March No Buy..Rolling Into Spring!

[Virgderon]

I'm in, but I don't know what my budget is yet. I'm not sure I'm even getting paid on Friday for what I already worked. When I contacted unemployment, they had no record of me ever working for my company. I have been there since 2004. They also did not report my income to Social security the last 3 years. I'm flipping out.

Anyway, Tiggerish , I hope your surgery goes well. Best wishes and lots of hugs.

I'm going to guess how much I can spend based on getting a paycheck. Wish me luck getting one!

Running Total: Spent $22
$900budget... $878 left
$0 Days:
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings :8

Groceries budget- $250-3= 247 left

 

[SunnieRN]

I'm in, but I don't know what my budget is yet. I'm not sure I'm even getting paid on Friday for what I already worked. When I contacted unemployment, they had no record of me ever working for my company. I have been there since 2004. They also did not report my income to Social security the last 3 years. I'm flipping out.

Anyway, Tiggerish , I hope your surgery goes well. Best wishes and lots of hugs.

I'll be back later to get started!

My gosh! How did that work with taxes? I think someone at the company will be in ginormous trouble!

 

[leadfootlevi]

I want to join. My goal is no-buys at the work cafeteria all month. I need to either bring my lunch or I need to go somewhere less expensive (and healthier) than the cafeteria.

Another option: no lunch for leadfootlevi

Someone stole the lean cuisine I put in the freezer. It was too late to run to the store because I had a meeting to go to. Oh well, at least I didn't break down and go to the cafeteria! I had some microwave popcorn I had stashed at my desk (much to the liking of my cube mates!).

 

[Tiggerish]

Virgderon - make lots of copies of your W-2s from them and any paystubs that show the withholdings. Then get to your local Social Security office and start a fraud investigation. They will help you. You can also contact your state Department of Labor or Department of Employment (whatever they call it in your state) and ask for a fraud investigtion. The government agencies are very familiar with employers that have failed on their withholding turnovers and what to do. If you have proof it was withheld, you will get credit eventually. I think you can also take your records into the unemployment office and ask for your claim to be processed on the basis of that. DO NOT GIVE anyone your original records!

I am so sorry this is happening to you. It is like salt in an open wound to discover you are unemployed and then to learn you have been cheated.

 

[3goofyboys]

I'm in for the month! This should be a good month. No birthdays, baby showers, weddings, ect! I am hopeful that we will be spending a bit extra on moving, but we'll see if our current house rents soon. We did move back our move date to May 1st, so we have a bit more time.

I'm going for 14 no buys this month.

1


1/14 No Buys

 

[wlake]

to all of the new folks and back to the rest of us!

Tiggerish, I hope your surgery went well today.
Virgderon, that's terrible! It sounds like Tiggerish had some good advice though. Good luck!

I'm another person putting a new twist on the no buy. I'm still going to go for 12 no buy days, as they help keep me from getting take out for dinner. However, I have so much stuff in my house that I'm going to try to buy only consumable things this month -- nothing that's going to add to the clutter! I have three exceptions to this already, though: a 8x8 or 9x9 Pyrex dish with a cover (long story!), a guide book for DC, and birthday gifts for the boys as their birthdays are coming up. Replacement items are ok too, as long as the item it replaces goes right out of the house.

Now if we just had a "no cookies" thread!

3/1:

no buy days: 1/12
longest streak: 3
meals out: 0/5
days without dinner out: 4
longest no dinners out streak: 10
non-consumable items purchased: 0/0

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Welcome to all of the new people this month. I have only been doing the "no-buy" since January, but I have found it to be great!

This is our Disney month!!!!!!

I am going to go for 8 no buy days. Hope that is not pushing it too hard. I still need to buy several things for our trip.

3/1 - $21 books/materials for school. $875 Disney tickets
$5.42 Walgreens saved $4 in coupons and received $2 in register
rewards.


January coupon savings: $58.50
February coupon savings: $81.70

 

[Debbie]

Really? No one has started this yet? I am the first?

OK..this month I'm changing it up for myself...instead of No Buy days I'm going to track what I spend on items other than bills or required medication. So...I notice I usually budget about $650-$700 for a month, but since we have 3 family birthdays this month and parties galore I'll start off with an $800.00 budget for the month and count down
All aboard.....

Thanks for starting the thread, nunzia. You did well in February.

The March budget is $700 with 12 no spend days.

Auto $50
Eating Out/Entertainment $100
Giving $10
Groceries/Household Goods $235
Medical $25
Misc. $75
Set bills $205

No spend days 12 / 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2/1 $0 (left eye cataract surgery today so calling it early)

Good luck with the surgery Tiggerish.

Hugs and prayers for a successful surgery Tiggerish!

Since I march to the beat of a different drummer, I am going to go along with my pay periods.

February 25-March 11:

No buy goal: 7
Cash: $100
Medical:$180/-20
Groceries:$200/-92

Feb 25: $92 groceries
Feb 26: $0
Feb 27: $0
Feb 28: $0 ( do not count medical costs, just try to contain them )
March 1: $0 have to go to a meeting at work.: they usually put out coffee.

No buy goal: 7 / 4 accomplished!

It's good to march to a different drummer....especially in March!

I did this a few times last year but I think it will work better if I do something a little different... my goal is to keep my credit card bill under $1000 this month, which includes gas and groceries as well as gifts/clothes/entertainment, etc.

I like this. Unfortunately, my cc was compromised, so I am awaiting my new number.

I'm in, but I don't know what my budget is yet. I'm not sure I'm even getting paid on Friday for what I already worked. When I contacted unemployment, they had no record of me ever working for my company. I have been there since 2004. They also did not report my income to Social security the last 3 years. I'm flipping out.

Anyway, Tiggerish , I hope your surgery goes well. Best wishes and lots of hugs.

I'll be back later to get started!

Oh, Virgderon, I am so sorry. It's bad enough that you have lost your job, but now your faith in the employers as well. Stay strong!

Another option: no lunch for leadfootlevi

Someone stole the lean cuisine I put in the freezer. It was too late to run to the store because I had a meeting to go to. Oh well, at least I didn't break down and go to the cafeteria! I had some microwave popcorn I had stashed at my desk (much to the liking of my cube mates!).

Sorry that that happened to you. I actually love making a meal of popcorn.

Back shortly to put in my budget!

 

[bigmama67]

I'm in. The tricky thing this month will be that I have to figure out where I'm getting daycare $ from, as I now have some part-time tutoring but that decreases my unemployment. I'm starting to figure that out though.

I was under budget in February! I still have a bill to pay though...I'm mailing the check tomorrow.

I don't count buying groceries as spending $ though I do keep track of my grocery spending...so I will aim for 10 no-buy days. My birthday is March 11th and whatever I feel like that day (coffee, Pepsi, Dunkin' Donuts, whatever) I will get, darnit!

I spent about $40 on groceries yesterday and DH just spent $18.39 (will get the exact amounts later tonight). DH also has a doctor appointment tonight ($15 copay). I don't count medical or groceries so...



No-buy days: 1/10

 

[ronnmel]

Welcome to all the new posters!

Good luck for your surgery Tiggerish.

Wow, talk about bad news Virgderon.

No Buy Days : 0/12
Gas : 38$ (max 120$ Raising the max due to higher gas prices)
Groceries : 0$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 0$ (max 100$)
Non-necessities : 7$ (max 200$)

03/01 : 45$ (gas + pharmacy)

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I'm in, but I don't know what my budget is yet. I'm not sure I'm even getting paid on Friday for what I already worked. When I contacted unemployment, they had no record of me ever working for my company. I have been there since 2004. They also did not report my income to Social security the last 3 years. I'm flipping out.

Anyway, Tiggerish , I hope your surgery goes well. Best wishes and lots of hugs.

I'm going to guess how much I can spend based on getting a paycheck. Wish me luck getting one!

That is insane!! OMG Who do you contact in a situation like this? State labor board? Attorney General? I'm assuming you have your pay stubs and at least W-2 and tax documents to back yourself up with?

Good luck sorting all of this out!

 

[Disneydreamsdancer]

March no buy month
Budget: $1060
Rent $640
Groceries $110
Gas $160
Entertainment/eating out $150
No buy days goal 12

01/03
Rent $160 ($480 left)
Groceries $35 ($75 left)
Gas $40 ($120 left)

02/03
$0 no buy

Here's to a good month guys!!

 

[Virgderon]

Virgderon - make lots of copies of your W-2s from them and any paystubs that show the withholdings. Then get to your local Social Security office and start a fraud investigation. They will help you. You can also contact your state Department of Labor or Department of Employment (whatever they call it in your state) and ask for a fraud investigtion. The government agencies are very familiar with employers that have failed on their withholding turnovers and what to do. If you have proof it was withheld, you will get credit eventually. I think you can also take your records into the unemployment office and ask for your claim to be processed on the basis of that. DO NOT GIVE anyone your original records!

I am so sorry this is happening to you. It is like salt in an open wound to discover you are unemployed and then to learn you have been cheated.

Thanks everyone for your good thoughts, but especially you Tiggerish for this very good advice. Unemployment is having me fax copies of my last 3 years of W-2, and the agent told me my employer "would be dealt with".

Its just very shocking- I don't even want to know what kind of desperation would lead you to mess with state and federal government agencies. I also don't understand why the state did not catch this for all these years.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I can't beleive it is on page 3 before I get on board. I am always on page 1! Been a busy start to the week, but I am in. I have to finish February, both reading and posting. Ended with 15 no buy days for the month. I have been doing some subbing, good cause I am saving for my DH's b-day, but bad for time. I will get caught up later.

Tiggerish, hope you are well.

Virgderon, I am sorry for your headache. That really stinks. I just read your PM, thanks for your offer. He has already sent it in, but I think he did well. But that was nice of you to offer.

Off to finish February, but today was a No Spend Day, I HAVE to start the mont thath was, it's a mental thing.

ETA- Virgderon, I thought I missed that you had lost your job, and was embarassed that I missed that. I just read it catching up on February. I am so sorry. What a headache to have the tax thing on top of it. I hope you are able to find something quickly. Best of luck.

Lattemom-I read about your DH saying it's cheaper then therapy, my DH has said that about every one of our trips. He says we could pay a therapist or save for the next trip, either way I am happy. And he's right. I am still catching up, I know I owe you a PM.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________



March 1-$0

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

No Buy Days- 1/18

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Groceries-
Gas-

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Back in 2011 cause I'd miss you all so much!
January-25
February-15
Longest Streak-19 (but I was sick)

Joined No Buy as a New Years Resolution in 2010 and did pretty well-
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)
December-10
Longest Streak-4 Days in a Row

 

[charming23]

Thanks everyone for your good thoughts, but especially you Tiggerish for this very good advice. Unemployment is having me fax copies of my last 3 years of W-2, and the agent told me my employer "would be dealt with".

Its just very shocking- I don't even want to know what kind of desperation would lead you to mess with state and federal government agencies. I also don't understand why the state did not catch this for all these years.

I hope they get everything worked out for you. It makes me mad when companies mess around like that.

 

[MeekoB]

I'm going to do my first no buy month. I'm going easy with just 10 no buy days to start.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

to all the new people! This is harder than it looks, so if you get frustrated, don't give up, just adjust your goals and stick with it! This is definitely a journey and not a destination. Awareness in your spending is an empowering thing and well worth the effort!

To all the returning people!

A new month is a fresh start!

1: $0!

$0 Days: 1
Spending: $0/$475 = 0%
Days Passed: 1/31 = 3%

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

I am hoping with the higher prices of gas and just about everything that I can stay within this. This week is going to involve a lot of eating out. I am hoping to go to parades on 6 of the next 7 days.

I am once again not setting a $0 Day goal. I am focusing strictly on the $ amount for the budget. The $0 Days are just lagniappe!

January:
$0 Days: 16/31 = 52%
Spending: $559.96

February:
$0 Days: 21/28 = 75%
Spending: $666.16 (This includes that patio stuff)

2011 Summary (Jan/Feb):
$0 Days: 37/59 = 63%
Spending: $1226.12

 

[Orangewolf]

Okay I'm back and ready to report - not as bad as I thought considering we were eating like olives and rice for lunch since that's all we had

March 1st: (Gas)$61.90 - had $2.70 worth of coupons for this - our groc store gives out cents off coupons for gas depending on how much you buy in groc.
(Groceries) $60.13 - only hit one of the 3 stores I wanted as the roads were getting bad and I wanted to get home before too long...should hold us till Sat.
(Household - vitamins, shampoo etc) $28.59
I also dropped $155.12 at Kohls on DH's clothes for work - this isn't a true figure cause I will end up returning at least half the clothes - I am his personal shopper and what he doesn't like/doesnt fit goes back on Sat.

$60.13/$425 Groc.
$61.90/$150 Gas
$28.59/$75 Household

 

[h2oophelia]

Got room for another newbie??

I'm really trying to get my budget under control. I have some extra expenses coming up......adding my DD to my health insurance and summertime daycare since I'm a single mom. Besides the fact that we need to get back to Disney!

So here's my plan...I am implementing the envelope system this month. I swipe my debit card wwwaaayyyy too easily and I hope the envelopes will put me in check.

Goals:
No buy: 12 days
Eating out: No more than 4 meals
Groceries: $250



No Buy days: 1/12

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Got room for another newbie??

Always!!