September No-Spend Challenge: We're in the home stretch! Stay Strong Finish with us - Page 61

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I'm always suspicious of "jobs" that are trying to sell themselves and that require you to send them money.

I wouldn't send them anything, and I especially wouldn't give them access to my paypal account or give them my email address.

Both those things are worth far more than $5.95 to scammers.

[kalisis]

Yeah, sounds kind of fishy. They should be willing to send their FAQ free of charge, at least.

[anarchamama]

1- made $70 selling our extra carseat!
2- $3 but thats all dh and I spent on a date at the movies, we had free passes and bought chips at sev.
3-
4- Groceries 79.02, license renewal 12.00, parking 6.50
5- Groceries 20.68, pregnancy tests 8.02$
6- 220.00$ on textbooks. grrrr. such a scam.
7-library $4, bus far $3.50 (but didn't drive downtown so saved on parking), fries to go with dinner $7.60.
8- Groceries 124.00, internet sub I forgot to cancel 35.00
9- Credit Card fee 120.00$
10- Gas $35.00
11- Parking $2, financial calculator $53.00 (it better do laundry)
12-
13- 1.75 on parking
14- 192.00$ on groceries, 22.06$ on pizza
15-15$ me and ds spend money going to a fundraising party
16- Tuition $838.27, dp made $50 playing a show
17- $387 mtg, $hydro 285.30, phone/internet $110
18-20$ donation, 22$ bus tix, $2 parking
19-
20- 2$ parking, $42 used snowsuit for ds, dh carpool $88.00
21- water bill $171.43, 1$ snack at swimming, $89.29 house insurance, $26.99 value village haloween costumes, $64.20 dp club fees
22- Groceris $117, $68.33 Y membership, 21.06$ dp book subscription
23-
24-
25-43.47 gas, 1.75 parking

Total this month $ 3365.22

$269.22 over budget I guess that's not bad considering I paid tuition but still kind of depressing.

[phathui5]

mrskennedy,

You're not missing much with not doing Door to Door organics. I tried it and the vegetables were ok but the quality of the fruit was disappointing.

[AGlimmeringHope]

Sept 25: , but I did budget to go buy steak for DH and I. We've started dating 7 years ago today. We still celebrate that anniversary.

[frog]

Originally Posted by mrskennedy

I want to sign up for Door-to-Door Organics soooo bad!!! I know I eat crap and I want to change it. But we're on food stamps and don't have the cash for the service.

I think I'm going to ask my parents to cover a few months of it for us for Christmas. They always give us crap we don't need--maybe they'll be interested in helping us out in a concrete way? Worth a try, anyway.

[mumkenna&lucas]

Sept 1 72.87 in textbooks (but budgeted)
Sept 2
Sept 3
Sept 4
Sept 5 38.24 payment for coop that I couldn't get out of this late
Sept 6
Sept 7 $3.99 on a magazine + $15 on yummy fabric
Sept 8
Sept 9
Sept 10
Sept 11
Sept 12 $42 on dc Christmas gift
Sept 13
Sept 14 $20 haircut, $7.98 magazines
Sept 15 $6 farmers market, $6.75 coffee shop
Sept 16 $20 eat out, $10 birthday gift, $20 drinks etc while gone.
Sept 17
Sept 18
Sept 19
Sept 20 $24 clothes for ds
Sept 21 $8.50 christmas gift, $20 invitations for dd birthday, $40 clothes
Sept 22
Sept 23
Sept 24
sept 25 $27 clothes for dd

No spend days: 16/20
No Diaperswappers: 23/26
Save $$: $150/700
Pay cc down $300: 113.17/300
Less than $300.00 in non-essential spending: 279.46/300
Park the car days: 3/7

I think I am about done with fall/winter clothes for the kids..And I am pretty pleased with how much I spent. Usualluy I spend hundreds more! I spent about $91 this month and no more than $20 last month!

[lisac77]

Sept 1 - spent $7, saved $29.60
Sept 2 - spent $35.05 (groceries), saved $1.55
Sept 3 - spent $19.54 (eating out), saved $17.06
Sept 4 - spent $0, saved $36.60
Sept 5 - spent $36.97 (eating out) , saved -$0.37
Sept 6 - spent $24.94 (groceries), $10 (cash for carnival on Sat.) , saved $1.66
Sept 7 - spent $24.05 (lunch out - planned), $12 (gas) , saved $0.55 - $95.04 in unplanned cc charges
Sept 8 - spent $15 (co-pay), $10 (antibiotics), $61.49 (inhaler spacer), $6.37 (snacks at the drug store), $8.96 (dinner out) , saved -$65.35
Sept 9 - spent $5.61 (dinner for work), saved $30.99
Sept 10 - spent $10.14 (dinner for work), $12.45 (groceries), saved $14.01, PAID OFF cc charges $23.45 (gas), 22.41 (lunch out) PAID OFF
Sept 11 - spent $35.71 (groceries), saved $0.89
Sept 12 - - spent $16.04 (groceries), $11.02 (lunch), and $5.74 (lunch @ work yesterday), saved $3.80
Sept 13 - spent $33.12 (groceries), saved $3.48
Sept 14 - spent $23.65 (lunch out), 7.54 (shampoo), saved $5.41
Sept 15 - spent $10.72 (lunch out), 24.49 (potty treat, groceries, medicine), saved $1.39
Sept 16 - spent 9.73 (dinner @ work) , saved $26.83 spent $32.46 from the savings fund for new pants
Sept 17 - spent $13.12 (lunch), $23.17 (groceries and medicine), $4.77 (pizza @ work) , saved -$4.46
Sept 18 - spent $33.21(lunch w/family) , saved $3.39
Sept 19 - spent $7.28(dinner@work) , saved $29.32
Sept 20 - spent $22.47 (lunch), $6.49 (contact solution) , saved $7.64
Sept 21 - spent $13.86 (lunch), $9.62 (groceries), $10.45 (Starbucks) , saved $1.84
Sept 22 - spent $37.90 (groceries), saved -$1.30
Sept 23 - spent $14.08 (lunch) , saved $22.52
Sept 24 - spent 15.00 (co-pay), $39.08 (medicine), and $8.32 (snacks), saved -$25.80
Sept 25 - spent $10.26 (lunch), $15.00 (dinner for family), $9.60 (dinner for me) , saved $1.74


Total saved so far this month: $111.01

Total on credit cards: $95.04

Crunch time crunch time. Chiropractor this morning. Will be doing 3 visits this week and that's it. Total will be $60 but it's worth it not to have to be in such pain. I'm taking it directly out of savings for this month though, because it certainly is necessary.

I am feeling very stressed right now. DS starts Pre-K (his first school experience) on Thursday. I move to nights next Monday and DS will be going to school (day care) 5 days a week. It's a huge transition for us, and I hate transitions and I'm not looking forward to it.

So this morning was nuts. DH needed me to find an ATM for his business but didn't give me all the details I needed to get him what he wanted. Then he got mad at me because I am not a mind reader. I had to iron name tags into all of DS's clothes for school (that took forever), then we had to go to the chiropractor and the library.

My neck hurts and I'm still under the weather. And of course I had planned no food for today so we had McDonalds for lunch (yuck), they will be having Boston Market for dinner, and I will have to buy something for dinner too. Poor, poor planning on my part.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.

Updated with final tally1

[frog]

Originally Posted by phathui5

You're not missing much with not doing Door to Door organics. I tried it and the vegetables were ok but the quality of the fruit was disappointing.

Huh. We've just gotten the one box, but the fruit was totally outstanding.

[imnotsupernanny]

Originally Posted by frog

I think I'm going to ask my parents to cover a few months of it for us for Christmas. They always give us crap we don't need--maybe they'll be interested in helping us out in a concrete way? Worth a try, anyway.

Frog I hope they say yes and help you!

[meandk0610]

1 -
2 -
3 - 13.65 art supplies on 50% sale
4 - 31.08 pet stuff
5 - 160.67 groceries
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 - 83.98 dog food on sale
11 -
12 - 148.23 groceries
13 -
14 -
15 - 21.44 groceries
16 - 100.25 groceries
17 - 78 Renn Fest - dh decided to go with us so we had double entrance fees, plus it cost 15 for dd & i to ride the elephant (they did not have a sign and we only found out the price when we were next; i didn't want to dash dd's hopes at the last minute)
18 - 130.24 household - unbudgeted but necessary except for 1.57 for muffin while shopping
19 - 134.22 groceries - i forgot that dh is not buying the things he normally buys this month so even though the budget looks busted his cc will be much lower
20 -
21 -
22 -
23 -
24 -
25 - 296.92 groceries and home improvement. i have to hit the other grocery store tomorrow then we should be set until the middle of October.

frugal progress:
use budget
hang/rack dry laundry
stay home
turn off the flippin' TV!

groceries (including pets) 869.03/400 (changed to be more realistic)
misc (includes renn fest visit) 91.65/40
household 238/0

overbudget 758.68 i'm pretty disgusted :

sarah

[brennasmom]

Sept 24: , only .25 on coffee. I even resisted the candy cupboard

[mamamilkers]

09/02: no spend!
09/03: $2 on balloons for the girls
09/04: $1 on a book at Goodwill
09/05: $24 at Target for work-out shorts for me and two Halloween playground balls for gifts
09/06: no spend!
09/07: no spend!
09/08: no spend!
09/09: no spend! We packed a lunch for the park when we normally would have eaten out. It was great!
09/10: no spend!
09/11: I fell off the bandwagon To my defense, I ordered $161 worth of stuff from a Melissa and Doug co-op and it's all at a great price and all for Christmas gifts. Sigh. I couldn't pass it up.
09/12: $6 at the indoor pool. We went during "happy hour" and saved almost 50%, so that's at least a little good, right?
09/13: $12.50 on tie-dye materials and a sno cone for my DD
09/14: no spend! We even went to Goodwill for a little trip out of the house and I didn't bring my wallet. I am so glad! I would have spent $$ if I had it!
09/15: DP and I went on a date and spent $30 at the movies. Then we took the kids to a local festival. I was sure it would be cheap, but of course, the tickets to play games and such are $1 each. We ended up spending another $30! Grrrr. It was sort of bugeted. DP and I badly needed a date, but I wish we wouldn't have spent so much at the festival.
09/16: no spend!
09/17: $11 on lunch. I hadn't planned on it
09/18: no spend!
09/19: no spend!
09/20: no spend!
09/21: no spend!
09/22: no spend!
09/23: no spend!
09/24: no spend!
09/25: no spend!

GOAL: more green than red days! As of today, 16 green days and 8 red days!

[Erin+babyAndrew]

12. sold small fridge in the garage and made $40
13. sold babywearing jacket, made $100
14. $190 groceries, $50 gas
15. $16 admission for family to the corn maze and petting zoo
$12 wool for knitting slippers (will get 2-3 pair for the kids from this)
16. $30 bulk food store
17.
18. $8 laundry detergent
19.
20. $20 furnace filter and timer for fan in child's room
21.
22. $3.50 plant for dh $10 yarn for scarf
23.
24.
25. $20 pizza

[imnotsupernanny]

Originally Posted by AGlimmeringHope

Sept 25: , but I did budget to go buy steak for DH and I. We've started dating 7 years ago today. We still celebrate that anniversary.

How sweet!!!

[imnotsupernanny]

September 25: : I spent $5 on a Pumpkin Spice Chiller at Second Cup! It's like Starbucks! I needed something nice and cold for my boo boo on my tounge! I've got an ulcer/canker sore thing and it hurts!

I went to another interview tonight.It went well I guess,but they only want a "nanny" for a total of 9 hours a week! (3 hours a day 3x a week)

[nadia105]

Sept 1: $23.48 on diapers (allowed)
Sept 2: around $20 at the fair (used leftover bday money from DH, so okay).
Sept 3: around $20 at the fair again, still used the leftover bday $
Sept 4: !
Sept 5: ! just $ on groceries
Sept 6: $45 on MT tester, 10.50 at bakery, $42 at Target (almost all necessary there), $55 on diapers.
Sept 7: 13.75 at garage sales, 35 on kids haircuts. MADE $110 by returning things at Hanna and Gap!
Sept 8: !
Sept 9: !
Sept 10: $15 at bagel/coffee shop for a special bfast for dd's first day at preschool and bagels and cream cheese to bring home.
Sept 11: !
Sept 12: !
Sept 13: $20 at bagel/coffee shop, $30 dues for my moms group, $13 on DS
Sept 14: around $15 on out food, $7 on shipping for dipes I sold (made $30)
Sept 15: ! Just spent on groceries
Sept 16: !
Sept 17: !
Sept 18: !
Sept 19: almost !, but I got a tip about a BG tester dipe and folded. $20.44 with insert and shipping.
Sept 20: !
Sept 21: !
Sept 22: !
Sept 23: ! + $10 I made selling on DS (7.50 after shipping)\
Sept 24: !
Sept 25: !

No spend days: 16/20
Blow $: $10.50 of $20
No out food: 23/26
Diapers: $111.92/$50-75

Spent a ton on groceries today, but I stuck to my lists and we now have food for a couple weeks. I really want to finish out the month with thumbs!

I'm going to try a new budget thing this month -- weekly budget amount. The daily tab won't work for me, but weekly will help keep spending in check and not have us going through $600 in the first week and then having to skimp for the rest of the month.

[phathui5]

$4.07 (had two freebie coupons) on dinner at Chick-Fil-A for me and the kids. I'm trying to feel bad, but that might be equal to or less than it costs to make a meal here.

[FamilyFriendlyLife]

Sept. 1:
Sept. 2:
Sept. 3:
Sept. 4:
Sept. 5:
Sept. 6:
Sept. 7:
Sept. 8:
Sept. 9:
Sept. 10:
Sept. 11: $10 lunch, $15 parking ticket, $20 excessive DS shoe purchase
Sept. 12:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 14:
Sept. 15:
Sept. 16:
Sept. 17: $13.07 - takeout pizza
Sept. 18:
Sept. 19: $14.95 eating out + est. $40 unnecessary Target spending
Sept. 20: $6.43 eating out
Sept. 21:
Sept. 22: groceries over budget (DH picked up based on my list; need to get total)
Sept. 23:
Sept. 24:
Sept. 25:

GOALS:
* Less than $150 in frivolous spending: month to date $108.45
* At least 20 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 19/30
* No McDonalds: 25/30
* Avoid Target: 23/30
* Pack snacks/water for outings: 24/30
* NO library fines: month to date $0
* Stay within grocery budget: $497.59/$430

Kim

[Curlita]

1: Stayed under budget on errands, spent $3.42 on faux M&Ms.
2: Spent $6.50 at fast food place
3: No spending!
4. $2 to park at medical center
5: $18.65 on new M&M Accomodation Plan
6: $5 on two more house keys, $32 on overdraft charges from totally preventable Paypal mistake.
7: $3 on parking at Dr., $8 on coffee-and-cookie run, $10 prescription, and $100 on groceries.
8: No spending!
9: $35 on gas, $25 at hardware store
10: $23 on groceries, 69 cents of which was discretionary.
11: $86 at pharmacy, 2.50 discretionary
12: $3.75 to go to pool, $5.28 for oreos and milk. :
13: No spending!
14: $3 to park at medical center
15: $40 at grocery store (5% off day! bulk spices!) and $235 at Costco for groceries and gas. And a short mocha.
16: No spending!
17: $108 on another 8 sessions of pre-natal yoga.
18: No spending!
19: $3 for parking at medical center and $4 for mocha
20: $4.50 for brownie and latte. :
21: Spent: $23 on groceries/lunch/coffee and $30 on fabric. Fabric is within the budget, but not the lunch and coffee.
22: $5 parking for birth class, $6 for coffee to stay awake for birth class, $7 on books as gifts, $20 for husband's business trip, $6 extra in cash that I will try not to fritter away, and $55 for anniversary dinner. Total discretionary: $12, sort of (though only $9 for me)
23: No spending!
24: $42 at kid's consignment store for kiddo's birthday and Halloween costume; $24 at Lowe's.
25: Returned $28 worth of stuff to Lowe's. $3.75 to go to pool.

Progress on September Goals:
6/7 actual no-spend days. Woot!
$119/<$75 in discretionary/preventable spending (oops)
7/0 lattes
0/0 unfunded credit card charges!
and
figure out how to cheaply accommodate M&M habit: have realized that the M&M habit needs to be ceased rather than accomodated. All M&Ms have been baked into cookies and consumed by the family.

HOME STRETCH GOALS:
No more lattes!
I have $6 for treats... no more than that!
Budget and make lists before all errand runs this week (Lowe's, Dylan's b-day presents, Dylan's b-day party).