March No Buy..Rolling Into Spring!

[momabaarjo]

March 3 - leapster game for dd5 (she payed for half), dinner at Runza with grandma after ds8's wrestling match

Where are you? I have not had a Runza in years (almost worth a no spend day for one )...since I left my home in northern Colorado after graduating from college and moving to Texas! My only solace is that I make runza every few months from scratch!

 

[momabaarjo]

I was hoping to make yesterday a no spend day, but I had to take ds#2 to a birthday party at an indoor mini golf place in the mall (dh was supposed to take him but plans changed). So to kill time until he was done I went mall walking...I did not do any serious damage to the budget...I found shirts for ds#1 & #2 at Children's Place to match dd Easter dress that I bought last year on clearance. The shirts were actually on sale, the perfect sizes and colors.

March 1-No Spend 1/15 days
March 2-No Spend 2/15 days
March 3-Sonic Happy Hour Stop $3
Little Caesar Pizza Dinner Treat for boys ($7)
March 4-$10 gift card donation for teacher at school having surgery
$56 Walmart Stop (groceries bday present for son's friend)
March 5-Easter shirts for the boys ($16)

Budget Tally as of March 6
Gas-$0 spent...........................$200 remaining
Household- $92 spent................$308 remaining
No Spend days.........................2/15

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $825.41/COLOR]
$0 Days:2/14 Got 13 no buys last month, trying to up it to one more.

Groceries ($279-$9/day)- $51.30
Eating Out ($217-$7/day)- $86.09
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($806-$26/day) two trips by train, Great America season pass installment, 2nd half of our airplane tickets for October $688.02
Gas $250- (3/1-$23.69), (3/6-$28.55)= $52.24

WEEK 1 BEGIN:
1- $15.76 (Dominick's-Groceries), $31.02 (Target-Pictures), $23.69 (Gas)
2- $0
3- $9.26 (Walgreens-Groceries), $2.85 (Meijer- Groceries), $3.97 (Dominick's-Groceries), $26.58 (Jewel-Prescription), $12.46 (McDonald's-Eating Out)
4- $0
5- $11 (Zoo Admission), $16 (Eating Out), $37 (Chinese- Eating Out-we bought food for 5 people), $3.91 (Home Depot- Misc.)
6- $196 (Spring Awakening Tickets-Misc. Weren't expecting this, but we are sitting 2nd row center and it is our 7 year anniversary of knowing each other and it is the last performance of the show in Chicago...I forgot that my husband wanted to see this, he wanted to go to two shows and sit in the cheap seats, but for the price of sitting in the 2nd to last row for two nights it is the same as sitting in the front row for one performance, so we opted for sitting close, since our broadway series shows are for the cheap seats), $149.41 (Cedar Point Hotel-Misc.), $31.75 (Driver's License Renewal),
$126.11 (Sears Essentials-Misc. husband wanted a Logitech harmony remote forever! and it was more than half off in liquidation sale), $20.63 (Culver's-Eating Out), $2 (Dollar Tree-Papers), $6.96 (Dominick's-Groceries), $12.50 (Meijer-Groceries), $82.73 (Printer Ink), $27.51 (Amazon.com-Veggie Cages and hiking book)


Budget: $1552....53%
Month: 6/31: 19%
No Buy: 2/14: 14%

My savings from coupons and sales: $411.58

 

[nunzia]

Here we go:
Mar 1: 56.07 Birthday gifts for DBIL and DN, $12.20 for Amazon peanut butter (seemed like a good deal)
Mar 2: Not starting out very well! have to get past these birthdays...$98.34 groceries (bday dinner for 13, dog food, beer..etc), $46.00 DH gas (some will be reimbursed..he has to go to a town 90 miles away for a continuing ed class)
Mar 3: $2.42 for movie rental and a coffee, $9.00 dinner out with friend
Mar 4: DH got $23 reimbursement for the gas, so Plus that..then minus $10 to the church rummage sale (cool pedal car for DGD and really neat vintage desk for DGS), $9.48 Dollar Tree
Mar 5: $0 yea!


$589.49/$800.00 remaining

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

Auto $80.00/$240.00
Groceries/Household Goods /$150.00
Eating Out/Entertainment $26.00/$150.00 (raised DMil's Bday)
Misc. /$200.00 raised this one due to Prom
No Buy days 3/15
Coupon savings $10.00

January coupon savings $360.00
no buy days 17/10
February coupon savings $124.00
No buy days 15/12

03/01 $40.00 $30.00 gas already!!!!, $10.00 Pizza.. Mom's on strike day. At least I had a $10/20 purchase.
03/02-0-
03/03-0-
03/04-0- I've haven't been feeling well. So, I've been going right home after work. Upset stomach has been helping with my no spend days What ever works right.!
03/05 $66.00 $50.00 Gas- $16.00 dinner out with the ladies. Shouldn't have gone, I ordered a dinner and then didn't eat it. But, the company was priceless.
03/06 Today will be a spend day. Have to do some shopping.

 

[Debbie]

March 3 - dinner at Runza with grandma

Had to look that one up. Google is my friend.

Went and sold a whole bunch of old books, cds, and movies to half price and made $30. I did not spend anything so I get a no buy day.

A good day is when you make money. (Read your blog....keep writing!)

I did buy a pair of plastic garden clogs today to replace my 15 year old pair that has no footbed liner so they hurt and they are beginning to leak (which really defeats the purpose of waterproof clogs!). I figured as long as I tossed the old pair, I hadn't added to the clutter of the house. However, my boys have decided I should keep the old pair so they can use them as feet for next year's snowmen. I suppose if they live in the snowman box (we collect interesting nuts and rocks and twigs all summer for our snowmen), they really won't be in anyone's way....

Love the idea of a snowman box. I'll try to remember it, whenever (someday, in the future) my kids have kids.

I'm going for 14 no buys this month.

March 1

March 2 $31 groceries, $40 gas

March 3 $20 groceries (why is there always one more thing to pick up?)

March 4

March 5

3/14 No Buys

Doin' fine on the No Buys!

Dh bought the groceries this weekend, and I am trying not to spend anything until I see if I get paid. Payday was supposed to be last Friday, but they said no direct deposit, they will be mailing out checks. The company is in Chicago and I am in Tampa, so I will be in suspense for a few days.

Fingers crossed that the suspense doesn't last tooooo long!

Debbie, I hope your Mom is doing ok!!

Thanks. She had a good night, and we are waiting for the doctors to decide if it is home or another night in the hospital. Her spirits are high, and that is the main thing! (well, that and IV!)

Groceries- $60ish
Gas-

-ISH That's how I think too.

Awww, thanks! I do want to clarify that I did not run either half marathon last year. I alternated walking and jogging. Disney requires you to maintain a 16:30 pace and my pace was about 16:00/mile. My goal was to finish the race and get the medal just because I wanted to see if I could do it!

Anyone who sees me, would say, "You did WHAT?!??? But myself and my 3 sisters decided that we would do this (2005). It was the ONLY trip that all four of us (and Mom!) were at the parks together. The following year, my beloved middle sister passed away with cancer. We always said we'd do it again with her son, but, that is not ever going to happen -long story. My 2 sisters are contemplating 2012, but my knees won't handle it, and, because of school, I won't be able to go, even to cheer. My DSis and I walked, just missed the sweepers twice, but we did it, and no one will ever be able to take it away from us!

Today was the first day of my March Break (it's basically our Spring Break, except that it still looks way too much like winter outside for me to call it spring ) I think my body really needed the rest because I slept 12 hours! Needless to say, I stayed in my PJ all day and just relaxed.

On a countdown here. FIVE more days 'til March break!

March 5th - today was hopefully my last big buy day till next paycheck. We had swimming this morning in town so I hit all 3 major groc stores, plus Target and Kohls to return half the pants my DH needed.

That's how I work, too. As much done in one trip as possible!

Have a wonderful time ladies!! Are you having King cake? Isn't that what it's called, with the little baby in it? Now I would love to go to Cafe Du Monde and have beignets and coffee!!! New Orleans is beautiful!

Right now, I'd settle for POFQ.

Best guess at a target is : don't spend money foolishly and don't buy things you don't need or REALLY want.

GREAT goal!

6- $196 (Spring Awakening Tickets-Misc. Weren't expecting this, but we are sitting 2nd row center and it is our 7 year anniversary of knowing each other and it is the last performance of the show in Chicago...I forgot that my husband wanted to see this, he wanted to go to two shows and sit in the cheap seats, but for the price of sitting in the 2nd to last row for two nights it is the same as sitting in the front row for one performance, so we opted for sitting close, since our broadway series shows are for the cheap seats), $149.41 (Cedar Point Hotel-Misc.), $31.75 (Driver's License Renewal)

Sounds like a good choice! Have fun!

Mar 4: DH got $23 reimbursement for the gas, so Plus that..then minus $10 to the church rummage sale (cool pedal car for DGD and really neat vintage desk for DGS), $9.48 Dollar Tree
Mar 5: $0 yea!

Sounds like you had some good finds at the rummage sale!

dinner out with the ladies. Shouldn't have gone, I ordered a dinner and then didn't eat it. But, the company was priceless.

Now, to back up and find my post to update!

 

[Debbie]

Here's my plan:
1. I will only track PoS transactions-cash, cc, or debit-usually, groceries and gas, although this month there will be a couple of birthday gifts, and my running shoes need to be replaced [there goes $200]
2. Bills paid regularly, including all charity, not included, nor all items that are budgeted for (eg. DD's music trips....money is already set aside-I'll note them, but they don't count)
3. Whatever 'fun' money DH spends i.e. junk food, on himself....not counting
4. I anticipate some eating out this month-birthday and March Break
5. Gas....there is no telling!
6. I would like to aim for 10 No Buy days. Something to shoot for.

Great start.
Mar. 1: DH took the car in for a needed oil change. Found other issues (I knew there was something) Maintenance $434, gas $40
Mar. 2: $0
Mar. 3: $0
Mar. 4: $0
Mar. 5: Mom paid for the hospital parking and supper, but went to Costco: $90 for DD's gifts (birthday), $20 for odds and ends
Mar. 6: groceries $98, gas $47 Music trips that are budgeted for: $125

NO BUY DAYS: 3/10

 

[SunnieRN]

I am on this thread every month, except for Dec.

But, this month I simply can't figure out a target. We were in Disney 3/1,2. I will be in Africa for 10 days in the middle of the month, and then it will be Spring Break and I hope to spend time and money fixing up the house.

I would love to see pictures from your trip to Africa!. I have not ever had a true desire to go there, until I met the wonderful people from there at AKL and AKV, as well as a few people I work with. Now want to visit!

Debbie I am so happy your Mom is doing better!! I wish we had a Costco nearby. With gas prices I am starting to think it's not worth renewing my Sams membership again, as it is 1/2 hour +/- away.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I say more power to them!! If I ate fried chicken, especially spicy fried chicken at 6 a.m., I would be in a world of hurt all day!

If I drank at 6 a.m., they'd have to clear the streets, as I can't hold my liquor. lol.

Have a wonderful time ladies!! Are you having King cake? Isn't that what it's called, with the little baby in it? Now I would love to go to Cafe Du Monde and have beignets and coffee!!! New Orleans is beautiful!

Awww!

I've been having king cake since January 6th! And yes, that is the name of it and the baby is hidden inside. Yummm, Cafe du Monde. I haven't been in a little while. I need to go soon.

I am on this thread every month, except for Dec.

But, this month I simply can't figure out a target. We were in Disney 3/1,2. I will be in Africa for 10 days in the middle of the month, and then it will be Spring Break and I hope to spend time and money fixing up the house.

Best guess at a target is : don't spend money foolishly and don't buy things you don't need or REALLY want.

3/3 - gas and milk, no frivolous spending
3/4 -0
3/5-0

Even if I don't have a clear goal this month, it is fun to check in each morning and track all of you.

Yikes! That does make this thread difficult! What an exciting month, though! I would love to see pictures from your Africa trip!

Where are you? I have not had a Runza in years (almost worth a no spend day for one )...since I left my home in northern Colorado after graduating from college and moving to Texas! My only solace is that I make runza every few months from scratch!

I had to google Runza. Looks good! I've never heard of it. What college did you go to? UNC or CSU? I lived in Longmont several years ago and in Denver not as long ago, for a combined total of 8 years in Colorado.

Love the idea of a snowman box. I'll try to remember it, whenever (someday, in the future) my kids have kids.

Anyone who sees me, would say, "You did WHAT?!??? But myself and my 3 sisters decided that we would do this (2005). It was the ONLY trip that all four of us (and Mom!) were at the parks together. The following year, my beloved middle sister passed away with cancer. We always said we'd do it again with her son, but, that is not ever going to happen -long story. My 2 sisters are contemplating 2012, but my knees won't handle it, and, because of school, I won't be able to go, even to cheer. My DSis and I walked, just missed the sweepers twice, but we did it, and no one will ever be able to take it away from us!

Right now, I'd settle for POFQ.

The snowman box IS a cute idea. However, I think doing that here would be futile.

That is a sweet story about the half marathon. I am contemplating the 2013 Princess, but I'm just not sure. At the Disneyland Half, the people on the bikes were placing the flags on the mile markers. They get to each mile marker about 10 minutes before the pace and wait, and tell you how far ahead of pace you are. Big hint: If you see them, it's NOT MUCH time ahead of pace!

LOL @ POFQ.

 

[portocall]

I say more power to them!! If I ate fried chicken, especially spicy fried chicken at 6 a.m., I would be in a world of hurt all day!

If I drank at 6 a.m., they'd have to clear the streets, as I can't hold my liquor. lol.

Have a wonderful time ladies!! Are you having King cake? Isn't that what it's called, with the little baby in it? Now I would love to go to Cafe Du Monde and have beignets and coffee!!! New Orleans is beautiful!

New Orleans is beautiful.... but don't look down during Mardi Gras. In some places hold your nose. We don't eat our chicken until 10:30, not that 10:30 is much better than 6AM. We don't drink anymore. It is just as fun.

I agree about the blog post, charming!

Thanks! I believe the hooks are made from old iron fence post toppers.

Anything is possible! And I mean that quite literally. Anything. And yes, people will be drinking with their chicken at 6am.



I am keeping you busy. You'll be at Popeyes on Tuesday. You gotta eat something anyways.

I probably won't get another $0 Day until Thursday, but I am now the proud owner of a vuvuzela and a light up wand. Life is good.

Will not be at Popeyes at 6AM, that I can assure you... closer to 10.. I know we have to eat something but hello, hot dogs wrapped in foil (that I already bought) works just as well. But I get tradition so Popeyes it is.

That light up wand is da bomb.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

New Orleans is beautiful.... but don't look down during Mardi Gras. In some places hold your nose. We don't eat our chicken until 10:30, not that 10:30 is much better than 6AM. We don't drink anymore. It is just as fun.

Will not be at Popeyes at 6AM, that I can assure you... closer to 10.. I know we have to eat something but hello, hot dogs wrapped in foil (that I already bought) works just as well. But I get tradition so Popeyes it is.

That light up wand is da bomb.

Like the line in that song goes...."And that smell around your feet that's so unique, we call it Bourbon Street"

Hot dogs on Wednesday. Gotta eat then, too.

 

[Granfan]

Goal:
Buy only real necessities like food and medicine, gas, etc.
March
jacket at Dillard's (on sale) to wear to son's engagement party $28.00
Dr.'s office $222 minor skin
surgery
$2.00 Sunday School literature
Buy what's really needed but nothing else.

 

[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.

March 1

March 2 $31 groceries, $40 gas

March 3 $20 groceries (why is there always one more thing to pick up?)

March 4

March 5

March 6 $273 groceries- that will hopefully keep us in food for the next 2 weeks and it includes a baby shower gift (apparently I spoke too soon when I said we didn't have any this month) and dollar bills to play a shower game.

3/14 No Buys

 

[3goofyboys]

I had to google Runza. Looks good! I've never heard of it. What college did you go to? UNC or CSU? I lived in Longmont several years ago and in Denver not as long ago, for a combined total of 8 years in Colorado.

I just wanted to say GO RAMS !! DH and I are both alumni and still live close enough to support the school.

 

[dtr_angel]

Budget until 3/17 for Groceries, Gas, Eating Out, Gifts, & Misc - $110 left/10 days to go (can I do it?!)

1- $13.22 misc (cat food), $15.75 groceries, $55.40 gas
2- $2.29 groceries, $8.36 misc (CVS), $8.42 misc (eyeshadow)
3 - $98.22 groceries, $6.13 eating out
4 - $0!
5- $0!
6- $0!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

1: $0!
2: $12.41 iTunes, Walgreens
3: $1.49 Burger King (5.49), found 4.00 in the street
4: $0! found 0.25 in the street
5: $22.47 gas ($3.35/g ), McDonald's
6: $0!

$0 Days: 3
Spending: $36.12/$475 = 8%
Days Passed: 6/31 = 19%
$0 Days/Passed: 3/6 = 50%

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'm calling this day early. I STILL have not gone to the store. It should still be there tomorrow.

I am watching parades from home tonight. http://www.nola.com/paradecam/ The first one rolls at 5:15 Central if you are interested in watching along!

Don't laugh, but I'm freezing. It's only 58 degrees out and will get colder as the night goes on! I am drinking cocoa in my pajamas and best of all - no crowds, no traffic jams, no hunting for parking, AND I have my own bathroom!!

 

[Virgderon]

Saw the Ballroom with a Twist show today. The dancing was good, but the show was just okay. Cloris Leachman was the hostess and she was literally reading her lines off a cue card. She was funny, but it was like seeing a Vegas show in one of their cheap hotels.

Had a good shopping trip today. Spent 22 but saved 18.

Running Total: Spent $107
$900 budget... $793 left
$0 Days: 2
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings :43

Groceries budget- $250-3-52= 195 left

March 1: 22
March 2 : 0
March 3: 52 ( groceries)
March 4: 0
March 5: 11 ( Walgreens pop, cooking supplies)
March 6 : 22 ( cleaning supplies )

 

[wlake]

Seriously, you can walk the 1/2 marathon? I could do that! Now you've got me thinking...!

3/1:
3/2: $26 groceries
3/3:
3/4: $35 after school care, $540 brakes (ouch!), $12 dinner, $16 skate night
3/5: $13 Christmas Tree Shop (candy for basket raffle, cupcake liners, and replacement garden clogs), $23 Yankee Candle (candle!), $24 Michael's (gifts for parties the boys are invited to), $51 gas and $16 Walmart (groceries and a dry cleaning kit I have a rebate for)
3/6: $35 dinner out to celebrate DS8 scoring two goals in his indoor soccer game today (he's not terribly athletic, so this is huge!) and the end of indoor soccer season (DS5 played too, but he's very athletic and usually outscored the other team.) as well as $49 on groceries. A little more bragging here: I saved $30 on that grocery bill between sales and coupons AND walked out with coupons for a free box of frozen fish and a free gallon of milk. I'm pretty proud of myself!

no buy days: 2/12
longest streak: 3
meals out: 2/5
days without dinner out: 0
longest no dinners out streak: 10
non-consumable items purchased: 0/0

 

[Tiggerish]

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

Auto $50
Eating Out/Entertainment $100 / $96 left
Giving $10
Groceries/Household Goods $250 / $223 left
Medical $25
Misc. $75 /$48 left
Set bills $205 / $175 left

No spend days 12 / 3
Coupon savings $10.55
Christmas 2011 $8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2/1 $0
2/2 $0
2/3 $0
2/4 Misc. $27
3/5 Groceries $22
3/6 Set bills $30 (church); Eating out $4 (Speedway coffee for all after church)

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Seriously, you can walk the 1/2 marathon? I could do that! Now you've got me thinking...!

As long as you can maintain the required pace, you can walk, jog, run, or a combination of those. I'm now thinking the pace might be 16:00 mile, not 16:30 as I mentioned earlier.

When you register, you put in your estimated completion time. They will place you in a starting corral based on that number. The corrals each start about 7 minutes apart, and your official time is based on the electronic tag on your shoe. The sweeper pace is determined based on the last person to cross the start line in the last corral. So 16 minutes after the last person starts, they place the flag at mile marker 1. 32 minutes after the last person starts, they place the flag at mile marker 2. If you cross the mile markers after they've been flagged, you are at risk of being swept from the course by the bus.

If you are not in the last starting corral, you get a few minutes of buffer time since they space the start corrals out by 5 minutes or so. If you google Jeff Galloway, he has a good training program for half marathons.