December No Buy: To help us survive the holidays

[3goofyboys]

I'm going to adjust my expectations and go for 11 no buy days this month. I'm done shopping, but we have a ton of activities in the month of December that I'll need to pay for. I'm so thankful for this thread and its ability to keep me on track; what a difference it's made!


December 1 $0! Hopefully this a good omen for the month!
December 2 $0! Took the boys to see Santa today. We went to Bass Pro Shops where they have a great Christmas area set up with tons of activities and you get a 4x6 print for free. It was great!
December 3 $105 groceries, $9 orowheat outlet, $9 Kohls, $6 Lowes, $43 Target, $41 printer ink

2/11 no buy days

 

[kinntj]

12/1 - Meijer $156.59 groceries Gas - $40.81
12/2 - $20.00 on Oriental trading crafts for Christmas party
12/3 - $35.00 Amazon
12/4 - hoping for $0
12/5 - hoping for $0

 

[Tiggerish]

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

Auto $75
Eating Out/Entertainment $115
Giving $25 / $24 left
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $197 left
Medical $20
Misc. $75
Set bills $290

No spend days goal of 2/10

Coupon savings = $12.20
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $1018
--------------------------------------------------------
12/1 $0
12/2 Groceries $3; Giving $1 (SA kettle)
12/3 $0

 

[Virgderon]

I think I am finished Christmas shopping. That comes out of a separate budget , so I won't count it here, but I did buy some pop, bacon and a couple pairs of cute undies from Victorias Secret. I had a Secret reward card for $10 off, so I used it.

Running Total: Spent $40
$800 budget...$ 760 left
$0 Days: 1
Goal is 6 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 29

Groceries budget- $200- 4-14= 182 left

December 1: 19 ( meds, tea, soda)
December 2: 0
December 3: 21 ( pop, food, VS)

 

[wlake]

No buy means nothing, even gas, or is it ok to spend what is budgeted? Think it is ok if I participate but don't get into the reporting my budget? My husband now does that and I'm grateful. If I could just spend nothing on 10 days I'll be good. Surely Christmas Day will make my nine additional days doable. I didn't spend anything yesterday, so that brings me down to 8 more needed. I'm already winning at this

Welcome! No buy means exactly what you want it to mean. I'm not counting Christmas gifts or regular bills (electric, phone, etc.) but I do count things I can easily directly reduce (after school care, gas, dinners out, and so on). You can do it any particular way that makes sense to you! For me, it helps me to think about the extra (often unnecessary) things I might spend on -- sometimes I won't just so I won't ruin a no buy day!

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

no buy days: 2/8
dinners out: 0/5
longest streak: 3

 

[ronnmel]

No Buy Days : 1/10
Gas : 0$ (max 90$)
Groceries : 0$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 59$ (max 150$)
Non-necessities : 0$ (max 250$)
Christmas : 0$ (max 200$)

01/12 : 10$ (food delivery)
02/12 : 0$
03/12 : 49$ (dinner)

 

[Ava]

12/1 - $1 soda
12/2 - $1 soda, $4 groceries, $22 shoes for DD
12/3 - $10 lunch, $3 comic, $135 Christmas

Holidays 2010 Total Spending: $1,060

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

December 1-$0
December 2-$0 Had to go to Michael's and Walmart for Girl Scouts, there was some temptation but I resisited! I do need to go do some shopping tomorrow though.
December 3-Christmas Shopping $80 for 2 Wiimotes and Epic Mickey and Super Mario Brothers thanks to Slickdeals! Also, DD8 had a GS thing, it was awful (last year was so nice) and miserably cold so DH bribed the kids, well, her, to go out to dinner if we could leave early (bad parents maybe, but he and I are already sick and it was miserable) so she agrees, we get in the car and she pickes Outback. So, with tip an insane $60 for dinner out but we rarely do that, so it's OK.

No spend days 2/15 I don't expect to make 15 but I sill be happy with as many as I can this month.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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)
August-15 Days
September-15 Days
October-13 Days
November-6 Days (only kept track till November 16th cause we were in Disney the rest of the month)
Longest Streak-4 Days in a Row

 

[lattemomof3]

Hi everyone, jumping on board, even though Dec. is a tough month to budget. I'm hoping to finish up all Christmas shopping this weekend with my mom, so hopefully, aside from baking supplies there won't be too many extra expenses (and it's a good thing I live 30 miles from Starbucks, because the holiday peppermint mocha & caramel brulee are!, I WILL need one to get through the mall this weekend, though!)

Setting a goal of 10 no buy days.

Dec. 1- face cleanser & lotion

Dec. 2 - tea w/ a friend, groceries, mailed a package

Dec. 3 - 3 things @ grocery store, having mom over for taco soup, watching the Huskers play football, and making our 2 month countdown to DW chain!

 

[QVCshopper]

3/10 No-buy days

12/1-$0; 6 miles!
12/2-$1 library; $6 Cookie Co.; 2 miles
12/3-$0; 7 miles!!
12/4-$40 Charity Sale; $13 QVC; $12 Breakfast with Santa; $5 Toys for Tots; $36 Various Stores at Mall/B&N
12/5-$0

 

[stargazertechie]

Should have been a no buy day, but I gave into my cold and got some meds and some tea.

For December, I will be in Chicago for 6 days (will think of you Tiggerish- I have 2 connections to you now because DD2 goes to Grand Valley State )

Household of 2 GVSU Lakers right here!

I've got a goal of 20 No-Spend Days right here. We're going to Disney in January, all of my Christmas shopping is done, and the pantry is stocked.

 

[charming23]

Another $0 day here. I did meet my friends for dinner but we take turns paying and it was not my month.

Groceries: $200/ $162.08 left
Household: $50/$15.13 left
Christmas Eve Dinner: $50
Gas/Car: $50
Eating out/Entertainment: $75/$49.94 left
Misc: $75/$57.86 left

Total: $500/$385.01 left

Goal of 12 No Buy days

Week One
12/1- $3.65 Starbucks, $7.45 Jersey Mike's, $17.14 Pat Catan's, $11.19 Walgreen's, and $13.96 Rustic
12/2- $26.89 Househol and $34.71 Grocery at WalMart
12/3- $0
12/4- $0
12/5-
12/6-
12/7-

2/12 No Buy Days

Coupon and Store Savings- $10.50

 

[fairyprincess1]

12/1 - on my way to the post office to send my secret santa gift to my coupon train buddy... so it is obviously a spend day... think I will also go out & finish up my secret santa gift for Bunco group so I can have a no spend day tomorrow... well at least it is a plan

12/2 $0
12/3 $0
12/4 $0

No Buys: 3/10

 

[wlake]

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!).

no buy days: 2/8
dinners out: 0/5
longest streak: 3

 

[Virgderon]

Went to the hockey game- I'm still a little under the weather, but it was fun.

Running Total: Spent $58
$800 budget...$ 742 left
$0 Days: 1
Goal is 6 or more!
coupon/sale savings : 29

Groceries budget- $200- 4-14= 182 left

December 1: 19 ( meds, tea, soda)
December 2: 0
December 3: 21 ( pop, food, VS)
December 4: 18 ( 8 Wendys, 5 parking and 5 snacks at hockey game)

 

[tinkarooni]

I really need help from you guys. I have not been on No Buy in months and the result has been lots of buying. Too much actually. I need to stop.

I seem to be in a steady pattern lately of spending. So even though I am a little late for December I am going to start now. I started grocery shopping once per month a few months back and I did that yesterday so no groceries until January. I finished my Christmas shopping completely. Even bought every last tag, box and bow to wrap, wine and special food for company at New Years. Need to buy nothing.

My only exceptions for the month will be gas for my car, which I just filled up, I may actually be good for the month. Also we have a couple of social engagements scheduled so I will spend a little money there.

1.We have some fun things planned with the kids so I will budget a little bit for ice skating and going to see the drive through lights and general entertainment $75.00.

2. DH and I are going to a play next week, tickets are paid for, will allow $20.00 for refreshments. Babysitting is free....thanks Mom.

3. Dinner out with family on Christmas Eve. This will be a moderately swanky place, dinner for 4 will probably run us about $80.00.

4. I will figure $50.00 for any last minute household emergencies, food, prescriptions, last minute mail cost for out of town gift.

Most important for me is no more shopping....no more great deals, no more I have to use this coupon up before it expires....no more if I add $20.00 more to this internet order I get free shipping. ENOUGH....(she says very loudly to herself to convince herself she means business)

Oh wait, I want to be completely honest here so I will add that my Christmas gift is a Kindle....my first and only gadget...I'm not very technically inclined. When my 2007 cell phone died last year the free one they gave me had texting abilities. My DS12 had to teach me how. So I will be getting for my own stocking a $50.00 Amazon gift card to purchase Kindle books. I intend for that to last a very long time a I have already been bookmarking all sorts of free books I find.

And my own personal goal is no new clothes for me for 6 months. That's right. No clothing, shoes, purses or cute little scarves for 6 months....we're talking June. I bought tons of stuff last spring and summer and tons of stuff now....done. Here we go.

 

[Tiggerish]

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

Auto $75
Eating Out/Entertainment $115
Giving $25 / $8 left
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $180 left
Medical $20
Misc. $75
Set bills $290 / $264 left

No spend days goal of 2/10

Coupon savings = $15.20
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $1024
--------------------------------------------------------
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

 

[Virgderon]

I really need help from you guys. I have not been on No Buy in months and the result has been lots of buying. Too much actually. I need to stop.

I seem to be in a steady pattern lately of spending. So even though I am a little late for December I am going to start now. I started grocery shopping once per month a few months back and I did that yesterday so no groceries until January. Most important for me is no more shopping....no more great deals, no more I have to use this coupon up before it expires....no more if I add $20.00 more to this internet order I get free shipping. ENOUGH....(she says very loudly to herself to convince herself she means business)

And my own personal goal is no new clothes for me for 6 months. That's right. No clothing, shoes, purses or cute little scarves for 6 months....we're talking June. I bought tons of stuff last spring and summer and tons of stuff now....done. Here we go.

I think its excellent that you recognize that your spending has escalated. I posted this in late November: "WHY CAN"T I STOP SPENDING??"

I later realized that I was getting frustrated because I was having trouble getting no buy days. Well, really the whole point for me is not so much the no buy days, but staying under budget, which I did. I should have been happy that I was staying under budget.

I keep a simple piece of paper budget. For each paycheck, I put the amount of incoming money, and list the bills that need to get paid under that amount. Whatever is left I can spend, end of story. At the end of the month, I throw away the piece of paper, because what is done is done, no matter if I did well or not.

I just called my good friend and told her no Mickeys Christmas party next Friday for me. I told her the truth- that I feel like I am spending too much and I don't want to spend the money. She understood, and actually said she was getting out of control with her spending this month too. We are using some free movie tickets I have for a girls night out.

Finally, careful with really tough goals like "no clothes for 6 months" or "I will have 25 no buy days this month". No buy is kind of like a diet- if you don't give yourself a little room, you will be upset when you don't make it, and quit.

No buy is a tool , a means to get to the end. If you mess up one day, we will be here to tell you that you are still doing great.

 

[mikkiwikki]

love this idea....with christmas upon me im sure december is not the month to start...but I am trying to reign in expenses this year...and only get the MUST haves...

I have to save up 5k before august so my plan is to save 250 per paycheck....
setting a NO Buy goal will help me with this constraint Im sure.

I think Im going to shoot low and say 8 days as well. Actually I can go all week at work without spending a dime, its the just weekends that I have a tendency to go buy the kids 'fun' things...rarely shop for myself.

It would be nice if for christmas we all gave things like "each others time" - like gift certificates for 8hours of weeding a garden etc....or baked goods etc for gifts..better for the environment and better for the pocketbook.

Ill report back end of January.

 

[charming23]

I feel very safe calling today a $0. It is cold and snowy and I am starting my finals studying.

Groceries: $200/ $162.08 left
Household: $50/$15.13 left
Christmas Eve Dinner: $50
Gas/Car: $50
Eating out/Entertainment: $75/$49.94 left
Misc: $75/$57.86 left

Total: $500/$385.01 left

Goal of 12 No Buy days

Week One
12/1- $3.65 Starbucks, $7.45 Jersey Mike's, $17.14 Pat Catan's, $11.19 Walgreen's, and $13.96 Rustic
12/2- $26.89 Househol and $34.71 Grocery at WalMart
12/3- $0
12/4- $0
12/5- $0
12/6-
12/7-

3/12 No Buy Days

Coupon and Store Savings- $10.50