November No-Spend Challenge ~ Come check in, it's time to get started saving money! - Page 57

[quelindo]

No-spend, no-drive (and no-sugar!) day today. A good way to end the month!

Is there a December thread yet? Oh heck, I'll go look! ETA: Found it!

11/1: $12.60 flowers for my mom's birthday
11/2: $23.23 gas for the car + $62.17 actual groceries at the farm ($25 raw milk, $8.38 ham slices & $28.79 raw cheese) + $10.58 treats at the farm ($2.73 chocolate bar, $3.90 granola bars & $3.95 egg nog)
11/3: $14.50 entrance to the zoo + $2.65 for candy
11/4:
11/5:
11/6: $36.67
11/7: $8.86 groceries
11/8: $5 Drano for our plugged kitchen sink
11/9:
11/10:
11/11:
11/12:
11/13: $11.37 post office to mail things I'm selling + $45.88 hardware store for rakes, a dowel, a retractable laundry line and insulating foam + $129.95 necessary groceries + $29.02 non-necessary groceries
11/14: $7 Starbucks
11/15: $30.12 gas for the car + $23 Thanksgiving meal supplies from the gluten-free store + $10.65 treats from the gluten-free store
11/16:
11/17: $10 for Dh's niece's birthday
11/18:
11/19:
11/20: $116.72 necessary groceries + $1.39 non-necessary groceries
11/21:
11/22:
11/23: $40 Irish cap for DH
11/24:
11/25: $20 stepson's birthday gift + $6.33 Children's Motrin + $27.72 Frontier order + $37.66 wiper blades & RainX for cars + $3.18 for candy
11/26: $68.35 necessary groceries
11/27: $40.79 toilet paper from Amazon.com
11/28: $5.26 for 9V battery and padded mailer + $196 United buying club deposit + $25.09 gas for the car + $0.80 library fine
11/29: $41 on stamps for our Christmas cards + $4.60 postage to mail two books sold on Half.com
11/30:

KEY:
True no spend
Necessary spending
Unnecessary spending

[Smithie]

November 11th: $161 (book I will return, outfit, eye cream dp and I both use)

November 12th: my 30th birthday! $100 retainer to lawyer to form our new company (I'm the President, whee!), $2.12 for DVDs to copy wedding photos, $2 parking, $29 bar tab.

November 13th: no-drive, no-spend. MIL returned my Spenser novel (the newest one, Now and Then) to Costco and put the $$ back on my card.

November 14th: $30 budgeted spend on frames for the Xmas present pictures. MIL bought lunch. I called to turn on our utilities and cable, but won't get charged for any of that until we close on the house next month.

November 15th: Went to the zoo. Admission was covered by reciprocal membership, but we spent $8 on tokens to ride the carousel. A good day!

November 16th: $70 grocery order, $2.12 for still more DVDs to copy wedding pics, $54 taking ds to hibachi grill (he loved it!).

November 17th: Traveling. $8.60 for airport breakfast, $100 for transport back to the house, $230 to petsitter.

November 18th: Hello, jetlagged! $69 for massage to address shooting back/arm pain from flight. $3.08 for more groceries after using Fred Meyer gift card.

November 19th: Used Starbucks card for breakfast, $22 at restaurant after Mom's Night Out volunteer work. Deeply humbled by stuffing bags of used clothes for needy children.

November 20th: Made $325 selling the Le Creuset I never use, and now I don't have to pack and move it! $16.33 for new watch, $60.39 for replacements/additions to our dishware. $13.64 for McDonald's, $160 hair removal (ouch!), $33 necessary groceries.

November 21st: I think this was a no-drive, no-spend day!!!

November 22nd: $28 at Denny's. Their roast turkey dinner sucks.

November 23rd: $24 at Subway.

November 24th: Aaaargh. $130 at Fred Meyer ($35 space bags for move and computer game for ds, $95 groeries/dipes), $48 gas, $4.50 McDonald's, $4.50 Subway.

November 25th: No-spend, we baked goodies to take to our local AP group family potluck!

Noveber 26th: $1 library fines, maybe $11 MacDonald's lunch, freaking $210 for chiro care through the end of the year bc I used up my insurance benefit.

November 27th: $12.80 to patch flat tire. Thank goodness I got that AAA membership!

November 28th: Used Starbucks gift card for breakfast. It's all gone now! $30.30 for Japanese takeout for dinner.


November 29th: : So. bad. today. At least $50 on totally frivolous groceries - alcohol and chocolate!!! Good grief!

November 30th: Got my period today. Well, at least I know why I couldn't resist the alcohol and chocolate yesterday

And my CC statement closes at the end of the month - and it's not impressive this month Here's to a more frugal December!

GOALS:

Kid's Xmas gifts: 45/150
Xmas gifts for others: 30/100
Groceries: 258/100

[annethcz]

Woo Hoo. Ended the month with a

Nov. 1- $13.32 at Natural Foods store
Nov. 2- $37.85 on pizza delivery
Nov. 3-
Nov. 4-
Nov. 5-
Nov. 6-
Nov. 7-
Nov. 8- $10.57 on fast food lunch (not budgeted), $17 on gas, $210.46 on groceries.
Nov. 9-
Nov. 10- $5 at hardware store for painting supplies, $12 at feed store for softener salt
Nov. 11-
Nov. 12-
Nov. 13-
Nov. 14- $46.75 for gas, $23 for lunch out with DH, $13 at Goodwill ($9 pants for me, $4 house decoration). All within budget.
Nov. 15- $45.42 for dairy and produce at grocery store. Also made $6 selling 2 dozen eggs at homeschool co-op.
Nov. 16-
Nov. 17- $44 for pizza delivery
Nov. 18-
Nov. 19- DH spent $18.07 at the grocery store because the dinner I was planning got ruined :
Nov. 20- $15.08 at the grocery store, $45.27 on gas
Nov. 21- $63.74 at Natural food store for Thanksgiving Turkey, $5.53 for a sandwich at Panera, $80.02 at Target for Christmas and Birthday Presents ($13 niece Xmas, $20 DS2 bday, $20 DD1 bday, $7 DH Xmas, $13 Xmas secret pal)
Nov. 22-
Nov. 23-
Nov. 24- $205.58 at the grocery store, $15.25 at the liquor store
Nov. 25-
Nov. 26-
Nov. 27- $36.25 for gas
Nov. 28- $20 lunch out with an old friend, $22.73 at Target
Nov. 29- $19.50 for fast food
Nov. 30-

My goals:
Lunch out: 2/2
Stay within 15 miles of home: 20/24
No frivolous spending: 24/30
Track Grocery spending: $569.65
Track Eating out/take out spending: $160.45
Track gasoline spending: $145.27
Track spending/income on chickens: $2.02spending/$6income

[Iris' Mom]

11/1: NO SPEND
11/2: 31.27 at Staples (including 14.98 for new keyboard, and other necessary office supplies); 35.00 at grocery store, including $20 for care package for niece.
11/3: $265.89 at Target (including $215 on X-Mas (still w/i budget, but close), and $40 on home essentials. $10 frivolous).
11/4 $38 and change on groceries, all necessary.
11/5 $36 on parking Exhorbitant, but necessary for driving into the city to file a complaint that could net me $$$ if it's successful.
11/6 $36.48 on groceries, plus $2 on lottery ticket ; $22.71 on gas
11/7: NO SPEND
11/8: $28 eating out (within budget); $60 to place ad for puppies (forgot to budget for this)
11/9: $36 eating out (last budgeted meal out); $125 on gift cards for X-Mas (now, I'm $50 over budget); $65.00 at Build-a-Bear (all over budget); $48 on groceries; $9 on medicine; $86 on holiday cards (I forgot to budget for this, and this is more than I wanted to spend); $13 on hat and mittens for DS2; $230 on violin rental for DD (not in budget).
11/10: NO SPEND
11/11: NO SPEND
11/12: $16 on photo development; $15 on meds and $42 on groceries
11/13: $48 on groceries, AGAIN, but returned baby hat and gloves and tub ring for $13 and $25 refund
11/14: Jury duty . . . late . . . $5 coffee and donuts. 11:30 break from ceaseless waiting, $6 on hotdog and chips, 1:00 lunch break, planned not to eat, but I've already scoured the newspaper, even the sports page, $15 Thai food, home at last, to worn out to cook, $15 pizza. Good thing I'm not doing a weight loss challenge.
11/15: $90 at hair salon, forgot to budget, but I'm just not ready to go gray yet.
11/16: NO SPEND. Plus, sold a kitty today, so there's X-Mas, hurray!
11/17: $18 for pizza, couldn't get myself out of the house today for groceries. But, another kitty went home today, just waiting on one more for next week!
11/18: NO SPEND
11/19: $37 for gas; 25 cents for air
11/20: $168 for groceries (high because I had some good coupons, so it'll save money later); $20 at McDonald's (not in budget); $85 at vet
11/21: $20 copay at doctors
11/22: $4.00 coffee and $14 for lunch on the road to my sister's for Thanksgiving.
11/23: NO SPEND. Plus, made $500 selling my last kitty!
11/24: $38 for gas, and $15 for McDonald's.
11/25: $75 on Chinese food (unexpected company with no food in the house) I'd be so much better at this if I didn't abhor cooking.
11/26: $24 on groceries
11/27: NO SPEND
11/28: NO SPEND
11/29: $20 copay
11/30: NO SPEND

[mumkenna&lucas]

11/1
11/2 : BUDGETED spend--38.40 Christmas gifts (@ Jewelry party)
11/3
11/4
11/5
11/6
11/7
11/8
11/9
11/10
11/11 $31.05 Lake Tahoe trip
11/12 : BUDGETED spend $32--Christmas gift for ds
11/13 $29 Dd Christmas outfit
11/14
11/15
11/16 :BUDGETED spend $13 christmas gift for dd
11/17 $44.28 disney store, $13.00 gap :
11/18
11/19
11/20
11/21
11/22
11/23 $181.63 old navy, $26.40 Bath and Body
11/24
11/25
11/26 $48.63 Christmas gift for dd
11/27 $29.24 gap, $24.93 pac sun
11/28
11/29
11/30

Goals:
No spend days: 23/23
No DS, Etsy, DT: 27/27
Non-essential spending $428.16/$200:
Save, Save, Save!!


Yay! Bye-bye November!!

[BrooklynDoula]

Originally Posted by New Mama

I guess it depends on how much time you have. I personally would take an afternoon (or whatever) and hunt through thrift stores. After that I'd check out consignment stores. And after that I'd go to Target and buy something nice but reasonably priced (I'm becoming more into buying good quality clothes that last, but this is special situation).

I have one day It is on Sunday, so tomorrow is it for looking nd we have a few other things to do as well. I might just have to make it work. I need some tights, though. I think with that I can likely pull it off. If I got a new shirt, that would be perfect.

[mrskennedy]

30 Dec rent, groceries and cups for DS, gave BIL shipping money--all budgeted. $$$$$ to the tune of 200 + for the ND/chiro/Reiki/supplements/testing and so on and so on necessary but not budgeted. Taken from savings, which is now non-existent :
Here's hoping Dec will be better--MUCH better!
Well, at least I'm feeling better physically/emotionally already. The ND was more than worth it!

[chely7425]

I made my goals!! Too lazy to find my old posts... but I haven't spent anything since I last posted!! Woot Woot!!

[DesireeH]

Nov 4:
Nov 5: $12 at In and Out, bought food for my photography models
Nov 6: :$26 to have an etsy mom make me a sign for my car (but that is advertising so hopefully I MAKE money from that! LOL)
Nov 7:
Nov 8:
Nov 9: $6.90 at Starbucks. : $82 on groceries (stayed in budget, woot!)
Nov 10:
Nov 11:
Nov 12:
Nov 13: $18 whiskey and wine (on sale!) :
Nov 14:
Nov 15:
Nov 16: 42.58 at Target for necessities (dogfood, soap, etc), $61 at Trader Joes, $8 Vons, $35 gas, $11 Petco (wound medicine) $30 on postage (but made money on ebay for that)
Nov 17:
Nov 18:
Nov 19:
Nov 20:
Nov 21: made $62.50.....spent $61 of that on groceries
Nov 22:
Nov 23: spent $48 at Staples.com for SansDisk UltraII cards....needed them for my biz and they are a KILLER deal right now. MADE $44.66 on ebay today!
Nov 24: 5.50 at Apple Farm, $8 on postage, made $100
Nov 25:
Nov 26: $71.42 at grocery store, used cash I made on the 24th.
Nov 27: 10.63 at post office (for ebay) in budget
Nov 28: $28 for gas (used cash)
Nov 29: $40 for gas for DH (but he's using cash he made from selling a tool, go dh!)
Nov 30: groceries $71.11 and 4.31 for detergent at Target (in budget) Today was mortgage paying day, OUCH. LOL I'm looking forward to doing this in December! WOOT!

[mamamilkers]

11/01: $27 on WAY over-due library fines and a book that DD ripped :. $17.50 on costume stuff from Target's Halloween clearance. $4 on a cup for DD from Starbucks.
11/02: no spend!
11/03: no spend!
11/04: no spend!
11/05: no spend!
11/06: no spend!
11/07: no spend!
11/08: $2 on hot chocolate for DD and $5 on a sandwich for me
11/09: $50 on dinner and ice cream. We ate out on the road and spent over what we typically spend on going out to eat (like, double). We also stopped at Dairy Queen.
11/10: no spend!
11/11: no spend!
11/12: no spend!
11/13: $15 on aquarium admission
11/14: $5 on water and treats for DD and I at Target
11/15: no spend!
11/16: no spend!
11/17: $16 on drinks and snacks for DD and I on our date. $20 on new art supplies for DD.
11/18: $3 on hot chocolate.
11/19: no spend!
11/20: $6 on ice cream.
11/21: no spend!
11/22: no spend!
11/23: no spend!
11/24: $12 on Starbucks and junk food. $26 at Hallmark. Oh! I made $5 on craigslist, though!
11/25: $40 on take-out. $8 on food at the basketball game. Made $5 on craigslist.
11/26: no spend!
11/27: $23 on toys for my older DD.
11/28: $4 at Starbucks.
11/29: $16 on tacos.
11/30: no spend!

Total in un-budgeted spending: $260.50

1. 17/20 no-spend days.
2. $222/$300 on groceries and household items for Nov 23-Dec 6
3. $69.50/$0 spent on my DDs (who are in need of NOTHING!)
4. $0/$0 on the credit card
5. $319/$315 personal spending on anything I wish

KEY:
=true no-spend
=spending within the budget
=out of budget spending

Well, I ended the month on a bang! Not only did I "no spend" but I truly didn't spend anything! Phew! Off to December!

[mamamilkers]

MSAX I would just go to Target or Old Navy and get something to wear with the skirt. Maybe if it's a nice shirt that isn't super fitted you can still wear it for a bit even after you start losing weight? You can also jazz up a plain shirt with a cute scarf or something, too! Have fun!!!!

[FamilyFriendlyLife]

Nov. 1:
Nov. 2:
Nov. 3: $2.50 (DD's "Princesses" backpack)
Nov. 4:
Nov. 5:
Nov. 6:
Nov. 7:
Nov. 8:
Nov. 9:
Nov. 10:
Nov. 11:
Nov. 12:
Nov. 13:
Nov. 14:
Nov. 15:
Nov. 16:
Nov. 17:
Nov. 18: $42 over on grocery budget
Nov. 19:
Nov. 20: $5 library fine - returned museum pass late
Nov. 21: :
Nov. 22:
Nov. 23:
Nov. 24:
Nov. 25:
Nov. 26: $12 takeout pizza & library fine
Nov. 27: $136 groceries overbudget
Nov. 28:
Nov. 29:
Nov. 30:

See you all in December!

Kim

GOALS:
* Less than $100 in frivolous/overbudget spending: month to date $192.50
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 25/30
* Avoid Target: 29/30
* Pack snacks/water for outings: 30/30
* NO library fines: month to date $8
* Stay within grocery budget: $608/$430
* Stay within eating out budget: $101/$80

[vivalamama]

Very busy day to end the month, with some spending , but all in budget and planned. Last night we did end up ordering pizza, which came out of our entertainment budget. Ended up under budget for the month for groceries, my non-essential spending, and entertainment; and met goal of more s than s



***********************************************
Nov 1 : $499!!! fuel pump for car, $5 kiddie gym Made $$
Nov 2 fast food (my cash) Made $$
Nov 3 in budget spending for DD's birthday party
Nov 4 toys to exchange for DDs halloween candy Made $$
Nov 5 costco, in budget, 2.50 on pizza (my cash), 8.50 candy for gma
Nov 6 groceries, under budget!, gasoline, csa
Nov 7
Nov 8
Nov 9 kids yoga class, out to dinner 28 in budget
Nov 10 + no drive
Nov 11 + no drive
Nov 12 snacks (my cash)
Nov 13 groceries, gasoline, christmas gifts, post office
Nov 14 $ for school field trip and $4.00 tea and pastry (my cash)
Nov 15 portraits and 3.20 happy meal for DD2 (my cash)
Nov 16 6.50 fast food :
Nov 17 dh's gift on ebay, no drive
Nov 18 birthday gift 2.47
Nov 19
Nov 20 2.50 over grocery budget (so close!); gasoline
Nov 21 thanksgiving supplies $5
Nov 22
Nov 23 + no drive
Nov 24 + no drive
Nov 25 christmas gifts, socks + no drive
Nov 26 + no drive
Nov 27 grocery, gasoline, co-op, csa; all in budget!
Nov 28 christmas gifts
Nov 29 pizza, in budget + no drive
Nov 30 dr visit, supplements, tea with friends (my cash), christmas gift

KEY: no spend in budget unbudgeted, unplanned, or unwise

***********************************************
The Plan:
Make a weekly meal plan and stick to the grocery list 4/4
Groceries once a week only ($75 or less, not incl weekly CSA) 4/4
Fill gas once a week only on grocery day 4/4
Non-essential spending for me 43.60/$50
Current tally: = 9 = 7

Record each purchase to track spending
Pack snacks and water every time we get in the car

Make list of Christmas 'giftees' and create holiday budget done
DD1 Birthday 117/$120 done
Give DH cash for the month for gasoline and fun money done
Only ONE stock-up trip to Costco 1/1 done