1 Year to SAVE!!!

[scrappinmom]

Christmas????? Oh my you are my new idol! Every year I say I'm going to start early.......& every year I don't!!

 

[bigsis1970]

Wow I've gotten a few items for Christmas but the earliest I've ever been done is Black Friday weekend..

 

[SnowWhite607]

I know, right? I was thinking SHE'S DONE????? I have bought a total of ONE thing and that was a pre-ordered Kindle touch for my DD.

I am planning to save a bit more soon. I start a long term substitute teaching job next Monday. Since I am a certified teacher, I get teacher pay (not sub pay) after 10 days. So sub pay for 10 days (which is not too bad in itself) and then teacher pay for 20 days (the job is a total of 6 weeks while the regular teaching is out of maternity leave). Starts Monday Oct 31 and goes thru the Christmas holidays. But I have a one week vacation in there for Thanksgiving where we are going on a cruise so it shouldnt be too bad! I havent worked full time in a while so its gonna take some getting used to! But thats extra money I have to save for Disney!

 

[scrappinmom]

I know, right? I was thinking SHE'S DONE????? I have bought a total of ONE thing and that was a pre-ordered Kindle touch for my DD.

I am planning to save a bit more soon. I start a long term substitute teaching job next Monday. Since I am a certified teacher, I get teacher pay (not sub pay) after 10 days. So sub pay for 10 days (which is not too bad in itself) and then teacher pay for 20 days (the job is a total of 6 weeks while the regular teaching is out of maternity leave). Starts Monday Oct 31 and goes thru the Christmas holidays. But I have a one week vacation in there for Thanksgiving where we are going on a cruise so it shouldnt be too bad! I havent worked full time in a while so its gonna take some getting used to! But thats extra money I have to save for Disney!

At least you know there's an end - I went back to work last November, after being a SAHM for 13 years - wowsers that was tough...but now we're used to it..my kids are older (17 &12) and it's good for all of us...now if I could just get the laundry thing down...I'd be so much better

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Believe me Friends, I am NOT usually done this early. DH got his bonus last week and we happened to have a day off together while the kids are in school so we just hit the ground running. We were so excited that we lucked out so well. We got everything we were looking for. It feels good to be done...

 

[SnowWhite607]

At least you know there's an end - I went back to work last November, after being a SAHM for 13 years - wowsers that was tough...but now we're used to it..my kids are older (17 &12) and it's good for all of us...now if I could just get the laundry thing down...I'd be so much better

WOW! That must have been an adjustment after that long! I used to teach kindergarten up until May 2010 but even then, we had half days on Mondays and Fridays. I didnt work for 5 years after my DD was born so it will be almost 11 years since I have worked 100% full time - 5 days a week, 7 hours a day.

I am worried about the laundry and the grocery shopping. I hate to go on Saturdays when the rest of the free world goes but I dont see another option other than doing it after working all day - ugh. I am really counting on some help from my family! LOL! Now, whether THEY are counting on it is another story!

 

[SnowWhite607]

21.00 cash - grocery leftover week #1
56.49 change jar
49.77 from survey sites
100.00 Christmas money that we always get from FIL
6.00 cash - grocery leftover week #2
12.00 cash - grocery leftover week #3
_________
245.26 total as of 10-25-11

I only started with $95 for the grocery budget this week - we went to the Saints game Sunday night and its what we had left out of the cash we took...I didnt see the point of depositing $95 back and then taking out $100 so I just said we would try $95 this week.

Spent $82.49 so I have $12.51 to add to my Disney jar this week!

 

[AnjieNet]

So, I saved a bit of money in groceries this week but then had to buy a new tire for the car so that went out the window. However, my brother reimbursed me for our dad's Father's Day present (FINALLY!) so I'm putting that away toward vacation as that money has been out of our budget so long. Here's my new breakdown:


$1500 Goal
$129.5 Discover Cashback Rewards Balance
$40.78 QuickRewards
$20 Disney Movie Rewards Gift Card
$100 Disney Gift Card - Sams
$30 Reimbursement
---------
$1179.72 Left to save

I've been pretty lax on surveys lately too. Need to get back into that. But I figure I've got over 300 days until I'll need that money for vacation. Surely I can do at least one $1 survey a day. Should pay for most of DD and my meals.

 

[SnowWhite607]

Grrr, I am so mad! I had 2 sub jobs for this week and they both got cancelled!! That was money I was counting on!

 

[scrappinmom]

Grrr, I am so mad! I had 2 sub jobs for this week and they both got cancelled!! That was money I was counting on!

sorry

 

[scrappinmom]

Believe me Friends, I am NOT usually done this early. DH got his bonus last week and we happened to have a day off together while the kids are in school so we just hit the ground running. We were so excited that we lucked out so well. We got everything we were looking for. It feels good to be done...

ok, not to change the topic of this thread...but can I ask what your 12 yr old dd wanted????? I have one of "those" too!

 

[SnowWhite607]

ok, not to change the topic of this thread...but can I ask what your 12 yr old dd wanted????? I have one of "those" too!

I would like to know too.....my DD will be 11 in January and other than the Kindle, I got nothing.......

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Well, our 12 yr old is not hard to please. She is somewhat of a tomboy. We got clothes for her, a new coat/hat/scarf for the winter, some trendy boots and will get the next season of Star Wars the Clone Wars when it comes out on DVD next month (she's addicted to that). I agree that the older they get the tougher it is to shop for them, not to mention more expensive!!!
We also do not allow personal (mobile)game systems...our motto is that if we cannot play it as a family, you cannot have it. Since Nintendo DS's and PSP's and games to go with them are the big thing now, we miss out on getting those sorts of things. We usually get one of the kids a new WII game that everyone can play, DS is getting Legos Indiana Jones this year.

 

[scrappinmom]

Thanks - my dd really isn't into the hand held game things...& other than an ipad she says there's nothing else she wants! Since that's not happening.....I'm stuck.

On a savings note...got my money from paypal transfered into my bank account today from my ebay listings...I'm going to go buy a Disney gift card this weekend so I'm not tempted to spend that $275 on anything else!

 

[SnowWhite607]

Thanks - my dd really isn't into the hand held game things...& other than an ipad she says there's nothing else she wants! Since that's not happening.....I'm stuck.

On a savings note...got my money from paypal transfered into my bank account today from my ebay listings...I'm going to go buy a Disney gift card this weekend so I'm not tempted to spend that $275 on anything else!

WOW! Awesome!

I went to the grocery store early and I saved $18....will update totals later.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

I am hoping to save a LOT in groceries this week for two reasons:

*we got some batteries at Dollar Gen and got a coupon for $5 purchase of $25 tomorrow only. I plan to buy my Halloween candy and chili stuff for trunk or treat there.

*we have two nights with dinners away from home that are FREE this week: Chili supper at DD's school and we have been invited to dinner at a friend's house another night.

Here's hoping for a SUPERCHEAP grocery week!!!

BTW: Chili 3x's next week! Church Trunk or Treat, friend is making Chili and Tacos when she has us over for dinner, then Chili supper at DD 12's school....I think we will be all Chili-d out by then! LOL!!!

 

[SnowWhite607]

21.00 cash - grocery leftover week #1
57.19 change jar
49.77 from survey sites
100.00 Christmas money that we always get from FIL
6.00 cash - grocery leftover week #2
12.00 cash - grocery leftover week #3
18.00 cash - grocery leftover week #4
_________
263.96 total as of 10-75-11

Added 18.70 today! ($18 cash, 70 cents to the change jar)

 

[scrappinmom]

ok I decided I better do a total cause I"m starting to lose track!

$42 on left over Disney gift card
$100 moved into savings x2
$22 left over from groceries so far
$10.43 Quick Rewards
$261.08 Ebay sold - after shipping & buying packing tape
$288.24 Comission check (should arrive 10/31)

GRAND TOTAL$823.75

Goal $3000 - 823.75 = $2167.25

I am buying a Disney gift card today for $300 (which will take the place of Ebay & extra grocery money so far) Then when I receive my commision check I will buy another $500!!!

& I still have 9 months to go! - Although I won't get a comission check in November or December, & I have to really look for more ebay stuff. If I divide it up I have to save $300 or less each month from now till April when I have to pay off the trip. THen I'll have May & June to save for the other expenses...Although I'd like to have more of a cushion than that. I know the holidays are going to be tough to save, we host Turkey Day & Christmas Eve/Day....but if I get a big jump start then I can relax a little bit during those months.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Grocery Day...didn't save as much as I had hoped. I didn't get ANYTHING not on the list.

I am thinking of lowering the goal since I went from having until Oct 2012 to save and moved it up to March 2012. I want to wait until after we get Christmas $ to decide a reasonable goal for March.

Goal: $1000
Former balance: $824.80
Saved this week: $14.00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left to save: $810.80

Just keep saving, just keep saving....

 

[cocofifi]

I didn't read the entire thread, so someone may have mentioned this. Have everyone save their change and put it into a Disney fund jar. My sister in law saved over $300 for the trip we just took.