Oct No-Spend Challenge: End of the month is here. Hang on No-spenders Almost There! - Page 6

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by frog

Shay, if you're open to sharing your new size, turtle and I are decluttering and have a bunch of stuff that needs new homes, ranging from about a women's size 6 up to maybe a 16?

I am probably close to an 8 at the moment, I am wearing 10's and 12's and even with belts they are almost falling off me to the point of looking bad. I have a size 8 I bought recently and it was a tad snug but I am WW and less than 10lbs from my goal so I think 8 is probably the right size.

Shay

[mrskennedy]

All right... Here we go again... I've decided to change the way I track things. (see below.)

10/1:
No spend: 1/31
Essential spending/bills: 0/31
Made/saved extra: 0/31

[CityChic]

I'm back!

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

I'm Rachael. Working wife to SAHD and mom to DS 5 months. Last month I dropped out of the challenge when I found out my company was being sold. Now that I have recovered from the shock I am back on board and need to try harder than ever

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of October. Memorize these goals and recite them to yourself before all purchases.

Last month I dropped out of the challenge when I found out my company was being sold. Now that I have recovered from the shock I am back on board and need to try harder than ever since our financial future is up for grabs. I am looking for a new job as we speak!

1. Stick to the budget
2. Do not let peer pressure affect my spending

3. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

1. Stash away the debit cards
2. Invite people over for dinner so we are not tempted to go out
3. Plan ahead for the holiday/birthday season so we know why we are not spending now!

[CityChic]

Originally Posted by simplelah

3. Spend only whats necessary. Use what I have. Don't stress shop.

I really need some support ladies, this is going to be a TOUGH month for me.

I stress spent all last month and now I am paying for it! Hang in there!

[lisac77]

Oct 1 - Spent $8.47 (groceries), $11.20 (lunch) , saved $11.87

Total savings for this month so far: $61.87

Stayed under budget: 1/31
Eating out: 1/9
Taking lunch to work: 0/23

I carried over $50 from last month to jump start my "savings fund" for this month. I also donated $31 dollars from last month's savings to bolster the daily amount a little.

Sigh. I wasn't able to get DH's contribution. He says he has too many bills right now. I am being optimistic and assuming that he will have the money later in the month, so right now I am charging stuff on my CC. I wish I had a different way to approach things, but we have to eat!

Hopefully he will come through with the money soon and I will simply pay off what I've charged on the CC.

[melissel]

Originally Posted by momaste

I'd post links to my Ebay listings, but that would encourage you no-spenders to spend, haha.

The first thing I thought when I read your post (outside of "Wow! I wish our Costco sold OV milk!"), was, "Hmm, I'll have to check out her eBay listings." (but also It's so hard to get out of that mindset!!!

[liangel]

Wish me luck- I have a job interview today in about an hour! I could really use some good thoughts. Thanks!

Please please let me get the job:

[mumkenna&lucas]

Ok, I have yet to take away our debit cards, This is a hard thing for me to do! I think I will go fill up with gas, and then away they go into a drawer..My husband isn't thrilled about it either, but I think it is going to be ALOT easier to get our spending under control and where we want it to be.

Oct 1

No Spend Days: 1/31
No Diaperswappers/etsy: 1/31
Save $750
Park the car days = 7

My exceptions:
Halloween costumes
Disneyland park tickets
Food for dd's birthday party

[BrooklynDoula]

Hello- My name is Megan and I would love to conserve some money, play down some more debt, and really get ourselves more financially stable! We have $6000 we need to pay off right now and we can do it but it takes some effort!

So, my goal is to spend as little as possible (hard because I am in NYC and there is stuff everywhere and both dh and ds love to go out for food and such).

So, today is day one. There are a few things I know I need this month: New Baby socks for Clay, the rest of the costume supplies for August, I have to pay for the framed diploma I ordered last week (ready mid-month, brother is helping with cost). I also have to pay for my membership in the homeschool group, metrocards for travel, and the fee for soccer class for ds. The othe thing we spend money on is the tip at a local restuarant where dh has a large trade so we eat for free but leave cash for the tips. Beyond that it is just groceries and the like. Oh, and dh wants new socks!

[kalisis]

SugarandSun - Welcome to the thread! I have to say, you're one of the most generous people I know and probably why else your money is flying out!

To everyone else, welcome also! Here we go!

[scrapadoozer]

Originally Posted by shayinme

Oh, I forgot the other challenge i am facing, I have lost 30 lbs recently and have no clothes that fit.. so I am hoping to get some clothes but hoping that I can find some stuff secondhand, our local 2nd had places are not great so its a crapshoot.

Anyway that's my story..

Shay

Shay,

I'm in Maine and have a couple pairs of size 8 jeans you're welcome to if you're interested. They are really nice but in my wildest dreams I will never be that small. Congrats on the weight loss!

[kalisis]

I'm a chatty cathy, so here I go.

A couple of other good tips:

If you buy something, hold it in your trunk (or in the bag, with tags still on) for 5 days. If you still want it and can afford after the 5 days, great, keep it. If you don't like it that much or don't really want it, you can return it. That helped me several times last month!

Also, there's a saying a couple of months back about asking yourself three questions - I'll go dig it up. And maybe, can we add it to the first post Prudence?

[blsilva]

Originally Posted by liangel

Wish me luck- I have a job interview today in about an hour! I could really use some good thoughts. Thanks!

Please please let me get the job:

Good Luck!

[melissel]

Originally Posted by anniej

I
If you buy something, hold it in your trunk (or in the bag, with tags still on) for 5 days. If you still want it and can afford after the 5 days, great, keep it. If you don't like it that much or don't really want it, you can return it. That helped me several times last month!

Good tip! But, don't be like me and LOSE THE RECEIPT. I'm forever doing that and losing money Also, don't wait to return past the window of opportunity. Sheesh. Now I know where all our money goes :

[phathui5]

I've got to go to Staples tonight to make copies for ds1's homeschooling History, but other than that it'll be no spending for today. Dh even packed his lunch today, so he's not spending anything.

[WeasleyMum]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

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 October. Memorize these goals and recite them to yourself before all purchases.

3. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Hi! My name is Mara, and this is my first No-Spend Challenge. I'm trying to spend less money as part of a two-pronged reform: diet and finance. My DH and I spend way too much money eating out, on coffee drinks, etc. I'm trying to switch to a more local/organic diet, which is kind of pricey-- but not nearly as expensive as eating out! Also I eat lunches in the school cafeteria where I work, which is both expensive and unhealthy.

My goal is to prove to the DH that we can eat the way I want us to (grass-fed beef, pastured chickens, organic veggies and all!) and *still* spend less money than we do currently on dining.

My plan is: home-cooked dinners! And lunches brought from home. And no morning mochas. (yes, I spend 4-5 dollars every morning on coffee. ) I'm putting together a plan of some kind so that dinner is already accounted for, instead of waiting until we both get home from work and say, "now what?". Will probably spend some time on Sundays prepping food for the week. Basically the only things I'm trying to change this month are food/money habits. I figure I can save 4.00x30 = $120 just on the coffee, and probably another $100 on buying lunches. Eating in will save the DH's money, since he usually buys when we go out to dinner.

[msjd123]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.
*** My name is Sarah. DH and I both work full-time, and we have one DD who is 2.5. We recently eliminated close to $14K worth of credit card debt, and I'm really happy about that, but ever since then, we've been just a little too lax. It's fun not having every cent go toward cc payments anymore, but I feel like we're enjoying our newfound freedom just a little too much, and with the holidays approaching, I don't want to get into debt again!

2. Please tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of October. Memorize these goals and recite them to yourself before all purchases.
***I want to save up money for Xmas shopping. I'm already halfway done, so I don't have too much left, but I don't ever want to go into debt again.

3. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?
*** Um, don't shop? I'm working on this....

[momaste]

Darn, I'm already out!! The stucco is being replaced on the house and we had to get out of the house - it's loud! I took DS to exchange a pair of shoes. The new shoes cost more than the return shoes, but they were the cheapest ones in his size. I then remembered that I needed a piece for a craft project I'm making for Christmas (we're having an all-hand-made Christmas in our family!), and we were right next to the craft store. So I ended up spending just under $30 on shoes and craft stuff. : DS's sneakers wouldn't fit this morning and it's getting chilly, so the sandals will have a limited lifespan weather wise. He needed some sneakers, but I had hoped that the exhange would make it about even. The craft supplies are part of the project that I exempted on the front page, but still... *sigh* At least we didn't go out to eat on top of all that! Sheesh.

Back on the bandwagon tomorrow.

[frog]

momaste, you're not at all out! It's a month-long challenge, not just one day. You're going to be fine!

[my2girlz]

1. $100 at dentist (budgeted)

*have at least 10 no spend days
*do NOT use CCs 1/31
*only go to SuperTarget on Fridays
*eat out of the pantry
*declutter and sell as much as possible