~October No Spend Challenge~ The economy declines, MDC familes SAVE!!!!!! - Page 13

[lunamama]

Oct 1~ I AM NOT COUNTING TODAY! We had to buy a refrigerator today.
Oct 2~ :
Oct 3~ :
Oct 4~ :
Oct 5~ 20.00 beer :
Oct 6~ :
Oct 7~ $200 blinds
$30 kohls....winter clothes for ds(all on sale)
:
Oct 8~ $150 groceries
Oct 9~
Oct 10~ :
Oct 11~ $250 Fred Meyer ($60 jeans for dh & ds, breadmaker...sweet deal...grocery items that were on sale)
$20 farmers market
$75 gas

I am freaking out a bit. I need to buckle down. One of the reasons that I bought the bread machine is that we go through 3 loaves a week and our bread has gone up over a dollar in 6 months. I figure it will pay for itself in 2 months. We need to get into save mode with winter coming. We have to buy wood on monday though...there's $350 there. Our goal is to only use the woodstove this winter, no heat pump....it sucks energy so badly!

[lauratheexplorer]

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:
10th: :Garrrggh.. Takeout pizza, $23.65!!
11th: Birthday Gift: $20 Juice @ party place b/c there was only pop (ds won't drink) $1.41--I need to keep a few juice paks in car, that's awful for juice!

Month to date:

Groceries: $339.33/$600 Looking good! , esp. since this includes Thanksgiving (Cdn) : ! Yay!
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): $51.22/$35 Blarrgrh..
Entertainment: $11.65/$50

Not too bad so far.. I'm thinking we're shifting our entertainment expenses this month over to dining instead. It's just working out that way, but we're still entertained, so it's all good!

[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:
10/9: Groceries $216.09 /Dog food $91.35
10/10:
10/11:

No Spend
Budget Spend
Over Spend

Groceries $634.51*
Gas $24*
Misc. $12.72*
Pet $91.35

XMas $19.39**

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

[missmich]

Day 11:

Nothing was spent today!

I just remembered that I did spend spend $5 yesterday on a doctors note! It was much needed though since I had to miss work and with out the note my job would have been in trouble.

[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.
10th $22.00 on bread pans, household cleaners; $15.00 on second-hand long-sleeved shirts for DD.
11th $10.00 on OTC med for DD. Also, I'd like to add that for my first time ( I learned a new frugality skill by baking bread today--two yummy loaves of whole wheat peasant bread. :
12th $5.00 to church collection.
13th: Stayed home and outta trouble.
14th DD's doctor appt $20.00, weekly lunch date w/ DH = $8.00, and prescription for DD = $10.00

[mamimapster]

OCT 1No Spend/ No drive
Oct 233.02Gas (No unbudget spend)
Oct 321.66 groceries,4.50 thrift,12.59 present for dd's friend, 13.00 wool longies for dd2-oy! very spendy day
oct 4No spend/no drive
Oct 5.6.95 tester longies,4.83 Snacks Out (We were on the way to a party, I gave Dd lunch and didn't feed myself, doh!
Oct 67.19 coffee out this has to stop!!
Oct 717.50Thrift,57.72 groceries,34.13 gas
Oct 86.72 snacks out50.00 chargeback from totally messed up sale: I suspect I was ripped off
Oct 9No spend/No drive
oct 10Lunch out 35.78, groceries 23.88+39.00 sold
oct 11No spend/No drive

OCTOBER Goals;
unbudget spend days goal 15/30, 5/30
No Drive Days goal: 7/30,2/30
No frivolous spending over 100 actual: 84.84/100
Sold items -11.00/50
Thrift/HB kit items: 22.00/20
Decluttering/organizing 20 min day 6/24
Grocery budget 102.26/370.00
Baked/home cooking:4/10
Study/Daven daily 7/15

August Goals
No unbudget15/30,No Drive,7/30, 102.00/100Sold items 67/50
Thrift/HB kit items: 18.70/20,Decluttering/organizing 20 min day 14/24
Grocery budget 397.72/350.00 ,Baked/bulk cooking:6/10 Study/Daven daily goal 7/15

July Goals:Awesome!:
No unbudget spend days goal 17/30 +2,No Drive Days goal:11/30+1
No frivolous spending93.56/100 7.00 under!, Grocery budget 341.73/375-30.00 UNDER[/QUOTE]

[Logan's Mom]

10/1 - $1.41 for a candy bar - stuck in a hotel -- HIGHWAY ROBBERY! :
10/2 - :
10/3 - $4.00 Frozen Yogurt @ the airport
10/4 - $2.96 CVS + $3.97 grocery store
10/5 - :
10/6 - $48 pedicure + 5.75 cold stone
10/7 - $5 gas
10/8 - $115.98 Kids Surplus (christmas for DS)
10/9 - $4.00 candy
10/10 - $3 dunkin
10/11 - $50 wedding gift + $4 dunkin + ? CVS

[captain crunchy]

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)
Oct 9: $55.00 for groceries, in budget and $20 from paypal funds so only $35 out of our budget
Oct 10:
Oct 11:


The average food cost for a family of three in our age group is $414.20 monthly for the thrifty (lowest cost) plan -- we are going to try to half that -- eating a mostly organic, whole foods, from scratch and vegetarian diet. source

$147.66/212.10


Key:

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

[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 --
Oct 9 --
Oct 10 -- , 32.00 pizza night
Oct 11 -- 20.00 science homeschool trip

-- 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 -- 23.00/60

[liangel]

My key:

:= groceries
anything deemed necessary gas,household supplies, health and beauty aids
- anything deemed NOT necessary
- no spend at all

10/1- $50 gas, $26 Bella Band, $12.70 CVS
----- $2.16 McD's

10/2-
10/3- $26.50 dinner/movie, $6 CVS
10/4-
10/5-
10/6-
10/7-
10/8- $11.94 on Halloween headband and McDonalds. : $8.77
10/9-
10/10- $5.30 Halloween shirt
10/11-
10/12-

[Om Girl]

Feeling so discouraged, Ugh. Today DH is watching football and I'm supposed to be cleaning. I'm working on the mountains of laundry but I really want to go shopping. Mainly because I'm bored and want to get out of the house. Now that I'm on maternity leave from two of my jobs I seriously need to cut back on my spending. I just tracked my CC debt payoff and it'll take me three years . So sick of being in debt...I will get out of debt

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 :
10/08-
10/09- $30.00 for DD's class, $12.03 Home Depot
10/10- $6.42 Walgreens, $6.69 Coffee shop
10/11- $6.94 camera batteries, $21.28 apples @ orchard
10/12- $14.16 :

• 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)
  
• 5/21 no-spend days

[mags.bubble]

10/1 $30 impromptu cocktail hour with dh, $30 for sitter, $50 clothes
10/2
10/3
10/4 $70 Oktoberfest, $3.99 word search book for ds6, $10 fundraiser
10/5 $4.60 library fines
10/6 : $128 vet, $4 scholastic books,
10/7 : $80 dd's snowball retreat, $5 coffee for self & Dad
10/8 $1 croissant
10/9
10/10 $15.00 lunch
10/11 $21 at REI for a tshirt
10/12 $26 coffee and pastries before Sunday school

Key:
no spend day or spent within budget only
: not budgeted but necessary
oops

October goals:
Track every cent spent
Spend within budget only - no nickel/diming myself
Think thrify/frugal
Eat out only: one bfast, one dinner, order in one dinner
Learn to budget monthly for things, rather than just yearly

Ultimate goal:
Stay focused on 6mo emergency fund (1/3 there)

This months planned expected expenditures (outside the basic budget):
$22.55/$25 presents for 2 kids friends bday parties
$60/$60 presents for 3 family birthdays
$20/$30 medical copay
$30/$50 sitter
$0/$30 halloween costumes x2
$0/$25 yarn for starting chanukah gifts
$250/$200 new belt, winterboots, slippers, socks, fleece - for me (this should get me through the winter for clothes)

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by Om Girl

[FONT=Courier New]Feeling so discouraged, Ugh. Today DH is watching football and I'm supposed to be cleaning. I'm working on the mountains of laundry but I really want to go shopping. Mainly because I'm bored and want to get out of the house. Now that I'm on maternity leave from two of my jobs I seriously need to cut back on my spending. I just tracked my CC debt payoff and it'll take me three years . So sick of being in debt...I will get out of debt

You've just described my biggest obstacle to becoming frugal. Shopping is more than spending money. It is a very enjoyable habit. Getting out of the house, acquiring something new . . . it's all a soothing cure for restlessness. BTW, I, too, married a football fan and get annoyed with the game on in the background. :

I've gotten better now that I've come up with other distractions--e.g. going for a walk or to the library. Hang in there, mama!

[missmich]

Day 12 I spent $2.89 on much needed tampons! I saved about $3 b/c I bought the generic brand.

Then I spent about $2.50 on sour cream that I needed for soup I'm making.

I have a question about how much I should spend out of my next check on the 16th. I'll get about $330 and was planning to save $150 (my rent share) and then pay my CC and phone bill and get some groceries with the rest.

My next check after that is the 30th and so far I know I'll be getting about $170 for sure (enough for my share of the rent). I'm trying to pay off my CC as fast as I can so that the interest goes down.

So with my next check should I save my share of the rent or put it on my CC and wait to pay my rent with the check on the 30th? Rent is due the 1st.

[Scribe]

Woohoo! I'm getting back on the horse!

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)
Oct 8: $19 GW; $6 McDonald's
Oct 9: $43 cash from ATM
Oct 10:
Oct 11:
Oct 12:

September Stats: 14 no-spend days, $301 total misc. spending[/QUOTE]

[captain crunchy]

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)
Oct 9: $55.00 for groceries, in budget and $20 from paypal funds so only $35 out of our budget
Oct 10:
Oct 11:
Oct 12:


The average food cost for a family of three in our age group is $414.20 monthly for the thrifty (lowest cost) plan -- we are going to try to half that -- eating a mostly organic, whole foods, from scratch and vegetarian diet. source

$147.66/212.10


Key:

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

[ladyinred]

Haven't been saving as much as I should be: But I'm buckling down for the rest of the month.

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 -
8/10 -
9/10 - $13.00 cab :
10/10 - $30.00 dinner with Df :
11/10 - $25.00 dinner, drinks and cab
12/10 -


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

In - Out
$995 - $131.00

Goals:
- Have at least 10 substitute teaching days - 4.5/10
- Tutor 8 days - 2/8
- At least 20 no spend days 6/20
- 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

[FeelingBlessed]

Definitely would have lost my yesterday, but Grammy insisted on paying for kids' rides/toys at a local fall festival.

Kim :

Oct. 1:
Oct. 2:
Oct. 3:
Oct. 4:
Oct. 5:
Oct. 6: $10 Hannah Montana nailpolish (thanks to DS ripping open package in the store)
Oct. 7:
Oct. 8:
Oct. 9:
Oct. 10:
Oct. 11:
Oct. 12:

GOALS:
* Less than $50 in frivolous spending: month to date $10
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 11/31
* Pack snacks/water for outings: 12/31
* NO library fines: month to date $0
* Stay within grocery/eating out budget: $330/$500
* ORGANIZE/declutter (lack of organization = spending): 8/25
* Exercise (feeling good = decreased emotional spending): 12/25
* Meal plan created: 0.5/4 weeks
* Sell rental house by 10/31 (closing scheduled for 10/31)...

[Scribe]

I got a $650 check for a freelance job yesterday, which is excellent, except that $350 is going straight to the dentist on Friday and $200 is going straight to pay back the cash advance I stupidly had to take from my CC this month. So make that $100 check.

[jen&james]

Joining a bit late this month but better late than never. We are on a tight budget because of debt and we are living check to check so my goals are

Goals:

Get a good no-spend budget in order
Read Dave Ramseys book
Spend more time at home or walking to the park.
Try to use only one tank of gas a month.

10/12 $4.00 for coupons from coupon master
$1.00 grocery game trial