February No-Spend Challenge -- How did you do? What will you do differently next month? What... - Page 9

[BrooklynDoula]

Feb 1: I spent nothing but dh bought food at the co-op ($34)

34/550 food
0/100 kids
0/200 misc (basically everything but food)
0/50 fun (dh needs this or he won't stick to it)
0/1200 CC debt (largest payment yet)
0/10

= no-spend days (not even bills, nothing)
= spending within budget
I blew it!

[krisnic]

2/1 - - Snowed in!

[annethcz]

Non-frugal start to the month, we got pizza for dinner. I also paid bills today. But I stayed within budget, and that's what counts, right?

February 1- stayed within budget: $38.35 for pizza, paid bills

My goals for February:
Track Grocery Spending: $0/$550
Track eating out/take out/entertainment spending: $38.35/$150
Track my gasoline spending: $0/$180
Track household/ misc. spending: $0/$200
Track frivolous spending: $0/$0
True no-spend: 0/18 days
No frivolous spending: 1/29 days
No credit card use: 1/31 days
Stay within 15 miles of home: 1/22 days
No-drive: 0/12 days
Exercise: 0/1000 minutes on the treadmill

[Neva]

MY Intro and Goals

I'm Megan. I'm currently working two jobs totally 4 days a week. Mom to one little monkey, two and half years old. My DH is currently on disability due to liver cancer and the very successful surgery to remove it. He'll most likely be off of work until the end of 2009. Needless to say I'm doing this because things are TIGHT!

My goals:
Long-term is to save for a down payment on a vehicle for me. We're currently a one vehicle family, which I loved when I was still a SAHM. It's not working to well for us right now.

Short-term is to get things at a more comfortable place for us. So our spending habits are more in line with where we want to be financially

Specifically for Feb I'd like us not to go into our line of credit. We're starting the month of on a clean slate. I just completely paid off our credit card. BUT we only have $25 to last us until the 15th. Which we will most likely go into the credit then. I'm just hoping that with the middle of the month payday we'll get ahead of the game.

[Neva]

BrooklynDoula I'm going to borrow your smilie system
= no-spend days (not even bills, nothing)
= spending within budget
= I blew it!

Feb 1/08
We went out for dinner $31.75
and then picked up a few groceries, which weren't really needed $34.37
On our way home we picked up the mail and got the CC bill. So I paid it OFF (which is a good thing) and decided I had best start this. So I'm not going to count the CC bill because that just make me sad and not want to continue with a crappy start to the month.

Total spending $66.12

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by umarider

What is the easiest way to update my posting each day? Right now I'm thinking I need to go to the original posting of my goals, copy them and then paste them into a reply post and make my changes. Is there an easier way?

I always quote my post (usually using the "multi-quote" button), update it, and remove the "quote tags." (i.e. [ QUOTE=umarider;10439034 ] and [ /QUOTE ] a the beginning and end of a post)

Anyway... Here we go!

February
02/01 $420 rent

Goals:

• 0/29 Save ALL receipts.
• 0/29 Stay out of all stores other than the Co-op, Winco, Ross, dollar and thrift stores*.
• 0/20 no-spend days :
• /$60 social spending
• 0/3 Yoga sessions
• 0/8 1/2 hour+ walks
• 0/~$150 Saving
• Keep at work eating to a minimum (less than $25 per pay month)
• Spend tax return only on budgeted expenses (car registration, fix computer, etc.

Key:
: = True no-spend ; = Spending within budget; = Un-budgeted, necessary; = Un-budgeted and unnecessary

January's goal results:
* 28/31 Save ALL receipts.
*2/25 Stay out of all stores other than the Co-op, and Winco.
*17/20 true no-spend days :
*$46.20/$25 social spending
*0/2 Yoga sessions this month
*$27.40/$30 worth at-work eating
*~$60/$0 out of budget spending


*Dollar stores have a $5 per trip, 2 trips per month limit! Ross and thrift stores have a one trip per month/$20 limit!

[umarider]

Thanks for the help on how to update!

I'm gonna do the right thing and put the razors into my record... but they're going in under household since I think my grocery budget is going to be tight as it is!

2/01 , $124.77 Groceries, $25.64 household,

Goals:
No spend days: 0/17
Eating out days: 0/6
No CC use: 0/29
Unbudgeted spending: 0/0
Track "wants" spending: $0

Groceries: $124.77/$550
Household: $25.64/$200
Gas: 0/$160
Eating out: 0/$70

No spend day:
Budgeted spending:
Spend Day (unbudgeted, unnecessary):
Unbudgeted, but necessary:

I want to be proud of my spending choices[/QUOTE]

[CariOfOz]

1: zero spending - stayed home today
2: 3 litres of milk 3.79 - budgeted

[tarheelbaby]

01-

Stayed home all day yesterday. Today will be a spend day, but it will be necessary - grocery store (will stick to my meal plan/list) and mailing off a couple of bills.

[vickjul]

01-

Today, we've got to do laundry (laundromat) and may buy groceries. Plus, there's an eBay auction ending that I appear to be winning (denim jumper for less than the cloth to make one would cost, and I desperately need maternity clothes). But all those are within the budget, so I'm not going to worry about it.

[TRIBE]

Originally Posted by famousmockngbrd

2/1 - $13 on beer.

Sorry to do a personal on myself w/out a reciprocal - but I have to share. I posted before about my credit card situation and lack of funds - well, today I went to work to get my measly $100 check, and my boss told me I had 2 outstanding invoices from August that he never paid me for. So I got a $550 check! Yay.

That's awesome!

As for budgets, dh gets paid the same amt each payday. We know how much each bill be (some fluctuate slightly) and that is how we come about doing our budget. It can vary a little each payday depending on the fluctuating bills but mostly it stays about the same. Making a budget takes time. The best way to start is to always carry a notebook with you and write down everything you spend, even if it's only a quarter for a daily paper. Then you can see where your money is going out to and be able to adjust your spending that way and create a budget.

[Purple*Lotus]

Here is my list. I do not count grocery spending or regular household bills like rent/electric/etc though. Just so you know, I don't want anyone to think I am starving my husband


February:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th

Financial Goals:
1. No eating out!
2. No Big Box Stores for me!
3. No online shopping!
4. Try to eat out of the pantry and only supplement from the store when needed!
5. Live off of DH's income only!

Other Goals:
Exercise Days: 20 1/20
Let the Computer Rest Days 10

Jaime's Key:
No Spend Days:
Spend Days
Needed, yet totally unplanned for, spending


I turned down the chance to go the Big Box Store last night DH and I cancelled our cell phones to save money, and we were going to order a prepaid phone online, but it wouldn't work. So DH said "Let's just go to Big Box Store to get them, they have them there."

So I told him that my goal was not to go there at all this month Now he is trying to find another store that sell them

[grisandole]

So far so good Only budgeted spending yesterday, and I actually went below what I set aside, yay! Today the only expenditure will be gas, also budgeted.

[Scribe]

I am not really starting out on the right foot here...but I guess on the good side, even though I was starving while I was out running errands, I came home and ate leftovers rather than buying something.

Joint spending:
2/1: $1402 mortgage--budgeted
2/2: $185 Costco (food stock-up, much needed towels, & membership fee)--budgeted

Personal spending:
2/1: $2,000 monthly contribution to joint, $63 on swap food; $25 charitable giving--all budgeted; $3 cash on soda
2/2: $37 on swap food--budgeted, but I'm going to go over, since that's my whole budget and I haven't shipped anything yet; $35 credit card payment

$3/$100 misc. spending
$100/$100 swap/postage spending
0/14 no spend days
0/2 thrift shopping trips
0/5 lunches/coffees
$35/$700 credit card pay-down
2/29 no credit card days


Joint goal for Feb: just one--STAY ON BUDGET!

Personal goals for Feb:
-stay on budget (including no more than $100 misc spending, $100 swap spending/postage)
-no credit card spending
-at least 14 no spend days
-no more than 2 thrift shopping trips
-no more than 5 lunches and/or coffees at work
-pay at least $700 on credit card

January:
No-spend days: 12/31
Lunches/coffees purchased: 6
Off-budget spending: -$400
Credit card payments: $793

[katheek77]

I realized I need to post some added rules for my game, just because there are situation that are going to come up.

1) DH picking something up in Robinson (complex where he works) = spend, but no car (I save about 16 miles if he picks something up at target or drops something off at the post office.) Any other place counts as a drive day, even if I'm not driving, as it's out of his way.

2) Laundry quarters count for spend on the day I get the quarters, not the day I used them

3) Going "along" with DH to something he has to go to does NOT count as a car day for me (ie. Work functions, etc.) Going somewhere he does NOT have to go counts as a car day, even if it's *his* car (which I really can't drive easily).

4) Rent, utilities, charity, 529, insurance, phone, cable/internet do NOT count as spend days. These are pretty set in stone. ALL other purchases, including groceries, baby supplies, gas, etc. ARE spend, and will be divided into "within budget" and "overbudget" :accordingly. Exceptions will be taken on a case by case basis (ie...car repairs over budget would be necessary , new jeans, not so much ).

5) DH and I each get a small allowance in old individual accounts each month - items purchased using this count as a spend day, but not toward the budget

PS...I want to track my mileage - not for any challenge, just out of curiosity. My mileage starting on the first is 121,077.

[Patrick's mummy]

1: no spend for me, 40c for dh drinks at work
2: no spend for either of us
We need to pay our paper bill tomorrow from last month, but I think we are going to cancel from then on (we only get Saturday's but still....)

I'm not including bills which are debitted straight from our account because they're all for necessary things like mortgage, electricity, water etc. I am tracking grocery spending because that's an area I do have choices in and buying chocolate/soda etc is something I need to cut out.

Tomorrow I was thinking of buying some wood to make a new shelf in our living room, but it's not strictly necessary, it would just be handy for toys/books etc. I'm still mulling over whether to do that...

Did some decluttering and hopefully a freecycler is coming over tomorrow to collect a big bag of stuff I've set aside

[my2girlz]

2/1~$11 in clothing (much needed undergarments for girls), $20 for bday gift, $44 in groceries (budgeted), $51 in budgeted haircuts for dh and ds.
2/2~$47.22 for household items (Sears and Lowes)

grocery spending $44/$250
clothing spending $11/$100
household $47.22/0
haircuts $51/$45
gas spending 0/$125
eating out 0/2
bday gift spending $20/$35
gas fill ups 0/$125

[liangel]

My key:

= Total No Spend
= Gas , Groceries
=Anything other than Gas,Groceries

2/1- $14.29-Niece's b-day present, $50 Manicure
2/2- $39.27-Groceries

[ReikiMommy07]

Key:
no spend at all
budgeted
unbudgeted but necessary
: unbudgeted and unnecessary

Goals:
0/9 spend days
2/20 no-spend
0/0 trips and $0/0 groceries until Feb 13
0/4 trips and $0/200 groceries for Feb 13-Mar 13
0/3 trips and $0/10 farmer's market
$0/30 eating out (or cooking valentine's dinner)
$? safety gate for DS
$0/10 household supplies
$0/20 clothes
$0/12.48 gift-making supplies, DH and DS valentines, chocolate
$0/43.51 DS bday in March
$0/0 unbudgeted spending

Fri 1
Sat 2

[acystay]

Late joining in but I want and NEED this!
1. I'm Stacy SAHM HSing momma to 3. I am a CBE and hopefully a DONA trainee next month!

2. My goals are to really think about every purchase I make. Is there something at home that could work just as well? Do we really need it? And totaling everything I purchase before actually purchasing it (carry palm to calculate things!). I want to do this so my children learn howto spend many better than I ever learned. They do get a little allowance now (only the older 2).

3. Our plan is that I'm a cash system for household and groceries. Gas and classes are allowed to go on citibank. Also, I want to limit our going out to eat as well. This is the first month doing this so, I will perhaps know better next month my personal spending budget. With that I should probably start keeping my recipets, eh?

specific goals to budget
Grocery budget: ? hopefully find out this month what we really spend and need!
Clothing budget: small but will need to figure out b/c in the next couple months need that as well for kiddos
Household items: $30/100
Book budget: ? hopefully find out this month
Eating out budget: ? no idea! again on this one!
Gas budget: my goal 0/3 fill ups This will be a big challenge for me!
Total spend days = 2/20
Costco MUST AVOID THIS WHOLE MONTH!!!!!

key:
no spending =
necessary =
total unnecessary =
grocery spending = :
household spending =
book spending (b/c I love to those!) =


2/1
$60 dish soap, toothpaste (non-flouride for DS2), natural baby care products $3.99 each, animalz toy for Corbin, 3 books although only spent $30 of my own money b/c I had a gift card :0
2/2
$15.50 for homeopathy (chammoille and calendula)
$30.00 for DD dance class