January 2011 No-Spend Challenge - Let's start the New Year off right! - Page 6

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwmomof2 

I bought a Starbucks gift card for myself today (using xmas $ my grandma sent me). My intention is to limit my coffee habit this way, but still allow myself the occasional coffee. I am planning to make my $20 card last for the month of January. When it's used up, no more Starbucks for me (until the new month). Oh, these little games I play with myself.....

Ugh, I KNOW!  It's totally appropriate that the Starbucks logo is a Siren.  It hasn't quite been a budget-buster for me, but I still end up there WAY more often than I'd like to admit.  Once of the tactics I've been using is to buy a large, then drink half one day and the rest the next. 

Another thing I've done is to buy cherry flavored coffee (Meijer), brew it strong, then mix it with milk and Ghirardelli cocoa powder.  Not quite a dark cherry mocha, but still yummy.  I'm sure it would work with other flavors of coffee as well.  I keep thinking I should just buy an espresso machine and get it over with.
 

[ltlmrs]

1.

2.

3.

4. & 5. I had to split grocery shopping over two days because of lack of energy.  I actually forgot a couple things that DH will pick up today on his way back from work.  But, I spent $132.93/$400.  Also got the convection oven using Christmas money, but that's not in the budget since I'm counting it as a gift.  Also $100 for the homeopath and $2 for a sample tube of homeopathically compatible toothpaste.

Key:

  budgeted spending
true no-spend day
bad bad bad

[Motivated Mama]

We put gas in my car today with cash from tips and we bought a DVD player with $25 store credit at the pawn shop. Oh, and we got coffee with a gift card. SO, no extra money spent

Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Jan 6

[major_mama11]

1/1- NS

2 NS

3 NS

4- groceries $112

5- NS

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31

Goals

Groceries- 112/500

Gasoline- 0/140

Kid spending- 0/20

homeschool- 0/20

car payment -0/500

Gift cards to use this month- reminding myself that I can shop a little without breaking the budget!

kohls- $29

Joann- $40

Old Navy $39

[HerRoyallHighness]

Stayed under my $60 grocery goal last night - spent $54 thanks to a nice cashier who let me use multiple coupons on the same item. She had to manually override the cash register's computer to do it, but she did. :D

I came *this close* to buying music on iTunes this afternoon before I remembered about this no-spend thing. Granted, I need this music for something I'm doing work-related, but I can check it out of the library for free. I already checked the catalog and they have it. Saved: $7.99+tax

Made a big crock pot of vegetable soup last night that should last us for a while, and we can add different things to it as we go along to keep it from getting boring.

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:

  no spend/ budgeted spending

  unnecessary/ unbudgeted spending

  hung laundry to dry

January Goals

no spend days  6/20

eating out  0/0

loads of laundry hung to dry  4/8

1.    At the IL's out-of-state so no laundry done.

2. 

3.   

4. 

5. 

6. 

[three&me]

Woohoo! I found a $20 gift card in my wallet that I forgot to use, along with a $10 off $50 coupon and I've got $30 extra in there for savings (maybe). Tomorrow should be a no-spend day unless I go out to the store (with a points program) to take advantage of a spend $50 get a $10 gift card while stocking up on milk & bread, etc. Saturday will be the real test as DH is home and we usually do our shopping then.

[Smithie]

Jan 1: no spend
Jan 2: hairbrush, fast food

Jan 3: holy bills, Batman: mortgage, personal trainer, insurance and a buy-one-get-one massage coupon for DH

Jan 4: Target household stuff and junky groceries, DS' new medicine (no generic available! lovely!), fast food

Jan 5: real groceries at TJ's and WF, oils for this facial cleansing method I'd heard so much about

[Eresh]

Hi, I'm new to this sub-forum but I really need to be here!

a. Who you are:  It's me, DH, 3yo DS1, and 3mo DS2.  I'm usually a FT WOHM but I'm on unpaid maternity leave until April.  I'd love to be a SAHM but I'm the majority wage earner and our savings is taking a hit with my staying home. 

b. Where you are going (your financial goals):  We're currently carrying student loans (mine) that will be paid off in a year, DH's car loan, and the mortgage.  We have a bit of savings in addition to our retirement savings, but we're drawing on that for me to stay home for DS2's first 6 months.  Our big goal is to get right-side up on our mortgage and start saving to buy our dream home.  We still have DH's VA loan to draw on but I want to make a big down payment.

c. How you plan to get there:  DH and I both have stable jobs with good incomes.  Unfortunately we've fallen into a lot of impulse buying and unnecessary spending.  When DS2 was born I had something of an orgy of online spending for him .  Babysteals and zulily are teh enemy!  So we both need to get a handle on that.  I've been doing really well with menu planning and so-so with not buying out.  I too am a Starbucks addict =\

We have a lot of upcoming expenses this year -- I'm taking the boys to CA to visit their grandparents in March.  While I'm gone DH will be insulating and drywalling the unfinished part of the basement.  Then we'll be hiring someone to finish the basement bathroom and we'll be replacing the flooring on two levels at least of our townhouse.  I view all of the home improvements as working towards getting "rightside up" though since they increase the value of our home.  It'll be hard with the additional expense of two kids in daycare, though.

Anyhow, I'd love to use this thread to keep me honest with my spending.

[mattemma04]

Mattemma sahm to 2.Dh is a driver with a modest income. Will try not to use my credit card(just paid it off!) and spend only $100 cash weekly on food and supplies.Will record all bills and daily spending.Will put aside $25-50 weekly into savings.The more we stay home the more NO SPEND DAYs I will have,unless ofcourse I am paying bills online! I already know we will be home this weekend,and all bills are paid for the moment.Best wishes to all!

1-1 NO SPEND DAY

1-2 NO SPEND DAY

1-3 NO SPEND DAY

1-4 Tire repair(nail) $18, Food $100, Pizza $6, Savings $20, Mega lotto $3

1-5 Cell $110, Garbage $45, Dog license $30, School Pizza $12, Credit Card $100

1-6 Marcs $7, Gas $23

1-7 Aldis $90, Walmart $55

1-8 NO SPEND DAY

1-9 NO SPEND DAY

1-10 Food $9, Meds $55, Feed store $70, Big Lots $10

Edited by mattemma04 - 1/10/11 at 9:39am

[three&me]

 = No-spend day

   = Budgeted spending

   = Under budget!

   = Unbudgeted/Unnecessary spending

1/05:  (actually made money with a price adjustment & a return! this will pay for a bookcase we were planning to buy)

1/06: 

1/07:  $47 - couldn't resist a Gap sale. in my defence, DS DOES need it, I just didn't plan when I'd buy it.

Progress:

Paid to credit cards: $447/$2300

Groceries $0/$295

Savings  $100/$250

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:

  no spend/ budgeted spending

  unnecessary/ unbudgeted spending

  hung laundry to dry

January Goals

no spend/ budgeted days  6/20

eating out  0/0

loads of laundry hung to dry  4/8

1.    At the IL's out-of-state so no laundry done.

2. 

3.   

4. 

5. 

6. 

7.    DH stopped at the store and picked up some ice cream and cookies.

ETA~ I have to take away my no spend day for today.

Edited by FillingMyQuiver - 1/7/11 at 5:29pm

[nwmomof2]

I read something recently that I found quite interesting: the idea of a no spend week. It was in the book "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Map to True Riches," by Jeff Yeager. In it, he recommends doing a "fiscal fast" for one whole week. No spending. at. all. Not even bills, groceries, gas for the car. I am intrigued by this and I think I'm going to give it a go. I can't remember if I've ever before gone a week without spending, in my entire adult life. Okay, I know I did it as a 20-something year old on a 10 day backpacking trip in the Sierras (no phones, no lights, no motorcars), but that was nearly 20 years ago and I think it is time to try it again. Anyone else up for the challenge? Maybe this should be it's own thread?

1/1  budgeted spend - long johns and socks for kids

1/2  no spend

1/3  big budgeted spend day - groceries, supplements, carwash (which I hate to pay for but was desperately needed), b'day gift for my mom. Sold some books at used book store.

1/4  no spend!

1/5  budgeted spend - some household supplies (soap, dog food for pet food drive at DD1's school (we don't have a dog!), b'day gift for DD2's preschool friend, art supplies for school project, 2 grocery items, Starbucks gift card

1/6  no spend

1/7  batteries, photo printing for school project

Edited by nwmomof2 - 1/7/11 at 8:33pm

[Motivated Mama]

Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5 1st paycheck
Jan 6 Ended up buying a drink with the girls, but no dinner $10
Jan 7 2nd paycheck - budgeted spend day: mortgage and $34 vet bill.

[HerRoyallHighness]

Yesterday, spent $30 on gas and $7 on food for the ratties. Day before, N/S.

[annethcz]

Jan 1: No spend

Jan 2: Budgeted spend

Jan 3: No spend

Jan 4: Budgeted spen

Jan 5: No spend

Jan 6: Budgeted spend

Jan 7: No spend

Jan 8: No spend

[nwmomof2]

/1  budgeted spend - long johns and socks for kids

1/2  no spend

1/3  big budgeted spend day - groceries, supplements, carwash (which I hate to pay for but was desperately needed), b'day gift for my mom. Sold some books at used book store.

1/4  no spend!

1/5  budgeted spend - some household supplies (soap, dog food for pet food drive at DD1's school (we don't have a dog!), b'day gift for DD2's preschool friend, art supplies for school project, 2 grocery items, Starbucks gift card

1/6  no spend

1/7  batteries, photo printing for school project

1/8  no spend

[edensmama]

a. Who you are:    We are WAHM, WOHD, dd 6 years, ds 2 years.  We hope to conceive this year

b. Where you are going (your financial goals) and:  Financially we would like to pay off our credit card about ($3500) and pay off my car about ($1000) so dh can get a new (used) vehicle.  Hope to have have at least $1000 in savings by the end of the year.

c. How you plan to get there:  Dh has interviewed for a new job and we are hoping that he gets it.  I plan on doing meal planning, growing a vegetable garden this summer.  Also sticking to the budget and grocery list.

1/1 ~ $5.79 on Slurpee's 

1/2 ~ $10 on prescription for ds

1/3 ~ No spend, No drive day

1/4 ~ No spend day 

1/5 ~ budgeted spending food and such 

1/6 ~ $17 on snacks, pop and velcro to make reusable ziploc bags.   

1/7 ~ un-necessary spending on lunch, frames $11.75

1/8 ~ bought groceries we didn't have to have but will use 

1/9 ~ no spend

1/10 ~ no spend

Edited by edensmama - 1/11/11 at 3:22am

[bellabear]

a.  Michelle mama to two dc.

b.  Pay off debt, not spend unnecessarily and save.

c.  By staying out of stores, cutting up all credit cards, meal planning, and going to try washing the clothes on cold (except bed sheets and diapers.)

Key:
- no spend
- necessary/budgeted spend
- unnecessary spend

Jan 1-

Jan 2-

Jan 3-

Jan 4-

Jan 5-

Jan 6-

Jan 7-

Jan 8- groceries

Jan 9-

Jan 10- (well, dh did get a beer)

Jan 11-

Jan 12- me , dh beer and lunch

Jan 13-

Jan 14-

Jan 15-

Jan 16-

Jan 17-

Jan 18-

Jan 19-

Jan 20-

Jan 21-

Jan 22-

Jan 23-

Jan 24-

Jan 25-

Jan 26-

Jan 27-

Jan 28-

Jan 29-

Jan 30-

Jan 31-

Edited by bellabear - 1/13/11 at 5:42am

[Smithie]

Jan 1: no spend
Jan 2: hairbrush, fast food

Jan 3: holy bills, Batman: mortgage, personal trainer, insurance and a buy-one-get-one massage coupon for DH

Jan 4: Target household stuff and junky groceries, DS' new medicine (no generic available! lovely!), fast food

Jan 5: real groceries at TJ's and WF, oils for this facial cleansing method I'd heard so much about

Jan 6: DH repurchased Angry Birds (WTF???) and went to Jack in the Box. 

Jan 7: check I wrote in NOVEMBER to the preschool book fair was finally cashed - see, this is the reason I heart my checking account cushion

Jan 8: copay for DD's prescription, candy after DS' b-ball game

Jan 9: I promised to buy DS a Sonic the Hedgehog plush toy if he does his worksheets at Hebrew School