours than usual to compensate. So for the near future, my goal is just for us to not dip into savings and to continue putting money on our debt rather than accumulating any more debt.

How you plan to get there- Making and sticking to a budget, using our tax refund wisely, sticking close to home and using what we have around here rather than buying new things we don't need. Allowing myself a small amount of blow money each month so I don't feel deprived.

[katieroo]

Who you are:
I am Katie. we are taking a ttc break for the moment until we get finances in check and dh gets a job.

Where you are going (your financial goals):
I would like to pay off our bills (no cc's but we have plenty of other bills)
and buy a yurt or two. I need to put some emergency money away. And get my doula training all paid for and finished so when dh gets a job I can get my own business going.

How you plan to get there:
i am not sure... I need to stop buying Cloth diapers until a baby is on the horizon (Hi I'm Katie and I am a Clothdiperholic)

Goals:
1. STAY OUT OF STORES 1/20
2. Save 10% of paychecks 0/4
3. no eating out this month
4. limit to one out of town trip per week (we live in a tiny town about 20 miles away from two larger towns) 0/4
5. get rid of 200 things 0/200
6. hang dry clothes OFTEN!
7. keep heat down and wear warm clothes 1/30

key:
no bad spends
hang dry
eat at home
unnecessary spend

1
2
3
4

[applecider]

I'm joining because DP just got laid off so I really need to cut the spending down to the bare minimum! I'm off to a bad start, but it should be pretty easy to not spend any extra, when the pressure's on, I do really well.

1. groceries chocolate

[jewellz]

THUR1st-no shopping -stayed home, baby sick.
FS=$0/$514
No driving=
Hubby sick=no spending
Ate at home=

[hildare]

Ok-y'all.. i haven't done this before, so i'm wondering:
we are supposed to edit our original posts, right? or, how exactly does it work..

I've already broken down from my original plan, so i'm going to have to edit it anyway. It was semi-planned spending.. I've got to get gifts for both a baby shower and a commitment ceremony this weekend. That means entering into temptation. This is really hard because I've changed bodily size in an extreme way and I have no professional work clothes that fit well.

I also decided that if i have to spend time justifying something then it must be something i don't need to be doing. no more of that!

How do you NOT spend when you have to venture into the stores? Take cash only or something like that? Obviously, i need help with this.

[mommyto4grits]

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

April 1st- :
April 2nd- so not thrilled I spent money today, but dd did truly need some clothes, got great deals and stayed within a reasonable amount :

[mamaofthree]

oh and i forgot to add, i did put 10% of our paychecks in savings yesterday! woot! i am very excited about that. now just working on keeping it there. lol

h

[dachshundqueen]

Late to Join

I'm Liz, married, I've got 2 kids, one on the way, and a ridiculously small dog.

This month we have to pay our federal taxes (substantial), increased withholding for our business (probably $400 now), a $1200 AmEx bill (for actual necessities), and we've had constant paycheck disputes with DH's regular employer for about a month. We have had to rely on our brokerage accounts to get us through. I pray the employer gets his head on straight. We have substantial assets so it's not like this is a true problem. Just VERY stressful for me to be juggling accounts. This is why going forward we have to move towards no spend. This month is dog annual vet month too.

Our goals are:
To not eat out. Period. Unless someone else is paying.
No shopping unless absolutely necessary, ie. the kids outgrow their shoes or something.
To hit a $300 or less grocery budget, I don't know if that's realistic because we're out of most necessities (meat, eggs, dairy, veggies, fruit, oats) and I require a pretty high protein diet due to the pregnancy. We already eat a lot of beans.
I already purchased, last month a very nice maternity wardrobe to last me the remainder of the pregnancy. So I won't need to spend there.
I need to pay the midwife the remainder of her fee and the OB her fee, both I am paying payments on. Depressingly.
We also have an annual trip to see my parents for a month in the summer, June. I would really like to go, otherwise I don't see them and won't see them for any real period of time until summer 2011, boo hiss. They pay all my expenses while there, including trips to Disneyland and Legoland, provide a car, and groceries. I need airfare, and money for Annabelle's swim lessons.
The dryer broke and I've been hang drying our clothes - that saves about $1 per load in electricity, I'd like to keep that up if at all possible (pine pollen season is upon us - so I may have to get creative.)
I need to walk at least 2 laps around our circle daily, 4 would be better.

Added this to my blog for more accountability. I included my meal plan and will add recipes as needed.

Liz

[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

No Spend:
Planned Spend:
Unplanned Spend:

4/1:
4/2: plan to do a bit of Easter basket shopping today (keeping it as cheap as possible)
4/3:
4/4:

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

Kara: I love your 2010 goal in your sig line. something i need to work on too.

Thanks! I think simple living is a journey and there is always more we can do, you know?

[dachshundqueen]

Originally Posted by hildare

How do you NOT spend when you have to venture into the stores? Take cash only or something like that? Obviously, i need help with this.

Bring a list. Do not deviate.
Eat first and bring a yummy snack for short people, if required, and water bottles.
Remember your goals - write it on your hand in ink if necessary.

Liz

[scrapadoozer]

a. Who you are
Howdy! I'm Jenny, homeschooling SAHM to my 6 year old dd and my almost 1 year old ds (where did the time go? Waaaaah!)

b. Where you are going (your financial goals) and
I managed to put $500 in savings last month. I will not be able to match that this month, but I would like to make putting $200 more in my goal for this month.

c. How you plan to get there
DO.NOT.SHOP.FOR.MY.KIDS! They do not need any more clothes. I am going to make it my #1 goal for the month to not buy them a single thread of clothing. They just don't need anything.
Menu plan. I am getting better at this and we've been able to pretty much cut out going out to eat virtually pain-free.
Sew! If I get the urge to buy something for my kids, I should sew it instead. Heaven knows I have PLENTY of fabric.
Step up my decluttering efforts. The more I am confronted with my clutter, the less I want to add to the pile.

04/01

$0 Frivolously spent
1/20 No-spend days
1/30 Not buying clothes for my kids days
0/10 Loads of laundry hung out to dry

[triscuitsmom]

Originally Posted by hildare

Ok-y'all.. i haven't done this before, so i'm wondering:
we are supposed to edit our original posts, right? or, how exactly does it work.

Some people edit their original post, some people start a new one every day. Either way is fine and totally up to you

[ambersrose]

a. Who you are
Amber, a homeschooling SAHM with two little girls and a tag along dog called Limerick. We live in a small mountain town so we have to drive "down the hill" to get most places.
b. Where you are going (your financial goals)
Currently working on building our emergency and vacation funds as well as paying down cc.
c. How you plan to get there
-stick to budgeted spending items
-eat at home or bring from home
-drive into the city only twice a month
-make due with or fix what we have and buy needed items second hand
-use the free bus service or walk during the day for trips in town so my husband can take our more fuel efficent car to work

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

1=missing ingredients for dinner caused a grocery run