~August No-Spend Challenge~ - Page 7

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02..
03.. $147 shrubs and bushes at Lowes
04.. $30 school supplies -- some were necessary but most were not.
05..
06.. $9.50 evil dunkin glazed yumminess....and iced coffee for two
07..
08.. Money was spent here...but I forgot to record it
09..
10.. $11 McDonald's
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18.. $35 Fuzzi Bunz Comfort Pads
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20..
21..
22.. $23 Chinese take out
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29..
30..

My Goal:

6/20 No Spend Days
2/5 Let the Car Rest Days

[VisionaryMom]

I really need to not spend much until DH's next payday, which is Sept. 3.

We have $680 right now. An additional $320 will be deposited as soon as we get a medical flex reimbursement. I still have to pay DH's student loans ($120), a random small bill ($30), a small loan ($60), and a combined utility ($270). So that's $480, which leaves us with $520. I've already moved $100 to savings, but I'd like to spend as little as possible from the remaining $500.

That's my really long way of saying that I need to join this thread!

"No Spend" for me will not count anything less than $5.

Other Planned Expenditures:
- A local pizza/arcade place we told the kids we'd visit this weekend: $50
- Groceries: trying to limit to $75 + what's in the pantry
- Project in the kids' room: $20 (max I'll spend this pay period - project will probably be about $40

Whew. Okay, so here we go...

[Turquesa]

Key:

= No spending
= Budgeted spending
= Non-budgeted spending

Aug 1: Paid electricity bill
Aug 2: Paid phone bill, $7.50 to get into municipal pool w/ LOs
Aug 3:
Aug 4: Groceries for $136.00. Lowest I've spent in eons, sad to say.
Aug 5: Unexpected, unbudgeted, and required items for craft class, $20.00. Planned, budgeted lunch with DH-$7.00.
Aug 6: $30.00 gas for car, $20.00 garage sale clothes for DS.
Aug 7: $5.00 much-needed pan from garage sale.
Aug 8: $11.00 gas bill
Aug 9: $17.50 thrift store toys (unnecessary) and clothes (necessary)
Aug 10: Unnecessary--second-hand videos of kids movies for $10.00. Necessary--Membership renewal to Moms Club, paid water/trash/sewage bill.
Aug 11: Budgeted lunch with DH--$8.50
Aug 12 What started out as a budgeted trip to the zoo turned into a day of getting nickeled and dimed everywhere. $7.50 in superfluous spending. $135.00 in groceries, though.
Aug 13: Paid mortgage/
Aug 14:
Aug 15
Aug 16 Unplanned for but necessary irrigation repair supplies, $20.00
Aug 17
Aug 18
Aug 19 Beaucoup bucks to refinance our house , $7.50 for budgeted lunch w/ DH, $30.00 for 2nd-hand fall/winter shirts for Mommy.
Aug 20 Paid bill on pro repair from July, $135 in groceries
Aug 21: $40.00 charity
Aug 22:
Aug 23: $114.00 on garden bed materials. I could've gotten them cheaper, I suppose...
Aug 24: $35.00 in dog food, $10.00 supplies for birthday party
Aug 25 off the wagon. Out to eat for $11.00
Aug 26 budgeted lunch for $8.50
Aug 27 $124.00 in groceries
Aug 28 $2.00 early stocking stuffers, $3.00 popsicle sticks for popsicle making
Aug 29 $3.00 ice cream for DD and Mommy.
Aug 30 My, my, aren't I getting lax at month's end? $7.50 on root beer floats.

[Turquesa]

Bumping for easy locating.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I dropped the ball this month and didn't record as faithfully as I usually do.

BUT...change is in the air.

For the month of September I'm buckling down. We have a home equity line of credit that I would like to pay off in the next year. That's right -- in a YEAR.

This will be tough to do, but if I can control our ~outflow~ it is doable.

So I'm starting this thread again with a vengenance.

[VisionaryMom]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

This will be tough to do, but if I can control our ~outflow~ it is doable.

So I'm starting this thread again with a vengenance.

Yes, we, too, have been really bad about things lately. DH is really itching for a couple of major purchases, and we are *drowning* in medical bills right now - even with using all of our flex spending. Plus DD needs surgery at the end of September, and I should (fingers crossed) know what is wrong with me at the end of the month. All of the options will mean expensive treatments.

My job this evening is to make a budget for the next few months that we can stick to and then make it happen. It's going to mean a real wake-up call to all of us.

[major_mama11]

8/1- MAJOR stock up this morning - $257 groceries/ household, $39 gifts, $12 homeschool items, $3 calendar for me, $42 gas, $33 trampoline net part,
8/2- staying home today to can/freeze veggies and clean house!!
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10 $80 diapers/household 10 pints salsa! (enough diapers to last for months)
11 $117 groceries - we are so stocked up now
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16- $38 gasoline
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19- $5 school supplies, $47 groceries. $41 Lowes card from coinstar machine; $8.50 for selling books.
20- Zoo (free) and lunch (courtesy MIL)
21- resisted cafeteria at work
22- $4 pretty blue pens for myself; $15 free food with CVS ECB! $40 gas
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28 farmers' market $9 honey, $9 gift honey for MIL
29

August goals:

Groceries/household- $500 / $500
Gasoline- $120 / $120
Kid spending (clothing/toys etc) $33 / $60
Homeschool items/activities $17 / $20
Gifts $48 / $50 (Lots of bdays/new babies)
Me fun money $7 / $40

No spend days 22 / 20
Hang clothing out to dry 7 / 8
Work in garden/ put food up 8 / 10
Finish a project 0 / 2

[Turquesa]

Major_mama11, you're kicking butt!! WTG!!

[nina_yyc]

Thought I would update. I did not track very well towards the end of the month, which was probably cause I was out spending money

In the end I came out $300 over budget, almost all of that on kids' clothes and shoes that we can't afford. I can't say I'm really sorry about that, because I did try. I did get some stuff on at the thrift store and on kijiji and I got some high quality stuff on coupon discounts so I'm just going to have to find some way to pay for it. DD is getting older and it's harder to find things secondhand in good condition. I could have bought her cheaper stuff new but it just doesn't stand up to wear and then I get mad when things are wrecked because I bought them new. I did try to be practical though and bought stuff big. I got her two jumpers, four pairs of tights, and mary janes. With cute hair that stuff will work for a wedding we're going to and her birthday too. The baby's wardrobe I got mostly on a $10 kijiji score, secondhand store jacket and snow pants ($20) and a $30 Baby Gap sweater which will have to work for the wedding, family pics, 1st birthday, Thanksgiving, and Xmas.