**June No- Spend Challenge** - Less than a week to go! Let's finish strong!!

[CityChic]

This thread is a support thread to help you ~not spend your money~. Everyone is welcome to join (we would love to have you) and you are welcome to start at any time. It doesn't have to be June 1st.

The plan is simple (although very tough to execute):

1. Vow not to spend any money on unnecessary purchases.

2. Come on here everyday and record your spending.

Good luck Ladies!! Let's have a FUNTASTIC June!!! Keep that money in your wallet.

Our no-spend threads tend to get very long...you don't need to read the entire thread (unless you want to). Just read the first few entries and jump right in. Start recording your spending today!


*****

Crunchy *VT* Mom's Tips for doing a no-spend challenge...

*Some of us record every penny that we spend, others only record unecessary purchases. Groceries, utilities, clothing, transportation...we expect you to spend money on that. The "no-spend" in our title refers to unecessary spending...things you could do without.

*Record whatever will cause you to spend the least. If you feel guilty about coming on here and fessing up -- then this thread is working perfectly.

*Please don't get discouraged if you spend -- our goal is PROGRESS not PERFECTION. We all will spend this month...let's admit that up front...Our ideal is no-spend...but we'll be happy if you just spend less.

*If you have time to read everyone else's post and do personals, thank you! That helps our thread do its job...but if you don't have time, then just post your tallies. We have plenty of successful no-spenders who do only that.

[CityChic]

You clicked on our thread and are thinking about joining for a reason...those reasons are what are going to motivate you during the tough, tempted-to-spend times this month.

Please give yourself some time to think about these questions and answer them in a way that is meaningful for you. These questions are to help you clarify why you are here and why you are doing this.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

2. 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?

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

[MonkeyPrincess]

I have been watching the May thread, waiting for June's to show up.

We are re-doing our budget, to help us stay on top of our money situation. I think a month of not spending money on items we don't need will be helpful.

One way I am hoping to do this is by limiting my chances of buying stuff. I don't enjoy shopping, so it won't be that difficult.

I also want to plan my errands better - maybe spend one afternoon (or more realistically, evening, so dh can watch the kids) and get everything done in one shot.

I am going to do better at meal planning.

I am going to re-evaluate my definition of *need*.

[anitaj71]

I'm going to come and record my spending. We ( dh and I ) set up a budget but we always go over. I really want to stay on track ! I'm looking forward to staying accountable. Fun !

[lunar forest]

ok so I'm buying a house and the mortgage payment is almost double what my rent is now. holy smokes I need to curb the spending!!! Actually, I think I already do pretty well, but I can do loads better, and I'm going to have to. please please please help me stay on track. I'm very good at convincing myself I can spend just this little bit, just this one time. :

Oh so I'm Anna, I'm a single mama to a 6.5 yo boy and a 4yo girl. We unschool, and I watch children in my home as my income. So you can see why it's so tight!

I hadn't thought of a game plan, per se. I guess it's the impulse spending that I need to knock out, and going out to eat (or rather, getting food while we're out because I'm too lazy to make something at home first).

I'm really looking to break these bad habits for the long term, so I think starting out with not spending in June will help solidify that for me.

[lunar forest]

oh, I also want to spend less moeny on gas! I want to plan errands better, and use my bike more, plan our trips to parks and thigns better, and walk more.

[kathirynne]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.
My name is Kathirynne. I'm a single mumma to 4 fantastic children. I have decided to spend significantly less for the month of June, so that I can have enough in savings to pay the heat bill this winter...:

2. 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?
My plan is to come to this thread and post my spending (or, hopefully! my lack of) EVERY day. (Anyone want to send me a daily reminder pm??? )

[Labbemama]

I've just got a new job, starting Monday and my income will be 5 x what I made last year (Which sounds great, lol, but I had pathetic earnings last year due to being in internship FT).

So the temptation is there to just blow it. But I really want to live on a budget, clean up our debt mess, and save.

Just found out my kids need orthodontic evals. Well 2 of the 3.

[CityChic]

: To all the newbies!!! If you have questions or would like "tips" on making a plan check out the first few pages of the May thread!

Looking forward to not spending with you!!

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

I'm in.

My goal for this month is to 1) have baby and 2) stay home enjoying that baby instead of being out buying stuff.

Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that the baby will keep me out of the stores.

Also we bought a pool pass this year and the pool will open mid-June. I want to go there A LOT and hopefully that will keep me occupied as well.

Summer is here and we won't have any income AT ALL for three months (DH is a teacher)...every dime I spend will come from savings. Yikes!

My previous months:

May= 19 no-spend days with $265 in unecessary spending
June = 19 /$394
July = 15 /$580
August = 19 /$451
September = 22 /$103
October = 20 /$203
November = 19 /$456
December = Fell off the wagon
January = 20 /$216
February = 21 /$190
March = 24 /$189
April = 19 /$402
May = 22 /$206

[nadia105]

I want to do this.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

I'm Nadia, a SAHM to 3 ages 5, 3.5 and 1 next week. Our spending has been WAY over where it needs to be the past couple months and we need to get it back in line. On paper, it should be no problem. In practice, well, it doesn't go nearly as smoothly!

2. 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?

Well, we have 3 weddings, 2 birthdays, and an anniversary this month, so there will be $$ going out for gifts. I just started a Pampered Chef business, so I will probably use that discount to help with gifts.

I will also need to spend some money on getting my garden going, but that should help with food spending the rest of the summer. Our CSA starts in June too, so I am hoping to really get our food spending down.

We are going to try and ration out our money for the month to help prevent the cycle that we always get caught in: have no $$ at the end of the month, spend a ton in the first week of the month and some more in the second so we are back to having no $$ at the end again.

One goal I want to have is to eat out once a week at the most. We have slipped into going more often and it isn't healthy or frugal.

More later...........

[jaceycat24]

hello ladies. i enjoyed doing the may challenge. i have been recording all money out that does not have to do with our bills. groceries, hardware, gas and uneccesary. my uneccesary spending would have paid for my upcoming car insurance so that was a real eye opener.

my plan for this month. is to hopefully have this baby(due last sat) and not eat out for convenience. if i have to live on ellios pizza so be it as long as i stay out of mcdonalds and applebees. i plan on meal planning and packing lunches for dd and i when we go out. we are conserving on gas and it seems to be working. i will not go to the store just to go unless i will be driving by there for something else. i also am going to work on our grocery budget since we have been spending so much on fruit. hopefully once the farmers market opens up that will help.

goals for this month is to save for upcoming car insurance due in july. save for car repairs that i know need done. i think new belts. pay down student loan. only $5042 left and hoping to pay off by next feb.

[nadia105]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

I'm in.

My goal for this month is to 1) have baby and 2) stay home enjoying that baby instead of being out buying stuff.

Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that the baby will keep me out of the stores.

Also we bought a pool pass this year and the pool will open mid-June. I want to go there A LOT and hopefully that will keep me occupied as well.

Summer is here and we won't have any income AT ALL for three months (DH is a teacher)...every dime I spend will come from savings. Yikes!

Prudence, I had my third baby last June and I found it did take a lot more to get me out. Packing up all three to go somewhere meant I really wanted to go, it was never a whim type trip.

[mackysmama]

I was watching the May challenge, anxiously waiting for June to start. I'm glad the thread is hear early.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

I'm Heather, a SAHM to two children. My partner is the income earner. We make enough money to not live paycheck to paycheck, but we do and we'd like to turn that around. We have credit cards that need to be paid off and we have to save for our end of the year taxes and homeowners premium, in addition to having to give $2000 to homeowners insurance on a claim we made that they are now denying (a year ago so we already spent it).

2. 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?

I've made a very detailed budget. I've also looked at the extras that occur that I haven't previously budgeted for (oil changes, car registration, kids' classes, etc.) and am now setting money aside for those. We plan on going to an envelope system for groceries (I totally overspend at Whole Foods), spending money, kids' activities, gifts, etc. I'm going to get my grocery spending down to $125 a week by meal planning and stocking the pantry and freezer when things are on sale. We have NOTHING planned for the summer so I hope to keep our driving down and keep the kids busy by going to our neighborhood pool (we already paid for the membership).

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

1. Not to spend more than is allocated in the budget for groceries and spending ($125 per week for groceries, $15 per week per adult for spending, $50 a week for family spending, and $25 per week slush). I know this seems like a lot but I want to make sure we don't feel angry at our new budget and say screw it.

2. Save my personal spending money to buy bigger things, like some shorts and shoes, rather than blowing it at Starbucks.

3. Pay off Homeowner's insurance claim and start an emergency fund.

4. Establish and stick to an envelope system.

5. Start using coupons. Only buy what we need or what is on sale to stock the pantry/freezer. Make more food to reduce the pre-packaged stuff (how do I make cereal bars?).

Looking forward to it!

[suburbmom]

Hi, My name is Carrie and I'm a SAHM to 2 wonderful kids (DS 5 and DD 2). I've decided to try to curb our spending because prices for gas and food have gone up so much. Plus I feel like we have so much already. In terms of debt, we really don't have any. But we are looking to move to a bigger house sometime next year so we would like to save more money. I've been reading this board and have been thinking about joining. So here I am.

I am planning to drive less this month and try to do all my errands at once so waste less gas. We're also trying not to use the A/C as much. Planning not to buy any more toys for the kids. They have way too much already. So even if it's a "deal", I'm not going to buy it. I will also try not to go to the mall too much.

In terms of goals, I'm hoping to have some no spend days. Does paying bills count as no spend days? I can't remember. But I'm going to limit myself to not paying too much extraneous stuff that I don't need. We are trying to build our nest egg for the bigger house we would like to have. We have no debt and have our emergency fund set up for 6 months right now.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

...every dime I spend will come from savings. Yikes!

Wow, that definitely is an incentive to not spend!

[mumkenna&lucas]

I am here again!!
This will be my tenth month here! And I am not 100% sure of how to plan a no spend June!! We have sooo much going on this month will REALLY be a challenge..

I am a SAHM to a 4 year old dd and a 2 year old ds,
We have home renovations approaching, cc debt, student debt, and car payments. Not easy with one income so I have to keep more control of our money and where it goes! I really want to see our savings account #'s go waaay up!
My goals this month are:

• compact!
• only 2 co-op this month!!
• Start throwing in a little $ money to dh's truck payment!
• Save, Save, Save!
• declutter and simplify

June Spending Goals:
No Spend days: 20/30
No etsy/DS/ebay: 25/30
Non-necessary Spending: <400

[mommy2abigail]

HI! I'm Natalia, SAHM mama to two little ones, Abby who is 3, and Ella who is 3.5 months. I also nanny for Sarah, who is 3 as well.
I've joined the No-Spend Challenge because of a few reasons. First the economy, dh is in the entertainment industry and it's very unstable atm. And second, because I am realizing I have a major spending problem. Especially (really only) when it comes to my kids. Toys, shoes, clothes, you name it, I want it for them. So, I am trying to put a stop to that. The last thing I want for my children is to grow up being materialistic. I started mid-May with the NSC and also decluttering A LOT of their things. I sold some stuff to a consignment store and put the money into savings. The rest I am taking to my midwife, who does a mama share program. She rocks!

I don't have a plan really, just to stay home and not spend any money!

[heatherweh]

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

Heather, mama to Caleb who will be two this month! We need to get our budget back on track. My splurge items also tend to be unhealthy physically, such as fancy coffee drinks or even fast food or unhealthy items at the grocery, like baked goods. So by cracking down on all that I hope to not only save money but also save calories while increasing my sense of self-control and self-esteem.

2. 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?

Going back to the cash-in-envelope plan. It really works for us WHEN we are strict about it. I've found some really good ways to save on groceries (by shopping Aldi every other week for staples and focusing on the farmer's market for produce). I did a 3-month clothing fast last fall, but haven't challenged myself to the extreme lately and am ready to shake things up again. I don't currently need anything.

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

There are a few holidays and birthday parties and stuff in june that can potentially blow me off course, so the plan is as follows: father-in-law birthday- make cookies, friend's daughter's birthday- regift something I bought for DS that he isn't interested n and is practically unused, DS's birthday- we have all the little things we need so not to get suckered into buying anything else and keeping the food simple by ordering pizza from Domino's, the big craft fair: take the money out of my monthly spending envelope after seriously considering the item, mom's night in: bring the wine (which we already have), mom's night out: purchase the kid's pack at the movie and limit self to one cocktail at restaurant and eat before going. Keep wallet at home whenever possible and keep portable snacks in the car or purse.

I have budgeted $60 for personal spending this month- cash in envelope. $300 for groceries, $100 for family entertainment (which would include any festivals, eating out, gifts, anything of that nature). My goal is to not go over the cash in the envelopes and maybe even to have some left at the end of the month. No books, clothing, no toys- we have enough of everything. No coffee out, no baked goods, no ice-cream. Stay out of the stores except for my once a week to the farmer's market (when I can make it) and once a week to the grocery (alternating Aldi and Wal-mart- saves lots of money). Planning menu around items already in pantry.

Instead of shopping when I hit a wall I can:
-go to the gym (I have a membership with child care included and can even go twice a day for up to 2 hours each)
-go to the park
-go on a walk or jog with my son
-go to the library
-call a friend and invite to our house for coffee

Will post my successes and failures here!

[OkiMom]

Hello everyone!
I joined really late last month sand it helped a little so here I am again. I am Heather, I am a Stay at home mom with a 16 month old and I am 16 weeks pregnant. My husnband and I live in Okinawa, Japan and will be here for another two years. Its a beautiful place but very expensive to live here so our budget needs some revamping..

Our goal is to have all our bills paid off before our new baby is born in November. I also have to rebuy a lot of baby stuff before the new one comes. Im trying to buy a little bit at a time so I don't overwhelm myself and overbuy. I have my first appointment next week and will sit down and make a list of all that I need to get and when to buy it after I know my due date .

My goals for this month:
Spend no more than 100 per week on groceries.
Start list of what I need to buy for the baby. I had some money for it in savings but an unexpectant accident left us with repair bills that we had to use that money on.
Don't drive anywhere for at least 15 of the 30 days.
Pack lunches for my husband for when he is at work.
To go through and get rid of a lot of my DD's toys that she doesn't play with.
To get everything ready to move (we move in July/August, whenever a house opens up.
No spend days 20/30.

Im sure there is more Im going to try to do but Im exhausted so Im going to go lay down and pray my hubbie gets home soon.