I am happy to be back for the whole month after missing half of July! I am scaling back my goal since I want to do things (while inexpensive, not free) with the kids before they go back to school. I will try for 10 but won't be too upset if I don't reach it as long as I am good at keeping the costs down.
August 1-$0 
August 2-$0 
I needed a break from the kids tonight and hubby said let's go out for a banana split (we have been talking about how I have had many ice creams in my life but never a banana split.) So we were going to go but then I remembered I had my coupon from Coldstone for my free b-day ice cream, plus it was raining out so we went for the free ice cream and will have a banana split later in the week on a nicer day.
August 3- $157 Groceries
We had NOTHING in the house. Plus $15 at the bread outlet. $1 Redbox for the kids, it was so hot today I wanted to stay in. I know that is awful, but it is the truth. $15 Japanese snacks for DD15 and her friends for their anime convention this weekend. (Somehow I am the only mom who ever buys it.
) $35 Home Depot yard/driveway stuff. $7 DH and I went out and shared a banana split. It was yummy! TRYING for a $0 day tomorrow. We have plans with friends but I think I may be able to pull it off. We are going to the free kids movie then lunch at Chuck E Cheese but I have coupons for free pizza and tokens so I may be able to pull it off. Course their salad bar calls me, it is so good, but I am going to try to resist!
August 4-$0+$17 in returns I did seriously good today! I am so happy I have to share. I took my girls to the free movie. It was Aliens in the Attic. It was soooo funny! The we went to Chuck E Cheese with friends. I had coupons and was able to get a large pizza and drinks and 30 tokens for free. The with other coupons and report cards I got another 100 tokens free and put half away for next time. They ate and played for 4.5 hours. Then we came home and made dinner. Then we went to family night at the local restaurant and they played and had fun and had ice cream with free coupons I had. So, we had an amazingly fun day and it cost me a big fat $0! (Oh, and I returned a couple things and got back $17 that was added to our Disney jar (the money was already spent so it goes in the jar.)
August 5- $60 co-pay (on it's own I wouldn't have counted it as I don't count medical, but for my own purposes I record it to remember where it all goes. That will also be $60 more towards our Disney jar as I save all flex pay checks and put them in the account.) Good news is, patching DD8's eye has worked and while we need to continue it, she doens't appear to need the eye surgery!
Back to school make up and hair die for DD15 and make up for me and DD11 too, $65 at Ulta. Killer, but it will last them all yer and me several months. Then, $48 Goodwill, gotta love my DD15, she actually ASKS to go to Goodwill. This also included 2 Disney photo frames for me. One that is ceramic and all the Disney Dogs for $3 and a 2010 Disney World frame (I always buy one every trip anyway) for $2!
Oh, and a brand new Disney World t-shirt for DD8. No, she didn't need it, but it was $2, and we were celebrating! Plus, the kid gets almost all hand me downs, not that this wasn't exactly, but close to new. Took the kids out to lunch, $9. Haircut for DD15, $14 with tip (I had a coupon.) DD8 had a laydate at the park and the kids were begging to go for ice cream but instead we went to
Walmart and got a huge box of fudgepops for $350 (20 in a box) and they each bought a pack of $1 silly bandz, they said they'd pay for them but they were so good all day with all the running around that I let it slide, so total was $6 at Walmart. ETA- Ran back to Walmart. Forgot a few things I needed. DD has a wart, so needed meds, needed more hangars, needed Car Air Fresheners (see my fly in house thread!) and bought 6 of those, yes, our house smells good. And saw a complete Micky Mouse scrapbook set (only one left) on clearance for $10---uggg, oh and cheese, I always buy cheese when I go there, it is so much cheaper! Total, $41.
August 6-$0 I worked my buns off today and soooo wanted to not cook tonight. But, I made pancakes and they were easy and delicious and I didn't break the $0 day!
August 7- $22 Babysitting Course for DD11, she's now a certified babysitter. While she was there all day and DD15 had plans and DH had to work I had the day alone with DD8 and that is rare so I said we could do what she wanted. We built the free project at Home Depot. Had lunch at Taco Bell $5 (she had 3 things off the value menu and I had 2 and we both had water) and then we went home and watched Disney Channel and cuddled. Then we wrapped our coins ($120, we just did it a couple months ago so I didn't expect there to be so much!) Then we got a slush $1.50 and went to the park. Tonight we (DD11 and DD8 and me and DH) went bowling, with coupons it was $2 for all of us, but DH wanted "bowling alley" fries so those were $3.50. Then I wanted a sluch since DDslurped the whole one earlier up so my DH went to one of his restaurants (that he works at) and got me one for free tonight. Could have been a $0 day but since I rarely get time alone with DD8 I wanted her to do whatever she wanted. Turns out she's a cheap date like her momma!
August 8- Not a no spend day, but a full day of deals! Staples, I spent $70.75 on school supplies and will be getting back $60.80 in rebates. I also bought the kids eaach new MP3 players. 2GB ones for $10 each, not planned but DD15's is broken and the younger 2 don't have them. These wil be given to them for our car ride to Disney. Call it PEACE of mind for $32.40.
Went to Ulta and got 2 full size OPI nail polishes and the free 3 pack of minis plus had a coupon so those were $14.50. Putting them away for DD15's b-day. Also for her b-day got her noise cancelling headphones on clearance for $21.79 with tax! Got snacks for DD15 and her friend who were out at a festival all day $9.96 and gave her $3 for whatever, and yes, she spent it. Also got gas, can't remember the exact and didn't get a receipt, but it was $43 and change. Took the kids for lunch at Sam's. We spent a whole $3 and change! Finally, took DH crazy bread up at work, $2. Overall a pretty good day even though it wasn't a $0 day. Got a lot of stuff for a very little bit of $$.
August 9-$0 Today was an eh day. I tried to take the kids to the park, it rained. After we went to play outside, the mosquitos attacked. We gave up and were going to go to the movies but they decided to watch a DVD. They decided on Ariel 2, it was broken! We were going to make Snickerdoodles for National Snickerdoodle day, we didn't have enough butter. The good news is it is getting better. We were all just laying here in my bed cuddling and listening to the storm, and now I am off to make Mickey waffles for dinner. (Today is 100 days till Disney. We have Mickey waffles for dinner at 100,90,80 etc days every countdown to a trip, so it is exciting to start tonight!) BUT, we are going to go do something tomorrow to make up for an eh day. So this is a one day no spend streak.
August No Spend Days 5/10
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Happy About Record Since Joining No Buy-
January-14 Days
February-13 Days
March-17 Days
April-15 Days
May-15 Days
June-8 Days
July- 6 Days (only in town and only recorded half the month, probably had about 7-8 no buys while away)
Longest Streak-4 Days in a Row!
