March 2011 No-Spend Challenge -- The money you save is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! - Page 2

[beansmama]

3/1 -  no spend!

3/2 -  budget spending. $6 on fruit. We only have $6 to last us 9 days, but we have pretty much everything we need...so...yeah! Crossing fingers!

3/3 -  no spend! (okay, so the day isn't over yet, but I don't plan on going anywhere that requires my wallet - I'll update if I do!)

3/4 -  budget spending. $9.50 on fruit and bread. I actually had $8 left from the other day, not $6 like I stated above, and then I raided the change jar...which is cash - so I still say I did good, hehe!

3/5 -  no spend!
 

3/6 -  budget spending out of the "gift fund" for dd's upcoming b-day!

3/7 -  semi-budgeted spending. $83 on a greyhound ticket for Dh's mom. We just found out she's moving BACK to Tennessee in a week...it'll be our last chance to see her for, well, a LONG time. Also...um..."bad" spending  in the form of a junkfood grocery store run, $12. Both were purchased using our sinking fund, though. So, yeah..at least I didn't use the e-fund or LOC!

[three&me]

Progress:

Credit cards: $317/2300 paid

Groceries: $140/410 ($135 milk + $50 bread =$225ish other groceries) <- this is for the next 5 weeks.

Savings: $0/300

March Goals:

No-Spend Days: 9/20

Take-Out: 0/1

Hang-Dry Laundry: 3/8

 = No-Spend Day

 = Budgeted Spending

 = Under budget!

 = Unbudgeted/Unnecessary spending

 = Hung laundry

1 

2 

3 

4 

5  Groceries. Went over what I had planned to spend by $38, but DH & I were trying something new. It still comes out of the grocery budget so no overspending, really.  because DH had a bit too much fun at Canadian Tire and charged it to the visa.

6 

7 

8  Our electric bill came in $60 less than I had planned! Set my bank to pay it later this month.

9 

10 

11 

12 

Edited by three&me - 3/10/11 at 8:26am

[sarah_bella1050]

Signing up, because I definitely need some accountability.  My dh is a full time nursing student and works part time and I am a homeschooling mom.  We have no debt whatsoever and we have just enough in our savings to get us through the end of the semester with about $500 left over.  I am trying to find some extra work babysitting or knitting or sewing etc. to make that in to $1000.  Also we need

My front windshield replaced-about $200

My side mirror replaced-about $200

Car registration due in May- $123

So really I need to be making money and definitely not spending any!

My no spend challenge starts as today"

3/8  Forgot to turn in Redbox so spent another $1.08 on accident

3/9  Had to spend $2 on white thread, which I budgeted for.  Used my free drink card and went on coffee date with Dh, went window shopping too and didn't buy anything!

3/10 No spend

3/11

3/12

3/13

3/14

3/15 

3/16

3/17

3/18

3/19

3/20

3/21

3/22

3/23

3/24

3/25

3/26

3/27

3/28

3/29

3/30

3/31

Edited by sarah_bella1050 - 3/16/11 at 9:25am

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:

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

 
 

March Goals
no spend days  7/20
eating out  3/1
loads of laundry hung to dry  5/8

1.   

2.   

3. 

4.   

5.    "Quick" grocery stop, bought more than anticipated

6.    picked up new car seat for baby due next month, stopped for lunch

7.   

8.   

9.    Took DS2 to the dr for another visit.  Appointment ran into lunch so we got IHOP.  Ordered pizza for dinner b/c my 21yo sister and 5yo brother were here and I didn't feel like cooking (my dad's in the hospital, mom was with him).

[beansmama]

3/1 -  no spend!

3/2 -  budget spending. $6 on fruit. We only have $6 to last us 9 days, but we have pretty much everything we need...so...yeah! Crossing fingers!

3/3 -  no spend! (okay, so the day isn't over yet, but I don't plan on going anywhere that requires my wallet - I'll update if I do!)

3/4 -  budget spending. $9.50 on fruit and bread. I actually had $8 left from the other day, not $6 like I stated above, and then I raided the change jar...which is cash - so I still say I did good, hehe!

3/5 -  no spend!
 

3/6 -  budget spending out of the "gift fund" for dd's upcoming b-day!

3/7 -  semi-budgeted spending. $83 on a greyhound ticket for Dh's mom. We just found out she's moving BACK to Tennessee in a week...it'll be our last chance to see her for, well, a LONG time. Also...um..."bad" spending  in the form of a junkfood grocery store run, $12. Both were purchased using our sinking fund, though. So, yeah..at least I didn't use the e-fund or LOC! 

3/8 - no spend!

3/9 -  unbudgeted spending ($3.79 from "sinking fund...ben and jerry's...this is NOT what the sinking fund was established for, lol!)

3/10 - No spend...well, budgeted spending, I guess. We spent $11.50 to ship books I sold on Amazon.com. Profited $78+ though, so, you know...worth it!!

Can I just say...I'm super proud of myself right now? Sure, I didn't do perfect by any means...but the only "bad" spending was under $20 (darn you junk food addiction!) and we typically spend about $200 into our next paycheck EACH pay period! THis is the first check (tomorrow) in, I don't know how long, that we aren't playing catch up/paying ourselves back! We actually get to ADD to our savings, plus I made a little extra money on amazon! YAY!

 

[three&me]

Progress:

Credit cards: $317/2300 paid

Groceries: $140/410 ($135 milk + $50 bread =$225ish other groceries) <- this is for the next 5 weeks.

Savings: $0/300

March Goals:

No-Spend Days: 9/20

Take-Out: 0/1

Hang-Dry Laundry: 3/8

 = No-Spend Day

 = Budgeted Spending

 = Under budget!

 = Unbudgeted/Unnecessary spending

 = Hung laundry

1 

2 

3 

4 

5  Groceries. Went over what I had planned to spend by $38, but DH & I were trying something new. It still comes out of the grocery budget so no overspending, really.  because DH had a bit too much fun at Canadian Tire and charged it to the visa.

6 

7 

8  Our electric bill came in $60 less than I had planned! Set my bank to pay it later this month.

9 

10 

11  Making a few grocery stops today. Withdrawing $ from the bank so I don't spend more than I budgeted.

12 

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:

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

 
 

March Goals
no spend days  9/20
eating out  3/1
loads of laundry hung to dry  6/8

1.   

2.   

3. 

4.   

5.    "Quick" grocery stop, bought more than anticipated

6.    picked up new car seat for baby due next month, stopped for lunch

7.   

8.   

9.    Took DS2 to the dr for another visit.  Appointment ran into lunch so we got IHOP.  Ordered pizza for dinner b/c my 21yo sister and 5yo brother were here and I didn't feel like cooking (my dad's in the hospital, mom was with him).

10. 

11.      I know the day just started, but we're not going anywhere.

[three&me]

Progress:

Credit cards: $217/2300 paid

Groceries: $281/410 ($135 milk + $50 bread =$225ish other groceries) <- this is for the next 5 weeks.

Savings: $0/300

March Goals:

No-Spend Days: 11/20

Take-Out: 0/1

Hang-Dry Laundry: 4/8

 = No-Spend Day

 = Budgeted Spending

 = Under budget!

 = Unbudgeted/Unnecessary spending

 = Hung laundry

1 

2 

3 

4 

5  Groceries. Went over what I had planned to spend by $38, but DH & I were trying something new. It still comes out of the grocery budget so no overspending, really.  because DH had a bit too much fun at Canadian Tire and charged it to the visa.

6 

7 

8  Our electric bill came in $60 less than I had planned! Set my bank to pay it later this month.

9 

10 

11  Making a few grocery stops today. Withdrawing $ from the bank so I don't spend more than I budgeted.

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key:

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

 
 

March Goals
no spend days  12/20
eating out  4/1
loads of laundry hung to dry  7/8

1.   

2.   

3. 

4.   

5.    "Quick" grocery stop, bought more than anticipated

6.    picked up new car seat for baby due next month, stopped for lunch

7.   

8.   

9.    Took DS2 to the dr for another visit.  Appointment ran into lunch so we got IHOP.  Ordered pizza for dinner b/c my 21yo sister and 5yo brother were here and I didn't feel like cooking (my dad's in the hospital, mom was with him).

10. 

11.   

12. 

13.    ordered Chinese take out for dinner, not doing well with the take out at all this month *sigh*

14. 

15.   

[three&me]

Progress:

Credit cards: $217/2300 paid

Groceries: $281/410 ($135 milk + $50 bread =$225ish other groceries) <- this is for the next 5 weeks.

Savings: $0/300

March Goals:

No-Spend Days: 11/20

Take-Out: 0/1

Hang-Dry Laundry: 4/8

 = No-Spend Day

 = Budgeted Spending

 = Under budget!

 = Unbudgeted/Unnecessary spending

 = Hung laundry

1 

2 

3 

4 

5  Groceries. Went over what I had planned to spend by $38, but DH & I were trying something new. It still comes out of the grocery budget so no overspending, really.  because DH had a bit too much fun at Canadian Tire and charged it to the visa.

6 

7 

8  Our electric bill came in $60 less than I had planned! Set my bank to pay it later this month.

9 

10 

11  Making a few grocery stops today. Withdrawing $ from the bank so I don't spend more than I budgeted.

12 

13 

14 

15  bought DS a new carseat. We got our tax return so this is paid for, but came off the visa because I had to order online.

16 

17 

18 

[beansmama]

3/1 -  no spend!

3/2 -  budget spending. $6 on fruit. We only have $6 to last us 9 days, but we have pretty much everything we need...so...yeah! Crossing fingers!

3/3 -  no spend! (okay, so the day isn't over yet, but I don't plan on going anywhere that requires my wallet - I'll update if I do!)

3/4 -  budget spending. $9.50 on fruit and bread. I actually had $8 left from the other day, not $6 like I stated above, and then I raided the change jar...which is cash - so I still say I did good, hehe!

3/5 -  no spend!
 

3/6 -  budget spending out of the "gift fund" for dd's upcoming b-day!

3/7 -  semi-budgeted spending. $83 on a greyhound ticket for Dh's mom. We just found out she's moving BACK to Tennessee in a week...it'll be our last chance to see her for, well, a LONG time. Also...um..."bad" spending  in the form of a junkfood grocery store run, $12. Both were purchased using our sinking fund, though. So, yeah..at least I didn't use the e-fund or LOC! 

3/8 - no spend!

3/9 -  unbudgeted spending ($3.79 from "sinking fund...ben and jerry's...this is NOT what the sinking fund was established for, lol!)

3/10 - No spend...well, budgeted spending, I guess. We spent $11.50 to ship books I sold on Amazon.com. Profited $78+ though, so, you know...worth it!!

Can I just say...I'm super proud of myself right now? Sure, I didn't do perfect by any means...but the only "bad" spending was under $20 (darn you junk food addiction!) and we typically spend about $200 into our next paycheck EACH pay period! THis is the first check (tomorrow) in, I don't know how long, that we aren't playing catch up/paying ourselves back! We actually get to ADD to our savings, plus I made a little extra money on amazon! YAY! 

3/11 -  no spend!

3/12-14*  

3/15 - $12.99 at Goodwill for a new winter coat for DD. Xh left her backpack (with her outfit for today, coat, etc) in his car last night and it got stolen. GR!). Took money from sinking fund. It's raining and cold here, we didn't really have any options...and xh is a broke college student, so yeah.

*I'm officially started over totally recommited to no-spending. Last night I was laying in bed totally depressed over how lame-o my spending was this past weekend. Sure, I did cook the majority of our meals at home, but we still ate out twice, as well as made at least 3 "snack" food runs...plus MIL is a big thrift store junkie (as am I!) so we took her to a couple and I spend about $28 there. All in all, had I not blow the budget this weekend, I could be coloring in like, 2+ squares on our emergency fund chart (each square is $50/each), so I'm pretty disappointed with myself.

Okay...well...all I can do is pick myself up and move on..so...mooooooving on!

[three&me]

Progress:

Credit cards: $1300/2300 paid

Groceries: $281/650 ($225 milk + $50 bread =$375ish other groceries) <- this is for the next 5 weeks.

Savings: $0/300

March Goals:

No-Spend Days: 15/20

Take-Out: 0/1

Hang-Dry Laundry: 4/8

 = No-Spend Day

 = Budgeted Spending

 = Under budget!

 = Unbudgeted/Over budget

 = Hung laundry

1 

2 

3 

4 

5  Groceries. Went over what I had planned to spend by $38, but DH & I were trying something new. It still comes out of the grocery budget so no overspending, really.  because DH had a bit too much fun at Canadian Tire and charged it to the visa.

6 

7 

8  Our electric bill came in $60 less than I had planned! Set my bank to pay it later this month.

9 

10 

11  Making a few grocery stops today. Withdrawing $ from the bank so I don't spend more than I budgeted.

12 

13 

14 

15  bought DS a new carseat. We got our tax return so this is paid for, but came off the visa because I had to order online.

16 

17  bought myself a new wrap for the baby

18  withdrawing all the money we'll need for the month.

19  using gift cards to see a movie and go to dinner, & shopping for birthdays.

20  groceries

21 

22 

23 

24 

Edited by three&me - 3/23/11 at 8:25am

[justamama]

Will there be an April thread? I really need something like this to help get our spending back on track!!!