April 2011: Springing into No Buys

[nunzia]

$700 total
$100 Gas $60 left
$250 Groceries $180 left
$150 Entertainment/Eating Out $112 left
$100 Gifts $41 left
$100 Misc Household $0 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
April 8: $20.00 at Dollar Tree (which is what I get when I take DH and he finds his favorite cookie..so broken down into groceries, gift, household)
April 9: $20.00 gas ($3.67! whaaa?)
April 10: $20.00 gift, $5.00 Tangled album download
April 11: $5.00 memorial lily, $9.00 lunchout with DD
April 12: $7.00 Burger King, buy one get one whopper
April 13: $0
April 14: 35.00 Avon..where does this come from??? I guess household..uh oh $7.00 to ship Easter gifts to grankids.

 

[SFWife]

are you guys reposting or editing your original posts? I have a hard time finding this thread when the day is over!

 

[charming23]

bigmama67, Do what you feel is best and do not worry about what everyone else is saying. I hope your mom feels better soon.

SFWife, I usually quote my post and then add in the info for that day.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

My mom had a mild heart attack last night. I'm so torn between going up to Maine to see her in the hospital and knowing that she would hate that...we have a hotel booked for next Saturday & Sunday (4/23 and 4/24) anyhow but I wish I could find a way to get there sooner, alone. To top it all off, my brother and my husband are giving NO compassion and empathy at all. And my DD will NOT go to sleep.

are you guys reposting or editing your original posts? I have a hard time finding this thread when the day is over!

I find my most recent post, quote it, then remove the quote brackets from it.

If you keep the quote brackets in and then add to it like you are quoting yourself, the next time you quote yourself, it won't include anything in the quoted section. You would only have the most recent day if you did that. If you remove the brackets, you can keep adding to it as the month goes along.

I "subscribe" to this thread so I can find it in my User CP (top left corner of your DIS page in the stripe of links across the top). To subscribe, click on "Thread Tools" at the top of the thread and select "subscribe". It makes it easy to find.

I hope that makes sense!

 

[charming23]

Went out and saw "Hop" today. I have a secret crush on Russell Brand and just hearing his voice was . I used a free ticket I had so it cost me nothing.

I then went to Giant Eagle where I used coupons and got my bill from $15.04 to $4.49.

April Budget (3/30-4/29)

Grocery/Household- $300/$105.56 Left
Car/Gas- $50/$23.38 Left
Eating out- $50/$26.80 left
Misc/entertainment- $100/$44.04 left

Total- $500.00/$199.98 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- $0
4/10- $14.95 Grocery and $9.70 Misc
4/11- $0
4/12- $0

Week Three
4/13- $8.60 Lane Bryant, $30.72 Marc's and $52.66 Giant Eagle
4/14- $0
4/15- $4.49 Giant Eagle
4/16
4/17
4/18
4/19


9/15 No Buy Days

Store and Coupon Savings-$107.69

 

[QVCshopper]

Hugs to BigMama67. Hope your mom gets well soon!

6/10 no-buys

4/1-$23 Wegmans, $2 McD
4/2-$19 Wegmans, $5 Charity, $5 Amazon, $64 Lowes, $14 Target
4/3-$19 Chinese food
4/4-$0
4/5-$18 Mall food (+ Lego build), $21 Wegmans, $13.50 ACME
4/6-$0
4/7-$0
4/8-$24 Wegmans
4/9-$13.50 ACME, $21 Wegmans
4/10-$5 Tag Sale, $5 Subway, $3.50 Sonic
4/11-$8.80 Stamps, $84.80 Pepsi/Hershey Park deal, $23 Lands End
4/12-$0
4/13-$0
4/14-$70 Wegmans (food/Easter event), $9 PetSmart, $2 Doctor, $5 BK, $5 DD
4/15-$0

 

[Virgderon]

Oh Big Mama. I'm sorry . I live several states away from my parents and I worry about them so much. Hope mom is okay.

Its been a stressful week at work, and I have also been working on my taxes, so I am fried. I got some groceries and chinese take-out. I couldn't face cooking- too tired.

Running Total: Spent $269
$800 budget... $531 left
$0 Days: 7
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 62

Groceries budget- $250-19-7- 69-7-11-25 = 112 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)
April 8: 0
April 9: 41 ( 23 lunch, 11 Publix, 7 pop)
April 10 : 0
April 11: 0
April 12 : 12 ( 5 dinner at bowling, 7 at Walgreens)
April 13: 0
April 14 : 14 ( misc including People magazine. Couldn't help it. )
April 15: 45 ( groceries and chinese food )

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $399.61
$0 Days:7/13

Groceries ($240-$8/day)- $52.52
Eating Out ($210-$7/day)- $149.36
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($780-$26/day) $50.54
Gas $250- 4/2 $54.17 (3.89/gal), 4/5 $28.02 (3.89/gal), 4/15 $65 (4.02/gal) saw gas prices are up to $4.25 at some stations, so filled up with cash for $4.02= $147.19

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- $2.88 (Dairy Queen-Eating Out), $6.40 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $7.91 (Doggery-Eating Out)
9- $10.44 (Panera-Eating Out), $35 (Maggiano's-Eating Out)
10- $2.88 (Dairy Queen-Eating Out), $8.29 (Au Bon Pain-Eating Out), $4.83 (McDonald's-Eating Out)
11- $21.03 (Portillo's-Eating Out), $20 (Video Game-Misc.), $4.61 (Target-Groceries)
12- $0
13- $16.05 (Walgreens-Groceries), $9.81 (Wendy's-Eating Out) $7.16 (Meijer-Groceries)
14- $0
15- $0
16- Picking up the car tomorrow....$600 later


Budget: $1480....27%
Month: 15/30: 50%
No Buy: 7/13: 54%

My savings from coupons and sales: $522.72

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]

$16.25 for TANGLED DVD at Borders (I got 40% off and I will be able to use a $5 rebate when I get it, so I'm good with that); $10.50 at Kohls.com for a pair of swim trunks for DS (both Kohls and Borders were free shipping); $6.55 at Costco for groceries (plus another$20 for which I used my rebate check); $49.98 for two tickets to Harry Potter Exhibit at the Discovery Center in Times Square (this includes audio tours for DH and I when we go; DS will get a cheaper ticket but this was a good deal!) I think that's it but for paying bills today.

Thanks, everyone, for the good thoughts. I called the hospital this morning to talk to my Mom's nurse, and I was able to speak with my Mom too. She said I should just leave things as they are and come next Saturday, so that's what we're going to do. Hopefully she will be home by then.

 

[bigmama67]

charming23, how was HOP?

 

[SunnieRN]

April 8-22:

Goals:

Medical: $200
Groceries $200
Cash: $100 / $35
No Buy Days: 9 (going out on a limb here. 9 of 14 sounds rough!)

April 8: $0 (off to a good start anyway!)
April 9: $0
April 10: $0
April 11: $$ may be in the thousands, as we are car shopping today. Didn't buy a car today, so $0
April 12: Well, got DeeDee today! Dodge Durango, big enough for the whole family AND the ADHD dog!! Has more stuff in it, then I know what to do with. I will probably need to up my no buys now. Ended up getting dinner out after I posted this, so $35.00.
April 13: $0!! Eating out of the freezer!
April 14: $0, but have to grocery shop tomorrow or the next day.
April 15: $0 wasn't planned,

No Buy Goal 9 / 7 accomplished!

Wlake, sorry. Its tough to have a sick child. Boo. Sunnie, in my opinion it depends on how expensive the appliances are. I wouldn't buy one of those policies on a $250 dishwasher, but I would on a $3000 referigerator.

It is $49 a month, covers all appliances, water heater, air conditioner, built in microwave, with a $24 service charge per visit and 4 free maint/service visits annually. Interesting for sure!

BigMama, I am So Happy your Mom is doing well!! That's fantastic news!!

 

[charming23]

charming23, how was HOP?

I loved Hop. It was very cute. I went with my best friend and her two girls, they are 5 and 3 and they loved every minute of it.

 

[ronnmel]

Bought a new bikini and a 7-in-1 beach dress for my destination wedding. Part of it was paid by a gift card I got for my birthday. Also bought a gift for a baby shower.

Speaking of baby shower, the mom of my sister-in-law was asking what time we come back from Cuba so she can schedule her baby shower that day, possibly in the afternoon. We come back around 3pm, plus whatever time it takes to go through security, get our luggage, go home to change and get the gift... And even though there won't be any jet lag as we don't change time zone, it's always tiring to spend a day in airports/plane. Will we (me, my mother-in-law and several of my fiance's aunts) really be up to attend a shower that very same day (or weekend for that matter, we have to unpack and get settled back before going back to work)????

No Buy Days : 8/12
Gas : 40$ (max 120$???)
Groceries : 20$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 40$ (max 100$)
Non-necessities : 134$ (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)
04/08 : 0$
04/09 : 0$
04/10 : 0$
04/11 : 67$ (books + gas)
04/12 : 20$ (groceries)
04/13 : 2$ (breakfast club)
04/14 : 0$
04/15 : 103$ (baby shower gift, swimwear for me, dinner and snack)

Thanks for the well wishes for my son! He's much better and is going back to school tomorrow. Thank goodness -- we leave on Sat. for our DC trip!

Glad your son is feeling better wlake.

My mom had a mild heart attack last night. I'm so torn between going up to Maine to see her in the hospital and knowing that she would hate that...we have a hotel booked for next Saturday & Sunday (4/23 and 4/24) anyhow but I wish I could find a way to get there sooner, alone. To top it all off, my brother and my husband are giving NO compassion and empathy at all. And my DD will NOT go to sleep.

Sorry to hear that bigmama.

 

[bigmama67]

BigMama, I am So Happy your Mom is doing well!! That's fantastic news!!

Well, it's all relative...I mean, any way you slice it it's still "congestive heart failure" but there are treatments...we'll see. I know my Mom said they'll be doing some tests. My brother was supposed to speak to her cardiologist again today but that didn't happen. Anyway, thank you.

 

[Debbie]

I have a great recipe for crock pot cheesy potatoes that uses smoked gouda. I'm actually thinking about making it for Easter.

Oooh! I love to have that recipe. We do birthdays and Easter (extended family) on Friday, then on Sunday, I have my kids and their SOs.

Yesterday was soooo not a No Buy Day...BUT I have budgeted $100 this week for groceries and I still have over $8.00 left!!!!!! Yeah go me!!!!

YEAH! Great budgeting/shopping! And LOOK at your $0! 6/10

Do any of you have home insurance plans for appliances, etc? I have two offers and not sure what to do.

Sunnie, when we bought this house we had all new appliances from Sears. We did buy the extended warranties. Would I do it again? Probably not. I'd take what it costs for insurance and throw that money into a "household" (Quicken-virtual) account, to pay for repairs/replacement as they come up. Now that I have my budgeting under control and "perfected" rotfl: ) AND I am disciplined enough to do that (and no little ones to wreak havoc on my plan) that would work for me.

Thanks for the well wishes for my son! He's much better and is going back to school tomorrow. Thank goodness -- we leave on Sat. for our DC trip!

Glad he's feeling better. HAVE A GREAT TRIP! We don't have one planned, so I have to live vicariously through others.....send details!

35.00 Avon..where does this come from??? I guess household..uh oh $7.00 to ship Easter gifts to grankids.

That reminds me......I need to buy some Avon. I use/love their Anew products.

Budget: $1480....27%
Month: 15/30: 50%
No Buy: 7/13: 54%

You are doing really well with your budget....time for the middle of the month dance!

Thanks, everyone, for the good thoughts. I called the hospital this morning to talk to my Mom's nurse, and I was able to speak with my Mom too. She said I should just leave things as they are and come next Saturday, so that's what we're going to do. Hopefully she will be home by then.

I'll keep you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers, bigmama67. I know how worrisome it is. Not fun being the middle of the sandwich. (kids and parents)

Speaking of baby shower, the mom of my sister-in-law was asking what time we come back from Cuba so she can schedule her baby shower that day, possibly in the afternoon. We come back around 3pm, plus whatever time it takes to go through security, get our luggage, go home to change and get the gift... And even though there won't be any jet lag as we don't change time zone, it's always tiring to spend a day in airports/plane. Will we (me, my mother-in-law and several of my fiance's aunts) really be up to attend a shower that very same day (or weekend for that matter, we have to unpack and get settled back before going back to work)????

Well, I've learned in my years that I count for something. In fact, I have, in the past six months declined invitatations to showers because the timing didn't work. I, personally, would be upfront and say, sorry but I can't attend that weekend. And, I'd let my sister-in-law know too. Some people don't understand how fatiguing travel is!


Virgderon, hope you are rested today. ((HUGS))

 

[Debbie]

I just realized that the no buy pic is not available now. Does anyone know where it went or how to get it back again?

 

[Debbie]

Uh...oh! I'm gonna have to do some heavy thinking to remember the buying these past few days!

My budget:
I will count all OTC purchases, but not the regularly budgeted and paid for bills like Church, heating, water, taxes etc.
I will not count DH's spending on his snacks, since he does that every day, and there is no way for me to keep track, anyway.
This month I have a couple of birthday gifts, and of course Easter candy. (not sure if I'm doing baskets or not....maybe just cash for each of 5 kids ) My biggest goal is that I NOT spend as much as I did last month....that should be attainable, since last month was atrocious! Here's hoping for 12 no buy days.

April 1: $4 drug co-pay, grad pics for DD $172, gas $23
April 2: groceries $53 DDs phone needed replacing, and, since she was off to buy her shoes for her prom, I bought the phone...happy belated birthday....$101
April 3: $0
April 4: $0
April 5: Tuesday is DH's grocery day: $116
April 6: more groceries $26, gas $50
April 7: $0
April 8: $0
April 9: $30 groceries and it was ME, not DH this time
April 10: tip on brunch $5, gas to TO $15, shared lottery ticket with DSisters $35
April 11: gas $36
April 12: groceries $23
April 13: gas $30
April 14: $0
April 15: lottery ticket $5, contact lens (yes, ONE) $145
April 16: market groceries $13, Dollarama $50 (gift for DNephew, stuff for school, envelopes for home, and just...fun ), Bulk Barn (groceries and Easter candy)$37, Chapters gift + books for school $18, Costco-went in for milk for us, and chocolate bars for school (I sell stuff and the proceeds go to cancer), but the bill-NOT including the school chocolate-was $96 What was I thinking??? Oops, just read the bill......$33 of that was Easter CANDY....again....What was I thinking? Updating the $43 groceries DH bought after Church

Gas: $131
Groceries/Household: $442
Drug co-pays/medicine/lens: $149
Misc including gifts: $378
Easter candy: $55

No Buy days: 5/12

 

[Virgderon]

More food shopping ... a side effect of being broke for so long. I sincerely have empathy for those that are unemployed for long stretches of time. It was really difficult to mamage just for a couple months before I got a normal paycheck. Unemployment is survival money, nothing more.

Running Total: Spent $330
$800 budget... $470 left
$0 Days: 7
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 64

Groceries budget- $250-19-7- 69-7-11-25-42 = 70 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)
April 8: 0
April 9: 41 ( 23 lunch, 11 Publix, 7 pop)
April 10 : 0
April 11: 0
April 12 : 12 ( 5 dinner at bowling, 7 at Walgreens)
April 13: 0
April 14 : 14 ( misc including People magazine. Couldn't help it. )
April 15: 45 ( groceries and chinese food )
April 15: 61 ( 42 groceries, 7 books at the flea market, 12 misc)

 

[charming23]

Went to my job interview this morning and it was the worst one I have ever been to. They did not ask me any job related questions and I just got a bad vibe about the place.

I had to stop for gas and spent $19.50 for 5 gallons which only got me a half a tank. These gas prices need to come down soon. I also stopped at Walmart for a few items my mom needed.

April Budget (3/30-4/29)

Grocery/Household- $300/$855.56 Left
Car/Gas- $50/$17.30 Left
Eating out- $50/$26.80 left
Misc/entertainment- $100/$44.04 left

Total- $500.00/$160.48 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- $0
4/10- $14.95 Grocery and $9.70 Misc
4/11- $0
4/12- $0

Week Three
4/13- $8.60 Lane Bryant, $30.72 Marc's and $52.66 Giant Eagle
4/14- $0
4/15- $4.49 Giant Eagle
4/16- $19.50 Gas and $20 Walmart
4/17
4/18
4/19


9/15 No Buy Days

Store and Coupon Savings-$111.16

 

[superme80]

Almost had DH pick up dinner on his way home, but remembered I was making his favorite so I didn't. So I am at 7 no buy days! Amazingly it is getting easier to tell myself no. Today we went to the Farmer's Market and ran some errands. I feel good that we supported local business. I bought some more meat for the next month spent over $30. I was proactive about it and picked out the packages I wanted instead of having them hand them to me. I think I saved at least $5 that way.