December No-Spend Challenge -- Holidays are going strong...you can do it! - Page 5

[mamamilkers]

Originally Posted by annethcz

Today was great, we stayed home all day and did stuff around the house. I'm working on setting up a sewing area in our new house, so I can make some fleece PJs for the kids as Xmas presents.

Do you know, is the fleece you buy in the fabric store treated with flame retardants? I would love fleece jammies for the girls but I can't find any that aren't treated. I wonder if I could just buy fleece and get someone to make some?

[mamamilkers]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

I need to join as well. We are trying to get things back in control after 7.5 months of craziness. Our house burned down in April, we had insurance, but really should have had a bigger policy. Things were going fine we were very tight with things, I bought all our furniture used other than the couch and loveseat which I couldn't find. My husband has done a large amount of the work as well. We are currently back home, although we still have lots of things to finish.

Oh my goodness! I didn't know that your house burned down! Wow. I am glad to hear that everything's getting back on track.

[mamamilkers]

Originally Posted by New Mama

I have a problem with lumping "wants" under categories in the budget when I shouldn't be (i.e., chocolate that I'm jonesing for under "grocery").

Oooo, I totally do that. I count all kinds of things under grocery that I probably shouldn't

[mamimapster]

Just checking in, will post additional info soon.
Dec 1-

[vivalamama]

Good start to day one... of course, it's cause I'm sick and didn't leave the house, but hey, every cloud has a silver lining right?

I'm still a little vague on my goals... I want to beat my nine no spend days from november, so I'm aiming for 12. Which seems low, but wow, nine was a challenge, so I'm trying to be realistic, especially with the holiday and traveling. We will be gone for half the month, so I'm trying to figure out what to do re: traveling expenditures. We will be staying with family, so I don't have to worry about much grocery-wise, but not sure how to work the spending money. Maybe go with a cash budget?

Only a few more gifts to buy, DD1, DD2, a game for my niece and nephew, and installation of my DH's gift. Will need postage as well.

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

Dec 1 + no drive

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

No Spend Days 1/12
Fill gas and grocery shop only once a week 0/2
Only one stock up shop at Costco 0/1
Personal discretionary spending $ 0/50

[AGlimmeringHope]

Dec 1:

[Iris' Mom]

Not off to a very good start . . .

12/1: $42 groceries; $36 Target, all but $5 no essential; $110 dog grooming (sounds more extravagant than it is -- I breed on a very small scale, and my dogs must be in tip-top shape . . . but still .


GOALS:

15 no-spend days;
$200 limit in X-Mas spending;
$200 in spending other than (1) paying bills (2) groceries, gas, health

[Bex80]

Originally Posted by Iris' Mom

Not off to a very good start . . .

s!!!!

Please don't be too discouraged. It is awesome that you are even here and reporting. The past few times I've tried this challengs, i just dissapear after the first slip up.

Stick around (not that I think you're leaving) and just keep plugging away. It was only one day, and while I know it's hard cause you want to start off on the first and have that clean slate, it really is better to just jump back on the wagon.

OT--Does anyone know how to add to a running list of dates like I made and have it come up current in the posts? Do you just cut and paste into a new post?

[michelle524]

Forced no drive/no spend day b/c it's snowing like crazy. Hey, whatever works, ykwim?

1 -
2 -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/12 no drive days
1/15 no spend at all days
0/8 take out/restaurant meals
0/$100 take out/restaurant meals
0/31 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.

[BrooklynDoula]

Dec 1: $52 at Target on gifts and household (37$ from budget, rest from holiday money gifted to us), $12 on pizza

Dec 2: $99 on groceries, $10 copies for dh recital, $51 flowers, $20 metro card

Dec 3:

My goals:

12/$350 on food/household
47/$150 misc spending (postage, clothes, gifts, fees, etc)
20/$20 metrocard
0/$25 laundry
0/$50 fun money for dh and I (wine, movies, etc.)
0/$1000 to debt!!!

0/??? car repair needed (200-300$)
$51/50 flowers for dh to give to his students at recital
0/25$ taking ds out for dinner after his choir concert
0/5 no spent at-all days (not bills or food or anything)

[mamamilkers]

Originally Posted by Bex80

s!!!!

OT--Does anyone know how to add to a running list of dates like I made and have it come up current in the posts? Do you just cut and paste into a new post?

Just go to your last post and cut it and then paste it in to a new reply

[mamamilkers]

Originally Posted by Iris' Mom

Not off to a very good start . . .

12/1: $42 groceries; $36 Target, all but $5 no essential; $110 dog grooming (sounds more extravagant than it is -- I breed on a very small scale, and my dogs must be in tip-top shape . . . but still .

Can you groom your dogs yourself? Grooming can be SO expensive! My mom breeds/shows Porties and she has started grooming them herself and even picks up some side work grooming other people's dogs. Is that a possibility?

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02.. $2 bagels

1/20 No spend days
0/10 Let the car rest days

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by liangel

Prudence,
...if I spent $ I would have to come here and be like (in a tattle tale voice) "Hey, Prudence, Tiffany spent $ on such and such"

Hey, I'm glad that works for you. Tiffany, don't you spend that money!

Originally Posted by mrskennedy

we've spent less than $200 on DS since he was born.

I'm hoping, out of necessity, that we don't spend very much on Baby #3 either...mainly because I think we have already spent it! We have tons of clothes and cloth diapers and baby stuff...I don't foresee any stuff that we will need to buy. I'm hopeful anyway.

Originally Posted by sarahlyao

finally make some family cloth (this has been on the list since july)

Sarah -- Make that cloth!!!!

Originally Posted by mamamilkers

Oooo, I totally do that. I count all kinds of things under grocery that I probably shouldn't

Guilty here too...ice cream, chocolate, etc. All hidden.

[mumkenna&lucas]

Originally Posted by Bex80

OT--Does anyone know how to add to a running list of dates like I made and have it come up current in the posts? Do you just cut and paste into a new post?

You can find your last reply, and quote yourself..then remove the quotes..

[Bex80]

Thanks!

I am having an internal struggle---DP is out of town, I am hungover and all I want is to buy a pizza for dinner tonight. I rationalized it and had myself talked into it, but coming here to check posts I decided not to order it afterall. Siiiiiigh. At least I will have 2 no spend days so far!

[Curlita]

December 1: $15 for pictures of the kids with Santa Claus.
December 2: no driving, spent $60 on Christmas gifts online.

0/10 actual no-spend days
1/5 let-the-car-rest days
0/75 in discretionary/preventable spending
0/5 lattes
No unfunded credit card charges yet

[mrskennedy]

Sat 01 put away $ for oil and rebuilding savings, gave DH his monthly money
Sun 02 , made $2.79

[SugarAndSun]

1st $30 gas; $25 thrift store
2nd $152 food (this should last for two weeks -- 12/16)

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: $0/$200
races (DH and me): $0/$50 (I might use mine toward yoga though)
Christmas: $0/$150
Misc.: $25/$25


2/31 NO FAST FOOD! 2/31 NO BIG BOX STORES!


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

[mamamilkers]

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!

1. 0/20 no-spend days.
2. $274/$300 on groceries and household items for Nov 23-Dec 6.
3. $0/$0 on the credit card.
4. $370/$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 did our grocery shopping for the week and came in under budget!!! Yay!!!