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December No-Spend Challenge -- Holidays are going strong...you can do it! - Page 8

post #141 of 547
12/4/07 at 2:46pm
1st $30 gas; $25 thrift store
2nd $152 food (this should last for two weeks -- 12/16)
3rd
4th

I will NOT patronize any fast food places!
I will NOT patronize any big box stores except Home Depot if necessary.

GOALS:
Food from the grocery store: $152/$500
Eating out: $0/$25 (DH has the same amount)
gas: $30/$200
races (DH and me): $0/$50 (I might use mine toward yoga though)
Christmas: $0/$150
Misc.: $25/$25


4/31 NO FAST FOOD! 4/31 NO BIG BOX STORES!


KEY: : True no spend Spending within budget : Spending outside budget

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post #142 of 547
12/4/07 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
01..
02.. $2 bagels
03.. ,
04..

3/20 No spend days
1/10 Let the car rest days

Still snowing...took the car to go sledding with the kids...so driving but still not spending any money.
post #143 of 547
12/4/07 at 6:43pm
Dec 1:
Dec 2: (and made $175 on craigslist!)
Dec 3: post office $16.58 in budget
Dec 4: groceries and household items... $62 in budget
post #144 of 547
12/4/07 at 6:47pm
1 - 36.99 groceries, drove
2 - 20.95 dd's toothpaste, no driving
3 - 266.51 groceries, drove
4 - 4.49 video rental, drove

frugal plan:

groceries/pets 324.45/250
bad spending 4.49/0
no drive days 1/12
work on homemade x-mas presents
go to ap/crunchy/homeschool playgroups within 30 minutes of our house
hang/rack drying clothes
meal plan
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
post #145 of 547
12/4/07 at 6:51pm
Dec. 1-
Dec. 2-
Dec. 3- spent $1.48 at post office, $12.50 at the grocery store, made $3 selling eggs
Dec. 4-
Dec. 5-
Dec. 6-
Dec. 7-
Dec. 8-
Dec. 9-
Dec. 10-
Dec. 11-
Dec. 12-
Dec. 13-
Dec. 14-
Dec. 15-
Dec. 16-
Dec. 17-
Dec. 18-
Dec. 19-
Dec. 20-
Dec. 21-
Dec. 22-
Dec. 23-
Dec. 24-
Dec. 25-
Dec. 26-
Dec. 27-
Dec. 28-
Dec. 29-
Dec. 30-
Dec. 31-

My goals for the month of December:
Track Grocery Spending: $12.50/$500
Track eating out/take out spending: 0/$100
Track my gasoline spending: 0/$160
Track household spending: $1.48
Track gift spending:
Track frivolous spending: 0/$0
Track spending/income on chickens: $3 income
No frivolous spending: 4/31 days
No credit card use: 4/31 days
Stay within 15 miles of home: 4/25 days
post #146 of 547
12/4/07 at 7:40pm
Ok: will add more to this post since I haven't put in any goals.
Dec 1-
2:-22.50 lunch w/Dd, Thrift 8.72 (stock & gifts for Dd), FREE two wheeler for Dd from Freecycle (too cold to use it right now, but I anticipate it getting a lot of use in spring/summer)
3:-Groceries 90.18 (and I'm not DONE-this week is a Holiday),snack 5.83,gas 23.01,thrift25.83 post 2.67,Present for Dp 54.00,Dipe Online10.00--spent waaaay too much today!:
4:-+51.67book Buyback YAYY!, 5.18-lunch

33.86 :
GOALS(thanks to those with wise ideas!):

Do at least one better on all of these categories this month than last month:
1.At least 16 days 2/30
2.Pack snacks/water for outings/School: 1/30
3.At least two no-car days per week 1/8
4.NO library fines: month to date 0
5. Come here lots
6.Make lists and stick to them
7. Avoid buying my sweets and bake more. 0/5-need to figure out how to want to cook with Morning sickness!
8. earn at least 50.00 in sellables this month
9. tally of evil under 100

Acceptable spending:

Twin Sheets- Still looking......
Chanukah gift items (only a couple of small things, Chanukah is a minor holiday)-should be done by tomorrow-Chanukah starts tonight!
Stock & sellable items
post #147 of 547
12/4/07 at 7:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamamilkers View Post
Just go to your last post and cut it and then paste it in to a new reply
I do it a little different. I go to my last post, hit the quote button then remove the quote tags and add on.
post #148 of 547
12/4/07 at 8:35pm
12/01: $3 on replacing a book of a friends that my little DD ruined. $12 on lunch for bigger DD and I. $2 on a hot apple cider for me. $15 on winter boots for DD. Made $5 on Craigslist!
12/02: no spend! Made $10 on Craigslist!
12/03: no spend!
12/04: no spend! Made $20 on Craigslist!

1. 0/20 no-spend days.
2. $298/$300 on groceries and household items for Nov 23-Dec 6.
3. $0/$0 on the credit card.
4. $420/$600 budget for Christmas gifts.
5. $15/$0 on my DDs (other than Christmas gifts, of course!)

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

I drove with the gas light on because I wanted a true no-spend day
post #149 of 547
12/4/07 at 9:03pm
Today was drive/spend. I avoided all fast food and coffee, even though I wanted it SO badly.


1 - $191.30 on groceries (budgeted)
2 - true no spend no drive
3 - $50 gas (budgeted)
4 - $50 Staples (stuff to mail stuff I sold, tape, printer cartridges)
$5 to ship the stuff I sold
Most of this will get reimbursed through work or paid for with profits from sales. All budgeted/necessary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/12 no drive days
1/15 no spend at all days
0/8 take out/restaurant meals
0/$100 take out/restaurant meals
3/31 turn off the computer nights
$0/$50 mad money
$191.30/$500 groceries


Possible Pitfalls:
1. DS' first bday and first Christmas. I don't have a plan for spending yet on these things and I need to get one.

2. Christmas itself. I host dinner. We already have the main course, but I need sides and desserts. I need a budget for this.

3. Holiday guests. Usually end up going out to eat or spending more. Need to make sure not to lose sight of my goals in all of this.
post #150 of 547
12/4/07 at 9:07pm
Dec. 1 - $20 for Lunch {McDonalds} Made $535 holding Yardsale!
Dec. 2 - $15 for entertainment book {will get $10 GC & $6 rebate back - so free!} Made $513.51 from ebay auction!
Dec. 3 - : $35 USPS shipping to ship ebay items, $2112.21 Taxes on house, $81.13 groceries - all need/sale items!
Dec. 4 - : $27 at thrift store {books to sell & misc}, $135 water bill {yes - we had a leak!}, $240 Cable {double payment} Made $114.50 selling things on craigslist, and $21.44 selling on half.com

True no spend
: Necessary spending
: Unnecessary spending

1. 15 no spend days 2/15
2. 20 Eat at home Days 3/20
3. 20 Stick to the List Days {We grocery Game} 3/15
4. Craigslist/Ebay/Half.com/yardsale Goal $1184.45/700
5. Surveys 0/?
6. Stick to the grocery Budget! 81.13/475
7. Blow Funds 54/150
post #151 of 547
12/4/07 at 10:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamimapster View Post
I do it a little different. I go to my last post, hit the quote button then remove the quote tags and add on.
I actually go to my last post, hit the edit button, copy and then reply to the thread and paste into my new reply! Six of one...

Today DS and I had a nice playdate and then went to our "second-tier" grocery store, since our usual (preferred) one didn't carry everything I need to make dinners this week.

Tomorrow could be a big spend day, as we're going to Target (!) to look for boots and mittens for DS, plus buy some Christmas gifts. I will stay strong...


12/1:
12/2: $10.52 St. Nick's presents for DS + $3/14 Carmex + $5.27 printer paper + $1.86 candy for DH and me
12/3: $80.86 necessary groceries + $2.78 unnecessary groceries
12/4: $27.33 necessary groceries

KEY:
True no spend
Necessary spending
Unnecessary spending
post #152 of 547
12/5/07 at 1:12am
12/1: $42 groceries; $36 Target, all but $5 no essential; $110 dog grooming .
12/2: $1 lottery ticket
12/3:$35 copay; $1.14 postage
12/4: $5 workbooks for ds; $27 pizza and subs :

GOALS:

15 no-spend days;
$200 limit in X-Mas spending;
$200 in spending other than (1) paying bills (2) groceries, gas, health and other essentials that I can't think of at the moment.

PROGRESS TO DATE:

0 no-spend days
$0 X-Mas spending
$137 non-essential spending
post #153 of 547
12/5/07 at 1:27am
My key: = NO SPEND AT ALL
= Gas, Groceries, Cleaning stuff
= anything else.

12/1-
12/2- Here is the damage:
-----$92.05- Christmas presents for my niece and nephew
-----$9.66-Holiday Cards and a pack of gum
-----$3.24-McDonald's
12/3-
12/4- $81.15 Groceries. $116.60 BJs-groceries (we get our meat there) $20 (approx- can't find the receipt) Target for laundry detergent, cleaning supplies.



No spend days: 2/23
post #154 of 547
12/5/07 at 3:07am
Dec 1:
Dec 2: : $6.27 on food at the convenience store
Dec 3: (withdrew $20, but it was from extra money leftover from last month)
Dec 4: $6.79 at McDonald's for breakfast while I was registering for classes
post #155 of 547
12/5/07 at 5:14am
trip to the grocery store went ok, until later when I realized I left a few things off the list : and had to go back with 2 kids in tow... so not so good the second time around as ice cream and other junk also ended up in my cart that didn't need to be there.

Tomorrow I am taking DD1 out to lunch, and hopefully that will be it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dec 1 + no drive
Dec 2 costco, gifts and groceries; new winter coat
Dec 3 car maintenance, xmas spending, household, all in budget
Dec 4 groceries, gas unnecessary groceries


Key: no spend spending in budget unplanned, unbudgeted, or unwise

No Spend Days 1/12
Fill gas and grocery shop only once a week 1/2
Only one stock up shop at Costco 1/1
Personal discretionary spending $ 0/50
post #156 of 547
12/5/07 at 1:05pm
Oh man I am going to need a push.
All that has been on my mind today is FREE string cheese at target...but then i know that i cannot walk out completely free so i end up getting something else...so i have resigned to just stay in my pajamas ...that so far is keeping me home today ..that and my ds's tantrum!

Dec
1 tires for the car 151 (Sams doesn't take visa credit cards )
2 NONE!!
3 NONE!!
4 Goodwill 7.65 (they had a 99cent pants special! and ds1 found 4-79cent dinosaurs ) Lunch 2.75 (we let ds1 have a treat with mom and dad)
5 hopefully NONE!!
post #157 of 547
12/5/07 at 4:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mommabean View Post
Oh man I am going to need a push.
All that has been on my mind today is FREE string cheese at target
OK how do you get this deal ? Mind sharing ? thanks
post #158 of 547
12/5/07 at 5:35pm
1st $30 gas; $25 thrift store
2nd $152 food (this should last for two weeks -- 12/16)
3rd
4th
5th $43 gas; $13 gifts for dc

I will NOT patronize any fast food places!
I will NOT patronize any big box stores except Home Depot if necessary.

GOALS:
Food from the grocery store: $152/$500
gas: $73/$200
races (DH and me): $0/$50 (I might use mine toward yoga though)
Christmas: $0/$150
Misc.: $38/$50 (DH has the same amount)


5/31 NO FAST FOOD! 5/31 NO BIG BOX STORES!


KEY: : True no spend Spending within budget : Spending outside budget
post #159 of 547
12/5/07 at 5:43pm
Thread Starter 
01..
02.. $2 bagels
03.. ,
04..
05..

4/20 No spend days
1/10 Let the car rest days

I spent a good deal of money at the grocery store and at Costco today...but all of it was groceries so I'm not tallying that up. Although I will grant that it is a stretch to say that candy canes and chocolate covered graham crackers are NECESSITIES...
post #160 of 547
12/5/07 at 6:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom View Post

I spent a good deal of money at the grocery store and at Costco today...but all of it was groceries so I'm not tallying that up. Although I will grant that it is a stretch to say that candy canes and chocolate covered graham crackers are NECESSITIES...
When you're pg I would venture to say that they ARE necessities!
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You Can't Spoil Them with Love
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › December No-Spend Challenge -- Holidays are going strong...you can do it!