August No Buy

[YukiPhnx]

Elmo- 6 no buys this month? I think you're doing pretty well! And good job on keeping your spendings under $10!

Trying my best to keep up with these $0 before my trip.

No buy: 8/15
Clothes: 0/5
Make-up: 0/3
Eating out: 0/5
Entertainment: 0/5

1. $0
2. $6.23- 2 drinks at Starbucks
3. $0
$40-6.23= $33.77 saved!

4. $24- ribs, butterbeer, real beer at Ribfest
5. $18.10- cake decorating supplies at Michael's
6. $18.56- lunch at The Grilled Cheese
$40-60.66= $20.66 over!

7. $9.38- some groceries
8. $0
9. $0
$19.34-9.38= $9.96 saved!

10. $0
11. $0
12. $3.72- Icepresso from Second Cup
$40-3.72= $36.28 saved!

13. $0
14. $0
15.
$40

16. Salt Lake City
17. Salt Lake City
18. Salt Lake City
$40-40= $40 saved!

19. Salt Lake City
20.
21.
$40

22.
23.
24.
$40

25.
26.
27.
$40

28.
29.
30.
31.
$40

 

[MomToOne]

Only hit 96 degrees today - first time under 100 in 7 days There's even a slight breeze tonight! Unfortunately it looks like we'll be back over the 100 mark for the next few days, but I'll take any break we get at this point!!

(I am only tracking my fast food/restaurant/vending machine/unplanned grocery shopping/other impulse food purchases since that's the biggest black hole in my spending.)
8/1/12 - $0
8/2/12 - $0
8/3/12 - $0
8/4/12 - $0
8/5/12 - $0
8/6/12 - $3.76
8/7/12 - $2.99
8/8/12 - $0
8/9/12 - $2.49
8/10/12 - $11.71
8/11/12 - $0
8/12/12 - $0
8/13/12 - $1.54 Vending machine at work got me for the first time in over a month I think
8/14/12 - $0
8/15/12 -
8/16/12 -
8/17/12 -
8/18/12 -
8/19/12 -
8/20/12 -
8/21/12 -
8/22/12 -
8/23/12-
8/24/12 -
8/25/12 -
8/26/12 to 8/30/12 - We're going to Disneyland!!! Not tracking in this thread, although I have a separate budget set for the trip and will stick to it!
8/31/12 -

Total for the month: $22.49 [Goal: < $75][/QUOTE]

 

[MomToOne]

We fell all the way back to page 3 Time to bump this thread!!!


(I am only tracking my fast food/restaurant/vending machine/unplanned grocery shopping/other impulse food purchases since that's the biggest black hole in my spending.)
8/1/12 - $0
8/2/12 - $0
8/3/12 - $0
8/4/12 - $0
8/5/12 - $0
8/6/12 - $3.76
8/7/12 - $2.99
8/8/12 - $0
8/9/12 - $2.49
8/10/12 - $11.71
8/11/12 - $0
8/12/12 - $0
8/13/12 - $1.54
8/14/12 - $0
8/15/12 - $18.25 Lunch out for a co-workers birthday. Not much I could do about it.
8/16/12 - $0
8/17/12 - Pre-report: Won't be a zero day - ran out of Diet Cokes at home so will need to hit the vending machine at lunch.
8/18/12 -
8/19/12 -
8/20/12 -
8/21/12 -
8/22/12 -
8/23/12-
8/24/12 -
8/25/12 -
8/26/12 to 8/30/12 - We're going to Disneyland!!! Not tracking in this thread, although I have a separate budget set for the trip and will stick to it!
8/31/12 -

Total for the month: $40.74 [Goal: < $75]

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I want to join this in September but I'm not sure how to go about it.
Should I just count discretionary money? Do I set a budget for food and only tally any money spent over it?
Gas, omg gas kills me!! With the kids back to school and sports I'll be back up to approx 1000 miles a week on my car, thankfully I have a diesel so while the bill at the pump is painful, I do get good gas mileage.

I need some guidance, if y'all don't mind, on what you tally and what goes into your normal budget.

My goals for Sept are no eating out, no Starbucks (this will be hard, but I can make iced tea and caramel macchiatos at home), shop from lists only.

 

[MomToOne]

I need some guidance, if y'all don't mind, on what you tally and what goes into your normal budget.

Unfortunately, I think everyone here does things differently, so I don't think you'll get a common answer.

I personally keep a detailed budget that has 28 different line items that work for me. Every single penny I spend every month goes somewhere in that budget. Some of my line items are fixed expenses (mortgage, car payment), some are variable but I have a smaller amount of control over (electric, natural gas, gas for car) and some are variable but with my having more control (groceries, eating out, miscelleaneous spending). I track all of them for myself on a mega-spreadsheet, but I only track here on the list the ones I feel I struggle with the most.

But as you'll see, other posters have completely different approaches to how and what they track. What works for one person just doesn't work for another, so you really need to just try a few things and see what works for you. This list is really just about accountability and support, but exactly what that accountability and support is for is totally up to you.

My goals for Sept are no eating out, no Starbucks (this will be hard, but I can make iced tea and caramel macchiatos at home), shop from lists only.

I think that's your answer right there for what you should do for September - how about tracking just your eating out/Starbucks/non-list shopping? You might also find it a bit easier to start if you give yourself a bit of wiggle-room instead of going cold-turkey completely. Like maybe set yourself a goal of total spending in those areas of $50, $100 or some other number that would still be a big "win" for you, if you compare it to what your spending has been. Then, after you get the swing of that, you can add more categories if you'd like!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Thanks for the tips.
Not going to Starbucks will be easy in Sept because the kids will be back in school. I can make iced tea and caramel macchiatos at home.
One tube of Nespresso pods is $5 for 10 pods (and I just bought 10 tubes). That's 10 cups of coffee at Starbucks.
I just bought a new bottle of vanilla syrup, milk is delivered once a week, so all I need to buy is caramel sauce.

The no eating out is what will really be hard. DS16, DS11 and DS10 all do Cross Country so we are headed to our busy 2 months. But I'm hoping to get to know my crock pot better! LOL Week day meets are ok, weekend mega meets are something else. I may have to get creative with the picnic basket, but if we can limit it to just dinner out, I can live with that.

I also make the kids lunch 90% of the time, they hate school lunches. Except for DS16, but I just gave him $200, that should last almost 2 months.


I'm glad I didn't start in August though. DH has been running to the store every day to get stuff to treat DS16's poison ivy. Finally got a script for prednisone yesterday. Poor kid is miserable!

Tasks for August to prep for Sept:
Make menu for the month - consulting sporting events on calendar
Inventory basement freezer, upstairs fridge and freezer, pantry
Stay in habit of keeping kitchen 100% clean. We did this in the spring and it really helped cut down on meals out. But let the room get away from us. Easy to do with 6 people and a teeny kitchen.
prepare new envelope system for cash purchases
finish budget from Gail Vaz-Oxlade (love her show Princess)

 

[MomToOne]

Stay in habit of keeping kitchen 100% clean. We did this in the spring and it really helped cut down on meals out. But let the room get away from us.

I am sooooo with you on that one. I hate cooking in a messy kitchen, but that doesn't seem to be enough to get me to clean it My worst habit is letting the dishes stack up in the sink for several days....

 

[jmartinez1895]

I am new to this, but would love to join in. I made a deal with the devil, not really, but I did make one with my hubby. If I want ot go to WDW in 2013 I have ot cut out all "extra" spending. Seemed like a good deal, but it is hard. I tend to get lazy and eat out alot. I am also the type to see a good a deal on something I don;t need or pull into the thrift store just to browse and before long I have spent money that I should not have.
I hope to learn so helpful tips from you all and I hope that the added accountability will help.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I am sooooo with you on that one. I hate cooking in a messy kitchen, but that doesn't seem to be enough to get me to clean it My worst habit is letting the dishes stack up in the sink for several days....

I hear ya!! In the summer we run the dishwasher 2 times a day. Sometimes I wonder if going green and not using toss away cups and plates was really a wise choice! LOL

Our problem is zero counter space. We have a galley style kitchen but the stove is sandwiched between 2 doors on one wall. Then there is a 3rd door (to the outside) and the sink on the other side. We have one 4 foot long section of counter that ends up being the catch all by the back door and the other 4 foot section on the other side of the sink has the dish drainer and coffe pot.
I end up doing almost all of my prep on the stove top.

But with 6 people in the house, there is no reason for the kitchen to be messy. They need to help more.

 

[MomToOne]

Behaved myself all weekend!

(I am only tracking my fast food/restaurant/vending machine/unplanned grocery shopping/other impulse food purchases since that's the biggest black hole in my spending.)
8/1/12 - $0
8/2/12 - $0
8/3/12 - $0
8/4/12 - $0
8/5/12 - $0
8/6/12 - $3.76
8/7/12 - $2.99
8/8/12 - $0
8/9/12 - $2.49
8/10/12 - $11.71
8/11/12 - $0
8/12/12 - $0
8/13/12 - $1.54
8/14/12 - $0
8/15/12 - $18.25
8/16/12 - $0
8/17/12 - $2.54
8/18/12 - $0
8/19/12 - $0
8/20/12 -
8/21/12 -
8/22/12 -
8/23/12-
8/24/12 -
8/25/12 -
8/26/12 to 8/30/12 - We're going to Disneyland!!! Not tracking in this thread, although I have a separate budget set for the trip and will stick to it!
8/31/12 -

Total for the month: $43.28 [Goal: < $75]

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Have fun at Disneyland!!!

I wanna go!!

We don't have a trip planned until Xmas. I need to save all the pennies I can between now and then.

 

[MomToOne]

Have fun at Disneyland!!!

I wanna go!!

We don't have a trip planned until Xmas. I need to save all the pennies I can between now and then.

We haven't made it to any place Disney in almost 2 years, so DD and I decided it was time for a quick roadtrip It's a 7 hour drive - not my favorite thing to do, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! We're only staying for 4 days, but that's enough time to check out the new Carsland and do our favorites - it's easier to cover all of DLR in a few days than WDW.

 

[skissugar]

i hope to join you all on the sept list of the no spending.. currently saving for 1 night at Aulani in september, then a trip to wdw Jan 2013 and another one Dec 2013 ..

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Welcome aboard!!
How is Hickam these days? I miss that base!

 

[skissugar]

Welcome aboard!!
How is Hickam these days? I miss that base!

thanks!! its nice! we love it here!! but man is it pricey to go anywhere from here lol!! we are taking full advantage of all the island has to offer though surfing, skateboarding, hiking, etc

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

LOL it was pricy when we were there 20 years ago. I loved Hickam though, it was like driving into another world from the Navy base. We were Navy but always shopped at Hickam.

Is Anna Miller's still there in Pearl City?

 

[YukiPhnx]

I'm back! And was able to stay within my shopping budget too. Salt Lake City was great.

Yesterday though....I bought a coffee and went out for dinner. And tonight, I'll be picking up some baking supplies to bake a cake for my fiance's birthday.
It's my first time with fondant, wish me luck!

No buy: 13/15
Clothes: 0/5
Make-up: 0/3
Eating out: 0/5
Entertainment: 0/5

1. $0
2. $6.23- 2 drinks at Starbucks
3. $0
$40-6.23= $33.77 saved!

4. $24- ribs, butterbeer, real beer at Ribfest
5. $18.10- cake decorating supplies at Michael's
6. $18.56- lunch at The Grilled Cheese
$40-60.66= $20.66 over!

7. $9.38- some groceries
8. $0
9. $0
$19.34-9.38= $9.96 saved!

10. $0
11. $0
12. $3.72- Icepresso from Second Cup
$40-3.72= $36.28 saved!

13. $0
14. $0
15. $0
$40-40= $40 saved!

16. Salt Lake City
17. Salt Lake City
18. Salt Lake City
$40-40= $40 saved!

19. Salt Lake City
20. 27.14- lots of food, latte at Starbucks
21.
$40

22.
23.
24.
$40

25.
26.
27.
$40

28.
29.
30.
31.
$40

 

[skissugar]

yup anna millers is still there we are a joint base now and they took the fencing down between the two bases. but yes i agree it is way different going between the two bases

 

[MomToOne]

And tonight, I'll be picking up some baking supplies to bake a cake for my fiance's birthday.

So Yuki - have you gotten used to using that word yet??

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

yup anna millers is still there we are a joint base now and they took the fencing down between the two bases. but yes i agree it is way different going between the two bases

WOW, I can't believe they took the fence down!!! It was like night and day driving from the navy side to the AF side. I hated admitting that we were Navy.

We actually lived out by Barber's Point when we were there. And funny thing, the apartment next to ours was for sale not to long ago. The kids loved seeing "our house" (same layout).

I miss Anna Millers! It was a real treat eating there on payday. LOL