NoSpend January -- Ringing in the New Year with money in the bank - Page 6

[nwmomof2]

1/1  no spend

1/2   no spend

1/3  budgeted spending - gas, groceries, cleaners, etc.

1/4  budgeted spending - b'day gift for my mom, some misc. household supplies like batteries and stamps, tailors, DD 1 piano tuition, ski gloves for DH, pizza lunch out with DD2, spent more $ than I planned on. Trying for a no spend tomorrow.

1/5   no spend, hurrah!

1/6  budgeted spending - $10 postage for mailing return package; $37 Staples- printer ink ($!!), some household/homework and tutoring supplies;  $25 vitamin/supplements, I got my brows/lip waxed which was desperately needed $17. Planning for a NS tomorrow.

1/7

[Ruthiegirl]

Thanks everyone!!!!   Loving life with our new little one.  So, so happy. 

Our quiet life is paying off.  I transferred cash to our savings plan and was able to put in a little extra.  Now we just need to live a quiet, frugal month and our plan should work out for us.  

Still looking for places to cut costs further.  I downgraded our Netflix account -- we still have streaming, but were not using the dvds, so might as well not pay for it.  And it has been incredibly warm this week, so our heating bill should be much smaller than I had budgeted.  That will be a nice bit of cash next month.  The warm weather has meant that the garden is still producing.  I might send the kids out tomorrow to harvest spinach, kale and swiss chard.  Will be some nice veggies for the next few days.  

Skipped the grocery shopping -- we have enough in the fridge and freezer to get by for another couple of days.  Might need some milk, but that is an easy stop at the local shop.  

So, keeping to the plan....

Jan 1 -- 

Jan 2 -- 

Jan 3 -- 40.00 cash for hospital stay/food, 15.22 flowers, 13.12 cell phone minutes

Jan 4 -- 

Jan 5 -- 

Jan 6 -- 

Jan 7

January savings goal is at 116% 

[_ktg_]

CONGRATULATIONS RUTH!!!!  

Jan 1 - 

Jan 2 - Groceries/household goodies (326/500) 

Jan 3 -  (and it was my first day back to work after vacation!!)

Jan 4 - 

Jan 5 -  (Spent $10/$40 on some kombacha - but I get to reuse the bottles for my own brews this month)

Jan 6 -

[MonkeyPrincess]

1/6: $42 gas, $25 dinner - within budget

[petey44]

Originally Posted by petey44 

KEY

unnecessary spending

necessary spending

no spending

1/1: I sent DH to the store to pick up a pepper I needed for a recipe...I had bought it within the grocery budget the day before, but then DH used it without asking while fixing himself a snack...and then while he was at the store he picked up something else he wanted to make (completely disregarding the houseful of food we have, sigh). Only about $3-4, but still...

1/2: We didn't plan properly for our trip to the nature center, and DD was HUNGRY. Again, only spent $1, but see how's it's already adding up?

1/3:

1/4: Gas and almond milk. Budgeted for, so it's okay.

1/5: Dog food and kitty litter.

1/6:  Beer run- we needed it, and I'll take it out of the grocery budget for the next 2 weeks (which should be how long it lasts)

1/7:

1/8:

1/9:

1/10:

1/11:

1/12:

[AnkaJones]

1/1: No spend

1/2: No spend.  Working OT tonight.

1/3:  Shoot!  Forgot to return my library book yesterday, and now have a fine.  Worse yet, it's an interlibrary loan book... $2/day.

1/4:  No spend.  And turns out there's a grace period on the interlibrary loan book, so no fine. 

1/5: No spend.  Grocery day is tomorrow, so I'm steeling myself for the stores.

1/6:  Budgeted grocery spending (47$)... less than expected.

1/7: 9$ at farmers market (budgeted pocket money) on apple cider and apple butter.

I forgot my shopping list and was really worried I would either forget a bunch of stuff, then have to go to the market again opening myself to more temptation, or get a bunch of stuff I really didn't need.  Miraculously, I only forgot one thing, and I think we can make due without it until next week.

Anka

Edited by AnkaJones - 1/7/12 at 3:24pm

[lavatea]

1and 2- We were out of town so I spent for food and some small things at Target and DH was separate from us so I'm sure he spent, too.
3- DH bought lunch out. I told him last night to consider us dirt poor for the next two months. Not sure how long he'll remember that, but he got up and made his lunch this morning.
4- DH went and bought cat food and also decided to get other stuff. We had the food budget left to cover it so that's ok.
5-
6- We did our weekly (budgeted for) grocery shopping. I actually slashed the budget by $63 to begin with (trying to make this budget work somehow while I'm not getting paid so we're eating way cheap this week - think eggs, meatless spaghetti, and the like) and then came in $6.50 under. So that will go back to the bank to help with next week's bills. Oh, and when I paid this week's allotted bills I was still able to put $46 into our sinking funds. It's nowhere near the monthly savings goal, but I guess every little bit counts.

[FillingMyQuiver]

Key

No Spend/ Budgeted spending

Unplanned/ unbudgeted spending

30min spent decluttering

1.  We're at my ILs until tomorrow, DH and I ran to Target for MIL for popcorn, I picked up stockings and eye makeup for DH's formal office party on Saturday, all of it was put on a GC I got for Christmas, so no $$ out of pocket.  I REEEALLY wanted to buy some other stuff that we REEEEALLY didn't need, but I resisted

2.  Trip home today.  We budgeted a set amount for this trip to the ILs, and for one of the first times, we actually stayed completely in budget!!  I'm hoping that this will set the precedent for the rest of the year, that we can set a budget and stay within it.  No extra spending, no impulse shopping, complete CONTROL!!  Tomorrow I begin decluttering for the 2012 in 2012 Decluttering Challenge.

3.    DH stopped for a haircut on the way home from work b/c I haven't had a free moment to cut his hair.  There's room in the budget for it, but it wasn't really budgeted for.

4.    Had a play date with friends today so no money spent.

5.    DH picked up part of DD2's b-day present, cupcakes, and her choice of dinner for tonight (elbow pasta w/ sauce.  Oh the joys of being 3!!)  Also purchased a used copy of DH's textbook for his class.  All spending today was budgeted.  We reviewed the budget and found we came in under budget on quite a few line items and were able to put some extra towards paying off our truck   Really hoping the momentum we feel this month will carry through the rest of the year

6.   

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

We hosted a neighborhood party last night and margaritas were what we were serving.  I tried to slip that tequila in under the grocery budget...but really, it's a luxury.  They were good though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

01.. 

02..    $14 Pizza Hut

03.. 

04.. 

05..    $50 Tequila (the big bottle)

06.. 

07..

08..

09..

10..

11..

12..

13..

14..

15..

[mrsmischief]

Originally Posted by mrsmischief 

My Month So Far~

1/1- $0

1/2- $0

1/3- $0

1/4-$7.49 for garbage bags. I knew I was forgetting something at the grocery store last week!

1/5- $0

1/6- $2 for bananas

1/7- $0

Total: 9.49

[nwmomof2]

My goal for month: to have more no-spend days than days of budgeted spending.

1/1  no spend

1/2   no spend

1/3  budgeted spending - gas, groceries, cleaners, etc.

1/4  budgeted spending - b'day gift for my mom, some misc. household supplies like batteries and stamps, tailors, DD 1 piano tuition, ski gloves for DH, pizza lunch out with DD2, spent more $ than I planned on. Trying for a no spend tomorrow.

1/5   no spend, hurrah!

1/6  budgeted spending - $10 postage for mailing return package; $37 Staples- printer ink ($!!), some household/homework and tutoring supplies;  $25 vitamin/supplements, I got my brows/lip waxed which was desperately needed $17. Oh, and $30 co-pay for DD1's doctor appt.

1/7    No spend - ski day, which seems like an oxymoron. We have season passes, purchased last June and budgeted for. Brought all our own food/thermos of hot cocoa with us. In now for the rest of the day, will make soup and be cozy at home.

1/8

1/9

1/10

1/11

1/12

1/13

1/14

1/15

[esg]

01/06 - $10 gas

01/07 - $0 and I went out to several stores today with my sister!

[petey44]

KEY

unnecessary spending

necessary spending

no spending

1/1: I sent DH to the store to pick up a pepper I needed for a recipe...I had bought it within the grocery budget the day before, but then DH used it without asking while fixing himself a snack...and then while he was at the store he picked up something else he wanted to make (completely disregarding the houseful of food we have, sigh). Only about $3-4, but still...

1/2: We didn't plan properly for our trip to the nature center, and DD was HUNGRY. Again, only spent $1, but see how's it's already adding up?

1/3:

1/4: Gas and almond milk. Budgeted for, so it's okay.

1/5: Dog food and kitty litter.

1/6: Beer run- we needed it, and I'll take it out of the grocery budget for the next 2 weeks (which should be how long it lasts)

1/7:  Grocery shopping, printer ink

1/8:

1/9:

1/10:

1/11:

1/12:

[ParisAnne]

Originally Posted by ParisAnne 

1/3   No unecessary spending. Only spent $17 at the pet store getting cat food. Really need to get them flea meds, but it's so expensive.  Paid the mortgage and have to pay a few other bills this week, which will probably eat up most of this paycheck.

1/4 No spending at all, stayed home sick

1/5 Some how managed to spend $125 a Traders Joes. Gotta be the most I've ever spent there.  Probably spent $25 more than I needed, but otherwise most of what I got was on my list. Don't currently have the budget worked out (revised) so can't yet say if I am staying with in the budget. Just trying to not buy any unecessary things at the moment.

1/6 Didn't leave the house except for working from 2-5 am, so no spending aside from .99 cents for an app for my new Nook.  I think I've spent at $7 this month on a few apps/books. 

1/7 $5 to rent shoes for rock climbing. We have a two week free membership because I took a climbing class. We dropped the almost $200 a month family membership to the gym and will be switching to a rock climbing gym in a few weeks. 

[Ruthiegirl]

Family trip yesterday to a wonderful friend's birthday.  I wasn't planning on going, but was feeling really good and it was a terrific event.  So good to see friends and share our new baby.  I overspent on the gift which I tend to do for friends.  

Was super tired after the party and desperately wanted to stop for pizza, but toughened up and came home to make a quick fried rice with veggies for dinner.  So much better for me and super cheap.  

Jan 1 -- 

Jan 2 -- 

Jan 3 -- 40.00 cash for hospital stay/food, 15.22 flowers, 13.12 cell phone minutes

Jan 4 -- 

Jan 5 -- 

Jan 6 -- 

Jan 7 -- 28.61 birthday gift

Jan 8 -- 

Jan 9 -- 

Jan 10 -- 

January savings goal is at 116% 

[meandk0610]

tracking legend:

home cooked

personal development/healing

pantry/freezer used

no unnecessary spending

online training

declutter (stole the icon even!)

library late fee or eating out

unnecessary spending (hope not to see this one!)

1/1

1/2 i did not get around to online training and i spent more than i meant to at the grocery store. on top of that, the 2 reduced packages of beef bones that i bought yesterday rang through at their original price and i didn't notice until we got home. only about $0.70 difference but i should've been paying more attention.

1/3 no online training again!

1/4 regular job today; no time for online training.

1/5 regular job today; no time for online training. i plan to listen to Underearners Anonymous and Clutterers Anonymous calls today. i will edit out my "healing" icon if i miss both.

1/6   no online training again!

1/7   got dd to go through her stuffed animals and pick out some to go. no online training again!

1/8   tossing some expired tea to the worm bins. finally doing some online training! i may go to Best Buy today to check out a new CD player for my car. my old one broke with library CDs inside and i listen to books-on-CD while driving (i drive deliveries for both of my jobs). i'm going to ask them if they do repairs and if they sell CD players alone to try to keep the cost as low as possible. i will edit my icons if i end up buying anything.

[_ktg_]

Jan 1 - 

Jan 2 - Groceries/household goodies (326/500) 

Jan 3 -  (and it was my first day back to work after vacation!!)

Jan 4 - 

Jan 5 -  (Spent $10/$40 on some kombacha - but I get to reuse the bottles for my own brews this month)

Jan 6 -

Jan 7 -  for DS & a friend birthday party (we split it with another family to keep the costs down since they are so close together)

[jaidymama]

1:  0

2: stocked up on clearance clothing.

3:0

4: $20 for job test.

5 0

6: $7 picked up dinner for myself.

7: 0

8: $$$ bought some organizing items. missed the sale by one day (grrr. poor planning)

9:

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

01.. 

02..  $14 Pizza Hut

03.. 

04.. 

05..   $50 Tequila (the big bottle)

06.. 

07..  $25 dinner out with friends

08.. 

09..

10..

11..

12..

13..

14..

15..

[mrsmischief]

Originally Posted by mrsmischief 

Week 2-

01/08- $13.50 for planned for lunch out

01/09- $0

01/10- $36.78 for gasoline, budgeted) 

01/11- $0 spent + earned $50 at used bookstore

01/12- $0 spent + earned 33.96 on Amazon Trade-Ins

01/13- $305.70 for groceries (budgeted)

01/14-

Total:

Spent~ 365.47

Earned~ 83.96

Savings Goal~ 100% met

Edited by mrsmischief - 1/13/12 at 8:52am