Oct No-Spend Challenge: End of the month is here. Hang on No-spenders Almost There! - Page 5

[simplelah]

I'm joining!!

1. I'm LaHeather, single mama of two.

2. Spending nothing this month because I can't afford not to. I am a newly single mama with a super tight budget.

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.

[frog]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

Frog -- We made a price list and went to Costco armed with prices from local grocery stores and Walmart...and then we compared how much we would save buying certain items and the savings in milk and bananas ALONE was more than the $50 joining cost. So we joined and we definitely shop there.

We don't buy many processed foods, but in Vermont anyway Costco has the cheapest milk, cheese, cream, bread, bananas, oranges, apples, spinach, organic carrots, coffee, and eggs.

That's really helpful, Prudence, thank you! With the organic produce box we're getting, I suspect that I'm right and that a membership there won't really help us, particularly given our tendency to be sucked in by "good deals" on things we don't really need.

[oceane]

ok, for real now

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

I'm 25, live with my DH in Hamburg, Germany and will have finished my masters next Friday. That means no job for me, yet (maybe for longer).

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.
my goal is spend less, not spend nothing. With only one income we're luckily not ona tight budget but I want to use preventive measures, no clue when we will actually have 2 incomes. Both of us love internet shopping, we tend to buy records and clothes on US websites (partly because we can't get those things here), and with postage and customs, that adds up! DH is hesitant to budget as he loves having money to spend after long student years. I just want to make sure we don't overdue this freedom. Also, we plan on having a baby soon (the sooner the better, oh well), so saving for additional costs would be helpful. If nothing else, anything saved can be used for a trip to Alaska next summer
I feel that I am drawn to consumerism much more than my green conscience can deal with. That's also a factor for me. I don't need any of these things!
That said, we do have a budget for fun things for each of us, which I won't put on the no list. And we have birthdays coming up that will not be affected by saving either.

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?

Definite nos:
NO US shopping on etsy or at record labels. At least not exceeding DH's or my fun budget.
NO amazon for me. I have just gotton 6 books for my birthday and I have a huge public library and even a university library as well.

Reducing:
sweets and cookies shopping at any store, particularly the health food store. bake cookies instead.

deciding spontaneously what's for dinner and realizing we need other things for that meal. We have a pantry. use that more often. this does not mean fruit or fresh vegetables, only for pasta, rice etc.

limit internet access to sites where I can't order anything

NO sweets from health food store 1/15
NO amazon purchase for myself 1/31
Days eating out of pantry 1/15

should talk to DH again tonight to figure out what he thinks. Since I cook half the nights I would be in charge half the time anyway.

[debbieh]

1. Hi! My name is Debbie. I am a working mom to a 16 yo dd. I also have 2 adult children. My husband is handicapped and on disability, so I am the sole provider for our family.

2. I have decided that I need to spend nothing, or next to nothing this month for a couple of reasons. The most important is that I just found out on Thursday of last week that I may not have a job for much longer. Which means that at 54 years old, I will be out looking again. That, to me is scary enough, without adding the pressure of providing for my family. Another reason that I need to not spend so much is that my husband is having some serious health issues right now and is going to need many more tests and possible surgeries, which we will have to pay part of.

3. My plan at this time is in progress. But so far, I am going to do what I used to do, what my mother taught me to do and make a menu for the week, shop by that menu and stick to it. That used to help me not to spend so much on groceries. Hopefully it will again. Each time I think I need something, I am going to take a couple of days to think about it first, rather than "impulse spend".

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Our first day! Let's get off to a great start...

Newcomers: WELCOME!!!! You will realize right away that no-spending is hard, hard work...so if you don't come right out of the gate with a perfect record...stick with us!! It DOES get easier and those first few days are by far the hardest. We are glad to have you starting this with us.

Experienced No-Spenders: I was just looking through the last few posts in September...way to go!!! We made some really strong progress last month. We definitely saw a lot of improvement and I'm really happy you were able to stick it through all the way to the end of the month. Just keeping at it is 75% of the battle, don't you think?

Here's to a strong money-saving October!!!

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

My Goals:

1. No Spend Days: 0/20
2. Let the Car Rest Days: 0/13
3. Gym Days: 0/16 (using what I've already paid for instead of spending more)

I'm taking off my McDonald's goal because I've almost gone 60 days without going there...so I'm hoping it is licked.

And I'm adding a goal of going to the Gym because we pay every month for my gym membership and I go...but not as often as I should.

One of my goals is to appreciate what I already have...and this is a prime example of not doing that. Instead of going shopping on weekends or heading over to ebay in the afternoons, I'm going to go to my gym more regularly. Gets me out of the house, good for my health, and already paid for.

[Petersmamma]

Okay, Oct 1: I've already spent money and it's 9:18 a.m.!

However, it was for gas in my car, without gas, I can't go to work. So, it's kinda important.

Oct 1: $36.85 (gas)--necessary purchase

[mamimapster]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

And I'm adding a goal of going to the Gym because we pay every month for my gym membership and I go...but not as often as I should.

One of my goals is to appreciate what I already have...and this is a prime example of not doing that. Instead of going shopping on weekends or heading over to ebay in the afternoons, I'm going to go to my gym more regularly. Gets me out of the house, good for my health, and already paid for.

I love this! One of my goals this month is to do more (low-impact) excercise. I'm trying to add in a Yoga routine into my everyday habits (Yoga is good for fertility) in the hope that excercise/relax more means eat less and spend less $$ due to stress eating.

[Taryn237]

1. & 2. I'm a SAHM to a 15 month DS. We're still adjusting to living on one income, we rent now and have no savings. We would like to buy a house but with no savings and barely affording $1100 of rent a month I don't see how. Houses where we live are $300K+ for a starter home. We are trying to convice DH's sis and her fiance to buy a 2 family with us (about $400K because then it would only be $200K each and we could afford that). Even then mortgage + taxes would be about $1600. We need to get into that mindset. We put everything on our credit card (and pay it in full every month) but when it gets above $1500 we get really really stressed. This month I really really want it under $1000. If it is we can save about $600 a month.

3. Spend less than $800 for the month. STAY HOME! Half the time I shop its because I'm bored. And don't shop online. Think "Do I want this? Do I need this?" before every purchase. I WILL record spending here.

(Exception: I'm selling our excess stuff online and using the money to buy Christmas presents through co-ops. I will not record that because I'm only using the money I actually make).

I joined halfway through last month and fell off after 10 days (not because of overspending just because I got lazy of keeping track) so I really really want to last the whole month!

[melissel]

Originally Posted by frog

That's really helpful, Prudence, thank you! With the organic produce box we're getting, I suspect that I'm right and that a membership there won't really help us, particularly given our tendency to be sucked in by "good deals" on things we don't really need.

Frog, I just wanted to chime in on this and say that I generally find that anything I can buy at Costco, I can buy just as cheaply (or more so) using coupons or sales. The difference is that at Costco, you don't have to wait, you can just buy everything in one fell swoop, rather than watching the sales, getting the coupons, going to the different stores, etc. Some things I buy when I go (under my mom's membership):

Canned salmon (for salmon patties)
Bags of individually packed frozen fish (not particularly environmentally friendly, but much more frugal given my tendency toward letting fresh stuff go bad or forgetting to thaw it in time)
Olive oil (EVOO for flavor and regular for frying)
Trail mix (for the occasional treats for the kids)
Coffee (when they have Starbucks, they don't always have it)
Bread (they have an all-natural kind that's decent)
Ecos laundry detergent (just tried this, don't know if I like it yet)
Organic broth (last time we were there they had one of the really good organic brands for a really good price)
Free-range, organic eggs
And probably a few other things.

I would buy the Earthbound Farms salad mix, but it inevitably has only 2-3 more days before the expiration, and for the extra dollar, I'd rather have more time to use it. Mine never has the organic meat/poultry/produce that some people say they find, and I think the organic milk is some questionable brand, like Horizon. I can usually buy Stonyfield or Organic Valley with coupons for the same price.

Honestly, if I had to pay for the membership, I wouldn't shop there, but if you can go with a current member, it's worth the trip. Maybe you can split a membership with someone else?

[frog]

More good input, melissel. It sounds like it's not right for our family--we try to buy local whenever possible (eggs, etc.), we don't eat meat, we don't drink milk, and we don't eat bananas .

Maybe I'll try to tag along with my friend KT at some point, though, to get the feel of it.

[melissel]

I'm all geared up! I've been making some money selling stuff on the TP here and on DS, so I'm feeling pretty good. I did buy some training pants and a book that I've been trying to find used (and that I will resell once I've read it), but that was before October started From here on out, I'm cracking down! Looking forward to saving with everyone

[melissel]

Originally Posted by frog

More good input, melissel. It sounds like it's not right for our family--we try to buy local whenever possible (eggs, etc.), we don't eat meat, we don't drink milk, and we don't eat bananas .

Maybe I'll try to tag along with my friend KT at some point, though, to get the feel of it.

Yep, that would make it hard to save money there!

[hotmamacita]

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?

I am hotmamacita. I homeschool my four children and on a slim budget. We can't really spend anything this month. Its not there. I don't need anything for schooling and we are okay on clothing until the weather turns.

My plan is to use and cook what I have, buy what I need and start making Christmas gifts now in my free time. My goal is to make four presents this month.

Anyway, I am glad I found this on October 1st.

I am going to the store and buying toilet paper. We have half a roll left.

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by frog

Costco question: For those of you with memberships, where do you see the biggest savings? I'm debating, but haven't taken the plunge, yet, as we really only buy cat food, litter and food on a new basis. All of our clothes and gifts are either thrifted or acquired via trade.

I find meat to be a huge savings, enough that its worth of the membership. I also get cereal and a few other items at our Sam's Club (: only warehouse club close to me).

Shay

[Cisne]

Ah, well, Sept was MUCH better for me, but I hope OCT. will be better yet! The big success of this board for me was that I've stopped going into thestores just to shop. I need some work on little things!

Oct. 1: Total spending:
1. 10 gas
2. 4 on breakfast and lunch
(really didn't need breakfast doughnut or school lunch-should have made at home).
Michele
Total 5 dollars wasted!

[Petersmamma]

Originally Posted by frog

Costco question: For those of you with memberships, where do you see the biggest savings? I'm debating, but haven't taken the plunge, yet, as we really only buy cat food, litter and food on a new basis. All of our clothes and gifts are either thrifted or acquired via trade.

We had a Sam's membership (no Costco close to us) but I didn't feel the $35 a year membership was worth it. We didn't use it for much (laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and dog food when we would go....I wouldn't make a special trip just for dog food, so I still ended up buying it at the pet store a lot) and we would tend to purchase things we didn't need because we saw them, wanted them, and knew they wouldn't be there next time.

If you are into the math nerd stuff, you could do a cost-benefits analysis!

[shayinme]

My name is Shay and I lost my job in July and dh who is a freelance writer has lost a substantial amount of business so we need to keep a close eye on our budget. Compared to where we were at the beginning of the year, we are down 50% in income. So in order to make the basics we are cutting down on everything.

I do have some challenges though, my eldest child is almost 16 and staying at his Dad's in Wisc (we are in Maine) this school year and he visits monthly so right now I am constantly searching for cheap plane tickets and when he is here it tends to blow our budget because I am responsible for clothes and a teen is hard to shop for on the cheap (he's 6'1 with a size 12 foot ).

As I am job searching and dh is self employed (coffee meetings, etc), its doubtful we will have no spending but if we could table our spending to maybe 15 no spend days I would be happy.

The other area that I am actively working on is reducing our grocery budget, i normally budget for $500 a month and spend $600 or so and I end up wasting a lot of food. So this month I am meal planning, and also trying to reduce the multiple trips to the store that result in over spending. We also buy bottled water (about $8 a week) and we are talking about getting a Brita filter to save money.

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

[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?

[momaste]

We have a Costco membership and they carry Organic Valley milk 2 for $9.75, so almost comparable to standard milk in the grocery store. Organic Valley is $5.99 a gallon elsewhere. I save on that and locally grown free range, organic eggs, $3.99 for 18. I have bought organic meat there, but since we bought a quarter of a cow earlier in the year, I don't need more meat. I also bought 7 local, pastured chickens, and we're working our way through those. I won't need to buy any meat in October! I also picked up my grain CSA shipment yesterday, so I won't need any grains this month, either.

I'll probably spend money this weekend. Our CSA is having a "Hoes Down Harvest Festival" with organic food, farm tours, a farmer's market and crafts, and live music. I'm happy to support them and their "on-farm benefit for sustainable agriculture", but it's $20 per person, $5 for kids, so at the very least we'll spend $45 for entry, plus food at the farmer's market.


I'm glad I started my no spend TODAY and not yesterday. Yesterday, I 1bought a lot of toddler clothes off Craigslist for $100 for more than 125 pieces, mostly brand names and in great condition. I separated it into 6 lots and posted them on Ebay. Boys lots go for a good $2-4 or more per item than I paid, so I should at least double my investment. I also kept quite a bit for DS, a whole fall wardrobe, getting those items essentially for free after the Ebay lots are sold. I'd post links to my Ebay listings, but that would encourage you no-spenders to spend, haha.

My goal for October is to earn/save $1000 by no-spending and doing extra jobs and selling stuff. I'd like to track that here, too, if no one minds!

I sold candles leftover from our wedding 3 years ago. That's $35 of the $1000already!

I also picked fruit off of neighbor's trees, with permission of course. I estimate my savings at $31.40 for lemons, limes, and oranges, and two enormous zucchinis. I juiced the lemons and limes into ice cube trays and will have juice cubes for when I need lemon or lime for a recipe or to liven up water. I'll shred the zucchini for the freezer later.

I've earned/saved $66.40 so far, and will report back after the Ebay sales to update.

October 1: No spending! +$66.40