~October No Spend Challenge~ The economy declines, MDC familes SAVE!!!!!! - Page 15

[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 and then a few groceries)
Oct 3: (not only no spend, but an unexpected government payment came in *yay*)
Oct 4: (I had to update this... I don't get no spend, we put 5.00 on our Tim Card for date night and bought donuts to have after our supper while we watched a movie )
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 a cc payment and for my website domain name renewal)
Oct 7:
Oct 8:
Oct 9: (I went with no money and STILL spent money... $3.59 on gluten free animal crackers for DS who was melting down because I left his snack and drink at home)
Oct 10: (PayDay and pay bill day, did our big grocery shop as well :... paid some extra debt stuff too
Oct 11: (bought more office supplies... this has been a big month for me, my biggest ever so while I don't like to spend so much at the office supply store it's because of all of my sales which is definitely a great thing!)
Oct 12: (DP picked up few grocery items to complete the big shop that the other store didn't have)
Oct 13:
Oct 14:

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
$104.10/$200: Groceries (Week 1: 19.22/40, Week 2: 84.88/40)
$12.89/$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 at $126.99/$440.00 flux dollars spent

[mags.bubble]

Caved today and took dd17 to starbucks after her MD appt. She didn't even ask, it was my idea. We split a sandwich and a cookie, we both ordered drinks, and I bought choc milk for the 2 little ones (had their lunches packed, so they ate those).

Little things sneaking up on me - $2 spent on rice cakes for my sons prek class - they cook on Tuesdays, $6 scholastic books, fun lunch order is due next week, I didn't budget for kids allowances etc...

I am still tracking every cent, next month should have a better budget in months to come.

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
10/13 $10 for parking at MSI
10/14 $16 starbucks, :$12 charity, $7.50 overspent at grocery store, :$2 prek cooking class food, $6 scholastic books

Key:
no spend day or spent within budget only
: not budgeted but necessary $226
oops $306.09

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
$45/$30 medical copay
$50/$50 sitter
$17.5/$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)

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

01..
02.. , :
03.. $150 gas grill
04.. $113 fleece and new shoes and latte
05..
06..
07..
08..
09.. , :
10.. $50 babysitter and dinner
11.. $1.83 coffee
12..
13.. $120 preschool tuition, $10 girl scout fees
14..
15..

Goals:

8/20 No Spend Days
2/10 Let the Car Rest Days :

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Originally Posted by lactivistmama

It is a time filler.. I would LOVE to start running again. (and to actually save some $$)
I just have to figure out how and when

I get up at 5 AM on weedays and run while my girls are still asleep (DH gets them up and gets them dressed for school). Definitely not ideal because it is dark and cold then, but that is my only "free" time.

And another Mom and I swap babysitting on Tuesdays. I watch her kids while she runs and she watches mine while I run.

You are right. It is ~really~ hard to find that time.

[slsurface]

10/1:
10/2: , deposited $250 from paycheck into savings
10/3: $10 copay for Dr. visit, $1 for donut (I know, I'm weak)
10/4: $80 for groceries, $20 for home improvement supplies, $40 for gas in both cars
10/5:
10/6: $100 for my 3 month stock up on necessities from the health food store ( used 15% coupon to save $), $30 for cat food (2 month supply)
10/7: , :
10/8: $20 for dinner out and trip to park
10/9:
10/10:
10/11: :$60 for groceries, $40 for gas in both cars, $15 for winterizing supplies for motorcycle
10/12: DH bought dress shoes with gift cards and only had to spend $4.50 in actual cash, I, on the other hand, spent $15 for Halloween craft supplies (at least they were all on sale
10/13: $10 for co-pay at dr. office for me
10/14: $10 for co-pay at dr. office for DS, $46 for months supply of milk, cheese, & eggs with cow-share, $142 for bulk order of baking products from Country Life Natural Foods

Here are the new goals for October:
6/10 No Spend Days (trying to be more realistic here)
1/2 Eating Out (excluding business trip)
$588.50/$600 Groceries, gasoline & household expenses ( this is getting high already, but I'm buying in bulk for the first time this month, so I will hopefully save next month!)
$15/$25 Halloween costumes/supplies
$20/$150 Home Improvement
$250/$500 Put in household savings
$20/$150 Non-essential spending
$0/$200 For business trip (DH & DS are coming with me)

My KEY:
= No spend
= Budgeted or necessary spending
= Un-Budgeted spending
= Put money in savings
= Saved money
: = No driving or biking only

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Payday is tomorrow.

We'll be able to breathe easier.

So I need to focus on saving that money instead of spending it like I did the past six weeks.

Also the only activity on our agenda is going to the library -- if I walk myself there I can get in a no-drive day. That would be nice.

[missmich]

Day 14: No Spending at all today!

Oh and I got my MasterCard bill in the mail and I was actually happy! It's in the $2000 range now! Yay!It's $2965 but at the end of the week will be closer to $2800!

[captain crunchy]

Good today!


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:
Oct:13: $16.93 groceries + $17 in gas left over from *free* gas card : so I am not counting that.
Oct:14:


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

$164.69/212.10


Key:

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

[Scribe]

Doing pretty well. Going to have some shipping costs in the next few days, but I haven't been thrifting in a bit!

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:
Oct 13: $6 lunch
Oct 14:

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

[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:
10/12: Hubby filled my car $71/ and picked up groceries $20.46
10/13:
10/14:

No Spend
Budget Spend
Over Spend

Groceries $654.97*
Gas $95*
Misc. $12.72*
Pet $91.35

XMas $19.39**

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

[allborntogrow]

Okay I've been bad. I've barely been keeping track . . . I was doing okay until today . . . darn you diaperswappers!!!

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)
8: : 21.74 gift for J's friend
9:
10: : 32.61 b-day gift for another one of J's friends (of course his two best friends have parties the same weekend)
11: : 3.68 on some trolli brite crawler eggs (any notice candy is my weakness?)
12:
13:
14: : $60 at diaperswappers.com . . . get me off that site

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

[Om Girl]

10/01- $20.00 (frivolous spending)
10/02- (only budgeted spending or no spend)
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 :, $39.94 groceries
10/13- $11.15 :
10/14-
10/15- $36.00 for b-day presents, $50.00 on DD.

• 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)
  
• 6/21 no-spend days

[FeelingBlessed]

Missed the library yesterday, so preserved my run of but increased fines due today :...

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:
Oct. 13:
Oct. 14:

GOALS:
* Less than $50 in frivolous spending: month to date $10
* At least 25 days (no spend or spending w/in budget): 13/31
* Pack snacks/water for outings: 14/31
* NO library fines: month to date $0
* Stay within grocery/eating out budget: $330/$500
* ORGANIZE/declutter (lack of organization = spending): 9/25
* Exercise (feeling good = decreased emotional spending): 14/25
* Meal plan created: 0.5/4 weeks
* Sell rental house by 10/31 (closing scheduled for 10/31)...

[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.
10/9.
10/10. $81 groceries, $12.99 clothing, $73.39 Halloween party stuff at Target, $196 at Party City, $51.25 gas
10/11.
10/12. $24 Halloween decor
10/13.
10/14.
10/15.

7/10 no spending days
$167/$200 grocery budget
$51.25/$100 gas budget
$349.82/$300 Halloween party budget
$26/$100 winter gear
$166/$150 costume budget

[PhotoJournMama]

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.
09. $1 drink
10. $20 food/coffee while driving
11. $3 coffee
12.
13. $3 coffee
14.
15. $4 Kitchen supplies


232.80/400: Groceries
15/50: Gifts
94.45/150: Gas

[Scribe]

Well, the shipping is bad, but I waited to see if there would be leftovers after a faculty lunch and there were, so I got free lunch!

ETA: The day went downhill after that...

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:
Oct 13: $6 lunch
Oct 14:
Oct 15: $13 PO; $49 Target (new headphones and car jack for the iPod, dish soap, hand soap, nail polish, and deodorant); $15 Goodwill (new dog beds, yay!); and $62 Jockey (new much-needed bras)

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

[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), $14.99 (DSL) $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: : :
10/8: :
10/9: ::
10/10: $63.51 (Groceries), $3.25 (Coffee), $25 (Transfer into savings for Christmas)
10/11: $40 (Gas)
10/12: $20.25 (Pumpkins), $12.80 (Work stuff)
10/13: ::
10/14: :
10/15: :: and I made some cash babysitting!

So, far:

5/15 no driving :
8/15 no spending :
$73.55/$250 groceries
$272.78 necessary spending
$47.42 unnecessary spending
1/2 yummy coffees[/QUOTE]

[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
15th I allowed myself to go over-budget on groceries today. A whopping $216.00!! What can I say? I'm recession-proofing!
16th I'll go ahead and give a : for today. $12.00 on stuff for an upcoming weekend trip. I could have baked something instead of granola bars. I bought a pound of coffee b/c I feel bad for consuming so much of MIL's. I bought disposable baby wipes. Honestly, I could have found alternatives to all of the aforementioned. So ":" describes it.

[Brisen]

10/1: $54 groceries (no frivolous stuff! yay!)
10/2: :
10/3: $40 LTS (mostly crafting supplies for Christmas gifts); : $84 grocery store (only a few groceries, mostly bridal shower gift & stuff to keep the kids happy with a new sitter tonight); $40 sitter
10/4: :
10/5: :
10/6: $200 for Christmas gifts (some of this we will get back, as grandparents send money for Christmas); $195 at the grocery store; $16 at the orchard for a bunch of pie pumpkins; $23 diaper covers.
10/7: :
10/8: innocent $115 hardware store for winterizing supplies, leaf bags, and a gardening book (on sale for $8 and something I've been looking for); $71.25 groceries; : $10 dishcloths (they were cheap, so I figured I would stock up, but regretted it after), $6 for 1 gal apple cider (a treat, I caved, but it was too expensive) $2.75 mini bagels (even though I packed a snack! Arg)
10/9: :
10/10: : $45 hardware store -- $20 is being returned. It was some canning equipment that doesn't fit my pot. $44 grocery store (meat was on sale, I stocked up) : $11 overspent at the grocery store
10/11: $11 farmer's market : $1.75 treat at the market
10/12:
10/13: :
10/14:
10/15: $15 milk; $63 groceries (mostly stocking my pantry, could have waited, but I had to go in to get milk & butter anyway....); : $6 chocolate for me & treats for the kids
10/16:
10/17: :thum :
10/18:
10/19:
10:20: $10 milk

TTD: $1041

no spend
: no drive
budgeted spending
: overspending

[allborntogrow]

Okay I've been bad. I've barely been keeping track . . . I was doing okay until today . . . darn you diaperswappers!!!

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)
8: : 21.74 gift for J's friend
9:
10: : 32.61 b-day gift for another one of J's friends (of course his two best friends have parties the same weekend)
11: : 3.68 on some trolli brite crawler eggs (any notice candy is my weakness?)
12:
13:
14: : $60 at diaperswappers.com . . . get me off that site
15: 17.24 food for a school fundraiser and : 2.50 ice cream bars

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