September No Buy - Holidays are Coming!

[verleniahall]

Thanksgiving and Christmas are both on the horizon - wouldn't it be great to pay for Christmas in CASH?!

Lets see what September brings us!

NO BUY's here we come!

 

[verleniahall]

Staking out my spot

Groceries, Bills, Gas, Disney do not count

My birthday is on the 9th, but I have an all day thing for work on the 10th, so we will be doing some fun things this weekend

I am going for 10 No Buy Days


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[devalsam]

I'd like to join in on this. My first one, wish me luck. We've got the holidays, many birthdays, and a Disney trip coming up. Going for 15 no buy days.

 

[tinkarooni]

I haven't done this challenge in a few years, but I'm looking to jump back in. I have set a rather strict budget for my family of four so that I can accumulate some additional savings for various items. In order to accomplish our goals I definitely need a few months of "No Buy". I got a jump start on it for August and did great. I am ready to go for September. I have a list of exclusions for myself, which include some very minor things that I will not bore you with. A couple of basic things we forgot for DS who just left for college. I won't count these minor planned purchases and am shooting for 18 "No Buy" days. Sticking to a $500 food budget. So away we go!

 

[Ciandella915]

What are the rules for no buy? Is it literally no buying, or not spending money period (bills, etc.)? I'm intrigued....

 

[tinkarooni]

What are the rules for no buy? Is it literally no buying, or not spending money period (bills, etc.)? I'm intrigued....

Unless the rules have changed......you make up your own rules. The goal is to have as many "No Buy" days as possible based on your own criteria. Maybe you don't count paying the regular bills, mortgage, electric etc, but you do count anything spent at a brick and mortar store or online shopping, some people don't count groceries. I personally don't count the regular bills and I give myself a grocery budget. Everything over the grocery budget is a spend day, I also have a list for the month, like I know my DS needs potholders and I need a birthday gift for an aunt. Those are planned, expected purchases for me so I exclude them. That's just how I play.

 

[Ciandella915]

Unless the rules have changed......you make up your own rules. The goal is to have as many "No Buy" days as possible based on your own criteria. Maybe you don't count paying the regular bills, mortgage, electric etc, but you do count anything spent at a brick and mortar store or online shopping, some people don't count groceries. I personally don't count the regular bills and I give myself a grocery budget. Everything over the grocery budget is a spend day, I also have a list for the month, like I know my DS needs potholders and I need a birthday gift for an aunt. Those are planned, expected purchases for me so I exclude them. That's just how I play.

Makes sense. That's what my rules would be too. I'm game!

 

[tinkarooni]

Makes sense. That's what my rules would be too. I'm game!

And usually people set a goal to shoot for of "No Spend Days". I am trying for 18 days which is a little crazy, but hey, no pain no gain.

 

[milwaukeemommy]

I'll go for 18 also. I just squeaked through August with 15. I can do better!

 

[Tanzanite]

Id like to join please i will start with trying not to buy first 5 days then write down everything i spend . I have been very bad this summer 2 big holidays and my sons college tuition huge.Next week i am going to pay a huge credit card bill several thousand put tuition on there plus trip to Niagara Falls .I have to stop spending at least a month to get back on track taking most of money in chequing account to pay off some of credit card bills.I have been overspending far to long now i plan to clean house more not shopping .

 

[tinkarooni]

Id like to join please i will start with trying not to buy first 5 days then write down everything i spend . I have been very bad this summer 2 big holidays and my sons college tuition huge.Next week i am going to pay a huge credit card bill several thousand put tuition on there plus trip to Niagara Falls .I have to stop spending at least a month to get back on track taking most of money in chequing account to pay off some of credit card bills.I have been overspending far to long now i plan to clean house more not shopping .

I feel your pain, I wrote a huge tuition check a month ago. I have one in college and another going in two years. We've always saved for college, but clearly not enough, so it's time to get incredibly serious.

 

[jsmla]

Unless the rules have changed......you make up your own rules. The goal is to have as many "No Buy" days as possible based on your own criteria. Maybe you don't count paying the regular bills, mortgage, electric etc, but you do count anything spent at a brick and mortar store or online shopping, some people don't count groceries. I personally don't count the regular bills and I give myself a grocery budget. Everything over the grocery budget is a spend day, I also have a list for the month, like I know my DS needs potholders and I need a birthday gift for an aunt. Those are planned, expected purchases for me so I exclude them. That's just how I play.

I might try this. We're trying to regroup after losing two rental properties and most of our business to flooding. We have savings but don't want to touch them if we can make it. We're out of town till Sunday on a trip paid for before the flood hit but will start posting when we return.

My goal is to become more mindful of our discretionary spending (eating out, pricey coffees, etc.) and to cut back on the grocery, cable/utility and entertainment bills.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Hi All!

My rules for the month: Groceries, gas, planned charity giving, pet bills, necessary gifts to family (for example, when someone's spouse loses a job and the family can't meet necessary life expenses) and eating out twice a month do not count. I am giving myself a budget of $400 dollars for discretionary spending for the month. Anything I don't spend goes into my hiking adventure money. I am counting my days at Disney (that starts tomorrow) too. When at WDW, only touristy carp counts. So meals out don't count, but buying (another) wand at HP does.

 

[Shughart]

Present and accounted for. I am going for 12 no buy days. Which is half of the days leading up to our trip which is where I will end it because DISNEY. I am not counting bills that need to be paid.

1 - No spend day number 1!
2 - No spend day number 2! Went to collect ingredients for a potluck dish and picked up an rx and those don't count.
3 - No spend day number 3!
4 - New sneakers for my hubby to break in before the trip: $40 and $3 at walmart for a coupon book to hold cash and gift cards as well as sharpies for autographs $3.
5 - No spend day number 4!
6 - Spent $10.78 at Dollar tree on ponchos, garbage bags and some things for our trip.
7 - Spent $25 on window well covers because ALLTHERAIN and $30 for Lularoe leggings.
8 - Stopped in at Ross this morning to find some tops and found the Halloween decorations instead. $60 later....pushing myself to get back on track tomorrow!
9 Happy to report that I got back on track today for No spend day number 5!
10 Spent $100+ today, but I had bachelorette duties and I knew this expense was coming. Doesn't make it any easier though
11 No spend day number 6!
12 No spend day number 7, bought groceries but those don't count and had bridal party duties, but these ones were already paid for. Woooooo!
13 I struggled today, tempted not only by Starbucks but also by lunch options for what I knew would be a stressful and busy day. I toughed it out thought for no spend day number 8!
14 My comfy gel padded flip flops gave out on me today, went and bought a pair to replace them for our trip. $30.
15 Payday, the usual gas and groceries which don't count. $75 for a wedding gift and $13 for a haircut.
16 No spend day number 9!
17 Belt for the wedding today (really glad wedding weekend is almost over!)
18 I am preemptively calling No spend day number 10, so I will remember today that I do not want to have to come back here and edit this!
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10/12 no buy days complete!

 

[froggibabey]

I'm in! I can definitely use this. Not really counting monthly bills or anything that I already know we need (like shampoo or a new belt), or school expenses that pop up! Shooting for 12 no buy days!

 

[Lady Marie]

Hi! I'm new to this, but I lurked on the August thread and wanted to join in this month. DH and I are about to take out a small loan to buy a small business so I need to put a lock down on discretionary spending. We have a trip this weekend to Disney for four days that was paid for before we decided to buy the business, so we will be going, but I've already bought groceries to take and will give myself a small snack and/or Disney springs shopping budget. But I will still count those as spends.

Goal: 15 no buy days

Not counting: groceries, gas, bills or medical spends.

But will be counting: Those amazon purchases that have been so easy and mindless before! Eating out, clothes, coffee, and cocktails-- my main downfalls!

 

[Ciandella915]

My goal is 15 no spend days.

Not counting: groceries, bills, emergency stuff (medical/car), my birthday, or my anniversary, or planned appointments (like a hair cut scheduled back in July).

Counting: All other expenses, including but not limiting: coffee, eating out, impulse buys, and $5 Target runs that turn into $60 Target runs.

1 - No Spend #1!
2 - Lunch at Chipotle, Etsy
3 - Clothes shopping
4 - No Spend #2!
5 - Target run and Boxes from Home Depot. Bright side is that I majorly de cluttered!
6 - No Spend #3!
7 - No Spend #4!
8 - Spent $32 on doggie daycare
9 - No Spend #5!
10 - No Spend #6!
11 - Sully movie (great, btw), B&BW, VS
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[Diasmom]

I'd like to join in for the very first time. My first year in quite awhile that I won't be working at least part-time and a little nervous (going to be having surgery, planned). That said, I couldn't resist the Haunted Mansion purse for sale this morning. I've been covering it since I first saw it. So already feeling guilt! I'd like to aim for 16 days, no counting bills, groceries, and planned expenses.

 

[tinkarooni]

September 1 - No Buy (day 1/18)
Lousy day at work. Would be nice on a day like this to go out to eat, but of course I won't. Can't fold on Day 1, right?

Instead I will be working on next weeks meal plan and grocery list while sitting on my deck enjoying the beautiful weather. We will eat the frozen casserole I planned for dinner and I will enjoy my first No Buy day!

 

[jsmla]

Question, do you include your spouse/other half/kids in the no buy? DH is theoretically on board with my hunker down plan but is going to balk at accounting for every "little" thing. I'm going to have to go slowly with him and stuff like stopping off at a convenience store for drinks and snacks.