Please Join us...No Spending in May...a support group - Page 2

[umbrella]

Food is on either extreme. Produce is super-cheap here, and things like cheese and beef are very expensive. One thing to watch out for, is eating out: getting around here is not very easy (and we don't have a car), so you usually have to plan on eating out if you're gone all day. Thing is, you CAN eat out for next to nothing. You can get GOOD food, and more than you can eat, for $2 or $3 per adult. Healthy, delicious, satisfying food. So it's not really unreasonable to have eating out as part of a whole day out (like using the zoo passes). The problem is if one decides to eat in an air-conditioned sit-down restaurant, and if dh chooses to buy a beer or two at Singapore restaurant prices.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Yeah!! -- DAY ONE of no-spend or low-spend May

Okay, Ladies -- let's make this day a BLUEPRINT for the rest of the month. How you do today will help set you up for the month.

Spend nothing...there is nothing out there today that you can't buy tomorrow instead. Be strong!!!

My goal for today is: ~~Let the car rest~~

(ie. don't drive the car, but I'm trying to make it sound more positive )

We're going to the library for storytime (free) and we can walk there because it is close and the weather is nice.

Have a great May 1st!

[scrapadoozer]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.

Hi, I'm Jenny. I live Maine and am a homeschooling SAHM to one three year old girl.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.

My husband and I have been spending more than we have available on our hobbies (woodworking and sewing respecitively) and other "fun" things. I want to catch back up, replace the money we've taken out of savings and pay off most of the credit card. Plus, I am just sick of being such an enthusiastic consumer. I am annoyed by my strong desire to buy, buy and buy some more.

3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Stay out of stores that trigger us, DO instead of BUY (thanks, Cindy's porch!), Make a menu plan for the month with plans for quick & easy to prepare meals so we don't have an excuse to just go out to eat. I always get too grand with my plans and only plan for complicated meals. I need to realize that sometimes that is just not going to happen and have some plan B options on hand.

[bwylde]

I'd like in on this!

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.

My name is Carla, SAHM to turning 5yoDS and 2.5yoDD.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.

I am trying to take a "less is more" approach to life. I want to cut out our needless spending. Dh and I are very impulsive shoppers, especially if something is cheap. Eventually we want to buy a house and that takes money, something we don't have a lot of :. When we get to that point, we're not going to want to take a house full of junk with us so it's preventative measures as well.


3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

I plan to stay out of the stores and tell DH to leave his wallet home. He works at a grocery store and is ALWAYS coming home with stuff. His idea of what we need is a lot different than mine. I plan to buy groceries, but not as much as usual (mostly fresh stuff, like fruits, veggies and eggs) as we have a lot of food storage and don't really need to. We also have a lot of occasions this month but I think I may be able to work around that. There may be somethings we need, but any spending will definately be on a need basis, not emotional.

[KariAnn]

I'm up and pumped about day one! Dh is leaving for work now and that means, mentally, I am without a car. Our plan is to go to a parenting meeting that dd and I can walk to. They serve breakfast, so I don't have to worry about that! Without getting too far ahead of myself, we plan on taking the bus to the library this week (I need to find out when storytime is).

Good luck ladies and I can't wait to hear a lot of success stories!

[*Lindsey*]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.

My name is Lindsey. I'm a SAHM, homeschooling mama to Gabriel (3.5), Sophia (21 months), and one in the belly. My DH is self-employed as a masonry contractor.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.
We have lots of debt, CC and my student loans. My DH works so hard to provide for us and does an awesome job, but I hate seeing him frustrated that we don't have any "extra" money. Yesterday he told me he needs to get a new oil cooler for his backhoe (he's repaired it once, and now the oil is leaking everywhere) and it's going to cost us $900! : I just want to create a habit (that I've been working on, on my own) of not buying things I don't need. I think a support group would be a great help.


3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

My goals are to only spend money on groceries, bills, and gas. I shouldn't need much in the way of gas as I just filled up the other day and we don't go out much (library & errands on Tuesdays, church Sunday).

I MUST stay away from the Trading Post and Co-op board. I MUST! I do need some small covers for the new baby, but those can wait, right? Right?!?

[E&Gmommy]

I read through the frugal meal planning 101 thread and I did and inventory of all our food then did a meal plan for the rest of this week (tus.-sun.) I'm so proud, we wont have to buy any groceries this week! Maybe some more fresh spinach or some oranges but that's it! Now the hard part of sticking to the plan lol

[utopia760]

day 1 and going strong, i went for a long walk with the kids and when i saw a store i though hey its almost lunch time i should get us some food there and eat at the park....oops i cant spend money - so i walked home a very long walk i must say espically when your hungry and there are big hiss. but i survived and had the most wonderful lunch at home in the grass with the kids! and it was much healthier then what i would have gotten at the store!

[carolm22117]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.

3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Hi,I'm Carol. Unschooling mom to 3 teenage sons, from Indiana.

Why am I doing this?
We're hoping to sell our house this summer. We're in the process of cleaning it up and de-cluttering it and its made me realize we have waaaaayyy to much junk. I look at the piles of stuff and just cringe at how much $$ down the drain it represents. I'm trying to figure out the "why" to why we've wasted so much $$ on so much junk over the past couple of years.

Game plan.
I think we (the kids and I) go shopping cause we're just plan bored. I hate where we live, we're out in the 'burbs with nowhere to go and nothing fun to do. So, we jump in the car and go shopping to break the monotony. Sooooo, we're trying to come up with things to do to keep us out of the stores and keep us busy. Cleaning and fixing up the house to sell is a big project,so that's our main goal for the month of may.

I'm also trying to shop less at the big chain stores and much more locally. I started this a few weeks ago and I already notice a big difference in our food budget AND in how much "stuff" we bring home. For instance, I am totally out of plastic shopping bags. I save them and use them for trash bags or dogpoop patrol, and I noticed a couple of days ago there are NONE left in the house at all. Usually my holder is overflowing with them.

ok, so i guess my short version would be
1. stay out of the chain stores
2. shop local as much as humanly and budgetairly possible.

so far day one,

[caiesmommy]

My names Amy..Im a sahm to a beautiful 8 month old ds! And have wonderful fiance.

Im wanting to do this because I really want to move out of my inlaws home!! so we need to save money!

Our biggest issue is the coffee truck at dh work...but mine is little things for crafting and for the ds!

I cant wait! I will be starting on the first sunday in may(we have a lunch to go to on sat as well as a town festival that families coming too)

But I cant wait!! I really think I can do this....my mom will get a card made on the computer with dss pic for mothers day lol!!

Good luck Mamas

[jennnk]

for mother's day, we took a portrait of Andy & made reprints on the kodak machine at target (49 cents each), then got frames from the clearance aisle (3.50 each) and I had Andy draw a picture on watercolor paper, which I cut into 4 pieces. So for 2 grandmothers & 2 great-grandmothers, we spent a total of $16, plus whatever shipping is going to be for 2 of them. Of course, except for the mailing costs, we spent all of that in April, , but still it wasn't exorbitant and I know they'll all love it (Mom already got hers when she visited, and it made her cry!).

[Katia]

I would like to join this group thread, but I need to modify it a bit for our family. We need to try for no spending, but I think what I need to gear towards this month is planned spending only.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.
Hi there, I am a working wife and mamma to a 2.5 yr old. I am pregnant with #2 and we are currently wading through our benefits to determine my leave plan, as my job naturally ends this year and I don't plan to return to work.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.
We will be moving from two incomes to one and changing health insurance plans this year and I am really nervous about this. The last time we were at one income or both unemployed was pre-kid, pre-homeownership.

3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?
I am approaching this month from a planned spending only standpoint. I hope I am not forgetting anything when I list that as: certain home repair projects we have prepped for, mortgage, gasoline, parking fee, child care fee, groceries, utilities, one dinner out (we rarely go out and this is already planned as a belated bday for my deserving dh).


And I have a question....do any of you have family friends with whom you spend a significant amount of time and who like to spend? For example, you get together for a park visit, and that somehow turns into take-out dinner at their house or a coffee shop stop? We do and I don't know how to say no in a polite way. I suspect they think we are cheap. I know they really need to be economical too, because they are in almost the exact same position we are....pregnant with #2 and moving from 2 incomes to 1.

[ColoradoMama]

Day 1 - I had to send a check for $25.27 for pay for tags for our pop-up. I made two things today (no bake oat-agave bars and oat-walnut patties), and it turns out I was short on ingredients for both. So, for the patties, I just halved the recipe, and for the bars - I found something to substitute. I will have to go shopping on Thursday because the two things I was out of are pretty important ingredients in our household, and I will be taking my daughter to dance right behind the store where I can buy them! So far this week I only have two things on my grocery list - I know that'll grow, but I am also doing the frugal planning thing. We have dinner tonight already made - mostly. We're having Super Healthy Lentil Soup, but I need to figure something to go with it. I might make some gluten-free blueberry muffins - I think I have everything for that. I'll be spending money tonight, but it is money that is budgeted in - AND it'll be for a Christmas present. I am going to a knitting class where we are going to make a felted bags - I'm going to make mine for my mom. I have to buy three skeins of yarn and a set of circulars - that's ALL I'm going to buy though. It feels weird to me though because I am spending money on our house - BUT - that is all tax money that was set aside SPECIFICALLY for house improvements (we're desperately trying to sell next year) and it is separate from our income. It feels weird though to be so frugal on one hand and spending money on the other hand.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I MUST stay away from the Trading Post and Co-op board. I MUST! I do need some small covers for the new baby, but those can wait, right? Right?!?

Lindsey -- Stay away from the trading post -- don't even click over there. You can buy anything you need on June 1st. Stay away...stay away... How many covers does the baby already have? Could you wash the ones you already have a few more times? It is getting warmer out...could the baby be coverless when he or she is at home? Is there ~any way~ you could do without that extra cover for thirty more days? Be strong!

I spent over $300 last month on diaperswappers -- the mothers on that board LOVE me. So I basically told myself that I cannot click on that site until June 1st. Can't even move the mouse in that direction.

Go utopia Go!!!

Go Michelle Go!!

I shop when I am bored too. It is a hard habit to break, but I'm eager to break it.

Okay, only a few more hours left in this day...

[babymakes3]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.

3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

1. My name is Kelly and I'm a SAHM to my 6 week old ds. I live in eastern NC.
2. I'm doing this challenge b/c I want to see how much we can save by not spending money on "extras". Also I'd like to start setting some $ aside for Christmas.
3. My goals are to go all 30 days with no money spent on extras. And to cook our meals every night rather than picking up something. (we do this occasionally and its not good for our budget) As long as I stay home I won't spend any $. :-) I need to get really good at making a list and sticking with it.

Crunchy*VT*Mom-- (sorry don't know your name) I'm planning on a really nice homemade dinner for my DH's b-day and since it falls on a Thursday I'm also going to have him a small party on that Saturday (cake and some homemade goodies..need some ideas on the party food that I can make cheap) I haven't decided what I'm going to fix for his b-day dinner yet though. I need to hurry up b/c his b-day is next week. lol As far as a b-day gift I have no idea. I want it to be a homemade gift but I really don't know what. I'm sure between the two of us we can come up with some really great homemade gifts for our DHs!

Lindsey--You can do it!!

One day down! 29 more to go!!

[ALittleBitCrunchy]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.
My name is Stacy. I'm a WOHM with a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. I am in the process of working toward a WAHM change with an internet business that is still in the growing phase.

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of May.
With the hopes of being able to do WAHM, I need to have a reasonable expectation of life after the change, including a budget. We pay the regular bills, plus daycare and commuting costs, and medical supplies for my daughter. Oh, and lots of money on conveniences like eating out. This is practice, I guess. I want to see what we can do to spend less, save more and live more simply and efficiently.

3. Please tell us your game plan -- what are your goals and how do you plan to approach less spending for a month?
I want to limit my impulse shopping and do better at having more money left over. I really want to limit the eating out (including dinners with friends, lunch out with the kids, vending machine snacks at work, etc). I also want to be able to increase the store revenue to create a higher income there.

[ALittleBitCrunchy]

Day one (which I am happy with, since I didn't even know that I was going to sign up for this until just now ) and my unanticipated spending was...
$6.48 for lunch because I left mine in the refrigerator this morning in the hurry to get out the door.
I don't believe that I will be anywhere that I can spend money for the rest of the day, so I'm good.

[Metta&Karuna]

Hi all, I'm a newly single mama of three, and finances are very much up in the air. I'm hoping to be able to afford both the house and homeschooling, so the theme of the day is Spend Nothing.

The plan? I have been reading up here at mdc on ways to spend less on food, electric, and water, and boy have I been learning a LOT. For instance, I am going no-poo, using homemade cleaners, got a laundry line put up, turned the water heater down, unplugging appliances when not in use, not using the AC in the car, etc. Eating out went out the window a couple months ago, and I also have found ways to make snacky foods for the kids on outtings, so our consumption of crackers etc is way down. I stocked up on cheap food and it's now been over a week since I went food shopping.

I knew we were planning a trip to home depot today. But I got out of there having spent less than $10 and achieved our objectives in thrifty ways by talking to a fellow customer and a staff member. Yes!

I went to the library today, paid a $4.20 fine, returned the books, and only checked out two. Progress not perfection. But I have to develop a library system that means I eliminate these fines.

So for us:

May 1: $14.20.

[E&Gmommy]

Question, do swaps count if i have all the supplies already and would only be paying for shipping? : : : Or is that cheating? Be honest lol

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Michelle -- You have to decide that for yourself! We're just here for support.

May 1st --

Whew! One day down, 29 to go.

Already three things came up -- DH wants to build a sandbox for the girls in the back yard. I told him it would have to wait until June 1st. And I want to get some bushes to plant in the front flowerbed...growing season in VT is sooooo short. We need to get them in the ground soon. But maybe we'll just hold off on planting those until next year. I'm doing Cindy's Porch Procrastination. I can't remember the third thing -- so that is just proof that whatever it was, I shouldn't be buying it.

Good luck everyone!

Prue