October No-Spend Challenge: Stop That Extra Spending from "Goblin" Up Your Savings - Page 5

[lucifugous]

Hello hello! I haven't done one of these in many moons!! Things are extra tight at the moment and I joined an old friend in a ten day challenge that started last week so that's why I am here late. I'm a single mom just barely paying rent and bills, especially daycare, it costs almost as much as my rent for just three days a week!!

Since I started, I've spent 67 bucks! I was good the first couple days, and then what a weekend! :/

[Paigekitten]

Originally Posted by Paigekitten 

 Spent nothing

 Budgeted spending

 , Unbudgeted spending

Oct. 13th I can't remember....... : (

Oct 14th ?

Oct 15 

Oct 16 

Oct 17  Chicken feed and milk

Oct 18th

19   halloween costume and some dolls for the girls

20  Paid bills

21 

22 

23 

24  groceries and dog food

[AnkaJones]

The grow light cost a little over $10 at Walmart.  Here's the link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-24-Fluorescent-Grow-Light-Fixture/16879945.  I just hung it up in the back of a shelf that is open to a window and plan on turning it on when we're in bed (the color and intensity of the light are a little trying on the eyes).  That way the plants will get sunlight when it actually manages to hit the window (Northern exposure  ).  Anyway, they're already starting to perk up a bit (or maybe it's just my wishful thinking).  Of course, this means I need to get more plants... right now I just grow basil and thyme because we use it so much in our cooking.  Maybe some rosemary and tomatoes?  We'll see what we can get from friends.

Anka

[mylilmonkeys]

Thanks!  I've been wanting to grow herbs, too, but really can't grow anything.  Our south facing windows have enormous trees right outside.

[mylilmonkeys]

: budgeted/no spend

: Impulse spending

: unexpected legitimate spending

: energy consumption

10/24: 

10/25:  Thought about y'all a lot today!  I had to drive my daughter an hour away to do standardized testing all day.  I wandered around Burlington Coat Factory and Target.  I wanted to buy my twins new snow suits.  I wanted to buy towels for my nieces and nephews' Christmas presents.  But I haven't budgeted for those things yet.  And so, I scrounged some change out of the ashtray and bought my daughter a bag of chips from the vending machine because she was a really good little girl with nothing to do all day.  Technically not no spend, but it wasn't out of our budget, either.

And my new machine arrived today!  I think I'll have to spend tomorrow straightening up my bedroom/sewing area so I can find a place to put it. 

[AnkaJones]

10/25: No spend

10/26: No spend.  Indoor herb garden looking much better now that we have light!

10/27 Budgeted DH going out with work friends.

Edited by AnkaJones - 10/27/11 at 6:07pm

[diana_of_the_dunes]

I love how I griped about nobody being here, and then I fell off the face of the earth.    But DS was sick, then I got it, so it's been a rough few days at our house.  But on a spending front, that really helped, since we weren't able to go out.  Slight silver lining, I suppose...

= no-spend day

= budgeted spending

= not in budget, but necessary

= frivolous spending

18 - took lunch to work, lots of leftovers so no need to cook

19 - took lunch to work, set out pasta for DH to make for dinner

20 - didn't take lunch to work, but got free food from a co-worker, made crockpot dinner for DH

21 - took lunch to work, and it's payday!!! 

22 - going to farmer's market to buy produce ($35 including vacuum bags), planned next week's meals, $4 at Taco Bell (ran out of time to eat), took lunch

23 - breakfast out. Taking lunch to work, lots of leftovers for DH and DS.

24 -  grocery shopping.  Paid cash.  I also bought a $3 rooster and $30 bag of chicken feed.  The feed was in the budget, but not the rooster. Leftovers!

25 -  made lasagna and pot of chicken noodle soup

26 -   Mom came over for dinner, and we all polished off the leftovers.

27 -   DH went to the store for odds and ends, $30 cash out of groceries

28 -   DH and DS went to lunch with MIL, I pitched in $3 for a co-worker to bring in stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes for lunch.  Mmm!  Out of food at home... Need to cook!

29 -

30 -

31 -

[AnkaJones]

MLM, hows the machine?

[diana_of_the_dunes]

= no-spend day

= budgeted spending

= not in budget, but necessary

= frivolous spending

18 - took lunch to work, lots of leftovers so no need to cook

19 - took lunch to work, set out pasta for DH to make for dinner

20 - didn't take lunch to work, but got free food from a co-worker, made crockpot dinner for DH

21 - took lunch to work, and it's payday!!! 

22 - going to farmer's market to buy produce ($35 including vacuum bags), planned next week's meals, $4 at Taco Bell (ran out of time to eat), took lunch

23 - breakfast out. Taking lunch to work, lots of leftovers for DH and DS.

24 -  grocery shopping.  Paid cash.  I also bought a $3 rooster and $30 bag of chicken feed.  The feed was in the budget, but not the rooster. Leftovers!

25 -  made lasagna and pot of chicken noodle soup

26 -   Mom came over for dinner, and we all polished off the leftovers.

27 -   DH went to the store for odds and ends, $30 cash out of groceries

28 -   DH and DS went to lunch with MIL, I pitched in $3 for a co-worker to bring in stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes for lunch.  Mmm!  Out of food at home... Need to cook!

29 -

30 -

31 -

[AnkaJones]

10/28: no spend

10/29: DH had to get a part for work... will eventually be reimbursed, but right now it's a bit of a cashflow problem.  On a happier note, my insurance company appeal for my maternity care went through and we'll be getting a big chunk of change back!!!

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Anka - That's cool that your appeal went in your favor.  We've called our (former) insurance company about some huge over-charges (billed $1600 for a $125 brace), and they were like, "Ummm, yeah.  So?"  I'm so glad you had better luck.

= no-spend day

= budgeted spending

= not in budget, but necessary

= frivolous spending

18 - took lunch to work, lots of leftovers so no need to cook

19 - took lunch to work, set out pasta for DH to make for dinner

20 - didn't take lunch to work, but got free food from a co-worker, made crockpot dinner for DH

21 - took lunch to work, and it's payday!!! 

22 - going to farmer's market to buy produce ($35 including vacuum bags), planned next week's meals, $4 at Taco Bell (ran out of time to eat), took lunch

23 - breakfast out. Taking lunch to work, lots of leftovers for DH and DS.

24 -  grocery shopping.  Paid cash.  I also bought a $3 rooster and $30 bag of chicken feed.  The feed was in the budget, but not the rooster. Leftovers!

25 -  made lasagna and pot of chicken noodle soup

26 -   Mom came over for dinner, and we all polished off the leftovers.

27 -   DH went to the store for odds and ends, $30 cash out of groceries

28 -   DH and DS went to lunch with MIL, I pitched in $3 for a co-worker to bring in stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes for lunch.  Mmm!  Out of food at home... Need to cook!

29 -

30 - Made a big pot of chicken and wild rice soup

31 -

[AnkaJones]

Ugh, that sucks!  Talking to the insurance company was pretty kafka-esque.  I basically stumbled on the right technical phrase while in the most circular discussion of my life with the customer service representative ("So, it should be covered at this amount."  "I can't pull up your benefit schedule for some reason." "Oh, so I'm looking at it and it's covered at this amount." "Well, it seems like they thought you should be charged X." "Yes, but why?" "Well, I'm not sure."  except it went on for about a half hour.)  Finally I said, "Well, I'd like to appeal this."  Suddenly he totally switched course, got a bit curt, but things started happening.  And it turns out in my state there's also an external state reviewer, so if their appeal settlement didn't make sense I could have re-appealed and asked for an external reviewer.   It's really amazing what the insurance people are allowed to get away with.  I mean, in what other industry is their telling you ahead of time that something is covered non-binding?  And the thing is, they really had no idea (even after I won the appeal) where the number they originally came up with came from.  I wonder how many people they did that to didn't stumble on the magic phrase and wound up paying out the nose?

Anka

[Wolfcat]

Well, poo!

I was looking forward to DH getting some overtime this month, cuz we could use the extra. Now I'm getting garnished almost $400/mo for a medical bill cuz the jerks wouldn't take a check for a partial payment...

[AnkaJones]

Wolfcat, that's horrible!  That sort of bullying by the healthcare industry makes me so mad (I'm a healthcare professional... it's personal, you know?).

To round out the month:

10/29 Budgeted groceries.  Now that our pantry is stocked, we're doing a lot better saving money even when we aren't trying to "cook frugal".

10/30 No spend.

10/31 No spend.  Picked up OT night shift.

Overall, I'm really proud of our family's first budgeted month!  We fell of the horse a few times, but I think in large part to you ladies we got back on and kept going.  Thanks everyone for this thread,.  It was really important to me.

Hugs,

Anka

[mylilmonkeys]

Originally Posted by AnkaJones 

MLM, hows the machine?

Took forever to find time to use it.  My kids had two days off school last week, and with Halloween, so much busyness!  But I think it is smarter than I am.  I'm really loving it!  

[mylilmonkeys]

10/28 Payday.  Fell off the horse a little bit at the end here.  We took the kids out to dinner on Friday before ds's football game.  His team made the second round of the playoffs and the game was 1.5hr away.  DH has been the official team videographer, so he had to be there, and I wasn't comfortable leaving the kids home with 12 yo dd babysitting and us so far away.  Also, the tickets to the game cost twice as much as a season game, which I didn't know.  $60

10/29 Needed a few sewing notions. $8

10/30 DH spent all day working on school projects (he's in Media Technology), photographing, videotaping, the kids for various assignments.  It was too late to cook by the time he was done, so I bought the kids McDs and Dh and I ate later.  $20

UGH, I hate weekends like that.  Rough on the pocket book.  But the kids had a great time, and followed up with Halloween.  My 12 yo dd and two of her friends took the kids around and I stayed in with the babies.