November No-Spend Challenge ~ Come check in, it's time to get started saving money! - Page 8

[FamilyFriendlyLife]

Nov. 1:

Started off with a true no-spend day. Good luck to all on meeting your November goals!

Kim

GOALS:
* Less than $100 in frivolous spending: month to date $0
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 1/30
* Avoid Target: 1/30
* Pack snacks/water for outings: 1/3O
* NO library fines: month to date $0
* Stay within grocery budget: $0/$430

[mrskennedy]

01 spent $596.78 rent/water, $407 heating oil, $4 winter clothes for DS--thrift. made $23.40 writing and GPT, $64 from Mom

Totals:
No spend: 0/30
Budgeted spending: 1/30
Unbudgeted, necessary spending: 0/30
Unbudgeted, unnecessary spending: 0/30
Made/saved $: 1/30

Budgeted extras:
Winter clothes for DS
Rug for DS's room
Christmas pics of DS
Pic frames
Presents: DS, DH, sis and BIL--if money allows

[mrskennedy]

Originally Posted by 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.

Your DD should be glad she isn't my DD! B/c I'd say, "If you're old enough to drink coffee/whatever you get from Starbucks, you're old enough to pay for it!" Of course, I might not say that if we had more at our disposal... But maybe I would. I won't know until we do, I guess, and/or until I have a coffee-drinking DD! (Don't know what DC2 will be, so could happen!)

[vivalamama]

wow, what a way to start the month. huge car repair that came out of savings. looking for ways to re-allocate budget categories this month to pay back savings. Made $40 bucks selling used diapers so that's going right to the bank. ugh. took dd2 to the open gym time- need to find alternate/free ways to get lots of exercise, indoors! (cause mama's a weenie and it's supposed to snow tonight)

***********************************************
Nov 1 : $499!!! fuel pump for car, $5 kiddie gym Made $$ selling used dipes

***********************************************
The Plan:
Only ONE stock-up trip to Costco 0/1
Make a weekly meal plan and stick to the grocery list 0/4
Groceries once a week only ($75 or less, not incl weekly CSA) 0/4
Fill gas once a week only on grocery day 0/4
Record each purchase to track spending
Pack snacks and water every time we get in the car
Non-essential spending for me 0/$50
DD1 Birthday 0/$120
Give DH cash for the month for gasoline and fun money done
Make list of Christmas 'giftees' and create holiday budget.

[SugarAndSun]

OK, here's the dilemma. I budgeted $250 for DH and me to race this month. If I don't race (can't stop DH ) we would save $125. DH says we should just do them (the two mountain bike duathlons) together since we already have babysitters for two of them (we could leave out the turkey trot on Thanksgiving since it's only a 5k). Should I do them?

[frog]

Iris mama (and anyone who quoted her), could you add a return to your long hyphenated thing? It's messing with the margins. Thank you.

November 1:
November 2:

Goals:

Pack lunch every day at work: 2/19
Take bus to work every day: 2/19

[kalisis]

Ok, well, yesterday I spent $21 on groceries. It was all healthy though and will probably make lunch for the next couple of days. So, it was ok. I successfully avoiding buying coffee tho, so yay!

I found a great recipe to make "at home" frappucinos and I have to say, it's really yummy. And my mom's blender, which is 30 years old, works better than any blender I ever had (including my VitaMix...go figure). Yum! Then I made lattes using the hillbilly housewife's recipe - which cost nearly nothing. So, a good day.

[kalisis]

Originally Posted by SugarAndSun

OK, here's the dilemma. I budgeted $250 for DH and me to race this month. If I don't race (can't stop DH ) we would save $125. DH says we should just do them (the two mountain bike duathlons) together since we already have babysitters for two of them (we could leave out the turkey trot on Thanksgiving since it's only a 5k). Should I do them?

I'd do them. Chalk it up to the same as if you'd had a date night and maybe take an extra hour afterwards to just "be" together.

[brennasmom]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us anything you think it would help us to know about yourself.
: I am a married. WOHM momma to 2 fabulous kids. Super busy and trying to keep the budget in line!

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

To work towards becoming debt free! We paid off our van last month. But DH needs jaw surgery in the spring which will be $$$$$. We also have one more (huge) car note plus a huge mortgage. It will be a long road but every bit helps

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

* Check in here everyday. Really helps minimize my spending.
* Take lunch to work everyday.
* Carry no cash.
* Only $100 eating out money

Nov 1:

[meandk0610]

1 - drove

frugal plan:

groceries/pets 0/600
no drive days 0/10
work on homemade x-mas presents
go to ap/crunchy/homeschool playgroups within 30 minutes of our house
continue hang/rack drying clothes
stick to grocery list and use cash!
finally make some family cloth (this has been on the list since july)
eat less
donate or sell extra stuff
do better than last month!

sarah

[leomom]

Originally Posted by SugarAndSun

1st 3.50 on 2 coffees


I was soooo tired today. I really have to start making all my coffee at home again. Why does the coffee I buy taste so much better?

For me, I enjoy eating out b/c someone else is doing the work and I'm being pampered which rarely happens. Maybe you could get someone to make coffee for you sometimes? My friend and I used to take turns coming over for coffee in the mornings...

Originally Posted by Kewpie

Nov 1: Starbucks 6.99. DH pulled $20 in cash. Drove 50 miles roundtrip to visit a friend.

Ok, so November isn't off to a great start. :

I was thinking of going to Target tomorrow to check out sales on Halloween costumes. This year I spent WAAAY too much on 1, next year I have 3 to buy for. Dunno what to do.

What sizes will you need? I cab send you the ones we've outgrown.

Originally Posted by boogiemonster

Today STARTED well...

I remembered that I had told a friend that I'd split shipping with her on some diaper covers...they're not anything I need right away and can look for more Compact-friendly ones in the meantime, so I emailed her to call it off.

My aunt starts work on Monday so I suggested we meet for coffee...at her house or mine.

Then...ended up at the birthing centre for a non-stress test and found out my blood pressure is going up, which kind of worries and depresses me, so DH took us out for dinner. Bad for the wallet, but I insisted we at least be somewhat Compact-friendly and eat at a locally-owned restaurant, which, BTW, has amazing food.

Good start to the day, bad ending.

Someone please take pity on me and tell me how to find out about this compact. I had no luck with google.

Originally Posted by SugarAndSun

OK, here's the dilemma. I budgeted $250 for DH and me to race this month. If I don't race (can't stop DH ) we would save $125. DH says we should just do them (the two mountain bike duathlons) together since we already have babysitters for two of them (we could leave out the turkey trot on Thanksgiving since it's only a 5k). Should I do them?

It sounds like this is a way for you and dh to connect, I say do it!


Why, why are my margins screwy?????

[Scribe]

So it's pretty clear that there is no way I'm doing all my Christmas gifts for $100. Budget reworking may be in order...

Nov 1: $30 charitable giving, from checking; $11 Savers gifts, from checking; $2 Pepsi, from cash; $15 co-op groceries, from joint; $4 library fines, from cash. All w/in budget.
Nov 2: $35 Xmas gift for my partner, from checking, w/in budget.

November budget update:

To joint account: $2,000/$2,000.00
To student loan: $0/$257.60
To savings: $0/$100.00
To charity: $30/$50.00
To Visa: $0/$184.20
To Discover: $0/$500.00
Cash: $6/$100.00
Christmas presents: $46/$100.00

November goals:

1. STICK TO BUDGET!!
2. No new credit card purchases, aside from Christmas plane tickets.
3. Finish closing out all old CC accounts (I think I may have a big enough credit to buy said plane tix, but I'm not sure).
4. Continue excellent trend of not buying coffee or lunch at work. Aim for no more than 1 coffee/week and 1 lunch/week.
5. Thrift for Christmas presents.

[mysticpi]

1. me ( but my partner I wonder if I should be recording her expenses too?)

KEY:
True no spend
Spending within budget
Spending outside budget

- Keep track of what we spend this month. 1/30 (but I still need to add to excell sheet)
Yesterday I read about freedom accounts in the It's your money website http://www.mdmproofing.com/iym/
which is a way to keep track of money for expenses that don't happen every month and it's GREAT! I have to set up a second checking account for it- I feel in control of my money YEYYY!!
- Keep groceries/household to 300$ 0/300
- Keep eating out to 100$ 0/100
- Pack lunches for myself and my partner 1/30

[***Heather***]

*November*

DH is laid off (hopefully temporarily) from lack of work. I have to cut down some of my budgeted spending. He's still insisting that I go to Montreal, but I have to think about it and see where we are. He will be getting unemployment. It's 55% of gross pay and should be "enough".

1
2


Budgeted Spending:
$175 Groceries***pantry challenge
$60 Gas
$15 whatever my heart desires
$20 at thrift shop and book sale... looking for material, boots, sweaters, and pretty things
$150 trip to Montreal with sisters to visit another sister. (Includes: $60 bus ticket, $17 for a 3 day bus/metro pass, food, museums etc. We stay for free at my sisters')

[Hollysmom]

November 1 - No spend day

Today is looking good as well. Brought my breakfast and lunch to work so I am really going to try and control myself.

Gotta go back and read the thread now.

$0/$400 Groceries (this is quite a bit less than we normally spend, but really want to eat out of the pantry/freezer this month)
$0/$50 for misc coffee, snacks, lunches out etc.
No spend 1/10
No restaurant/take-out 1/20

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01.. ,
02..

Goals:
2/20 No Spend Days
1/15 Let the Car Rest Days

[mumkenna&lucas]

Originally Posted by SugarAndSun

OK, here's the dilemma. I budgeted $250 for DH and me to race this month. If I don't race (can't stop DH ) we would save $125. DH says we should just do them (the two mountain bike duathlons) together since we already have babysitters for two of them (we could leave out the turkey trot on Thanksgiving since it's only a 5k). Should I do them?

I'd do them..Time with dh well spent!

[mumkenna&lucas]

Originally Posted by avengingophelia

November budget update:

To joint account: $2,000/$2,000.00
To student loan: $0/$257.60
To savings: $0/$100.00
To charity: $30/$50.00
To Visa: $0/$184.20
To Discover: $0/$500.00
Cash: $6/$100.00
Christmas presents: $46/$100.00

avengingophelia, I really like how you have done this! It keeps everything in check! I might steal your idea for this later :

[polyhymnia]

So, I am jumping on board here. Trying to curb my spending. My credit card bill (EVERYTHING I buy/spend is on here - groceries, gas, eating out, Blockbuster subscription, gifts, random stuff that I buy, EVERYTHING) is usually around $1500/mo - I'd like to drop this down to about $1200/mo. I am working on getting everything categorized in Quicken to make it easier to track categories, and working on making a budget.

In the meantime I am trying to cut down in two main areas: buying food/drinks at work, and buying random stuff (yarn, scrapbooking, stuff for swaps, etc). To this end I recently signed up for a STASH swap rather than an actual swap, and I have decided not to continue either of my Yarn of the Month club subscriptions.

I'm getting better about bringing my lunch to work - I've started making it the night before so I can't use the "I overslept" excuse. Also I have stockpiled some snacks at my desk so I don't hit the cafe when I just need a snack. So far I have rice cakes and peanut butter, raisins, a couple of cans of soup, some tea bags and a small bag of chocolates. I would LOVE to have some fruit or veg but I don't have a fridge so they don't keep very well.

Anyway the thing that is going to be really hard is that it's getting cold out, so I want hot chocolate I have hot chocolate at my desk but I hate washing out my mug :P Hopefully I can get better about this!

I am looking forward to this challenge.... and hope that I can be successful!

I will keep track of what I spend here:
11/1 Postage for mitten swap: $8.15
11/2 cream cheese for bagel: $0.88

[excitedtobeamom]

Nov.1-$13 on pizza (first time in 2 months-huge improvement!) and $65 on massage (gift) a bit of a splurge but in budget




Goal-stick to budget with a very busy and hectic month coming up plus Christmas shopping