April 2011: Springing into No Buys

[jsmla]

Wow. Yesterday was a big spend day.

Found water on the floor in the laundry. $408 later, new replacement water heater was installed---not optional.

Coffees while meeting with insurance agent, $5--better than meeting at our home where he might stay for hours.

Don't you just love life's little surprises?

 

[QVCshopper]

I can't believe how far behind I am. Don't really have a reason, other than getting busy with other things and watching Tangled too much. Hope everyone is doing well!

3/10 no-buys

4/1-$23 Wegmans, $2 McD
4/2-$19 Wegmans, $5 Charity, $5 Amazon (Tangled soundtrack, lol!), $64 Lowes (home improvements are going well), $20? (can't find receipt) Target
4/3-$19 Chinese food (it's my DD's fav dinner)
4/4-$0
4/5-$18 Mall food (Lego build was free at least), $21 Wegmans, $13.50 ACME
4/6-$0
4/7-$0

 

[charming23]

My allergies are killing me today. I have one major earache so I am staying in.

April Budget (3/30-4/29)

Grocery/Household- $300/$216.82 left
Car/Gas- $50/$23.38 Left
Eating out- $50/$26.80 left
Misc/entertainment- $100/$62.34 left

Total- $500.00/$329.34 left

Goal of 15 No Buy Days

Week One
3/30- $0
3/31- $54.53 Grocery, $26.62 Gas, $3.32 misc, and $13.75 eating out
4/1- $15 Haircut and $13.05 Walgreens
4/2- $0
4/3- $10.21 Grocery and $6.59 Misc
4/4- $0
4/5- $0

Week Two
4/6- $18.44 Grocery and $9.45 eating out
4/7- $0
4/8
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12

5/15 No Buy Days

Store and Coupon Savings-$40.25

 

[SunnieRN]

March 25-April 8:

Goals:

Medical $200 / -$18
Groceries $200 / -$13 / -$48 / $56
Cash: $100 / $37 / -$26
No Buys: 8

March 25: $0
March 26: $0
March 27: $0 Tomorrow zoo, TRus.
March 28: $23 Zoo admission, sheesh the zoo is expensive! $5 each for the Grandmunchkins to spend, $12.57 Dollar Tree, they had Toy Story Kooky pens, for their Easter Baskets.
March 29: $0
March 30; $13 potluck and dressing for home.
March 31: $0
April 1: $0
April 2: $18 med refills,which my insurance only allows a month at a time refills. I wont even attempt to tell you how I feel about this! $48 Groceries, $26 on an appliance I am not sure will be used as much as I hope. The next 3 days will all be NO spend days!! My family is going out of town, I am ADHD dog sitting, and refuse to leave the house or shop online!!
April 3: $0!
April 4: $0
April 5: $0
April 6: $56, Steak, scallops, sushi, artichokes for my DD birtgday lunch and dinner. I ended up giving her $$$ for her birthday, so they went to San Antonio for the first time, in a suite at the Hyatt. Got back yesterday and want to move to San Antonio, they loved it so much!
April 7: $0, and tomorrow, start anew!!


No Buy goal MET!!! Goal 8 / accomplished 10!!

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

My allergies are killing me today. I have one major earache so I am staying in.
QUOTE]

I know what you mean. Kicking mine as well. If it's not the allergies, it's the allergy meds!

 

[Virgderon]

annsteere, how fun! I'm from Chicago, so I love the Blackhawks. Hope they make the playoffs. I always bring candy in my purse for games. The food at the stadium is overpriced and often not that good.

Did some very overdue grocery shopping and did okay. Spent $69, saved $25 for a 36% savings percentage. I like to do better than that, but just have no time to really hunt for the best deals and coupons. I bought BOGOs and grabbed whatever was on sale.

Running Total: Spent $157
$800 budget... $643 left
$0 Days: 3
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 54

Groceries budget- $250-19-7- 69 = 155 left

April 1: 19 ( groceries)
April 2: 0
April 3: 26 ( pop, razor, cleaning supplies, soup)
April 4: 0
April 5: 43 (14 Walgreens, 23 bowling banquet, 6 dinner at bowling)
April 6: 0
April 7: 69 ( Publix groceries)

 

[3goofyboys]

Allrighty, I'm back and in for the month!! I fell apart at the end of last month. With moving and keeping track of 3 different houses, keeping track of my spending fell by the wayside. We're staying with my MIL for the month and most of our stuff is packed. I anticipate a few extra purchases when I discover something I need is packed and in storage ! I'll go for 10 no buy days this month and I'm posting a budget for the first time.


Food: $21/$420
Gas: $63/$200
Medical: $50
Misc Expenses: $185/$400

April 1 $75 Target-got a little food and a birthday gift for my nephew, $30 Gas

April 2

April 3 $38 gas We went to my nephew's b-day party at the zoo today, but we're members, so we went for free and my sister provided lunch. Glad we got a chance to get out this morning because now it's snowing! I'm ready for real spring!

April 4

April 5 $$$ dentist for DS2, $60 repairs to the rental house, $25 new soccer shorts for DS1

April 6 $35 supplies to refinish my old bunkbeds for the boys. Much cheaper than having to buy a new set! $11 groceries.

April 7 $45 gas, $14 Krispy Kreme, $10 groupon for a place we like to eat

2/10 No Buy Days

 

[ronnmel]

No Buy Days : 4/12
Gas : 0$ (max 120$???)
Groceries : 0$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 25$ (max 100$)
Non-necessities : 17$ (max 200$)

04/01 : 0$
04/02 : 7$ (snack)
04/03 : 20$ (lunch + purse)
04/04 : 0$
04/05 : 0$
04/06 : 0$
04/07 : 15$ (gift bag + dinner)

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $177.32
$0 Days:4/13

Groceries ($240-$8/day)- $24.70
Eating Out ($210-$7/day)- $39.89
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($780-$26/day) $30.54
Gas $250- 4/2 $54.17 (3.89/gal), 4/5 $28.02 (3.89/gal) saw gas prices are up to $4.09 at some stations, so at a half tank so filled it up when I still saw gas prices at $3.89= $82.19

1- $0
2- My son's 4th bday. $8.06 (Games-Misc.), $16.10 (Target-Misc.), $6.38 (Dollar Tree-Misc.), $11 (Dairy Queen-Eating Out)
3- $0
4- $0
5- $0
6- $16.81 (Walgreens-Groceries), $9.80 (McDonald's Eating Out)
7- $19.09 (Burger King- Eating Out-Our son really wanted to go here for some reason...maybe one too many commercials on TV during American Idol last night. I remember why we don't go here...yuck!), $7.89 (Meijer-Groceries...actually left my receipt there so I have no idea how much I saved off of sales, just know I saved $8 with coupons)
8- Going on a Roadtrip to D.C.....
9- In D.C
10- Roadtrip Back Home


Budget: $1480....12%
Month: 7/30: 23%
No Buy: 4/13: 31%

My savings from coupons and sales: $284.10

Next Month: 6 month insurance premium ($300)....First month tuition for preschool ($203)....Broadway in Chicago Tickets ($318)

August: $300 Hotel Room for Cedar Point, October: ~$250 Rental Car

 

[bigmama67]

NO-BUY DAYS SO FAR: 1/10

Revising my plan down to 10 again (made it past 10 in March); I don't count grocery spending. This has already been an expensive month with house stuff...hopefully we are DONE now!

We are planning a number of short trips this summer instead of one long one (1 to 2 nights except for one 3-night trip). We'll see if this actually cuts down on vacation expenses...

4/1 - Spent the following: $180 to sign DS up for a week of summer art camp; $59.99 on a sand and water play table for DD (Amazon); $99 for a year of educational software for DS; $478 for new fridge for the basement (but this comes out of the insurance money which we got today; the rest is going into savings); $6.24 at Borders (after using $5 in Borders bucks and a 33% off coupon, I ended up saving 67% off an $18 book for my teaching which my own kids will also enjoy); $33 for gas (DH filled up); $15 for DH to see the doctor; $33 for medicine for DH. OUCH!

DH gets three paychecks this month so we were planning to do these things when that came in. We also just ordered new laptops which will be covered by our federal tax refund. End of splurging...I have 2 classes to pay tuition for this summer. Also paid some bills.

4/2: $33 groceries; $19 CVS (more prescriptions); $3 Dollar Tree, $19 movie tickets (we were running late and I couldn't find my coupons!), $10 snacks ($5 for the movie and $5 at DS' baseball game - opening day); $27 baseball pictures; $17 batting gloves...OY, not off to a good start, are we?

4/3: $4 Dunkin' Donuts, $33 Whole Foods; $64 groceries.

4/4: $4.75 Amazon for a new computer cable DH will need to transfer movies from his old one, $50 for campground reservation for August; $135 first installment for Six Flags passes (including one parking pass); $83 for one night lodging in Massachusetts (May trip).

4/5: no-buy at last!

4/6: $151 for the plumber to clear a MAJOR clog in our upstairs bathroom; $31 Gymboree order (used $25 in Gymbucks!); $35 at Lands End for water sandals for DD and DS; $46 Costco gas; $6.49 Amazon (movie I need to watch for one of my summer classes, I decided it was easier than dealing with the library because who knows when I'll get a CHANCE to watch it and I don't want overdue fees).

4/7: $25 Stop & Shop; $283(!) for a junk removal place to take away our old fridge (they had to saw it into pieces!); $208 for PSE&G to fix our water heater; $45 for a campground reservation for July (yes, we’re taking lots of camping trips this year!); $2.50 for snacks at DS’ B-Ball game.

4/8:

4/9: Going to American Girl fundraiser at the museum with my friend and her 8 y.o. DD (they’ll be paying me back for the tickets which I already bought). ;o)

4/10:

4/11:

4/12:

4/13:

4/14:

4/15:

4/16:

4/17:

4/18:

4/19:

4/20:

4/21:

4/22:

4/23: We’ll be going up to Maine to visit my Mom…$$$.

4/24: Maine trip.

4/25: Coming home from Maine.

4/26:

4/27:

4/28:

4/29:

4/30:

 

[annsteere]

NO-BUY DAYS SO FAR: 1/10

Revising my plan down to 10 again (made it past 10 in March); I don't count grocery spending. This has already been an expensive month with house stuff...hopefully we are DONE now!

4/23: We’ll be going up to Maine to visit my Mom…$$$.

Unavoidable house expenses and valuable family time expenses are why I'm on this board, curbing my "little" impulse spending. Hope you are right and your house is done for the month. Enjoy the good spend with your Mom.

 

[annsteere]

annsteere, how fun! I'm from Chicago, so I love the Blackhawks. Hope they make the playoffs. I always bring candy in my purse for games. The food at the stadium is overpriced and often not that good.

Virgderon, you'd have been right with me spending with a big smile on your face. We sat in the fourth row on the blue line, our company was my daughter and son-in-love who we hadn't seen for over a month, and the Hawks won in OT 4-3, probably making the playoffs and eliminating St. Louis.

Fab night for $44.

 

[bigmama67]

Unavoidable house expenses and valuable family time expenses are why I'm on this board, curbing my "little" impulse spending. Hope you are right and your house is done for the month. Enjoy the good spend with your Mom.

Thanks, Ann...you always have such nice encouraging words!

 

[nunzia]

$700 total
$100 Gas $80 left
$250 Groceries $189 left
$150 Entertainment/Eating Out $128 left
$100 Gifts $72 left
$100 Misc Household $52 left

April 1: $15.00 gift (online Jedi game), $2.00 movie rental, $10.00 lunch out ( I am rounding)
April 2: $0
April 3: $20 DH gasoline. $59 Walmart...($8 gift, $8 Misc household garden, saved $8 in coupons) $7.00 Walgreens ( had a great coupon deal on M&Ms and those are for Easter so gifts $2 gift, the rest groceries. total coupons there $5.25)
April 4: $0
April 5: $3.00 (groceries for a recipe I wanted to try..first time using fresh ginger )
April 6: $3.00 Clone Wars Magazine for DGS, $40 for MP3 player for me..yikes..so is that household or gift? I'll say household
April 7: $10.00 groceries (sale stuff, mainly produce and fruit) $14.00 dinner out with DH & friends

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

Auto $60.00/$240.00
Groceries/Household Goods $32.00/$200.00(raised for Easter. Expecting 26 people)
Eating Out/Entertainment $29.00/$100.00
Misc $200.00
No Buy days 3/10
Coupon savings
New Business Expenses. I'm now a new Advisor for lia sophia jewelry.And I know I will have extra expenses. So, I'm giving it it's own catagory. $14.00

March coupon savings $116.00
No buy days 15/15
February coupon savings $124.00
No buy days 15/12
January coupon savings $360.00
no buy days 17/10

04/01 -0-
04/02 -0- Didn't go shopping. Went home an napped instead! Sinus' are kicking my butt.
04/03 $25.00 lunch out.
04/04-0-
04/05$60.00 GAS
04/06 $46.00 $32.00 groceries, $14.00 business expenses.
04/07 $4.00 lunch 2 soups for DD and I.

 

[jsmla]

My allergies are killing me today. I have one major earache so I am staying in.

Me too, only with asthma in place of the earache. Hope you're feeling better!

April

April 1-$0

April 2-$96.23

April 3-$0

April 4-$101.04

April 5-$0

April 6-$0

April 7-$20 for four tickets to the New Orleans Zephyrs through Living Social. Drat that internet! I thought it was a good deal though. $20 for an evening's entertainment for four

 

[angierae]

No buy days: 4/10
Groceries: 53.44/$240 (237.90 left)
Fuel: 20/$48
Eating out: 24.90/$44
Entertainment/Hobbies: 8.67/$52

Coupon running total for April: $10.49

4/1: $0
4/2: $0
4/3: $0
4/4: $2.10 (CVS. Got $50 worth of stuff between sales, coupons and Extrabucks, though.)
4/5: $14.90 @ Subway $8.67 @ 7-11 $20 @ Mobil
4/6: $10 @ Panera (Forgot my lunch and my stash of Healthy Choice meals in the office freezer was depleted. Going to fix that tomorrow), $51.34 @ Meijer
4/7: $0

 

[charming23]

Me too, only with asthma in place of the earache. Hope you're feeling better!

Hope you are feeling better. I know how rough it is to have asthma acting up as well.

I know what you mean. Kicking mine as well. If it's not the allergies, it's the allergy meds!

It stinks that the good allergy meds always make me so sleepy. Hope you feel better soon too!

I am feeling better today. The earache is gone along with most of the stuffy nose as well.

I did run out to Walgreen's this morning to get the purex they had on sale. With the store coupon and manufacturers coupon I only spent $.99 for the bottle. I also picked up some tylenol as I finished ours yesterday.

I then stopped at Pepperidge farm outlet to get dessert for tonight ($1 chocolate passion cake) as my uncle is bringing over pizza for all of us. I also picked up some cinnamon bread and applied for a job there. Good day so far

April Budget (3/30-4/29)

Grocery/Household- $300/$208.38 left
Car/Gas- $50/$23.38 Left
Eating out- $50/$26.80 left
Misc/entertainment- $100/$62.34 left

Total- $500.00/$320.90 left

Goal of 15 No Buy Days

Week One
3/30- $0
3/31- $54.53 Grocery, $26.62 Gas, $3.32 misc, and $13.75 eating out
4/1- $15 Haircut and $13.05 Walgreens
4/2- $0
4/3- $10.21 Grocery and $6.59 Misc
4/4- $0
4/5- $0

Week Two
4/6- $18.44 Grocery and $9.45 eating out
4/7- $0
4/8- $2.99 Pepperidge Farm and $5.45 Walgreens
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12

5/15 No Buy Days

Store and Coupon Savings-$45.25

 

[superme80]

So far so good today. My friend was over so I made coffee for us and a cinnamon bread instead of going to a coffee shop. Tonight is date night, so I bought some yummy looking raviolis and I'll make some veggies and maybe some garlic bread. So this will put me at 3 no buy days! 3 down and 7 more to go!!!!!

 

[SunnieRN]

March 25-April 8:

Goals:

Medical $200 / -$18
Groceries $200 / -$13 / -$48 / $56
Cash: $100 / $37 / -$26
No Buys: 8



No Buy goal MET!!! Goal 8 / accomplished 10!!

Starting again:

April 8-22:

Goals:

Medical: $200
Groceries $200
Cash: $100
No Buy Days: 9 (going out on a limb here. 9 of 14 sounds rough!)

April 8: $0 (off to a good start anyway!)

No Buy Goal 9 / 1 accomplished!!