January No Spend Challenge~ Ringing in the New Year with $$ in our Pockets!!! - Page 8

[FillingMyQuiver]

Oooo.... I like how some are listing out the frugal things they did that day.  I'm going to think on that overnight and maybe start adding that to my list, too.  I find it inspiring to read other people's frugal accomplishments.

[sk8boarder15]

January Spending. 

NO SPEND - 

Budgeted Spending - 

Unquieted Spending - 

Dec 29 - 

Dec 30- 

Dec 31 - 

Jan 1-    

Jan 2 - 

Jan 3 - 

Jan 4- 

Jan 5 - 

Jan 6 - 

Had a rough couple days. Hanging out, then not feeling well = eating out a few times. Tried to be frugal and go on a hike ended in buying a book and a set of maps for Forest Park costing $40. Took it out of our non-existant entertainment fund. :/ Then today I was lazy and got a coffee and a bagel, but that was BEFORE I went to my seed starting class. Where they gave us FREE SEEDS! So at least I did something frugal as well as spending. Its gonna be a tight month... 

[JunebugsMom]

free seeds, yay!  I am really excited about my veg garden this year.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver 

Oooo.... I like how some are listing out the frugal things they did that day.  I'm going to think on that overnight and maybe start adding that to my list, too.  I find it inspiring to read other people's frugal accomplishments.

Me too!!!!

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I went out with some friends last night and technically I spent $4.  But I'm giving myself a no-spend anyway....because $4?!?!  That is ~CRAZY~ talk in my world.  Everyone around me was ordering (my favorite) lemon-drop martinis and buffalo wings and yummy good stuff...and I sat there sipping my light beer.

I originally said I couldn't go because it was not in the budget, but then I started feeling deprived...and that is a derailer for me...so I went anyway and just spent very little money.  It wasn't too bad. 

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

My Goal = 15  No-Spend days

My progress = 4 No-spend day so far

01..  $258 lessons for the kids

02.. 

03.. 

04.. 

05..  $40.09  Date Night

06.. 

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[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

My frugal accomplishment for the day = drank beer on tap instead of a martini.  I'm starting small with my "accomplishments"  

[birdie.lee]

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Edited by birdie.lee - 5/13/13 at 11:56am

[Ruthiegirl]

Checking in early today...I won't be near the computer again.  We have a well-baby check up this morning for $15 co-pay.   

  No spend

  Budgeted spend

   Unbudgeted Spend

  Do something frugal at home

January 1 --     lowered temperature on hot water heater

January 2 --    $10.50 food at airport    soaked beans for dh and kids

January 3 -- 

January 4 -- 

January 5 --   

January 6 --   $3 tea at airport

January 7 --   well baby check up    soaking more beans for meals, lowered heat 2 degrees

January 8

January 9

My goals:

Save 50% of Jan 4th paycheck -- done!

Save 20% of Jan 18th paycheck

Do something frugal every day

Make every dollar matter

 

[micah_mae_]

Key:

No Spend/Paying Bills 

Budgeted Spend 

Unbudgeted Spend 

Did Something Frugal at Home 

**8/25 No Spend/Budgeted Spend Days**

**$180/$180 Grocery/Med Budget**

December 28:  Paid rent, electric, water, adt, credit card and van payment for $1,232. But our van payment is now current so we're current on all bills! 

December 29:  We'll be spending the day with the inlaws. 

December 30:  Budgeted spend on pizza, we got home from out of town at dinner time and I needed to buy groceries! We also got some snacks for the road but my dad had given us "coke money" for the trip (I had gone to the store for him and he told me to keep the change).

December 31:  Ah groceries. I spent $150 almost even on food, herbs, meds and wipies. My DH will be going to the other store here in a bit to get our milk and produce. My unbudgeted spend was a pair of sweat pants on sale for the little one who didn't have any (and it's cold enough he needs warm pants around the house). They were $4. I also got 3 packs of toss and go sippy cups for $6.

January 1:  Well I was going to send DH to the post office but it's closed, so no spend!

January 2:  Found out that when my dentist talked me into a "deep clean" it turned me into a periodontal patient and my insurance doesn't cover all periodontal cleanings so I have to go every 3 months to be tortured and can't stop being a periodontal patient until I "get better". Sigh. $30 copay for that today. $9 for stamps. $22 for paper kitchen items (plates/bowls/etc) and tissues because I'm trying to get over the flu and can't keep up with the house. Sigh.

January 3:   I'm still getting over the flu and now DH has gastroenteritis (Lord help us) so another day inside until we have speech therapy at 1:30. We only have $50 left and I'm not touching it! Next pay period will be more challenging because I'll have more $$ available which makes it harder not to spend it! For my frugal thing done at home I made a quadruple batch of steel cut oats for breakfast and divided it into qt sized jars for quick breakfasts later this week. :)

January 4:  Alright..*shame* I'll put the worst things first: Movie for the boys $10, donuts for breakfast $7 and workbooks from targets dollar section because we haven't been able to afford our home school curriculum yet $4. I also got floss (the string kind since the stick kind I've been using apparently don't work well) $3 and instant potatoes $4. Now to go hide in shame.

January 5:  My oldest is autistic and tends to obsess over things. Lately it's been Christmas lights. Tonight is the last night that we have a local light display, it's 5.5 miles of lights. We have been at least 5 times since Thanksgiving. So I took the boys tonight and I don't feel bad. :) $10 So usually we eat oatmeal 3-4 times a week and sweeten it with maple syrup. Well real maple syrup is expensive, so today I cooked 3/4 c frozen berries with 1/4 c water and 2 T maple syrup. Blended it all together and voila, healthier "pink" oatmeal even yummier and cheaper. 

January 6:  Staying home today..marriage drama, 30 weeks pregnant, a 2 yo and a 4 yo..I'm worn out. :(

January 7:  Today is my birthday and I'm feeling kind of down so I've decided that I want to go to starbucks later and get a tall drink and wander Target by myself for some peace. :) And my mom just told me she wants to send me an "e-gift card" so I don't have to buy it myself so yay! A no spend day! The e-giftcard thing is cool, you can email someone a giftcard and they just print it off and use it like a regular gift card!

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Edited by micah_mae_ - 1/7/13 at 9:55am

[melissel]

Originally Posted by micah_mae_ 

January 7: Today is my birthday and I'm feeling kind of down so I've decided that I want to go to starbucks later and get a tall drink and wander Target by myself for some peace. :) I won't buy anything else so it'll be $3-4 only. 

 Happy birthday, mama. Enjoy your peace break.

[melissel]

Originally Posted by birdie.lee 

Sunday January 6th:  $60 at the grocery store.

I should really be giving myself a thumbs up for yesterday.  That is half of what I normally spend!  It felt really good to not impulse buy.  I did not go into the bakery or by the ice cream.

IMO, grocery spending, particularly frugal grocery spending, shouldn't count against you unless it sends you way over budget for the month. We need to eat, and having the food we need on hand prevents us from throwing up our hands and calling for pizza! Only you can decide, but that doesn't sound like an unbudgeted-spending day to me. 

[micah_mae_]

Originally Posted by melissel 

 Happy birthday, mama. Enjoy your peace break.

Thanks :) 

[micah_mae_]

Actually when my mom asked if I was doing anything today I told her my plan and she's going to send me an "e-gift card" so it's still a no spend day! 

[birdie.lee]

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Edited by birdie.lee - 5/13/13 at 11:56am

[micah_mae_]

Originally Posted by birdie.lee 

Thank you.  This makes total sense to me.  I am thinking I need to not beat myself up about spending money that needs to be spent.  Bills have to be payed and everybody needs food!

I dont count food or bills unless they go out of the budget. Some stuff must be paid!

[Surfacing]

Subbing for inspiration!
 

[kathirynne]

Originally Posted by ariahsmum 
We grow a large garden in summer (short VT season)...In winter we purchase broccoli and local salad greens as well as basic veggies like carrots, cuke, celery, peppers, beets and potatoes when they run out. 

Living in Montana, I know what you mean about having a short gardening season!  Did you realize that you can grow lettuce and other salad greens in a "coldframe" all through the winter?  We ate salad fresh from the veggie patch on Christmas day.  (The coldframe doesn't have to be anything fancy.  Mine is made from cinderblocks filled with garden dirt, topped with an old window.  It works like a charm.)

Cucumbers, celery and peppers are really expensive in the winter.  Can you buy extra in the summer (when they are at rock bottom prices) and freeze or dehydrate them for winter use?

[Maybe I should start a "Frugal Meal Planning 101 - 2013 Version" thread?]

[SweetSilver]

/ = Excellent

 /  = Not so good

 / = Very, very bad

12.31    Errand day.  Groceries/ eat out= $55/ $18/ $28    Forgot to record library fines--  22 DOLLARS!

1.1    No spend.  Staying home.  Nothing's open.  But I'm taking it anyway.

1.2   Happy Veggie for now, because we kept snack and treat purchases to a minimum.  Azure Standard order.  Co-op stop.  

1.3    Stop at Burgerville for dd2--she ate 5 fries, I ate a burger and fries.  Oh well.  DH took dd1 out for a taco.  $20

1.4    Just groceries, but not sure how I'm doing so far.  

1.5   No spend.  Stayed home.

1.6    Took away my reward for a no-spend because 1/2 of a stewed chicken was wasted, entirely avoidable.  

*****************************************************************

1.7  Hopefully the start to a better week.  $23 basic groceries, $10.50 treats.  Added $7 to the FUNfund with the girls' leftover treat budget for the week.  Making bread; made my pot of smoky-bacon-y soupy beans.

Basic groceries= $312

Snacks and treats and eating out= $71.00

Groceries for homemade treats and celebrations= $18

=$401.00/ $920 for 5 weeks ending Sunday, 2.3

[sk8boarder15]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

My frugal accomplishment for the day = drank beer on tap instead of a martini.  I'm starting small with my "accomplishments"  

Gotta Start somewhere! I started by buying a big case of beer (Bridgeport IPA) at Costco instead of random 6 packs. 24 beers for the month at just over $1 each. 

[sk8boarder15]

January Spending. 

NO SPEND - 

Budgeted Spending - 

Unquieted Spending - 

Dec 29 - 

Dec 30- 

Dec 31 - 

Jan 1-    

Jan 2 - 

Jan 3 - 

Jan 4- 

Jan 5 - 

Jan 6 - 

Jan 7- 

Jumping the gun a little (its only 3pm here). But I really don't see us leaving the house again today. Spent more than I planed at the grocery store, but stocked up on several items and got about 9 dinners worth of food. So next time I go should only be for fresh stuff. :) Will see how far nearly $300 get us. Its the most I've spent on a non costco run in... A LONG time. But if we are prepared we will eat out a lot less. I have a meal plan for dinners and breakfasts, and lunch meats/hot dogs/leftovers for lunch.