~October No Spend Challenge~ The economy declines, MDC familes SAVE!!!!!! - Page 10

[Scribe]

Gah. My guests are all gone and I really need to get back on schedule with eating and exercising and no-spending, and so far I am failing miserably on all counts!

Oct 1: $12 bar tab; $15 GW
Oct 2: $14 GW; $46 group lunch; $5 t-shirt; $21 new S'bucks card
Oct 3: $6 Taco Bell; $30 Gap Outlet (jeans and dress); $18 L'Occitane Outlet (soap and lip gloss); $15 Crate & Barrel outlet (dish towels); $68 Banana Republic outlet (shirts); $9 ice cream; $24 dinner/drinks
Oct 4: $32 REI (skirts, going to be returned); $13 lunch; $26 natural soap company
Oct 5: $12 lunch
Oct 6: $2 PO; $7 lunch; $3 snack
Oct 7: ~$15 on food at work (breakfast, lunch, and snack)

September Stats: 14 no-spend days, $301 total misc. spending

[Turquesa]

KEY:

= Necessary spending
: = Unnecessary spending
: = No-drive day

1 Oct: : Went $5.00 over on grocery limit. Spent $150.00 to have heating system serviced.
2 Oct: :
3rd $25.00 at Fred Meyer for dessert auction ingredients, $40.00 in bulk dog food, $9.00 to buy schtuff to wrap and display the desserts. Expensive but necessary spending today. :
4th :
5th $15.00 to church
6th Errand to library - 70 cents on photocopies. DH just got a huge bonus at work today.:
7th : Perfume. $20.00. Priceless. I let DH talk me into that one, and usually he's the tightwad around here. Also, $7.50 for our weekly lunch date. We save a $1.25 when I bring thermoses full of iced water and we forego the Sprite. That saves $5.00 per month, $60.00 per year.
8th : $118.00 on groceries plus $8.00 at local produce farm. I'm trying to keep groceries under $120.00.
9th $14.78 light bulbs, $7.30 on butt paste, and WE FINALLY PAID OFF THE $4000.00 LANDSCAPING DEBT!!! : On a more prosaic note, the clerk at the drug store, of all people, volunteered a cheaper alternative to butt paste--simply combine zinc oxide with a little corn starch. But DD had of course opened the package so I had to buy it : . . . this time.

[ladyinred]

Managed to leave the house today to go tutor. Feeling not so good at all, sinus infection, very glad I didn't get called to teach today and yesterday. Got some good news in the mail today though that means I can add some more to my budget :

1/10 - $12.00 Lunch $16 bus tickets : (am)
2/10 - $30.00 shampoo, conditioner, deoderant :
3/10 - :
4/10 - $5 food at farmers market
5/10 -
6/10 -
7/10 -


My Key
No spend -
Unnecessary Spending -
Necessary Spending -
Taught - :
Tutored -
Income -

In - Out
$184 - $63.00

Goals:
- Have at least 10 substitute teaching days - 2.5/10
- Tutor 8 days - 1/8
- At least 20 no spend days 4/20
- Get a full time job :
- Pay off $320.00 on CC


October Budget
Income: $1900.00
To Df: $1200.00
Savings and student loan: $170.00
To CC: $320.00
FOR ME!!!: $270.00

[monkey's mom]

10/1:
10/2:
10/3: Groceries $23.79 Dessert stuff for Mom's Night Out
10/4: Mtg. $1
10/5:
10/6:
10/7:

No Spend
Budget Spend
Over Spend

Groceries $418.42*
Gas $24*
Misc. $12.72*

XMas $19.39**

*Some of this is carry-over from Sep.
**Running total until Xmas

[Purple*Lotus]

1st
2nd
3rd
Groceries: 81.38 and I paid the regular household bills
4th $18.90 on food and $1 dues at OA
5th
6th
7th
$1 dues
$1 fee to pay two bills which I did not know ahead of time and wont be doing that again :
$3.80 for groceries- well, butter, to be exact

Well thank God I have a few interviews lined up! We are almost out of food. My mom said she would help us but I hate to ask her for groceries. But I will if we get desperate. I have used almost everything in the freezer/pantry.

[allborntogrow]

1: : 2.65
2:
3:
4:
5:
6: Target 29 : 4.34 on a book for J
7:: 3.99 shampoo 3.25 : frozen yogurt 4.60 & 65.00 for a brand new Babyhawk (come on we all know how good of a deal that is)

Well, I am behind a few days already . . . I haven't even stated my goals . . . but I'm looking foward to my 6th month of doing the no-spend challenge!

Truly no spend
Budgeted or needed spending
: Groceries
: unnecessary spending

[Om Girl]

10/01- $20.00 (frivolous spending)
10/02- (only budgeted spending)
10/03-
10/04- $18.00 for yoga pass (I didn't use , $21.11 Whole Foods, $7.00 parking
10/05-
10/06-
10/07- ($18.00 on lunch out after DH's physical)

• home-made dinner nightly (cook 5/7 days)
• make multiple $25.00 payments to CC when I "find $"
• spend $ only on bills and necessary items(home-birth/baby)
  
• 4/21 no-spend days

[missmich]

Another good day today of No Spending! I think I may need to borrow (and spend) $20-30 from a friend soon though. I'd like to get us something for Thanksgiving dinner and get myself through until next pay day.


Day1 Rent and bus pass
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

[missmich]

I spent money today and will be spending a lot more tomorrow! :

I'm happy about this and it's a good thing b/c I didn't know I had the money and I really need groceries! My job is new and so is the pay schedule. I missed the first pay day but got the first pay stub on my second pay day and missed getting the 2nd pay day pay stub so I didn't realize they had paid me again! LOL My boss just called me to explain things and now I have money!!!!!

So today I did spend!


Day1 Rent and bus pass
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8 Electric bill: $19.24 (much less then I thought) Cell phone $63.81

I'll be back later I add anymore spending. I'm not sure when I'll have time to get groceries!

[unlegal]

10/1: $17.03 Groceries which included $6.99 pack of vacuum cleaner bags
10/2: $13 paid online for a necessary monthly bill :
10/3: $10 (Gas), $64 (Gym dues), $5.37 (Taco Bell .
10/4: :
10/5: :
10/6: $30 (gas). $26 (Splurged on a dinner that was already planned ahead of the concert we went to. It was a celebration for quitting my job, and I needed it! So much fun! BUT! My mom gave me some belated birthday cash ($20), so it almost evened out...)
10/7: : :

-----

So, far:

2/15 no driving :
3/15 no spending :
$10.04/$250 groceries
$121.03 necessary spending
$31.37 unnecessary spending
0/2 yummy coffees

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02.. , :
03.. $150 gas grill
04.. $113 fleece and new shoes and latte
05..
06..
07..
08.. , :

Goals:

5/20 No Spend Days
2/10 Let the Car Rest Days :

[captain crunchy]

Dh totally foiled me again!!I was a bit guilty today though!

Oct 1
Oct 2 ($20 in cash budgeted for grocery store)
Oct 3
Oct 4: $60 cash budgeted for weekly grocery store (pretty good for three people eating mostly organic!!) but also .. $5 taco bell -- then, $10 at a church bazaar which was not budgeted but did go 100% to charity... ... but it wasn't budgeted or planned so...
Oct 5: We got gas on a FREE gas card from our apartment complex (incentive for moving in, they give us $50 gas card every time we pay rent for the first 6 months!)
Oct 6: $3.58 thanks dh
Oct 7:
Oct 8: $4.08(dh) + $10 (me)



Key:

No spend:
Spent money but was planned, needed, or budgeted:
Overspent or spent money that wasn't planned, needed, or budgeted:

[rosadesal]

10/1: $56 necessities
10/2: $7 food
10/3: $1.25 bagel, brought lunch to work, $.57 for some trail mix and then $10 to see the burlesque show.
10/4: $2.85 farmers market for fruit/muffin, $2.53 lunch, and $4 taco bell
10/5: $2.50 for coffee/breakfast at work, $2 to a friend from a lunch date, $4 at the cider mill, $42 gas
10/6: $3.52 lunch, $1.58 for two cups of coffee - but i paid in change that i found in my purse!
10/7: ugh. $27 meijer for plants, bagels, power strip, and a dress that was only $7! $20 at joanns, i found a tiny little iron for appliques and i neeeeeeded it, and i got some other craft supplies that will hopefully turn into etsy projects. both purchases were charged.. : after paying rent, i'm totally broke. AND....i went to see ani difranco last night, so there went another $60...ticket, tshirt, dinner, parking. that was sort of budgeted though.

so far, i feel meh. i could be doing better. im not holding back as much as i should.

[triscuitsmom]

Key
: No spending of any kind
: Budget spending
: Unnecessary/out of budget spending

Oct 1: (mostly paid bills to start the month, but I did get coffee/juice while DS and I were out that we didn't need... should've been prepared)
Oct 2: (bought Christmas present and office supplies at a great price
Oct 3: (not only no spend, but an unexpected government payment came in *yay*)
Oct 4:
Oct 5: (bought groceries to supplement what we had in our pantry and use some stuff up this week )
Oct 6: (bought apples on sale, plus paid heat and for my website domain name renewal)
Oct 7:
Oct 8:

Goal Areas (must not go over)... I reduced/changed some of these as I reworked the budget from last month and closed it out:
0/100: Household flux
19.22/200: Groceries (Week 1: 17.23/40)
4.30/30: Entertainment
0/20: BABiC (the babywearing group I facillitate)
0/50: Baby Supplies (I am trying to get things we need for the baby spread out so it doesn't hit us all at once)
10/40: Special Occasions (buying birthday/Christmas presents)

As of today I am still only at 33.54/440.00 flux dollars spent

[mommyto4grits]

Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4: - Grocery shopping and went a bit over budget
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:- Overspent at Target, and had to by DD Shoes for Basketball
Day 8:

Here is my key...
My KEY:
: = No spend
= Budgeted or necessary spending
= Un-Budgeted spending
= No drive days
= Mindful spending/purchase

MY GOALS:
12 No Spend Days
1/5 Eating Out Days
6 No Drive Days
$500 Groceries
$175 Gas
$200 Costco
$200 other consumables, stocking up on sale items to build a 'stash'
Total Un-Budgeted spending $80

[Ruthiegirl]

Oct 1 -- 11.29 post office, 75.00 to fix leaky toilet
Oct 2 --
Oct 3 --
Oct 4 -- 39.96 birthday presents, 30.80 dh, 30.00 soccer pictures
Oct 5 -- 45.00 college admission application
Oct 6 -- big spend day -- 22.00 homeschooling workbook, 83.00 Christmas yarn
Oct 7 --
Oct 8 --


-- within budget
-- no spend

Goals/extras:

Dentist copays -- 0/60
Medical copays -- 0/15
Halloween -- 0/70
Birthday for ds -- 0/100
Groceries -- 175.48/400
Food coop -- 0/400
Apple picking -- 0/60

[PhotoJournMama]

I didn't even get out of my pjs today lol. It is rainy and cold.

01.
02. $52.91 on a sleep sac and baby proofing supplies
03. $15.58 on 3 springform pans
04.
05.
06.
07. $5 chocolates plus $78.25 for a haircut :| oops.
08.

160.03/400: Groceries
0/50: Gifts
54.45/150: Gas

[lauratheexplorer]

Jumping in! I think we *finally* have the hang of budgeting. :

I have a few unnecessaries here and there, but it's going really well in general.

Short Term Goal: To not run out of funds, and finish month end with a positive bank balance in the neighborhood of $1130. To not eat out for dinner and try to reduce grocery bill.

Longer Term Goals: Pay back my parents for a loan to fix our car in May by the end of the year, then put a new roof on our house in June '09, then go to the UK on vacation next fall '09. WE CAN DO IT!!

1st: $7.65 on Root Beer and Onion Rings at A & W (but, it wasn't dinner, which would have been about $20!)
2nd:
3rd:
4th: Day trip to Wolfville Mostly bought produce, which I budgeted in as food, so But also got coffee and cookies $12.31 while out
5th:
6th:
7th: Week long video game rental for DH (who had two teeth removed.. oww..) and DS $11.65
8th:
9th:

Month to date:

Groceries: $276.95/$600 Looking good!
Medical Expenses: $268.87 for tooth removal and meds for pain, antibiotics, etc. : (but it can't be helped)
Gas: $50/$150
Dining (coffee, food, etc): $26.14/$35 (doing BETTER!)
Entertainment: $11.65/$50
Insurance (home, car, life): $141.15 (I've shopped around, best I can do)

[my2girlz]

10/1.
10/2. $42.47 at Home Depot, $31 for Halloween party (budgeted)
10/3. $76 groceries, $26.96 winter gear, $25.43 for party, $40 for Homecoming game
10/4. $26 Bath and Body Works (2 gifts and needed soaps), $118 at Menards (door and boards for basement)
10/5. $34.99 for clothing for girls (2 pr of pants and fall jacket)
10/6. $45 for clothing for dd1. $10 in groceries
10/7. $166 Halloween costumes ($16 over budget), $9 coffee for dh and I
10/8.

2/10 no spending days
$86/$200 grocery budget
0/$100 gas budget
$56.43/$300 Halloween party budget
$26/$100 winter gear
$166/$150 costume budget

[monkey's mom]

10/1:
10/2:
10/3: Groceries $23.79 Dessert stuff for Mom's Night Out
10/4: Mtg. $1
10/5:
10/6:
10/7:
10/8:

No Spend
Budget Spend
Over Spend

Groceries $418.42*
Gas $24*
Misc. $12.72*

XMas $19.39**

*Some of this is carry-over from Sep.
**Running total until Xmas