Feb No Buy! Short Month! We can do this!

[SunnieRN]

My dd in Japan got engaged today. My mom had donated my grandmas diamond, and dd's fiance sent me a picture of a setting she liked and a check to go have the diamond put into a beautiful setting. We ended up having the ring custom made to look just like the picture, and he planned a whole day for her doing all her favorite things in Japan. Then he surprised her at the end of the day with the ring. She is very happy,and he is a wonderful young man. Love is wonderful, isnt it?

Congratulations!! Where is the wedding going to be? Do you get to go to Japan?

 

[princessbride6205]

Just tracking this month, will figure out what I can budget and where I can save for March. Exceptions will be a nice Valentine's date night and if I buy myself a birthday gift (overdue from October! Long story...).

2/1 - $6.50 parking
2/2 - $6.50 parking, $1 breakfast, $13 DD & DH dinner out
2/3 - $6.50 parking
2/4 - $6.50 parking, $20 DH out with friends
2/5 - $9 family breakfast, $15 family dinner, $103 groceries
2/6 - $6 newspapers/grocery
2/7 - $6.50 parking, $5 clothing, $10 grocery
2/8 - $8 parking (boo-hiss, bad traffic made me miss the early bird price)
2/9 - $6.50 parking, $14 Girl Scout Cookies, $26 family dinner
2/10 - $6.50 parking, $30 clothing alterations
2/11 - parking

Dining out: $84
Transport: $53.50
Groceries: $133
Other: $35

(Groceries include toiletries, OTC meds, etc.)

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

1: $20.89 gas ($2.86/gallon)
2: $0!
3: $0!
4: $0!
5: $138.70 Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, SaveALot, Rouses, Winn-Dixie, Wendy's
6: $0!
7: $0!
8: $0!
9: $0!
10: $0!
11: $0!

$0 Days: 9
Spending: $159.59/$475= 34%
Days Passed: 11/28: 39%

Goal: To keep spending to within $475 for food, gas, and miscellaneous. I do not track bills; I only track "point of sale" transactions.

 

[Virgderon]

Congratulations!! Where is the wedding going to be? Do you get to go to Japan?

Thanks Sunnie and everyone for your well wishes! No, she is coming home in June and starting law school in the fall. She got 2 full rides, and it looks like she is choosing the University of Indiana at Bloomington. So the wedding will be smallish, because they are going to be broke students (he has a year of grad school to do ).

They live in less than 400 square feet in Japan, so her 2 bedroom apartment at law school is going to feel like a mini mansion to her!

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $888.48
$0 Days:4/10

Groceries ($252-$9/day)- $129.09
Eating Out ($196-$7/day)- $37.54
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($1008-$36/day) $620.85 $330 Planned left= $92 Great America, Have $224 left for Ohio Hotel, $14 Metra to see Musical[/COLOR]
Gas $200?- $25 (2/3), $48 (2/6), $28 (2/8) = $101

WEEK 1 BEGIN:
1- $12.68 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $21.04 (Walgreens-Groceries), $6.34 (Meijer-Groceries)
2- As much as I would like to go out, to get a few items at Dominick's before they are off sale, it is not happening. We got 22" of snow! Only emergency and medical vehicles are allowed on the road.
$0
3- $31.43 (Meijer-Groceries), $4.88 (McDonald's-Eating Out)
4- $0
5- $9.97 (CVS-Groceries), $5.99 (Dominick's-Groceries)
WEEK 2 BEGIN:
6- $2 (Dollar Tree-Papers), $6.37 (Meijer-Groceries), $3/bag, probably got over 50 kids books (Library Book Sale-Shopping), $12.95 (Walgreens-Groceries), $13.98 (Wendy's-Eating Out), $291.60 (Hotel for 2 nights St. Louis in July, staying right next to the arch and we can walk to Busch stadium for the U2 concert), $101.25 (Car Registration-Misc.)
7- $35 (Joe Caputo-Groceries)
8- $200 (Registration for Spring Classes for our 3 year old son and preschool in the fall)
9- $6 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $23 (Post Office-Misc. Needed to send in a DSLR lens that broke on our trip in December, it is still under warranty though, so hopefully this will save me money in the long run, and also bought a book of stamps)
10- $0
11- $0
12- Jewel, Dollar Tree, McDonald's, Target, Meijer
WEEK 3 BEGIN:
13- Zoo
14-
15-
16-
17-
18-
19-
WEEK 4 BEGIN:


Budget: $1656....54%
Month: 11/28: 39%
No Buy: 4/10: 40%

My savings from coupons and sales: $352.71

 

[SunnieRN]

Thanks Sunnie and everyone for your well wishes! No, she is coming home in June and starting law school in the fall. She got 2 full rides, and it looks like she is choosing the University of Indiana at Bloomington. So the wedding will be smallish, because they are going to be broke students (he has a year of grad school to do ).

They live in less than 400 square feet in Japan, so her 2 bedroom apartment at law school is going to feel like a mini mansion to her!

That is wonderful, as I know you have really missed her! Again, congratulations!! Have fun planning the wedding!

 

[ronnmel]

No Buy Days : 8/12
Gas : 66$ (let's try 100$)
Groceries : 80$ (250$ max)
Eating out (and snacks) : 23$ (100$ max)
Non-necessities : 18$ (200$)

01/02 : 0$
02/02 : 0$
03/02 : 35$ (gas)
04/02 : 0$
05/02 : 0$
06/02 : 0$
07/02 : 0$
08/02 : 111$ (gas + groceries)
09/02 : 0$
10/02 : 0$
11/02 : 41$ (dinner + clothes)

 

[charming23]

Thanks for all the birthday messages. I had a wonderful day. It was too cold to go down to the zoo/rainforest, so instead we went out to lunch (used a coupon) and shopped a little using my tax refund. I got some stuff I had been putting off buying in order to rebuild our savings.

Virgedron congrats to your DD on her engagement.

 

[bigmama67]

2/1 - $21.13 on groceries today, $4.16 on a shirt for DS to be a Sneetch (it's Dr. Seuss week at school), $10 on Shari's Berries voucher (gift for DH).

2/2 - $61.98 on groceries - stocked up on meat and cereal, $516.84 left for the month.

2/3 - $0

2/4 - $50.70 groceries/$466.14; $20.65 household; $6 to see a movie with my friend (didn't buy $nack$ this time, LOL!). Also paid some bills but I don't count that.

2/5 - Planned a "no-buy" day but that went out the window! $8.50 Johnny Rockets, groceries - $16.85 on Amazon and $14.41 at Stop & Shop; $8.01 for beer; $7.48 for LED lights and $40.79 for clothing at Kohls! So much for a "no-buy" day, huh? LOL.

2/6 – Groceries $62.48, coupon savings $70.20! $372.40 left for the month. Also $4.00 for DH and DS to bowl a couple of games.

2/7 - $0

2/8 – Groceries $82.11/$290.29 left for month (also tipped $5 to the delivery guy); $9.99 for Fish Oil for my cats (buy one get one free!); $16.46 on stuff for the house (new pizza pans, etc.); $28.99 for birthday gifts for DS’ (twin) friends; DH put $10 of gas in the car...Paid a few bills too.

2/9 – 50 cents to print documents at the library; $1.61 for a toothbrush, $10 for DH’s tab at a social event. So much for no-buy day #3, next chance for one will be Sunday.

2/10 – Toys R Us $11.32; Groceries $8.08/$282.21 left for month; gas $3 (to keep it going till I can get to Costco for the cheap gas!)

2/11 – DS lunch at school $4.65; Costco $88.96 groceries/$193.25 left for the month but we don’t need much more; cat litter $11.99; gas $31.35; $5.65 for a gift bag and tissue paper at CVS; Gymboree $55.68 (20% off and I'll get $25 Gymbucks!); Target $12.83 (new potty for DD and Pepsi); $9 for a My First LeapPad at the consignment store – I got it for DD because I thought her other one was broken (it turns out it isn’t, but DH said we might as well keep the second one just in case; they don’t make them any more)! Expensive day!

2/12 - Circus Science Day at the Museum; we're members but there will be parking and other $$ needed.

2/13 – planning for no-buy day #3

2/14 - hope for no-buy day #4

2/15 – hope for no-buy day #5

2/16 – hope for no-buy day #6

2/17 – hope for no-buy day #7

2/18 – DS school lunch, groceries

2/19 – DS starts his bowling league

2/20 – going out to dinner, so food and babysitter…

2/21 – DS is off from school all week, I’ll have to keep them occupied…today we’re going to get our taxes done and then to some Presidents’ Day events so we're having lunch out, not sure what else we'll spend.

2/22 – will be going to Liberty Science Center with friends so this will NOT be a no-buy day!

2/23 - hoping for no-buy day

2/24 - ?

2/25 - hoping for no-buy day

2/26 - DS bowling league

2/27 - ?

2/28 - ?







Coupon/Discount savings so far: $269.07!! (If ONLY I could bank that…sigh…)

No-buy days: 2/8

 

[3goofyboys]

I'm in again this month!

Welcome new faces, hope you love the thread!

I've shooting for a goal of 12 no-buys for the shorter month. This month both DH and I have birthdays, plus v-day so that ads some extra expenses. Thankfully, we aren't having major birthdays this year so no big parties and we never do anything big for v-day. We are planning on buying a new house in March or April, so we need to do some saving to prep for the extra moving expenses.

Feb 1 I like to start the month with a no buy, but no such luck today. $70 had to register the boys for soccer and swimming, but I found out I had a big credit on my account (yay for found money!) so that took care of half the bill, $60 groceries.


Feb 2 It was errand day today, so $$$! $170 groceries, $40 gas, $25 filed my taxes. Hopefully this will take care of any spending through early next week.


Feb 3 We got caught out unexpectedly at lunch time, so we had to hit Subway. I could have waited, but DH gets very cranky if he isn't fed on schedule ! $15 Subway.

Feb 4 $6 dinner with my parents, $23 gas

Feb 5 woo hoo! Finally a no buy day!


Feb 6

Feb 7 $21 lunch, $40 dinner, $89 paperwork that need to be ordered. I feel terrible that we had lunch AND dinner out today. But, we're in the middle of crazy loan/house stuff and after dealing with that and a preschool board meeting today plus babysitting a friend's little boy, I did not have cooking dinner in me!

Feb 8 Calling it early because the roads are awful and we're staying inside!

Feb 9 It's been a pricey couple of days! $64 moving supplies, $10 Inta Juice

Feb 10 $30 Home Depot-more boxes, $40 gas, $18 medical, $22 driver's license, $33 date night with DH


Feb 11 $14 groceries, $12 car wash

3/12 no buy days

 

[nunzia]

Feb 1- Gas $20, Walmart shopping trip during a snowstorm..ack: $106.89 (more than I expected to spend, but dogs have to eat and DH needs his beer) coupons: $8.45
2- $0 (even New Mexico was snowed in today)
3- took a friend visiting from Florida out for lunch $22.87, went to Dollar Tree for hash browns but got my DH his favorite cookies instead since they had no hash browns $5.00, ended up at Lowes for hash browns $1.99
4- $12.00..out for lunch with another friend
5- $0
6- $0
7- $0
8- $0 ( to be fair..I did buy a plane ticket for DH's trip to join me after Expo next year, but that wasn't an optional purchase and money came from trip account..I'm only counting optional things, food and gas, not things that are locked in stone)
9- Big spending day! DH medicine and gas: $20, groceries: $39, Leapfrog site,,they still have some DIDJ stuff on clearance and I bought DGS a Didj for Christmas and he loves it so needed to get stuff before it totally disappears, plus a charger to save on batteries, so $53, and DH had to buy materials to replace the pad to our bedroom carpet that got ruined during the big stupid freeze/thaw we had, so $166 ACK Coupons, $2.50 (PS edited to *** $4.90 to ship Valentines stuff to out of state grandkids..forgot to yesterday)
10- $0
11- $9.00, lunch out with a friend, $9.00 grandkids to Dollar Tree after school
12-
13-
14-
15-
16-
17-
18-
19-
20-
21-
22-
23-
24-
25-
26-
27-
28-

6/12

 

[annsteere]

Doing okay with the No Buys, but I'm blowing the budget. Although I consider it bad beginnning of he month budgeting on my part instead of spending too much.

This is my favorite sentence from this month's thread. I'm gonna save it for a month when I need it

 

[wlake]

I need to go back and get actual numbers as well as figure out the coupon savings for the past week or so!

2/1:
2/2:
2/3:
2/4: $40 Lands' End (sheets for DS and pants for me), $21 after school, $4 Amazon ebooks
2/5: Target, Walmart, AC Moore, and something else?
2/6: groceries
2/7:
2/8: $41 things for school
2/9: gas, $12 bagels, $120 for Little League registration (actually paying it tomorrow, but as I'm writing the check and filling out the forms tonight so I can just drop it off tomorrow, I'm counting it for today.)
2/10: $20 pharmacy, $2.50 snacks DS needs for school for tomorrow (I thought they were due Monday and was going to roll them into the weekly grocery shopping. Good thing the pharmacy is at a grocery store!)
2/11: $39 after school, ? take out

no buy days: 4/11
meals out: 1/5
longest streak: 3
coupon/sale savings: $103
days without dinner out: 10

 

[Debbie]

YIKES! Looky what happens when you get busy and don't get to check in! And, I sure wish I could get everyone in my family on the NO BUY track!

Feb. 1: Groceries $30, summer conference for me....$295 (luckily, I've saved for this and it is not really a part of the budget )
Feb. 2: $0 Snow day!
Feb. 3: $20 at DD's Talent night. $10 for my admission, and $10 for draws. I won a really nice Lavender hand cream/soap/shower gel set from Crabtree and Evelyn.
Feb. 4: gas $45, 2 pair special "loop" scissors for school $7, and a renewal for Scholars Choice which nets me 10% discount, $10 in free goods, AND a huge mug/warmer + notepads $10 (seems like a deal to me ) Hmmmm. So far, I can't put the finger on DH for spending (but tomorrow is another day....one of his 'shopping days!"
Feb. 5: DH shopped in the city in the morning-groceries $45 and I shopped Costco-groceries-$32, tax software-$37 and in our village in the afternoon, another $45 on groceries. After a Church dinner that he worked at, DH brought home buns, snacks, pie etc, so we gained there
Feb. 6: DH bought some gingerale for DD who isn't feeling well $4, so I had him top up the gas $35 since we'd need it tomorrow anyway
Feb. 7: $0 Finally, another one!
Feb. 8: DH's 'shopping day' and it was only $60. That, in itself, is an accomplishment!
Feb. 9: groceries....stocking up $83
Feb 10: gas $43, pharmacy $25
Feb 11: DD's birthday so she went wild with spending-close to $200 that Mommy forked out, but I'm not going to count that since it will come out of a different budget. Just the same, let me say it was well over (say 4 times!) what I would have sent her if she were still in Egypt. OTOH, she was excited to get her birthday wish....an end to the protests...and will likely return shortly, so I spoiled her some. I spent (for the house/family) about $50, including a trip to Tim Horton's for hot chocolate for her "birthday surprise visitor". (another wish that she got)
Feb 12: still stocking up groceries $100
No Buy days this month: 2/10

 

[charming23]

Today is another No Spend day. We are just going to be heading over to my Aunt's house for my birthday dinner with the family.

February Budget-
Groceries/Household- $300/$120.53 left
Car/Gas- $50
Eating Out- $50/$14.10 left
Misc/Entertainment- $100/$28.07 left

Total-$500/$212.70 left

Goal of 14 No buy days

Week One
2/1- $0- Snow Day
2/2- $0- Snow Day
2/3- $0- Snow Day
2/4- $49.82 Grocery and $12.74 Misc
2/5- $17.40 Lunch, $12.94 Jeans, and $8.43 groceries
2/6- $0
2/7- $0

Week Two
2/8- $6.30 Walgreen's and $5.58 Drugmart
2/9- $71.96 Grocery and $4.49 lunch
2/10- $37.38 Grocery, $14.01 lunch, and $46.25 Fashion Bug
2/11- $0- My Birthday
2/12- $0
2/13
2/14

7/14 No Buy Days

Coupon and Store Savings- $95.54

 

[weewuvvdisney]

This month is a total flop. But a good flop.

We have been sticking on budget for the most part.

Sometimes life just gets in the way though.

I had to go out and buy a new downfilled coat. My current one is getting on in age, is not long enough and the zipper keeps popping open or jamming. I work 4 hours a day outside so I need to be dressed properly. I bought one - cost me $280.00 which was definitely not budgeted for. I am going, to another store tomorrow, to see if I can find some comparble for a cheaper price. Hope so!

Plus we are taking a bus trip next weeked to go to a relative's surprise 50th Birthday. So, there goes $250.00 on bus fare. We don't have to pay for a hotel as we will stay with relatives (they just don't know it yet since their son is the one organizing everything). However, we will have to spend some money eating out and plus giving some money towards the birthday gift.

Plus DD and I went and got our hair cut and streaked. It was long overdue - cost us $130.00.

We recently found out a friend is moving away sooner than planned. He actually left a few weeks ago but will be back in town this week and a few of us are taking him out for supper. Oh dear - more money.

Then, dd's school is having a family night fundraiser which cost us $55.00. There will also be raffle tickets for sale.

Then we found out our oil bill (pre-payment July to June) have doubled from now to June.

Good thing we tightened our belts on everything else this month.

I wonder how March will be. Just found out of a planned 75th Birthday party for a dear family member which is being held at a restaurant. There are other birthdays in Feb & Mar but those have been planned for.

Oh well, a penny here a penny there - it all adds up.

 

[SunnieRN]

February goals: No spend days: 12
Food budget: Try for $200 for the rest of the month
Save: $800.00
Medical $150
Cash: $100 for 2 weeks, starting 2/11

Feb 1: $0
Feb 2: $62.50 Groceries
Feb 3: $0
Feb 4: $0
Fab 5: $40.00 prescription
Feb 6: $27.60 Chuck E Cheese, GM #2 birthday party
Feb 7: $0
Feb 8: $10 CEC to have lunch and use leftover tokens. (Money from spendable cash, last pay period. Payday 2/11 start over with $100/2 weeks)
Feb 9: I just got home from working 13 hours. I also have to go back to do it again in 9 1/2 hours. That is why I can post now and be 100% sure this will be a $0 day!! Sleep, eat and clean up for work.
Feb 10: $0
Feb 11: $92.00 groceries and Valentines Day; $90, Credit Cards (used 1 x mo. and paid off each month); $800.00 to savings; $103 to Med cushion; $142 Clothing cushion.
Feb 12: Working tonight so $0!

$0 Days: 7. Tomorrow should be $0 also, as I already bought potluck ingred.

 

[Virgderon]

I decided that I needed a new suit for job interviews so that I could go into them with full confidence. I went to Ross and found a Calvin Klein suit . It had a $178 price tag on it, and I paid $50. I also got shoes and a nice black skirt so that I would have a little variety. I never spend this much on myself so I feel a little light headed, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Running Total: Spent $592
$1200 budget... 608 left
$0 Days: 3
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings :61

Groceries budget- $250-25-14-45-31= 135 left

Feb. 1 : 45 (groceries and laundry detg, snacks for hockey game tonight, 10 for parking at hockey game tonight)
Feb. 2 : 0
Feb. 3: 24 (10 shipping DDs e-bay stuff, 14 pop and bread)
Feb. 4: 23 (Cracker Barrell)
Feb. 5: 250 (205 car repair, 45 groceries)
Feb. 6: 0
Feb. 7: 20 (dr. co-pay)
Feb. 8 : 62 (32 bowling, 6 food at bowling, 14 Walgreens pop & misc, 10 Walgreens prescription co-pay)
Feb. 9 : 0
Feb. 10 : 58 (27 Walgreens, 31 Publix - got some good bogos today!)
Feb. 11: 16 ( card and small gift for DH for Valentines day)
Feb. 12 : 93 ( 88 Ross for clothes, 5 gas - the stupid pump ran out and I did not have patience to go to another one)

 

[Jennia]

Feb 1: $15 at Walgreens
Feb 2: $0
Feb 3: $15 on gas and parking in Seattle
Feb 4: $0
Feb 5: $0
Feb 6: $0
Feb 7: $29, Gymboree and Joann's
Feb 8: $0
Feb 9: $0
Feb 10: $0
Feb 11: $2, snack for dd

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

1: $20.89 gas ($2.86/gallon)
2: $0!
3: $0!
4: $0!
5: $138.70 Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, SaveALot, Rouses, Winn-Dixie, Wendy's
6: $0!
7: $0!
8: $0!
9: $0!
10: $0!
11: $0!
12: $0!

$0 Days: 10
Spending: $159.59/$475= 34%
Days Passed: 12/28: 43%

Goal: To keep spending to within $475 for food, gas, and miscellaneous. I do not track bills; I only track "point of sale" transactions.