~November No-Spend Challenge~ Don't let little purchases gobble gobble up your savings! Come... - Page 10

[scrapadoozer]

11/01
11/02
11/03
11/04
11/05 $9 Cute cords for me
11/06
11/07

11/08

11/09

11/10

11/11

11/12

11/13 $63 Dinner and dessert out, $22 Clothes for dd

11/14

11/15

11/16 $27.21 Burger King

11/17

11/18 $5.00 Little Caesar's

11/19

11/20 $6.00 Domino's

11/21

11/22

11/23

11/24 $7 Coolattas for me & a friend, doughnut for dd.

11/25

11/26

20/20 No-spend days
24/30 Clothes shopping-free days
$139.21 Frivolously Spent

[nwmomof2]

14. $27 groceries, $30 household (tea tree oil and a $20 community coupon book)

15. $73 groceries, $13 household (supplements and cosmetics), $9 Starbucks 

16. $61 yarn and knitting needles. RETURNED $43, but then bought $37 fabric on 11/20.

17. $3 starbucks, $11 groceries

18. $$$ huge car repair, $18 PTA family skate night

19. $45 yarn, birdseed, mattress pad (household), $21 groceries, $6 thrift store sweater - broke my no clothes goal , but got a cute sweater (for me)

20. $100 windshield replacement, $8 eating out

21. No spend, finally.

22. $102 Costco groceries, $6 Starbucks. $19 Costco sweater.

23. No spend

24. $76 groceries, $11 hand lotion

25. No spend. 

26. $14 food out. Ski day - stayed out of stores.

27.

28.

29.

30.

$514/$500 groceries

$72/$50 eating out

$314/$300 household/Christmas

$250/$500 put in savings

22/30 not buying clothes days

13/15 stay out stores

7/10 no-spend days

14/20 planned/budgeted spend days

frivolous/over budget spending: $50

Edited by nwmomof2 - 11/26/10 at 10:51pm

[diana_of_the_dunes]

= no spending!
= necessary, budgeted spending
= necessary, unbudgeted spending
= unnecessary, unbudgeted spending


1- mortgage payment, $32 for pizza to thank our niece and nephew for help with yardwork (comes out of entertainment allowance)
2- $74.48 at Meijer for groceries (and only groceries, yay!) + $11 for apples at the market to make applesauce
3- $45 for eye doctor, $15 for the prescription, and $5 for coffee
4-
5- $6.50 for Chinese for lunch + $24.29 at Meijer + paid for car repairs
6- $12 for lunch, $8 for dinner + $3.80 for coffee
7-
8-   electric bill + paid off credit card (never carry a balance, but "launder" money through it to get freebies)
9-   student loan payment + $3 for potatoes at market + $6.50 for Chinese for lunch
10-   paid phone bill + $79.99 for groceries
11-  $17.70 at Barnes and Noble for a book and coffee for DH and me + $21.35 at Dick's Sporting Goods for gloves for work +   $55 at Carabbas for dinner and dessert (budgeted, but more expensive than I'd have liked!!)
12-  $12-ish for dinner at Culver's for niece and I

13-  $12.XX for a book at Borders + $9.XX for soup and coffee for lunch
14-    $4.80 for coffee
15-
16-  $29.55 for groceries + $4.80 coffee + $4.35 lunch
17-   $3.35 for lunch + 4.76 for coffee
18-
19-  $2 for coffee
20-  Christmas shopping + $2 for coffee,  $35 for new sheets (both set of ours ripped/wore through within a month of each other!)
21-   Managed to go grocery shopping and only spend on groceries!  $123.25 at Meijer + $22 for a Chinese food feast

22-
23-  $4.50 at Starbucks + shopping for Christmas and some developmental toys for DS
24-
25-  
26-   $3 for coffee + $7 for lunch
27-
28-
29-
30-

 

 

$345.66/$500 groceries
$600/$500 savings
$63.06/60 work lunches
7/15 no-spend days  

[SilverFish]

oh yikes... i totally lost it the last couple days. this is why i HATE christmas shopping with such a passion! i find it so difficult to shop with a baby. just getting us out of the house is such an ordeal, then she gets fussy, and i'm tired and just want to get out of there, and i end up buying more things than i wanted because i just want to not have to leave the house again! all the clothes shopping i did this weekend was so impulsive. i'm thankful my nephew is the only one that needs to be shopped for this christmas season, but with the cold weather and getting so much more interactive, dd's clothing and toy needs are really growing... i need to sit down with all my purchases and be very thoughtful about what is actually a good, useful item and what should probably be returned. plus, i keep forgetting that dd is probably going to get items rained down on her this season.

11/10 no spend days
3/10 art/work days
3/4 eating out days

$370/$400 grocery budget
$457 FUN money

no spend day
unnecessary spending
budget spending day
art/work day

1.
2. , $177 groceries, $65 toiletries
3. , $50 cat food
4. ... getting an insurance-covered massage today! woohoo!
5.
6. $688 on winter tires!! . we did obviously budget it, but it was still a shock to the system. now i REALLY have to stick to our budget this month, since that ate up pretty much any wiggle-room we normally have
7. slightly unnecessary grocery spend of $5 for dessert
8. $20 on a weekly yoga pass
9. plus, set up my desk, unpacked my art supplies, and did some sketching WOOHOO!
10. yesterday was a tough one. my dd needed some new winter clothes, but i went shopping with a friend. bad idea, mixing shopping with socializing... spent $56 on clothing, $15 on assorted snacks, parking and other little things. i may return the one full price item i bought... an adorable sweater dress. not the most sensible purchase for a crawler .
11. $58 on groceries, $20 on boots for dd and a new pack of pacifiers.
12.
13. . $30 for dinner with friends
14.
15.
16. $20 for groceries. entirely unnecessary and unhealthy (but SO delicious) $5 on chocolate croissants from our local baker.
17. $20 for gas, $7 for snack at play group, $75 for yoga classes. win, i guess? i'm going to add the gas to the FUN budget since i really have no reason to be driving except to go to playgroup and see my friends this week... no necessary errands or anything. my friend asked me to look after her son when she goes back to work! and i started work on a series of paintings.
18. $2 on a fruit drink for me.
19.
20. $75 on groceries
21. $20 on cupcakes and coffee at the cupcake camp fundraiser downtown... fun and a good cause! returned $25 dress for dd!
22.
23. finished a painting today!
24. $20 at dr's appointment, $4 snack at cafe
25.
26. $25 on groceries... then it goes downhill. $40 on clothing for dd ($30 of which was totally impulsive and I'm going to return) and $20 on an overpriced outfit for my nephew's brithday. THEN, $62 on MORE clothing at the gap and old navy for dd and a christmas present for nephew.
27. DH and I went to look at a new apartment... we really want to move, it's a nice place but $100 more per month. $40 on gas, $10 on groceries, $40 on sewing supplies and $45 on toys for dd and nephew. not to mention going out to eat at $20. sigh... what a lot of money down the drain.
28. (my goals for the next three days!)
29.
30.

[nwmomof2]

14. $27 groceries, $30 household (tea tree oil and a $20 community coupon book)

15. $73 groceries, $13 household (supplements and cosmetics), $9 Starbucks 

16. $61 yarn and knitting needles. RETURNED $43, but then bought $37 fabric on 11/20.

17. $3 starbucks, $11 groceries

18. $$$ huge car repair, $18 PTA family skate night

19. $45 yarn, birdseed, mattress pad (household), $21 groceries, $6 thrift store sweater - broke my no clothes goal , but got a cute sweater (for me)

20. $100 windshield replacement, $8 eating out

21. No spend, finally.

22. $102 Costco groceries, $6 Starbucks. $19 Costco sweater.

23. No spend

24. $76 groceries, $11 hand lotion

25. No spend. 

26. $14 food out. Ski day - stayed out of stores.

27. $19 groceries

28.

29.

30.

$533/$500 groceries

$72/$50 eating out

$314/$300 household/Christmas

$250/$500 put in savings

25/30 not buying clothes days

13/15 stay out stores

7/10 no-spend days

14/20 planned/budgeted spend days

frivolous/over budget spending: $69

[mattemma04]

Posted to the wrong thread!

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01.. $9.98 Wendys
02.. $10.90 Subway
03.. $15 Costco Lamb Blanket
04..  
05..
06.. $11 hat, $3 Starbucks
07..

08..

09.. 

10.. 

11..  $6 McDonald's
12..  $9 the makings for s'mores
13..  $5 Starbucks
14.. 

15..  $17 fleece pjs
16..  $13 party supplies for baby shower tomorrow

17.. 

18.. 

19.. 

20..  $30 on sleds because the snow is coming

21..

22.. 

23.. 

24..  

25.. 

26..  $13 Christmas shopping, $5 Starbucks

27..

28..

29..

30..

My Goals:

14/20 No Spend Days
5/5 Let the Car Rest Days

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by SilverFish 

oh yikes... i totally lost it the last couple days. this is why i HATE christmas shopping with such a passion! i find it so difficult to shop with a baby. just getting us out of the house is such an ordeal, then she gets fussy, and i'm tired and just want to get out of there, and i end up buying more things than i wanted because i just want to not have to leave the house again! all the clothes shopping i did this weekend was so impulsive. i'm thankful my nephew is the only one that needs to be shopped for this christmas season, but with the cold weather and getting so much more interactive, dd's clothing and toy needs are really growing... i need to sit down with all my purchases and be very thoughtful about what is actually a good, useful item and what should probably be returned. plus, i keep forgetting that dd is probably going to get items rained down on her this season.

  $25 on groceries... then it goes downhill. $40 on clothing for dd ($30 of which was totally impulsive and I'm going to return) and $20 on an overpriced outfit for my nephew's brithday. THEN, $62 on MORE clothing at the gap and old navy for dd and a christmas present for nephew.

I hear you. Since I have a problem with compulsive shopping, I know this is a ~~dangerous~~ season for me. I can't go anywhere near my favorite shopping haunts. I can justify all kinds of out-of-budget purchases because...after all...I'm buying gifts for OTHER people. Maybe you should hang onto the $30 of things that you bought for your daughter until after Christmas because 1) then you can see how many hand-me-downs she gets and decide if you need any of those things 2) you can avoid the stores during this crazy shopping time...AND things go on sale after the holidays (retailers claim things are on sale right now, but they are not. They just marked things sky high so they can "discount" them down to regular price right now) so it might be safer for you to shop. I admire your three no spends for the rest of the month -- you can do it!!!! Go Mama!

[Freebies4US]

Who I am: Joanne, mother to two DDs - one 3 and one 20 months.  My guy is very frugal and hates spending money on anything unnecessary. 

My financial goals are simple: Since now we only have one income coming in to the house, (guy is self employed so money can fluctuate), live beneath our means (spend less than we earn), have money left at the end of the month, build up an emergency fund (which is nowhere to be seen at the moment). 

Ways to meet my goals: No shopping trips (not even window shopping).  Not too bad for myself but if my DDs say "I would love that" - mommy gets it.  STOP.  Stick to a weekly grocery limit and plan my menus and shopping list in advance.  Sort out my wardrobe (I DO NOT need any more new clothes).  Make the most of discounts, discounted deals, promo codes and coupons.  (Normally throw these away). 

I just want to be more aware of everything I spend and stop and think before I press the "proceed to checkout" button!

[SilverFish]

thanks, Crunchy*VT*Mom. You are right, I did forget about the discounts post-christmas. I don't have huge problems with compulsive shopping... like just being in a store doesn't make me want to buy things... it's more that I get so stressed about buying presents... I'll spend like 45 minutes vacillating between two items, then get exhausted and either walk out empty handed or buy both. And when I'm running out of time to get presents, more often I just buy both. Now that I've been looking at what I bought for a while, I'm pretty sure I know what should go back.

[stephsteph9191]

Hello guys Im new to this site but just seems like such a great idea so here i go

A. Who I am

 my name is Stephanie I am a mother of three the newest is Riley he is six weeks old the middle is Junior he is 4 yrs old and the oldest is my daughter Sierra  I love them all so much.

I 31 yrs old and i work part time at a Deli ( part time because I have a new baby and baby sitters are too expensive for us right now) I'm seperated from my husband and living back at home with my folk ( yay)

B.My goals

to get on my feet   and out on my own (yay)

C.How to get there

Hard work 

determination

money smarts

(I'm starting by making my own Dipes and wipes)

[stephsteph9191]

Okay so I need to curb spending by staying off ebay (way hard for some reason)

today i spent $42.00 on 4 cloth dipes ( on ebay)

and then spent $80 on fabric for making dipes ( at jo anns)

and $25. on gas 

and $30 at Chuckie cheese

my check is gone and i just got paid yesterday

I need help

[nwmomof2]

14. $27 groceries, $30 household (tea tree oil and a $20 community coupon book)

15. $73 groceries, $13 household (supplements and cosmetics), $9 Starbucks 

16. $61 yarn and knitting needles. RETURNED $43, but then bought $37 fabric on 11/20.

17. $3 starbucks, $11 groceries

18. $$$ huge car repair, $18 PTA family skate night

19. $45 yarn, birdseed, mattress pad (household), $21 groceries, $6 thrift store sweater - broke my no clothes goal , but got a cute sweater (for me)

20. $100 windshield replacement, $8 eating out

21. No spend, finally.

22. $102 Costco groceries, $6 Starbucks. $19 Costco sweater.

23. No spend

24. $76 groceries, $11 hand lotion

25. No spend. 

26. $14 food out. Ski day - stayed out of stores.

27. $19 groceries

28. No spend. No stores. The end of the month is in sight! 

29.

30.

8/10 no spend days

frivolous/over budget spending: $69

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Thoughts for the month:

 

1. I should really just shell out the $$ for an espresso maker.  That would save me lots of trips to Starbucks.
2. We eat out WAY too much.  I already knew that, but realizing how much money was spent just makes me sad (but it was less than in October!!).  In the summer, I take picnic lunches to work a lot, and a few of use will eat outside together.  During the winter, that's not an option.  And if I work an area away from home, there's really not anywhere I can just sit and eat.  Plus, my beat partner will usually eat out, and it's kind of a social/bonding thing too.  Very frustrating.  DH will also eat out if there are no leftovers at home.  The man cooks well, but hates to do it.  I'll try harder to cook at least 2 of my 3 days off, plus maybe one morning before work.  Baby steps...!
3. December has 3 pay periods for us  That should take care of any Christmas spending, plus let up put some extra in the bank.

 

= no spending!
= necessary, budgeted spending
= necessary, unbudgeted spending
= unnecessary, unbudgeted spending


1- mortgage payment, $32 for pizza to thank our niece and nephew for help with yardwork (comes out of entertainment allowance)
2- $74.48 at Meijer for groceries (and only groceries, yay!) + $11 for apples at the market to make applesauce
3- $45 for eye doctor, $15 for the prescription, and $5 for coffee
4-
5- $6.50 for Chinese for lunch + $24.29 at Meijer + paid for car repairs
6- $12 for lunch, $8 for dinner + $3.80 for coffee
7-
8-   electric bill + paid off credit card (never carry a balance, but "launder" money through it to get freebies)
9-   student loan payment + $3 for potatoes at market + $6.50 for Chinese for lunch
10-   paid phone bill + $79.99 for groceries
11-  $17.70 at Barnes and Noble for a book and coffee for DH and me + $21.35 at Dick's Sporting Goods for gloves for work +   $55 at Carabbas for dinner and dessert (budgeted, but more expensive than I'd have liked!!)
12-  $12-ish for dinner at Culver's for niece and I

13-  $12.XX for a book at Borders + $9.XX for soup and coffee for lunch
14-    $4.80 for coffee
15-
16-  $29.55 for groceries + $4.80 coffee + $4.35 lunch
17-   $3.35 for lunch + 4.76 for coffee
18-
19-  $2 for coffee
20-  Christmas shopping + $2 for coffee,  $35 for new sheets (both set of ours ripped/wore through within a month of each other!)
21-   Managed to go grocery shopping and only spend on groceries!  $123.25 at Meijer + $22 for a Chinese food feast

22-
23-  $4.50 at Starbucks + shopping for Christmas and some developmental toys for DS
24-
25-  
26-   $3 for coffee + $7 for lunch
27-  $7 on 2 coffees
28-
29- Going out to dinner with my in-laws as a cancer support thing. I don't want to spend the money, but it's a good cause...
30- projected 

 

 

$345.66/$500 groceries
$600/$500 savings
$68.06/60 work lunches
8/15 no-spend days  

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

01.. $9.98 Wendys
02.. $10.90 Subway
03.. $15 Costco Lamb Blanket
04..  
05..
06.. $11 hat, $3 Starbucks
07..

08..

09.. 

10.. 

11..  $6 McDonald's
12..  $9 the makings for s'mores
13..  $5 Starbucks
14.. 

15..  $17 fleece pjs
16..  $13 party supplies for baby shower tomorrow

17.. 

18.. 

19.. 

20..  $30 on sleds because the snow is coming

21..

22.. 

23.. 

24..  

25.. 

26..  $13 Christmas shopping, $5 Starbucks

27.. 

28.. 

29.. 

30..

My Goals:

17/20 No Spend Days
5/5 Let the Car Rest Days

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by stephsteph9191 

today i spent $42.00 on 4 cloth dipes ( on ebay)

and then spent $80 on fabric for making dipes ( at jo anns)

Starting up with cloth dipes is EXPENSIVE but it really does save you TONS of money in the long run.  I've cloth-diapered three babies and then resold the diapers on diaper swappers and it saved our family thousands of dollars (yes, thousands). So you are headed in the right direction, even if it seems spendy now.

• Diana -- I agree.  You should get the espresso maker and let Starbucks earn their profits from someone else.  (alas, they are earning them from me...)

[laylasmom]

Hi. I am Susan mom to one mouthy but wonderful 10year daughter and  married to a hard working man.

My financial goals are

To make our savings grow.

My husband worked for a year as a temp for the company that laid him off hoping to get rehired so we went through his severance package.(never rehired)

Going to remember the season and not guilted in to buying stuff.  Trying to get a ten year old to understand that a savings is valuable to her future is a hard sell when she arguing the point that if I buy the wii it comes with the 2 games(and she will be happy with those 2 games) and you can get it on layaway.  We get it next year when we can...my daughter is so electronically deprived...

[nwmomof2]

The end of the month is here. I feel pretty good - I met some goals, overspent in some areas, but not too badly. I probably need to make a more realistic budget. Stayed out of the stores and REALLY enjoyed this part of it. Kept a decent food budget, although when we ate out at the end of the month (relatives in town for the holiday week), I didn't count it towards my spending, since my DH paid.....so I know we really spent more in eating out than I accounted for. ($50 eating out for the month was perhaps too lofty a goal!) Did okay overall on the no-clothes buying, although did buy 2 sweaters for myself (total was under $25, so again, not so bad.) Going in to next month I feel determined to set an x-mas budget and really stick to it, and curb the latte habit that's easy to fall into during the long dark month of December. Hope to see everyone back in December!!

14. $27 groceries, $30 household (tea tree oil and a $20 community coupon book)

15. $73 groceries, $13 household (supplements and cosmetics), $9 Starbucks 

16. $61 yarn and knitting needles. RETURNED $43, but then bought $37 fabric on 11/20.

17. $3 starbucks, $11 groceries

18. $$$ huge car repair, $18 PTA family skate night

19. $45 yarn, birdseed, mattress pad (household), $21 groceries, $6 thrift store sweater - broke my no clothes goal , but got a cute sweater (for me)

20. $100 windshield replacement, $8 eating out

21. No spend, finally.

22. $102 Costco groceries, $6 Starbucks. $19 Costco sweater.

23. No spend

24. $76 groceries, $11 hand lotion

25. No spend. 

26. $14 food out. Ski day - stayed out of stores.

27. $19 groceries

28. No spend. No stores. The end of the month is in sight! 

29. $12 groceries. $125 xmas.

30. No spend.

9/10 no spend days

frivolous/over budget spending: $186