October No-Spend Challenge~ TRICKING the pocketbook and TREATING the savings!! - Page 7

[laura163]

Originally Posted by Basylica 

"

the freezer, pots, and vac are all things i've lusted after for years....years and years.

but my mom's uber frugal nature kicks in and says "why did you need a 170 dollar le crueset pot? you can buy one for 40 bucks!" or "a dyson? you can get a 40 dollar dirt devil at walmart"

What size pot did you get for $170? That seems like a really fabulous price. I really really want a dutch oven from them, although it looks like they call them french ovens.

ok, back to not spending money!

[CookiePie]

My husband bought me a Le Crueset for Christmas at TJ Maxx last year, after getting an unexpected bonus!  I love it so much!  I'm very late to this October thread but I've been working on my budget and really wanting to make progress!  Going through my records to see how I did this month.

1 budgeted egg delivery $27.75 plus mortgage

2 mandatory school fundraiser $100

3 budgeted groceries $138

4 TJ Maxx clothes $214

5 Package store for wine had company coming

6  budgeted pet food used coupon $56

7

8

9

10

11 Went to $5 movie night but didn't know that the movie the kids picked was 3D cost extra $9

12 budgeted grocery stock up trip strategically planned with coupons (4 stores in 1 day) $280

13

14

15

16

17 budgeted raw milk & oats $20

18

19

20 gas $38

21 returned most of the TJ Maxx purchase decided it wasn't needed got $165 back

22

23 bought DD's B-day gift boots $164

24 paid utility $124

25 stopped at grocery store to get a few things for DD's B-day dinner ended up spending $124. Gave DD2 money for book fair $7

26 paid off a CC $2220 only one left to go!

27

28

29

30

31

[tealsmith83]

Okay, so I ended up spending a little more than anticipated on supper with my grandmother last night because DH decided to go and we bought grandmother's supper too.  $19.00

Went to grocery store afterward and spend $95.00 - but that was a budgeted expense, so not too upset there. 

Come on weekend, 'cause I'm so through with this week! 

[Basylica]

Originally Posted by laura163 

What size pot did you get for $170? That seems like a really fabulous price. I really really want a dutch oven from them, although it looks like they call them french ovens.

ok, back to not spending money!

It was! the local LC outlet was having a big sale ontop of reduced prices. The 177 one was a 9.5Q oval in a med green (can't recall what the name was) and I got a cassis (very pretty purple) 5.5q one for 124.

I had 2 dutch ovens before, a somewhat high end set that my dad gave me when I moved to texas. He traveled constantly for work and had been living in a extended stay hotel (where they typically have small kitchens) for about two years in detroit only coming to his house on weekends. He liked to cook so he bought a small set of chicago cutlery knives, some pots, etc. He shipped them to me in texas since I didn't get the benefit of getting hand me down housewares when I moved out of my parents home :)

It is 5q, and I got a target version of a LC pan for like 30....they were a major bargin and hard to find but i'd heard about them and hunted one down.

When I make beef stew and the like my ex could seriously eat the ENTIRE 5q. pots were so full I could barely stir! I tried to use both pots to double so there would be leftovers (only leftover that improves!) but because the pots were different and I had to make seperately they never did taste the same....

Plus now that I have a freezer I can spend all day on a weekend cooking a big stew and freeze for later :)

[Basylica]

Originally Posted by CookiePie 

26 paid off a CC $2220 only one left to go!

OMG! congrats mama! It's a wonderful feeling isn't it??

[honeybee80]

10/1:  no spend 

10/2:  no spend 

10/3:  no spend 

10/4:  no spend 

10/5:  no spend 

10/6:  budgeted spending  gas $40, windshield wiper $13

10/7:  budgeted spending  groceries $41

10/8:  no spend 

10/9:  no spend 

10/10: no spend 

10/11: no spend 

10/12: no spend 

10/13: budgeted spending  groceries $37, misc. $5, DD's bday party $36, $5 beer

10/14: no spend 

10/15: budgeted spending  DD's field trip $3.25

10/16: no spend 

10/17: no spend 

10/18: budgeted spending  laundry quarters $20 (will last about 6-8 weeks)

10/19: no spend 

10/20: no spend 

10/21: budgeted spending  $35 groceries, $4 soap, $36 gas, $10 bought toys from kids to declutter

10/22: no spend 

10/23: no spend 

10/24: no spend 

10/25: no spend 

I should be able to make today no spend, as long as I don't go out tonight.  I'm going to try to save my purchases for tomorrow--I need to go grocery shopping and I need to find DD some snow pants (gonna hit up thrift stores first, but if I can't find anything, I'll probably go to Once Upon a Child).  I've still got 3/4 of a tank of gas, which will last me into next month--woohoo!  If all goes according to plan, I should have $44 left from what I budgeted for gas this month!  

[Basylica]

[sk8boarder15]

10-17 - Budgeted Spending only! 

10-18 - Small un-budget spending: DH ran to a store to return something (they replaced it free!) and on the way home he stopped at Star Bucks 

10-19 - Unbudgeted spending: 

10-20 - No SPEND!!!   

10-21 - NO SPEND!!! 

10-22- Unbudgeted spending: 

10-23- Unbudgeted spending: 

10- 24 - Budgeted Spending only! 

10-25 - Unbudgeted spending: 

Sunday, we ordered Pizza after helping my sister move. Monday we had budgeted spending of refinishing our bathtub, and eating breakfast out (to be out of the house while our ONLY bathroom was out of commission

I've been sick, need to play a little catch-up here. Being sick meant eating out twice, but we did manage to save enough other places that it didn't hurt too bad. Hoped to have some extra money to save at the end of the month (currently we get ALL our income right at the begining of the month) but we didn't. But at least we only used the CC once and only because DH's debit card was deactivated due to a fraud alert. Monday we had budgeted spending refinishing our bathtub and eating out while our only bathroom was out of comission. But DH bought 2 albums on amazon that were un budgeted. :/  The next day was good, just spend money to get the car emissions tested, and got dog food (which reminds me I need to do that again, as they were out of the big bags!)

Yesterday wasn't too bad, but I did end up getting a ver pricey sandwhich at a coffee house, and we got Dairy Queen after dinner. We are trying to cut down on the treats out, that is our week point for sure! 

[honeybee80]

10/1:  no spend 

10/2:  no spend 

10/3:  no spend 

10/4:  no spend 

10/5:  no spend 

10/6:  budgeted spending  gas $40, windshield wiper $13

10/7:  budgeted spending  groceries $41

10/8:  no spend 

10/9:  no spend 

10/10: no spend 

10/11: no spend 

10/12: no spend 

10/13: budgeted spending  groceries $37, misc. $5, DD's bday party $36, $5 beer

10/14: no spend 

10/15: budgeted spending  DD's field trip $3.25

10/16: no spend 

10/17: no spend 

10/18: budgeted spending  laundry quarters $20 (will last about 6-8 weeks)

10/19: no spend 

10/20: no spend 

10/21: budgeted spending  $35 groceries, $4 soap, $36 gas, $10 bought toys from kids to declutter

10/22: no spend 

10/23: no spend 

10/24: no spend 

10/25: no spend 

10/26: unbudgeted spending  $17.75 thrift store finds

I had to have at least one unbudgeted day, right?  I walked into this one knowing it would happen.  Thrift stores are my nemesis when it comes to not spending money!  I went to find snow pants for DD and instead came out with a new warm hat for DS, a math teacher book, and a down jacket from LL Bean for my DD.  No snow pants, though!  I struggled with the jacket purchase.  DD is on her 4th year in her current jacket and it's a little small.  This LL Bean jacket is the size she needs, would have cost at LEAST $100 new, and was priced at $13.  I had to get it ;)  My DS' jacket is getting a little small for him, too, so I feel a little bad giving this one to DD, but nothing to DS, but I guess I can tell him that when I find one for him, I'll buy it.  Oh and I really did show a LOT of self-control at the store.  I found a pair of black Primigi mary janes in my DD's size for $4 (they are $60 new).  She just got new shoes for her bday, so I held strong and didn't buy them :)

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I need to buy some paper supplies I'm providing for a Halloween party...so I won't make my 15 day no spend goal...but I'm going to come close!!! 

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

11..  

12..  

13..  $92 winter gear

14..  

15..  

16..  $51 Christmas presents

17.. 

18..  $24 Pizza for the kids

19.. 

20.. $9 MP3 downloads, $15 cake and ice cream

21.. 

22..  $5 salad at pizza place

23..  $29 MOPs registration fee

24.. 

25.. 

26.. 

27..

28..

29..

30..

31..

Goal:  15 No Spend Days this month 

Progress:  10 days so far 

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Wow!!  Those are pretty!  I love the purple one.

Originally Posted by Basylica 

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

If you are going to splurge, the thrift store is the place to do it.  $13 for an LLBean jacket is a STEAL!!!!

Originally Posted by honeybee80 

I had to have at least one unbudgeted day, right?  I walked into this one knowing it would happen.  Thrift stores are my nemesis when it comes to not spending money!  I went to find snow pants for DD and instead came out with a new warm hat for DS, a math teacher book, and a down jacket from LL Bean for my DD.  No snow pants, though!  I struggled with the jacket purchase.  DD is on her 4th year in her current jacket and it's a little small.  This LL Bean jacket is the size she needs, would have cost at LEAST $100 new, and was priced at $13.  I had to get it ;)  My DS' jacket is getting a little small for him, too, so I feel a little bad giving this one to DD, but nothing to DS, but I guess I can tell him that when I find one for him, I'll buy it.  Oh and I really did show a LOT of self-control at the store.  I found a pair of black Primigi mary janes in my DD's size for $4 (they are $60 new).  She just got new shoes for her bday, so I held strong and didn't buy them :)

[orangemomma]

My month  was going along well until Monday - 10/19 was budgeted spending on the bills, 10/20 and 10/21 were no spend

but then on the 22nd I had to start shelling out money left and right for unexpected repairs to the house - I do have a fund for that but had just started building it - so I had to use my homedepot card. Frustrated but necessary to use it for now.

Apart from the house, I had unbudgeted spending on 10/24 - $8.53 at the drug store, 10/25 no spend but again last night 10/26 unbudgeted $14 for parts of DS Halloween costume. I had been collecting parts of it at thrift stores -but it's just getting too close to Halloween and was causing me anxiety -so I bought some of it new.

Onward I go.

[sk8boarder15]

10-17 - Budgeted Spending only! 

10-18 - Small un-budget spending: DH ran to a store to return something (they replaced it free!) and on the way home he stopped at Star Bucks 

10-19 - Unbudgeted spending: 

10-20 - No SPEND!!!   

10-21 - NO SPEND!!! 

10-22- Unbudgeted spending: 

10-23- Unbudgeted spending: 

10- 24 - Budgeted Spending only! 

10-25 - Unbudgeted spending: 

10-27 - Budgeted Spending only! 

Yesterday only bought dog food, and dishwashing detergent. :)  

[sk8boarder15]

I think we are going to go back to setting aside some cash for small personal/impulse purchases. This has worked well for us in the past. We each get cash in our wallet and we actually spend less than if we try to spend nothing. The cash gives us some freedom (I can spend my money at any coffee joint I want) but because its tangible it helps us to keep from spending too much. I'm just trying to figure out how much per week we can afford to have for this purpose. It always ends up covering a few meals which brings the grocery bill down a nearly equal amount. 

Does anyone else do something like this? 

[honeybee80]

Originally Posted by sk8boarder15 

I think we are going to go back to setting aside some cash for small personal/impulse purchases. This has worked well for us in the past. We each get cash in our wallet and we actually spend less than if we try to spend nothing. The cash gives us some freedom (I can spend my money at any coffee joint I want) but because its tangible it helps us to keep from spending too much. I'm just trying to figure out how much per week we can afford to have for this purpose. It always ends up covering a few meals which brings the grocery bill down a nearly equal amount. 

Does anyone else do something like this? 

I think this is a great idea!  How much do you think you would realistically want to spend per week so you don't feel deprived?  I think that's your key, because if you don't set aside enough, it will be hard for you to not feel defeated if you spend more than that amount.  Is there an option of buying some fancier coffee to make at home so you don't feel like you need to go out and buy it all the time?  I feel your pain on that one, though, as I LOVE going out to get coffee.  Maybe you could say 2 days per week and the rest of the time, you just use what you have at home?  That would be what, $10 per week?  

[sk8boarder15]

I actually don't buy coffee out that much. But I use the coffee shop as a retreat from home. lol. I usually get a bagel and tea, and I have been shopping around for the best tea for at home thats good but not insanely expensive. I've found that the bulk tea at our local grocery store is pretty good and VERY cheep, so I use that a lot. I like to go to the coffee shop to read, there is one with a play area where my son will happily "cook" for a LONG time and the other I go to when I don't have him with me. That's the key, how much cash is enough. I'm thinking of starting with $60 and seeing how much I have left at the end of a week. I think $200 a month would be WAY more than enough (and more than I could afford), but $100 for a whole month might not be enough. So I think I'm going to pull out $60 tomorrow and use it for all the unbudgeted spending and see what happens. 

BTW, today is probably going to be a No Spend day! WOOT! We are nearly out of food, so I'm making oatmeal from the back of the cabinet right now. :P I want to put off grocery shopping till Monday, but that might not be possible as we pretty much have quinoa and apples left and thats it! Oh and pop corn. 

[honeybee80]

10/1:  no spend 

10/2:  no spend 

10/3:  no spend 

10/4:  no spend 

10/5:  no spend 

10/6:  budgeted spending  gas $40, windshield wiper $13

10/7:  budgeted spending  groceries $41

10/8:  no spend 

10/9:  no spend 

10/10: no spend 

10/11: no spend 

10/12: no spend 

10/13: budgeted spending  groceries $37, misc. $5, DD's bday party $36, $5 beer

10/14: no spend 

10/15: budgeted spending  DD's field trip $3.25

10/16: no spend 

10/17: no spend 

10/18: budgeted spending  laundry quarters $20 (will last about 6-8 weeks)

10/19: no spend 

10/20: no spend 

10/21: budgeted spending  $35 groceries, $4 soap, $36 gas, $10 bought toys from kids to declutter

10/22: no spend 

10/23: no spend 

10/24: no spend 

10/25: no spend 

10/26: unbudgeted spending  $17.75 thrift store finds

10/27: budgeted spending   $53 groceries, $175 Christmas presents for the kids

I'm counting the $175 as budgeted because I had it in my sinking fund to use for presents.  I'm pretty much done with Christmas shopping for them besides stocking stuffers, so I'm pretty stoked.  I think this is the earliest I've been done with shopping.  I'm pretty excited about what I got them, too.  Padraig slippers for both, a wooden checkerboard, Harry Potter 7 movies, Doodle journal for DD, Cartoon drawing book for DS, and a set of gel pens to split between the 2 of them.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I decided not to count paper supplies for a party as extraneous spending...because I really couldn't NOT buy supplies for the party when the hostess asked me too...

So the only thing I bought yesterday was party supplies (per neighbor request) and a cake shaped like a spider with Twizzlers for legs (which I counted as...groceries).  I don't count food against my no-spend tally...so using that lopsided reasoning: I have another no-spend day. 

Today we are hunkered down getting ready for the hurricane. 

I'm actually NOT buying food for the next few days because I've been caught in that trap before...fridge full of food and the electricity goes out and then your food spoils.  So we're just taking our chances.  Vermont is so far north we're not getting the dire predictions they are getting further south.

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

11..  

12..  

13..  $92 winter gear

14..  

15..  

16..  $51 Christmas presents

17.. 

18..  $24 Pizza for the kids

19.. 

20.. $9 MP3 downloads, $15 cake and ice cream

21.. 

22..  $5 salad at pizza place

23..  $29 MOPs registration fee

24.. 

25.. 

26.. 

27.. 

28.. 

29..

30..

31..

Goal:  15 No Spend Days this month 

Progress:  12 days so far 

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

If your family celebrates Christmas...how are you doing getting ready? 

Are you the type who buys everything way in advance, or do you wait for the last minute?

Do you have a Christmas budget?  Do you know about how much you are going to spend on presents or do you buy until you feel like you have enough?

How did your parents handle Christmas?  Are you doing things differently than they did?  Why or why not?

~ inquiring minds want to know.  :)