December No Buy: To help us survive the holidays

[ronnmel]

No Buy Days : 7/10
Gas : 120$ (max 90$)
Groceries : 151$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 185$ (max 150$)
Non-necessities : 404$ (max 250$)
Christmas : 285$ (max 200$)
Salsa lessons : 280$

01/12 : 10$ (food delivery)
02/12 : 0$
03/12 : 49$ (dinner)
04/12 : 101$ (clothes)
05/12 : 92$ (groceries + dance show tickets)
06/12 : 35$ (gas)
07/12 : 9$ (candy apple and chocolate)
08/12 : 87$ (groceries + first perfume ever)
09/12 : 0$
10/12 : 121$ (Gifts + Christmas staff party)
11/12 : 30$ (lunch + parking)
12/12 : 35$ (gas)
13/12 : 0$
14/12 : 0$
15/12 : 22$ (groceries)
16/12 : 295$ (salsa + food)
17/12 : 27$ (lunch + movie)
18/12 : 0$
19/12 : 74$ (gas + going out + groceries)
20/12 : 70$ (Christmas gifts)
21/12 : 86$ (school stuff + gifts + dry cleaner + dinner)
22/12 : 112$ (school stuff + gifts)
23/12 : 12$ (eating out, yet again)
24/12 : 30$ (gas)
25/12 : 0$
26/12 : 0$
27/12 : 45$ (Wii game + CD)
28/12 : 8$ (lockers at the Biodome)
29/12 : 0$
30/12 : 45$ (games + dollar store things)
31/12 : 30$ (groceries)

 

[billwendy]

How do you guys decide how much for the month? Do you include utility bills? DH is thinking we can do $200/week for market, entertainment etc...is this too much or ??? its just DH and I and our doggie.

Please help me get set - we are ready to jump in!!!!! We want to do 10 no dollar days in January. Is this too little?

 

[ronnmel]

May:
Gas : 73$
Car repairs : 390$
Groceries : 226$
Eating out (and snacks) : 250$
Non-necessities : 267$
Total spent: 1206$

June:
Gas : 47$ (26$ less)
Groceries : 140$ (86$ less)
Eating out (and snacks) : 115$ (135$ less)
Non-necessities : 204$ (63$ less)
Total : 506$.

July:
No Buy Days : 5/10
Gas : 40$ (7$ less)
Car repairs : 261$
Groceries : 189$ (49$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 179$ (64$ more)
Non-necessities : 865$ (661$ more )
Total: 1554$

August:
No Buy Days : 12/10
Gas :38$ (2$ less)
Groceries : 317$ (128$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 196$ (17$ more UGH)
Non-necessities : 657$ (208$ less)
Total : 1208$

September:
No Buy Days : 16/10 New goal 15
Gas : 85$ (47$ more, but my new job is further away)
Groceries : 264$ (53$ less )
Eating out (and snacks) : 126$ (70$ less )
Non-necessities : 503$ (154$ less, but still way too much!)
Total : 978$ (230$ less )

October:
No Buy Days : 12/15
Gas : 91$ (6$ more)
Groceries : 193$ (71$ less)
Eating out (and snacks) : 118$ (8$ less)
Non-necessities : 493$ (10$ less)
Total: 895$ (83$ less)

November:
No Buy Days : 11/15
Gas : 98$ (7$ more)
Car : 74$
Groceries : 298$ (105$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 164$ (46$ more)
Non-necessities : 204$ (289$ less )
Total: 838$ (57$ less)

December:
No Buy Days : 7/10
Gas : 120$ (22$ more, but gas prices went up and I did lots of shopping)
Groceries : 151$ (147$ less )
Eating out (and snacks) : 185$ (21$ more)
Non-necessities : 404$ (200$ more, but it was the month of splurging on myself and lots of activities. Hopefully January will be much calmer)
Christmas : 285$ (85$ over budget)
Salsa lessons : 280$
Total : 1420$ (Less than my worse month though, and it's December, so I guess not *that* bad )

 

[ronnmel]

How do you guys decide how much for the month? Do you include utility bills? DH is thinking we can do $200/week for market, entertainment etc...is this too much or ??? its just DH and I and our doggie.

Please help me get set - we are ready to jump in!!!!! We want to do 10 no dollar days in January. Is this too little?

There are no set rules. I don't include utility bills or the rent, but that's my choice. Basically I include things I have more or less control over in terms of spending more/less. But that's just me. Others do different.

As for No Buy Days, again it depends on you. I started with 10, but saw that I was doing it somewhat easily so I increased the goal in the middle of the month. December I knew would be hard, so I set up a lower goal and even then I did not reach it. Also, I only count myself, but some people include both them and their partner.

You can always look at what others are doing for inspiration. In the end though, do what feels right for you, and adjust it as you go along.

Somebody should be starting a new January thread sometimes tomorrow or Sunday, so come join us there.

 

[ahmadali]

Hi I like it

 

[3goofyboys]

There are no set rules. I don't include utility bills or the rent, but that's my choice. Basically I include things I have more or less control over in terms of spending more/less. But that's just me. Others do different.

As for No Buy Days, again it depends on you. I started with 10, but saw that I was doing it somewhat easily so I increased the goal in the middle of the month. December I knew would be hard, so I set up a lower goal and even then I did not reach it. Also, I only count myself, but some people include both them and their partner.

You can always look at what others are doing for inspiration. In the end though, do what feels right for you, and adjust it as you go along.

Somebody should be starting a new January thread sometimes tomorrow or Sunday, so come join us there.

I just set one up! Wendy, come on over and join us!

 

[Tiggerish]

The December budget is $800 with 10 no spend days.

Auto $75 / $48 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $115 / $20 left
Giving $25 / $2 left
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $66 left
Medical $20 / $17 left
Misc. $75 / $10 over
Set bills $290 / $9 left

No spend days goal of 15/10

Coupon savings $49.89
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $1358
--------------------------------------------------------
12/1 $0
12/2 Groceries $3; Giving $1 (SA kettle)
12/3 $0
12/4 Groceries $17; Giving $16 (SA kettle and Angel Tree gift); Set bills $26
12/5 Set bills $25 (church); Groceries $13; Eating out $13
12/6 $0
12/7 $0
12/8 $0
12/9 Groceries $18; Misc. $9 (stamps); Giving $1 (SA kettle); Set bills $160
12/10 Groceries $3; Misc. $12 (new checks); Giving $1 (SA kettle); Entertainment & eating out $35 (three movie tickets and Starbucks)
12/11 $0
12/12 Set bills $25 (church); Giving $1 (SA kettle)
12/13 $0
12/14 $0
12/15 Misc. $64 (for a hair cut and styling gel); Eating out $27
12/16 Medical $3 (OTC drugs); Giving $1 (SA kettle)
12/17 $0
12/18 Auto $27 (gas); Giving $2 (SA kettles)
12/19 Set bills $25 (church); Eating out $3
12/20 $0 Met my goal!
12/21 Set bills $20 (cell phone)
12/22 Eating out (coffee and lunch)
12/23 $0
12/24 Groceries $10
12/25 $0
12/26 Groceries $20
12/27 $0
12/28 $0
12/29 $0
12/30 Groceries $19
12/31 Groceries $39 (This was a totally unnessary purchase of champagne & juice for family brunch tomorrow - decided to splurge since I had grocery money left in the budget)

 

[Virgderon]

Tiggerish, enjoy your champagne. You deserve a toast. Mickey Mom, you deserve kudos for a year of developing great habits!

To all my No buy friends, my hearfelt wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year. This thread has changed me in ways you can't imagine. Also, I never read a flame or any kind of negative comment to anyone else on this thread. We are all awesome.

Running Total: Spent $822
$800 budget...$ 22 over
$0 Days: 10
Goal is 6 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 96

Groceries budget- $200- 4-14-2-16-25-29-31-7-35-6--34-14= 17 over

December 1: 19 ( meds, tea, soda)
December 2: 0
December 3: 39 ( pop, food, VS, shoes)
December 4: 18 ( 8 Wendys, 5 parking and 5 snacks at hockey game)
December 5: 0
December 6 : 0
December 7: 41 (32 bowling, 7 food at bowling, 2 pop )
December 8: 37 ( 11 makeup on sale , 10 gas, 16 Publix food)
December 9 : 0
December 10: 43 (6.50 movie tix, gas 11, groceries 25)
December 11: 0
December 12: 12 ( food at movies)
December 13: 0
December 14: 55 (35 hair, 13 Walgreens, 7 food at bowling)
December 15: 16 (Walgreens)
December 16 : 55 (eating out)
December 17: 62 (46 movies, 16 Walgreens cold meds and lotions, etc)
December 18: 0
December 19: 104 ( 13 gift, 32 Barnes& Noble gift, 29 breakfast, 30 lunch)
December 20 : 26 ( lunch)
December 21: 32 (9 airport store, 13 airport lunch, maybe $10 on tips? )
December 22: 29 (groceries)
December 23: 53 (31 groceries, gas 15, pop 7)
December 24: 33 (20 lunch, 6 tip for dinner out that DH paid for with Christmas money,7 for fish to feed the dolphins)
December 25: 0
December 26: 0
December 27: 46 ( 28 Target groceries, 18 Walgreens pop and toiletries)
December 28: 45 ( 32 bowling, 7 food at bowling, 6 pop)
December 29: 0
December 30 : 34 ( Publix )
December 31: 33 ( spent 23 at Walgreens , and giving myself 10 for New years Eve at Busch Gardens tonight)

 

[wlake]

Congratulations on making it all year, MickeyMomofThree! Virgderon, you're awesome too!

Happy New Year everyone!
I've really fallen off this month -- too busy to do much of anything! Since it's not worth the time to go back and figure it all out, I'll just note buy and no buy days from here on out in December.

I'm not counting Christmas gifts in here as it only encourages me to procrastinate on buying them, and that's sure not going to work!

12/1: Off to a better start this month!
12/2:
12/3: after school $161 (I thought I had paid for the past two weeks, but I forgot to! Oops! The two half days the boys had this week bumped the total way up too.), $7 books for my students, $6 DS's book order
12/4: Legofest day! I bought tickets last month, so today was $25 on lunch, $12 on dinner (but I'm not counting it as a dinner out as it wasn't the entire family), $35 on gas, $9 on parking, $16 on an extra ticket (long story!).
12/5: $23 on a teacher book, ? on groceries as DH is at the store right now.
12/6: $8 dinner (just two of us), $36 Walmart, and Christmas shopping
12/7: $8 groceries
12/8: (Calling it early as I have to finish writing report cards, and that will keep me busy for the rest of the night!)
12/9: $30 dinner, $55 on fish oil for the kids/husband (not as terrible as it sounds, I promise!)
12/10: buy (I fell off track recording when DS got sick)
12/11: buy
12/12: buy
12/13: buy
12/14:
12/15: buy
12/16:
12/17: buy (dinner out for DH's birthday, slippers)
12/18: buy (gas, sheets for DS)
12/19: buy (teacher supplies, groceries)
12/20: buy (after school)
12/21: buy (veggie tray for the little one's party)
12/22: I may make it yet!
12/23: buy (things for tomorrow's dessert, dinner out as it's our annual dinner out and look at the Christmas lights night)
12/24: buy (Yankee Candle's online clearance -- don't hate me, but I've already started next year's Christmas shopping!)
12/25: buy (Yes, I made Christmas a buy day -- the Lego site had party favors at 50% off and I was afraid not to snatch them up!)
12/26: buy (boots for DH, Michael's, and Target -- more presents already purchased for next Christmas!)
12/27:
12/28:
12/29: buy (Ikea, lunch, clothes for the boys, silencing pads for the new marble ramps )
12/30: buy (Target, bagels)
12/31: buy (BJ's was $220 but $170 after coupons and a rebate check! We're set for all of Jan. there, I think. Also ice skates for me. And lunch out. And Christmas Tree Shop. Ok, not such a great day! )

no buy days: 8/8
dinners out: 3/5
longest streak: 3

 

[lattemomof3]

Happy New Year everyone! Just waiting to pick up the 2 oldest kids from the Harry Potter movie downtown, they each went w/ a friend. Then we'll snack and watch the ball drop, dd11t is very excited for this, it will be the 1st year she's gotten to stay up for it (usually my nephew is here and his parents are very strict w/ bedtime).

I've been keeping track in a notebook everything I've spent since Aug. 1st, and it really does help reduce spending to be more aware of it. My financial resolution for next year is to keep writing down our spending, and to follow in MickeyMomOf3's footsteps and keep up w/ the no-buy board for the whole year! Wishing you all a healthy, happy New Year!

And here's my last day, as I'm conserving my energy to try to make it to midnight, so instead of copying/pasting I'll add it here:

Dec 31 - movie money for kiddos, snow boots for 2 oldest (we finally got snow!)

 

[QVCshopper]

Happy new year! Here's my last day.

12/31-$15 monkey joes, $6 mcd, $25 cec, $39 dinner, target (way too much)