January no buy

[lulu2]

Can I play? Need to get back on track, I want a pool in my backyard this summer. I'm shooting for 11 no spend days. Also, we will eat out of the pantry/freezer as much as possible. I already made my weekly meal plan and took the meat out of the freezer.
Jan 1: 0

 

[jmac323]

great job for those of you with no spending so far! I was set for today to be our day #1 aside from groceries but we just moved (yesterday) and this new rental needs a few things: lightbulbs, 9 volt batteries for smoke alarms and a few other little things. I have a couple item sto return to Target from Xmas so I'll use those return monies and hopefully not have to go out of pocket too much . Good luck all! I'll update tonight!

 

[Virgderon]

Did well at the grocery store. Not a bad start.

$900 budget... $863 left
$0 Days:
Groceries : 37
Coupon/ sale savings : 15
Eating out/lunches out :

January 1: 37 (groceries)

 

[North of Mouse]

Not trying to be a kill-joy, but what's the point of Jan-no buy, unless people are spending just to be spending. We all have to eat, have gas for our cars,etc. and that's got to come from somewhere . It's true, we could easily eat from our pantry and freezer, but would have to restock at some point (Feb.). Anyway, sounds good on paper, but in reality to me is easier to just cut back on eating out (probably a lot of people's biggie) and buy what I need when I need EVERY month. Sort of reminds me of dieting - we might all could lose a few pounds if we wanted to by restricting out calories, but it's the day to day watching our calories that will count and benefit us in the long run. Oh, well, just my take.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Not trying to be a kill-joy, but what's the point of Jan-no buy, unless people are spending just to be spending. We all have to eat, have gas for our cars,etc. and that's got to come from somewhere . It's true, we could easily eat from our pantry and freezer, but would have to restock at some point (Feb.). Anyway, sounds good on paper, but in reality to me is easier to just cut back on eating out (probably a lot of people's biggie) and buy what I need when I need EVERY month. Sort of reminds me of dieting - we might all could lose a few pounds if we wanted to by restricting out calories, but it's the day to day watching our calories that will count and benefit us in the long run. Oh, well, just my take.

It's not really buying nothing. The name is a bit of a misnomer. It's more about being mindful of your spending, and tracking it to make sure you are sticking to the budget you intend to. The posting is for accountability and to motivate and support each other.

As for No Buy Days, every time you stay out of a store, that is less temptation and impulse buying. So to aim for a certain number of days that you find something else to do than browsing in a store will also help you be a conscious consumer and in turn, spend less.

 

[hollypoast]

Not trying to be a kill-joy, but what's the point of Jan-no buy, unless people are spending just to be spending. We all have to eat, have gas for our cars,etc. and that's got to come from somewhere . It's true, we could easily eat from our pantry and freezer, but would have to restock at some point (Feb.). Anyway, sounds good on paper, but in reality to me is easier to just cut back on eating out (probably a lot of people's biggie) and buy what I need when I need EVERY month. Sort of reminds me of dieting - we might all could lose a few pounds if we wanted to by restricting out calories, but it's the day to day watching our calories that will count and benefit us in the long run. Oh, well, just my take.

This is my first time joining this thread and on some points I agree with you however, I think limiting the number of times I go into a store will make a big difference for me. It's like the $100 laundry detergent from Target. I go in to just buy laundry detergent and $100 later I leave the store with two bags full of stuff.

I also think taking a few months to clean out the freezer/cabinetry is a good idea. It prevents me from throwing out the stuff that gets shoved into the back part of the freezer that I forget that I have.

I'm not counting the mandatory stuff like gas, regular monthly bills like utilities, etc. I'm guessing if you don't see the point of it you are probably much more disciplined with you money than me.

 

[North of Mouse]

Thanks, two PP, gotcha . Whatever works, right? Especially when we all NEED our Disney fixes, eh?

 

[wlake]

Well, today ended up being a no buy day, despite a much needed trip to the grocery store. (The boys won't actually turn orange from eating nothing but clementines for fruit for three days, will they? ) My 9.5 mile run seemed to take up the biggest part of the day, but I WILL be ready for the Princess Half Marathon in 8 weeks!

No buy days: 1/10
Dinners out: 0/4
Non consumables purchased: 0
Bags of trash/donations out of my closet: 3!

to everyone starting off on the right foot!

 

[Luvdancink]

1/1 $0!!!

 

[living20057]

count me in, I started out great last january then had a health scare in Feb and my no buy threading never really recovered!!

Plus now we have a new addition and daycare expense!!

I really want to get our spending in check. We have a trip planned that I really want to make happen this year. I want to cut out the eating out and the nightly visits to the grocery store by meal planning and making a list. Shooting for $100/wk in groceries. 10 no buy days.

I really need to quit my nightly visits for the market too. I am going to try a weekly meal.

 

[living20057]

What does everyone do when they are at home and have the feeling that you just want to go to a store? You dont need anything but you just think you wanna get out. Its cold out so no going to a park for me lol I fought the earge the other day but sometimes you just need to window shop lol

I understand this feeling. Sometimes I can satisfy my shopping urges with online shopping. I put a ton of things in my cart, but never buy them. When I see the total, I can easily change my mind. If I am shopping in person, I have a problem talking myself out of it. Sometimes I don't bring my wallet in, if I don't have the money then i can't buy.

 

[gator75]

1/1= 10.00 i'll try harder

 

[neatokimmo]

I spent $4.04 on a coke & Christmas ornament today.

I also got groceries, milk, eggs, bread, tomatoes, avocados, apples, bananas, kashi, yogurt & 35 bottles of organic apple juice marked to 68 cents from 3.89 lol $47.52 (darn that marked down juice! way over! lol)

$3.27 for shampoo.

But the fun part of the day was finally picking out a new house! I am moving to the nice part of town lol I live in a little house in a sort of a poor area. He has a cheap condo in the good part of town. Stick the cost of our two places together and whammo! Big house, great neighborhood!

-------------------------------------------------

1-1 $54.83
1-2
1-3
$52.48/100 Groceries
$50 Natalie's clothes
$50...$100? My clothes
$25 Birthday
$86.63/90 - Household stuff
$40 - Chinese New Year, tickets & DD's dance costume
$45.96/50 - Mad Money

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

neatokimmo, that's exciting! Congratulations!


1: $0

 

[willowsnn3]

1/1
$40.00for groceries so I will have no excuse to eat bkfst or lunch out this wk
$11.00 @ Taco Bell....

 

[PrincessHeather'sMom]

I'm getting in on this! Perhaps having to account to someone (you all) will keep my budget in check. I went through my check register for the past year and was horrified at how much $ is wasted on eating out and whatnot. I figured out exactly what has to come out of each paycheck and how much I left over for groceries and WDW.

So far though, I'm off to a bad start... Oldest DD got youngest DD a learn how to crochet/knit 'kit' for Christmas, so I took DD to get yarn today. They had a coupon for 'spend $25 get $5 off', so I did good in that aspect. I spent $24.79 there. And then I went to the grocery store to get some essentials, and spent $35.29 there.

1/1/12
$24.79 Yarn
$35.29 Grocery
$60.08

I'm going to go for a goal of 10 No Buy days this month. AND anything under Budget goes towards our trip in October.

 

[reginaastralis]

Tomorrow is dd's birthday, so I will be getting balloons for the house for when she comes home from school, and we are going to Build a Bear and getting her ears pierced. My bf and I leave for Vegas the day after that, and I have somehow lost my license! The last place I had it was last week when I took the kid's to Busch Gardens, and I cannot find it anywhere. We've turned the house upside down looking for the thing! I'm giving it one last shot to find it, and if not, I am going tomorrow to get a new copy made. I don't want to spend the $25, just to come home from our trip and it be in some silly, obvious, place.

12/26 - $11 at Chick-fil-a, on a gift card.
12/27 - $15 at Chick-fil-a - Needed to get the kids out of the house. $60 at Target. $30 on groceries and $30 on household
12/28 - $0
12/29 - $30 - at the grocery store. I think this should be enough to last until we leave for Vegas!
12/30 - $0 - only because the battery in my car died, and I don't see the point of getting it fixed right now. I figure something has to happen for me to stay home and stop spending money, lol
12/31 - $0!
1/1 - BF spent $50 at walmart on a few things of groceries (seriously?!) and the few odds and ends for our trip. I went to dinner with our friend who is going back to the Navy tomorrow ($23) and to Kohl's for a winter jacket for my dd ($55, we ended up getting a jacket, a pretty dress for her birthday tomorrow and a sweater)

My goals:
1. I'd like to get 5 no spend days - 3/5
2. Grocery spending under $300 for the month - $85/$300
3. Clothes spending at $100
4. Discretionary at $100 - My boyfriend thinks we need to go out way more than I think. This could be our battle. 23/100
5. Household - $120 - $110/120 - obviously under budgeted that category, but I usually have a separate one for clothes, but didn't think we would need anything this month.

 

[3girlsfun]

Ok, I'm in. This is going to be a tough month, bc I've got 2 weekend trips planned, but, I'll do my best.

My goal: 10 days.

 

[wlake]

I spent $4.04 on a coke & Christmas ornament today.

I also got groceries, milk, eggs, bread, tomatoes, avocados, apples, bananas, kashi, yogurt & 35 bottles of organic apple juice marked to 68 cents from 3.89 lol $47.52 (darn that marked down juice! way over! lol)

$3.27 for shampoo.

But the fun part of the day was finally picking out a new house! I am moving to the nice part of town lol I live in a little house in a sort of a poor area. He has a cheap condo in the good part of town. Stick the cost of our two places together and whammo! Big house, great neighborhood!

-------------------------------------------------

1-1 $54.83
1-2
1-3
$52.48/100 Groceries
$50 Natalie's clothes
$50...$100? My clothes
$25 Birthday
$86.63/90 - Household stuff
$40 - Chinese New Year, tickets & DD's dance costume
$45.96/50 - Mad Money

A new house! What fun! I hope you're able to get the one you want!

 

[beaucoup]

Jan 1. Amazon.com $50 Pet watering fountain & filters.
Hate to start the month off with a purchase, but I purposely waited till January since my credit card will give 5% back on Amazon purchases made in January. Oh well.