~~September No-Spend Thread~~ We're in the HOME STRETCH....you can do it Mamas! - Page 3

[trumpcard]

Originally Posted by pitter_patter

[B]
My world was rocked almost two weeks ago when I found out my husband hadn't paid the mortgage in six months and was overdrafting our checking account and going to payday advance places to try to cover his tracks.

Oh My! Good luck to you, Mama!

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

I need to reign in the Christmas spirit myself. I tend to buy a bunch of stuff at the last minute because I'm worried the day won't be "special" enough for my children.

This is me too and that was before I had my DD. I am stressed about Christmas this year because of our tighter budget and my tendency to overbuy. Will be interested in everyone's Christmas budgets to help me set my own.

Originally Posted by goldingoddess

We bought a home in April, a fixer upper and since then we have been throwing money into the house and have had a slew of guests that has kept us from contributing anything to saving for the past several months.

I can relate to this with our new home and guests coming to see DD. We have the first grandchild on both sides and so it feels like we have a constant stream of visitors to house and feed. A major drain on the finances!

Originally Posted by Canadianne

[B] I'm Dianne and am new to the boards. I have been lurking in the Frugality and Finances section a lot lately and decided it was time to jump in. My husband and I are expecting are first baby on September 16th.

Welcome and Congrats!


I spent some time thinking about my goals for the month and came up with this:

2 meals out
1 ice cream night out
8 week-day car days (where I drive DH to work to have the car)
15 no spend days (online or otherwise)
$400 budget for household and groceries (I am making this number up and hope to be well under it)
My hope is to have a clear budget by the end of the month

I am also including my daily exercise in my goals. This will hopefully keep me motivated to exercise but also fits into my no-spend goals since I have very few clothes that fit me 3 months PP. I want to avoid buying a whole new winter wardrobe by getting the last bit of baby weight off my middle!

Meals Out: 0/2
Ice Cream 0/1
Car Days 0/8
No-Spend 0/15
Budget $0/$400
Exercise 0/30

It's September! Good luck everyone!

[Hollysmom]

I missed August because we were away quite a bit of it, but we actually did not too badly.

a. Who you are

Kristine Mom to 3 girls. Used to be a big time spender who is now partially reformed. I still want to spend but life has taught me that waiting for things (and paying for them with cash) is a much better choice in the long run

b. Where you are going (your financial goals)

We want to be debt free and have savings. We are working hard on both and are definitely moving in the right direction.

c. How you plan to get there

Keep track of every penny (which I have been doing diligently since November of last year) and of course keep coming back to these threads so I am accountable.

[major_mama11]

8/30 - $147 groceries
8/31 hung out at my mom's
9/1
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Goals:

Groceries $147 / $500
Gasoline 0 / $120
My fun money $9 (netflix) / $40
Kid clothing 0 / $40
Homeschool 0 / $10 (lots of free fall activities!!)
Gifts 0 / $20 (1-2 bday gifts this month)
Money paid to car loan!! 0 / $500
No spend days 1 / 20
Hang laundry out 1 / 10
Unplanned spend

[melissel]

Well, its barely 9:30 and I've already spent money without leaving my house! This was planned spending though--a housewarming gift.

Key:
No-spend day:
Only planned/necessary spending:
Unnecessary spending:

Grocery spending goal: $0/$200

9/1: ($100 on housewarming gift--yes, they're VERY good friends; $46 on a new power cord for my laptop, because my old one is nearly kaput)
9/2:
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[Jenn_M]

WooHoo! A new month!

1) (rent $450)
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Goals:
= no spend day
= budgeted spending
= not budgeted/unnecessary spending

$0/ $560 groceries and household
$0/ $120 unnecessary spending

0 / 20 meals cooked at home

[nwmomof2]

Hi Everyone, I've been reading these threads for over a year and am finally formally joining. I've done this no-spend challenge on my own, informally, and I think I really need the help of the group!

Who I am: Susan, former teacher, now SAHM living in the high COL NW, mom to 2 DDs, 7 and 4, and wife to an awesome frugal DH. I am the spender in the family, although I try to be frugal, I think I'm more of a spender by nature. Which is why I'm here.

My goals: : My DH got a 20% pay cut last spring. Out mortgage was almost 60% of our income after the pay cut. Luckily, we were able to pay down a large portion of it recently and now our payments will be closer to 40%. It's still a lot and requires us to be mindful of what we spend. We do not have CC or SL debt and have a decent EF. But really, I think my real goal is just to be more focussed on living day to day and enjoying what we have rather than planning what I will buy next. I would really like to change my thinking and behavior away from being a consumer, which is what I feel like much of the time.

How I plan to get there: Cold turkey. Stay out of stores, stay off of on-line stores. Exercise, knit, garden, read, play with my kids, do a house project, declutter, you know, anything other than consuming.

September budget and goals:
20 No-spend days
$600 groceries
Record every purchase here and on Budget Simple
10 Exercise days
Grocery shop 1 day/week only. No extra trips to stores.
No clothing purchases for me or kids
$500 in savings

[nadia105]

I want to buy diapers. I need diapers for the new babe. Cottonbabies is having a seconds sale with good deals right now. They might have one again before April though. What should I do?

[ltlmrs]

Originally Posted by nadia105

I want to buy diapers. I need diapers for the new babe. Cottonbabies is having a seconds sale with good deals right now. They might have one again before April though. What should I do?

If you budget for them for September and you have the money, go ahead and get them. But, have you checked out DS? I would think you could find great deals there later as well, if new dipes are not in the budget right now.

[thatgirliknew]

1) Well, so far I DID spend money. My grandmother handed me $40 for school uniforms for my son because the uniform assistance program for his school only gave him 1 shirt and 1 pair of pants (and he already had 1 shirt and 1 pair of pants at home). BUT, with that $40 she gave me I got a uniform shirt, uniform shorts, a pair of sneakers (all for him), garbage bags, gas for the car (all needed things). I didn't spend any of my money, and I still have a bit extra!

[VisionaryMom]

Originally Posted by nwmomof2

I think my real goal is just to be more focussed on living day to day and enjoying what we have rather than planning what I will buy next.

Yes, this is how I feel. The worst things for me are books, homeschool/office supplies, and art supplies. Somehow when I'm looking at them, there's this little bug in my heading saying, "your life will be better. *This* book will make the difference." I'm really trying to delay my purchases so that if I, for example, wait 2 weeks and still really want (heck, even remember) that book I saw, I can get it.

[melissel]

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

Yes, this is how I feel. The worst things for me are books, homeschool/office supplies, and art supplies. Somehow when I'm looking at them, there's this little bug in my heading saying, "your life will be better. *This* book will make the difference." I'm really trying to delay my purchases so that if I, for example, wait 2 weeks and still really want (heck, even remember) that book I saw, I can get it.

Oh yes. Especially with home/homeschool items. The next thing always seems to have the potential to make my life so much easier...but really it's just more stuff to wrangle.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Okay...not off to the best start but it was an emergency thing -- I was supposed to bring a dessert to a "first-day-of-school" Moms party and I got called into work right before I was supposed to make it. So I had to run by a bakery on the way to the party.

But I'm still ON FIRE this month and determined not to spend.

And at least I didn't shop.

01.. $4.99 Danish for party, SOS
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My goals:

0/20 No Spend Days
0/10 Let the Car Rest Days
1/20 Stay Out of the Stores SOS (this includes on-line shopping)

[Turquesa]

KEY:

= No spend
= Necessary/budgeted spending
= Unnecessary/-non-budgeted spending

1: Paid phone bill
2: $82.00 in groceries!!!!! (I didn't think I was capable! ) and $8.58 for budgeted lunch out with family. $20.00 used jammies for DD, shoes for kids.
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[nadia105]

1: $94 diapers

While theses are technicallly a need, they weren't necessarily a need right now. Not going to sweat tit too much though, lots more days to no spend

[spatulagirl]

KEY:

= No spend
= Necessary/budgeted spending
= Unnecessary/-non-budgeted spending

0/1 meals out
0/15 no spend days


1: DH spent $150 on a rim for his car so we can fix the flat tire
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[nina_yyc]

1: $280 Costco

Pantry is stocked and have milk, eggs, and bread to last for 2 weeks. Should be able to get by with only fruit & veg purchases for most of the month. That was freaking expensive. Let's hope this stock up and coast theory works.

$280/500

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by nadia105

I want to buy diapers. I need diapers for the new babe. Cottonbabies is having a seconds sale with good deals right now. They might have one again before April though. What should I do?

Diapers are a need. I wouldn't consider that frivolous spending

I think my real goal is just to be more focussed on living day to day and enjoying what we have rather than planning what I will buy next.

Susan -- I'm with you. I spend way too much time thinking the next purchase will make me happier. And it does...until I think of something else I want...which often happens in the same shopping trip.

[nwmomof2]

Okay, here I go. I thought it would be a no-spend day, but I forgot about the beginning of the year expenses for DD1 (lunch account, PTA membership, etc)

KEY:

= No spend
= Necessary/budgeted spending
= Unnecessary/-non-budgeted spending

1: $7 Bartell's (like Walgreens) for parent's anniversary card and snacks, $18 PTA, $55 DD1 lunch account (should last many months, as she only buys lunch 1x per week)
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0/20 No-spend days
0/$600 groceries
0/10 Exercise days
0/4 Grocery shop 1 day/week only. No extra trips to stores.
0/0 No clothing purchases for me or kids
0/$500 in savings

Prudence: I hear you about the thinking about purchases! I also think I need to have a daily meditation along the lines of "We have what we need and I am grateful."

[ltlmrs]

31. $86.47 groceries (under budget!), $27.48 gas
1. $19.80 groceries (unplanned, but within budget), 29.53 gas

September Budget & Goals:
$106.27/$350 food
0 eating out days!
$0/$60 miscellaneous expenses ($30 haircuts; Ladybug needs onesies and pajama sleepers for winter, I need fall shoes; DH's dry cleaning - need to keep reminding myself so that I don't think of the $60 as fun money...)
$57.01/$300 gas

[vannienicole]

= No spend
= Necessary/budgeted spending
= Unnecessary/-non-budgeted spending

1: Spent $10 on food on the way home from my doctor's appointment but made $100 in unplanned money. Net +$90. I'll count it as a no spend and vow to do better. Oh and I got a free shirt from my school dept and two memberships to two professional organizations for free (thank you Shell and Chevron) I'm a geology major.
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