January No Buy - let's start the year off right

[mrsbornkuntry]

Could someone explain this 'no buy' thing?
If you need something, and it's a no buy day, don't you just go get it the next day? How does this save money? I get it if you are cutting out your daily coffee-down to every other day. But to just put off buying on Monday to Tuesday I don't get it.

No, it's not putting it off, it's not buying period. Depending on your goals, it could be deciding not buying any clothes for the month (because you don't NEED any clothes, you just LIKE buying them) or whatever your vice is. One of mine is impulse groceries, I run in for a gallon of milk and come out with $50 worth of stuff that we didn't actually NEED. Does that make sense?

 

[reneaterry]

Ok. I'll try this. 15 no buy days.

 

[arwood82]

I am in for this month. We are hoping to have a baby this year and we would really like to go to Disney in September so every little bit helps. I am hoping for 15 no buy days. We can do this.

1: $0 Stayed home cleaning house

 

[snarlingcoyote]

A lot of us are impulse buyers. I'll second mrsbornkuntry - I am bad, bad, bad about buying impulse groceries. I'll go to the store for bread and come out with sushi, chicken salad, a new flavor of creamer, bobby pins, a couple of pounds of shrimp, crawfish boil (for the shrimp), a package of goat cheese covered in honey and a six pack of pansies.

Then I have to go back for the bread.

Also, as mrsbornkuntry pointed out, may of us also make other goals, like no new clothes or only X amount of "fun" money or only so many times eating out.

It really does help with the bills and curbing spending.

 

[dpswift]

I was looking forward to trying this we really need to cut back. 2013 was not a good year for us financially I was looking forward to a fresh start.

I was driving home from work and DH called. He was at the emergency vet. The dog is ok but our bank account is $250 lighter.

Well hopefully I will be able to keep tomarrow a no buy day. Friday is market day so I will be spending then.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

A lot of us are impulse buyers. I'll second mrsbornkuntry - I am bad, bad, bad about buying impulse groceries. I'll go to the store for bread and come out with sushi, chicken salad, a new flavor of creamer, bobby pins, a couple of pounds of shrimp, crawfish boil (for the shrimp), a package of goat cheese covered in honey and a six pack of pansies.

Then I have to go back for the bread.

Also, as mrsbornkuntry pointed out, may of us also make other goals, like no new clothes or only X amount of "fun" money or only so many times eating out.

It really does help with the bills and curbing spending.

That is definitely how the impulse shopping goes!

 

[pigletto]

A lot of us are impulse buyers. I'll second mrsbornkuntry - I am bad, bad, bad about buying impulse groceries. I'll go to the store for bread and come out with sushi, chicken salad, a new flavor of creamer, bobby pins, a couple of pounds of shrimp, crawfish boil (for the shrimp), a package of goat cheese covered in honey and a six pack of pansies.

Then I have to go back for the bread.

Also, as mrsbornkuntry pointed out, may of us also make other goals, like no new clothes or only X amount of "fun" money or only so many times eating out.

It really does help with the bills and curbing spending.

Love it. That's me to a tee. In fact I usually say to the cashier "ummm.. I came in for 5 things", as I am unloading my 20 items.

I will aim for 20 no buy days. Maybe more. I plan not to spend on anything that isn't a necessity, household need,gas for the car or a bill. We went to Disney for 10 days last month, spent the usual boatload on Christmas and now it's time to tighten the belt. My husband is finally finished his school/co op program and already has interviews lined up, but we are in serious budget mode until he is fully employed again.

 

[lattemomof3]

Glad to see this thread again! I'll shoot for 15 no buy days. I'm really trying to grocery shop once a week and then stay out of the store for the rest of the week. Our small town store is so expensive, I think I'll be way ahead if I make the weekly trip to Walmart, even though it's 30 miles away.

 

[charming23]

1/1 $0 I went to work and came home

 

[ariamac]

I'm in this time!

2013 was a bad year for me... I kinda went crazy with spending and am now in debt for the first time (I'm usually really responsible with my money). So I'd really like to pay this off this year and I am also planning a trip to Europe this summer so I need to save as much money as possible!!! This means I'm enforcing the following...

No Buy Days: 7/10 days
No Buy Streak: 2/3 days

Rules
- Buy breakfast or lunch only 3 times this month
- 1 dinner out (no more than $20)

Exceptions
- $150 scrapbooking purchase removing this as an exception due to my VS splurge
- Sister's birthday present


January
1 - $18 taxi ride
2 - $148 Victoria's Secret (I kinda splurged, but it was their semi-annual sale and I agreed to go with a friend last week... Got 4 bras 40-50% off!), $7 Grocery store
3 - $50 dinner out with my sister and her bf
4 - $7.05 lunch ugh... but I saved elsewhere - redeemed a free movie ticket and had dinner at a friend's house
5 - $64 groceries, $50 bookstore (2 books for my sister's bday and 1 for me), $1.40 at the drugstore (used a $20 giftcard too!)
6 - $0 - first no buy day!!
7 - $1.75 - I was planning a no-buy day today but I got to work (commuting with a -41C windchill) and it was too damn cold to survive the morning without tea so I bought a carton of milk (to last me the rest of the week)
8 - $0
9 - $0
10 - $3.15 - Hot chocolate - decided to indulge cause I had a pretty great week! (and I needed the pick-me-up at work!! lol)
11 - $1.80 - Tea... ugh, my BFF and I got all the way downtown and realized the Travel Expo is NEXT Saturday lol so the tea was really for nothing but I enjoyed it
12 - $57.94 + 3.97 = $61.91 groceries, $12.95 prescription
13 - $2.19 pita bread (sucks I had to waste a no-buy day but they weren't fresh at all yesterday )
14 - $0
15 - $1.80 tea and timbits
16 - $17.13 Beer & Nachos night out
17 - $10 drink @ sportsbar
18 - $0
19 - $61.40 groceries, $5.40 drugstore
20 - $0
21 - $3.55 hot chocolate, $9.05 hair dye
22 - $2.25 hot chocolate
23 - $11.05 lunch! it's been 3 weeks since I bought lunch at work - I enjoyed it!!
24 - $4.05 lunch, $45 night out (includes taxi $15, Poutine $6.75, and 3 drinks, tip, coatcheck)
25 - $6.72 Breakfast,$10.49 McDonalds and milk
26 - $60 Kitchen Stuff Plus, $15.45 wine, $8 groceries
27 - $0
28 - $2.82 Breakfast BLT
29 - $3.55 hot chocolate
30 - $21 dinner out with Vicky, $7 ice cream
31 - $20 Winterlicious lunch, $12.05 Groceries

 

[wishesuponastar]

I'll join. Goal is 20 no buy days. Not including Gas. Would love to save money and having to account for it here might help. January 2014
1 - $6 Mc'donalds
2 - shopping day at farmers market, DH birthday presents and costco
3 - calling this a $0 day because of snowstorm. Edit DH went out so we have spent today on groceries and he got a hockey shirt for the game
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

 

[susanv]

Glad I said only 18 no buy days instead of 20. Furnace stopped, we haven't received new oil delivery yet and needed to top it up enough to last 2 more days. Had not planned to leave the house, oh well.

January 2014
1 $65 for furnace oil

 

[AJ1983]

I haven't bought anything this month yet but only because everything was closed yesterday and I haven't left the house yet today

 

[mommytoxzande]

I will join as well. I am new to this thread, but need to get our spending under control. I am going to try for 15 no buy days, not including gas. Good Luck to all and thanks for letting me join.

 

[butterflygirl812]

I'm shooting for 15 days. For some reason, this sounds like it should be easy, but I suspect it won't be.

One day down....14 more to go.

My problem is, those 16 days that I "can" spend, I will probably make up for the 15 that I don't.

 

[mickeyschickie]

I know there are some threads for easy dinner ideas, but I need some new ideas for packing my lunch on my no buy days, does anyone know if there is an existing thread or any blogs featuring good healthy packable lunch ideas?

 

[lucigo]

Our monthly budget is about to become $1100 a month less and the only place left to cut is food/misc. I have to learn how to spend less at the grocery store, stay home more, and tell my almost adult children that there really is PLENTY to eat in the house and we don't need to go buy expensive quick meals. My family is going to hate me by the end of the month!

Didn't go out yesterday, off to a good start!

 

[butterflygirl812]

I know there are some threads for easy dinner ideas, but I need some new ideas for packing my lunch on my no buy days, does anyone know if there is an existing thread or any blogs featuring good healthy packable lunch ideas?

I subscribe to emeals.com for both lunch and dinner menus. While you have a subscription fee, I have found that with their lists, we are eating incredibly healthy, trying new foods all the time, and I have practically zero impulse buys at the grocery store, which had helped us cut down on spending and create great eating habits at the same time. And my kids love to help in the kitchen!

 

[butterflygirl812]

I know there are some threads for easy dinner ideas, but I need some new ideas for packing my lunch on my no buy days, does anyone know if there is an existing thread or any blogs featuring good healthy packable lunch ideas?

Groupon recently had a deal for $39 (I think) you could get a lunch and dinner plan for a year on emeals.com. Great deal as dinner alone is $58 for the year.

 

[CandleontheWater]

This is exactly what I need! I am the queen of impulse purchases and all of those little things really start to add up! It wasn't that big of a deal previously, but DH is taking a new job next month, and while it will be the best choice for our family, it will involve a pay cut. We need to start cutting back, and this will be an excellent motivation!

I know this is going to be a tough month because we're moving at the end of it, and inuring all those move related expenses, but I'm going to shoot for 10 no buy days and only one Target run a week (Target is my Waterloo )

1$0
2 $114.31- $1.04 (stamps), $9 (DS haircut) 89.28 (weekly grocery shopping) 14.99 (you need a budget- impulse buy)
3 $0
4 $0 (bought baby food, but used a BRU gift card so nothing out of pocket- Yay!)
5 $0


6 $59 hair cut/color groupon (not necessary, but much cheaper than if I paid out of pocket)
7 $0
8 $46.60 (weekly grocery trip)
9 $98.41 Lands end (clothes for DS- buying ahead for next winter)
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