No Spend July!!!

[kathirynne]

June is nearly finished. How did everyone do?

With "Back-to-School" looming just over the horizon, I need to pinch my pennies till they squeal in order to be able to outfit 4 kids for their return to academia. Anyone care to join me in my quest??

Okay, here are the groundrules as I see them. (These are the same groundrules as we had for the June challenge.):

1. During a "No-Spend" challenge, we pay recurring monthly bills (rent/mortgage, power, water, phone, child care, credit card bills, et cetera.)

2. We also pay transportation costs (petrol, bus pass, train ticket, et cetera), and buy groceries (although if you can feed your family with what you already have on hand, more's the better). Emergency expenditures (car repair, medical bill, et cetera) are also paid.

3. What we don't do is buy anything that 1) we don't really need, 2) we can borrow, barter, or find for free, 3) comes from a fast food shop or a take away.

Basically, the idea is that we use what we have on hand, and get creative in using our resources. (Checking out a book from the library, for instance, rather than buying the book.)

We can also post our "frugal activities" to keep everyone inspired.

[Penelope]

Since I failed *so* miserably in June, I'll try again for July. But maybe I'll allow myself a small weekly allowance... I got very anxious before. But with, say, $5 a week to spend on non-necessities I think I'd do better.

Can I do that and try for No Spend in Training?

[mama kate]

OK - I'm in on this month! I need to get E some trainers ordered today though - She is PL'ing ALREADY!!! I'm not ready but my potty obsessed girl is!

We do have E's birthday late this month but most of her gifts are bought & we are trying to be frugal w/ the party already.

[mom2olivia]

I'm in I'm in I'm in I know my downfall is going to be take out foods, as we do that weekly at work.

I have allowed myself the "luxury" of spending dd's daycare money (I'll be on vacation next week and won't need to pay DCP) for my allowance and I'm hoping I can make it go the month.

Oh this is going to be a tough one. I've already purchased a bunch more dipes I don't need this month so hopefully I can resist buying those in July!

Good luck everyone!

[rosie_plus_one]

Ok ladies I want in! I'm not sure if this is the best month to do it though as we have two weddings in two weeks, and one involves flying out of state! But hey, I might as well give it a shot.

What about DP's spending? I can't seem to stop that guy! A cup of coffee here, a bag of nuts there.. a six pack on Friday!

[Eman'smom]

I'm in We are trying to get new windows before winter.

[njsummer01]

Ok, we're in too! I've been lurking on these challenge threads, trying to get my will focused on joining you - hopefully July will be our month for No Spending!

I just stocked up on groceries today, so that should get us through quite a while. My budget downfall lately has been having people over so often (which we love, but it really takes a bite out of our food budget).

[Siennaflower]

I need in on this too!

[member]

I am in!

DH and I are actually on a weekend vacation of sorts and I am determined to keep our expenses within the allotted budget... which I don't think I've ever manaaged to do.

Big time thriftiness coming my way when I get home as well.

[Thystle]

I am in.

[Synchro246]

Ok I failed miserably in June spending over $8,000- a new roof and car repairs:
but I am very much in for July.

I'll be selling as much as I can and buying as little as I can.

[tessamami]

Count me in

I'm trying to get a 1,000 dollar credit bill paid off, ASAP! I tried and mostly failed in June, but here's to a fresh start

[Kleine Hexe]

Originally Posted by Synchro246

Ok I failed miserably in June spending over $8,000- a new roof and car repairs:
but I am very much in for July.

I'll be selling as much as I can and buying as little as I can.

According to the rules that was ok. You need your car and a roof.


I'm in again, folks. I had fun last month with the challenge.

[Mom2Wilmo]

Ok, I've been lurking for awhile and I am finally in! I stocked up on groceries today and paid my library fine earlier this week so as long as I am getting free reading material I should be good. I did have to buy a six pack for dh tonight grrrrrrr....but what can you do? At least I won't be buying bagels and coffee at Panera. (I hope.)

[USAmma]

Okay I really need to get back into the swing of things here with paying off debt. Every month since Feb or March we've had unexpected expenses: appliances breaking, car repair, a/c repair last month.

I am not doing a "no" spend because there are some things I need to buy. Like I have to pay for my class on the 12th ($300!) and buy a book, and order a couple of homeschooling books for dd. Dh and I agreed that I would have $100/week for groceries and whatever is left from that I can spend on whatever I want. Woo hoo! So that's my spending money. Will probably amount to about $12. Other than that I can commit to no spending. Does that still qualify for this thread?

Ways we are cutting back this month:
-- cancelling cable! Yeah! And maybe long distance on the phone, too, since dh has cell long distance.
-- dh is going to take a closer bus. It will take longer, but save 12 miles per day of gas. He used to drive his car to park and ride, but now he will drive it to a bus stop 1.5 miles away. He's also going to put in to work 4 10-hour days and stay home on Fridays.

[Ruthiegirl]

I'm in! We have cut way back over the past couple of years, but there is still a bit of old cc debt hanging around our necks. Be gone darn credit cards!

Dh is gone to Alaska for much of the month, so it will be just the kids and me. The kids are happy to live cheaply as long as the freezer is full of homemade popsicles and they can play in their kiddie pool. A few trips to the library, maybe a trip the zoo (free zoo!) and it can be a grand month without spending a dime. I love it!

I am saving for homeschool books and a trip to California for my baby brother's wedding.

[jenn5388]

lurking around today..

Sounds like fun!

I wanna try too.. maybe i should out up post its to remind me. lol

We aren't saving up for anything, we are just trying to pay our bills. lol

[roostery]

I'm in too.

I just want to get spending under control, maybe get some savings going. We have to save up for the winter when DH doesn't work as much (he is a landscaper). Also, the self-employed, no work provided retirement package problem is worrying me, so we need to get some sort of retirement going. As it is, we just live month to month.

I just bought a freezer but that and a King size futon are the last big purchases we have planned.

I'm all excited about saving $!

I think I'll go look in the freezer and plan some meals!

Rebecca

[happyfrog]

count me in!

I do have to buy a few camping supplies - haven't seen what I need pop up on freecycle and no one I know is giving away tents, lol.

Now that I have all the prefolds and diaper covers I need for both boys AND they're paid off! - for 2 days (to wash every day and line dry), I think we may be on a positive swing in our cash flow.

We have some serious debt from my 2 c/s's (blech, went for vbac and failed) and I'd like to make a dent in that if possible - my toddler is 2 1/2 and at the rate I'm paying on HIS delivery, he'll be almost 4 years old before he's paid off at t he hospital. . . .

We have lots of meat in our freezer from angel food, so we should be good there. I've been pantry shopping as much as possible. I also stay OUT of Walmart/other impulsive shopping stores which has been helping. I try to do as much grocery shopping at Aldi as I can and then finish up at WM - they're across the street and by the time I get there, the kids are in bad mood, so it's easier to stay focused on just what I NEED to get and stay away from end cap purchases. . ..

I'm trying to see how low I can get my electric bill - we use our clothesline every day and I've started literally unplugging/turning off power strips to tv/dvd etc - we cancelled cable back in May, but we check dvds out of library for one show/day - FREE!

Can I still join even though I do need to buy a few items for my camping trip coming up? I'm price comparing and trying to buy as little as possible - pretty much just a tent/tarp/propane tank/replacement globe for lantern - that's pretty much it. Not too much really. We using many household items for our trip (14 day camping trip).

BettyAnn
ds 3.8.04
ds 1.16.06

PS we're going camping because it's WAY cheaper than renting a hotel room for 2 weeks to visit friends and family out of state. (they have small trailers) - we love to camp anyway - but our old tents were destroyed when we lent them out - we have learned the hard way - no more lending!!!!

[memory maker]

Im in too. we need to cut back so we can pay off the credit card too. Good month to do it since we dont have any birthdays and I just got an extra daycare kid to watch