Please Join us...No Spending in May...a support group - Page 3

[bwylde]

I was very tempted today to go to a restraunt (not something we usually do and today they have a $2 special) but I resisted.

I sat down with DH tonight and explained what I want to do this month. We crunched the numbers and we really buckled down, we could be buying a house in the near future. We're also going to be diverting all our extra money into DH's very high intrest earning savings account. He showed me how much intrest he earned in the past month and I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm really excited about this. I just have to keep remembering that it is worth it!!

[KariAnn]

May 1st -

We are home for the night and no money spent. I also didn't leave the house except to go to the park after dh got home. I know that had I left the house, I may have spent money and then jumped ship on the challenge.

Way to go ladies!

[earthmama369]

May 1 --

Of course, it helps that we're quarantined with Fifth disease and didn't go anywhere today.

[Earthy Mama]

I'm depositing my tip $$ everyday after work so the cash won't burn a hole...I ended up doing very poorly for April-bought too many plants!! So, here goes attempt number two!

[jennnk]

for May 1...well sort of
We went to the library today. We walked there, but spent $3 on bus fare to get home. So we didn't spend money on things and it wasn't superfluous spending, so I think we're doing alright.

[meandk0610]

i spent $39 and change on groceries (organic & natural). we'll be set for this week.

i also picked up 2 freecycle winnings so i'm counting those items as money saved.

sarah

[momaste]

I'm going to try this. I may not make it through the month, but I'll try!

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

I'm momaste in the Silicon Valley, CA, SAHM to DS19mo.

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

I'm trying to build our emergency fund and pay off debt. This month will be a debt-paying extravaganza! We're pretty well stocked and I don't need much, but I always seem to want want want, so I'm trying to get myself away from the consuming mindset.

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

I made a thorough budget for the month, including paying up the renter's insurance, paying off a medical debt (YAY!!), overdue library fines ( ) and putting money into savings. I'm going to try to bring in an extra $1,000 this month by selling stuff and babysitting, and put that money into debt repayment.

I am buying a freezer this month, because we bought a split quarter of beef from a local farmer and it will be butchered this month, so we'll need somewhere to store the meat that should last us a full year. I'm also planning on paying to attend two events this month (a sustainable building expo and a children's fair, both with minimal entrance fees), and for two services (oil change and hair cut). I think the freezer should be the only THING that I buy this month, though, and I saw an Energy Star one at the scratch-n-dent Sears for $175 which seems pretty reasonable to me.

I deposited the paycheck today and paid it all back out already in bills, so the no shop is mandatory! Already, I've spent
$1,400.00 rent
$51.33 groceries
$64.00 register car
$65.00 copay for DH doctor appt (he has an infected cut that he wouldn't let them stitch up last week )
$62.00 antibiotics for DH (and had he kept the wound clean and dressed we wouldn't be paying this - last week we spent $155 for a tetanus shot and are still waiting for the ER bill for the cut in the first place!)
$65.00 copay for DS doctor appt (he has croup )
$95.00 pay off medical bill (I have one more medical bill for $410 that I hope to pay off by the end of the month.)

(The truly sucky part of the medical expenses is that we're self-employed and pay through the business $480 every month for health insurance for our family of three, so these bills are our copay in addition to the premiums!!)

Great start for a no-spend month, huh?!

[Joyfull]

1. Hi, I'm Tris a SAHM living in Singapore with my dh and two dd 4.5yo and 2 yo.

2. We are trying to build our saving as much as possible since my dh's job is not very stable. Also my younger dd has started preschool and it costs a lot.

3. My weaknesses are toys for the children and eating out. We live in a condo next to a foodcourt with all kinds of food available and I always have an excuse not too cook, (too busy with the kids, too hot, etc. ). Soo my game plan is not visiting any toystore for this month and do some menu planning. I plan to cook at least during weekdays. On weekends we usually spend the whole days outside.

But we were invited to our neighbour's bbq yesterday and were asked to bring something so I spent $10 on fruit to make fruit salad and some more on drinks and paper plates and charcoal. Ok...I'll start again today (2nd May)

[scrapadoozer]

for May 1st. We went to the park instead of shopping at Kohl's.

I paid off my credit card this morning. It was only $53 but I am still happy to be back at a zero balance. DH's card will be more of a challenge but I am going to see what I can do!

I need to go grocery shopping today and I am hoping to come home with just groceries.

Good luck to everyone today!

[gargirl]

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

I am Heather, I am a SAHM/WAHM to 3 boys (13, 10 and almost 5) The 13 year old and the 4 year old are homeschooled. I am a geeky hippie mama.

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

We need (NEED) to get ahead or we will be sunk next winter.... losing our house sunk! So I am trying to save as much as I can without making my family feel deprived. I have mother's day and both mine and my hubby's fathers birthdays this month that I do feel I need to spend a bit on, also the 4 year old's bday is in early June... but I am going to keep it as mellow as I can.

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

I will pay all the bills, plan all the meals and snacks and uber-plan the grocery shopping. I will be minimizing how many trips we make that are relatively far... aw man! I forgot I need to buy for our business too! Drat. Well, that should actually make us money in theory so I will have to bite that bullet. For fun I am going to encourage the kids to play outside, play board games and video games we already own, art projects etc. Pretty much the same for us with the added bonus of our RPGs with friends.

I am in the midst of decluttering like crazy so that will keep me busy and might make us a few dollars too if we sell some of this stuff.

[*Lindsey*]

May 1st-- We went to the library and spent $0.

[*Lindsey*]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

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.

Yes. It absolutely can wait! I could wait til August, or September, or October even! I can do it. Thanks!

[Scribe]

I'm in, or least trying to be.

I'm Grace, I'm a non-mom in Austin, Texas. I'm trying to no-spend because I have outrageous credit card debt that needs to be paid down pronto.

My plan is just not to shop, and to cut way way back on coffees and lunches out. Yesterday wasn't great, as I bought lunch and made a shoe order from Zappos (though I do actually really need the shoes), but today is good (I have coffee, but it was free with my frequent buyer card). I got paid yesterday, so I'll take a look tonight and see what I have left post-bills, and that entire amount, less maybe $50, is going towards credit card payments.

[Ruthiegirl]

Hello All!

I am Ruth, mom to two monkeys.

Every month is a no-spend month in my house. We are taking two years and living on the cheap in order to pay pay off $36,000 in student loans and consumer debt. We are almost half-way done!

Summer is my favorite time to buckle down on the budget. It is so much easier to pack a picnic and spend the day outside with the kids when the weather is nice. I am hoping to make some fat snowball payments over the next few months.

My goal this month:

Exclusive line drying for the clothes. The dryer was tempting me, so I unplugged it.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Congratulations on all the

Way to go Money-Saving-Mamas (and non-mamas)!

Okay -- your next challenge is to NOT post on here when you spend money and most especially, WHY you spent the money.

I'm not being dictatorial...there is a very specific reason we are not doing that.

We don't want this thread to turn into a litany of spending...come to us BEFORE you spend, we'll try to talk you out of it. Plus just the act of writing about it before you spend the money puts some distance before the purchase and that will always help you out.

But after you have spent it, just record it and keep on trucking. Vow to do better next time. ~FIDO~ Forget about it and Drive On.

Some of us (okay, me) have a problem with spending too much money and ~any excuse you give~ will sound just fine to me. And if all my buddies are spending, I start feeling like its okay for me to be spending too.

Kind of like if you are on a diet and your sister orders a slice of strawberry cheesecake...well it is just fine for your to have a smidgeon of it, right? At least you are eating less than she did. A dangerous slope...

But if all my buddies on here are writing why they DIDN'T spend money, then I start hugging my wallet a little closer.

So please come on here and tell us how you RESISTED spending!!!

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I was very tempted today to go to a restraunt (not something we usually do and today they have a $2 special) but I resisted.

Yahoo!!! Way to go Carla. I find stuff like that to be very inspirational.

We are home for the night and no money spent.

Go KariAnn! I find staying home to be the best money-saver out there. Except when I surf too much on ebay....oooh...ebay is dangerous for me. I almost had DH take our internet connection box to work with him this morning to help me stay strong today.
But then I couldn't write on here.

We walked there, but spent $3 on bus fare to get home. So we didn't spend money on things and it wasn't superfluous spending, so I think we're doing alright.

More than alright -- walking and taking the bus is EXCELLENT. Go Jen!! I wouldn't record that $3...because transportation is pretty much in there with groceries and gas. It is an essential expense. Only record it if you KNOW it is superfluous and that you could have lived without it. $3 is less than it would have cost you to drive your car.

I always seem to want want want, so I'm trying to get myself away from the consuming mindset

Momaste -- I hear you there. Shopping is something that gives me great pleasure, and I'm trying to figure out why and find other ways to find that same pleasure. I'm trying to figure out why I always want want want too. Welcome aboard!

Ok...I'll start again today (2nd May)

Excellent attitude, Joyfull. We're all going to slip up this month -- it is inevitable -- but as long as you are making the effort and getting back on the wagon, you WILL be saving more money than you would have if you hadn't tried at all.

The GOAL is to get a monthful of but really, wouldn't even 15 be a worthy accomplishment?? FIDO. If you spent, you spent. You can learn from that and plan not to get trapped by that again.

Summer is my favorite time to buckle down on the budget. It is so much easier to pack a picnic and spend the day outside with the kids when the weather is nice.

Amen Sister! That is what I am hoping too. My girls are going to be doing a lot of playing for free at the park this summer...plus when it is hot you naturally eat less...go Ruth go!

Come on, Mamas! Day Two....you can be strong today too!!!

[Scribe]

Well, I'll play on the no-spend note. I really want to go and grab something tasty for lunch at the cafe, but I am nuking a freezer meal I already have at work instead. No spending!

[babymakes3]

May 1st...
May 2nd...

Woo Hoo!!!

[babymakes3]

Crunchy*VT*Mom-- A blog that I go to does this thing on Wednesdays where other bloggers post things that works for them. Anyway this week's theme is birthdays. :-) There are alot of great tips on doing b-days for free or cheap. I'm not sure if I can post the link but if you want it I can send it to you.

[bwylde]

Ok, I didn't spend a cent yesterday (although Dh did, for half off cheese).

There is something that we need that I have been looking for for ages. I really need a battery recharger w/batteries as my camera is eating through batteries like crazy lately and I use my MP3 player a lot plus other things. They have one on sale at a local electronics store ($29, regular $70). It comes with 4 AA, 2 AAA and converters for C and D batteries and it has great reviews. In the long run it would save a ton and I have been watching for one for ages. I know I won't be able to go the month through without new batteries. With it, I could use the good batteries on the good stuff and use the cheapie batteries for the other things (I find even after my electronics say the battery is dead, there is still enough juice for other things like the remote, clocks, ect...). The more I look at it, the more I feel I should get it. Maybe it could be my mother's day/birthday present :