Going for 9 no-buy days this month...fell off the wagon BIG TIME in April and didn't even track the last 11 days, UGH!
Happily, I'm able to lower the utility bill allotment this month but it will be most likely eaten up by the gas increases...
5/1: $25.96 Petco (more stuff for DS' "free" fish); $7.46 CVS; $33.81 Home Depot (new grill cover and play sand).
5/2: $139.36 groceries (aggregate from the weekend but don't know what was when); $5 gas; $12 doctor (but they should have charged $15 so I'm sure that will be resolved); $9.58 for potty training DVD and VHS for DD (Craig's List); $5 overdue fines at library (still owe $9, ugh!).
5/3: $0!
Paid bills and spent $26.65 on groceries/$433.99 left for the month and I don't need too much more meat!
5/4: $0!
$108.26 groceries (stocked up on a LOT, decent coupon/sale day too!)/$325.73 left for the month
(Edited upwards - we were at dinner when I realized the kids were out of milk boxes, which involved another grocery store run!)
5/5: Paid a few bills; $10.78 Post Office to mail Mother's Day cards and gifts; $33.90 for pet food and a few other groceries/$291.83 left for the month! At least I got a deal on the pet food; spent about $28 and got $20 in coupons to use on future Purina purchases which means, between what I bought today and those coupons, we won't have to pay for pet food again for several months.
EDITED TO ADD: we'll have to pony up $1 for the Tooth Fairy - DS lost #7 today! ;o)
5/6: DS school lunch $4.65; Dunkin' Donuts iced mocha $3.52; homebrew ingredients $48.95; CVS $10 (prescription)
5/7: Groceries $77.07/$214.76 left for month (HARDLY NEED ANYTHING ELSE; got some great deals!); DH gas $41.47; $17.10 AC Moore (DS wanted to make a gift for me and got a T-shirt and some Dollar section stuff); $4 snacks at DS' B-ball game; $10.99 McDonalds.
5/8: Well, I wanted to go out to lunch so we spent $$$ today. $45 on lunch, $6.41 on wine, $8 on bowling, $12.03 on ices for dessert after a yummy grilled dinner, $12-something at Bed Bath & Beyond, and $10.09 on groceries today/$204.67 left for the month. I really had fun and enjoyed everything I ate today though...I do think it's important to do this once in a while but I am feeling a bit guilty about it too!
After I pay the tuition for my second summer class we will only have about $300 left in Savings. I am hoping that the class gets cancelled again (I was supposed to take it this spring but it was called off due to low enrollment)...if that happens I can make a strong case for getting them to let me take it as an independent study in the fall when my tuition is cheaper, and I will be taking out loans this year.
5/9: $20 gas, $24.23 in groceries/$180.44 left for the month....and ANOTHER $1 for the Tooth Fairy! (Twice in one week! ) $162 for Extended Care for DS for the month.
5/10: $0 (REAL $0, no groceries either!)
5/11: $6.35 groceries, $7.49 Staples (used a gift card though!), $121 shoes at JCPenney.com (got 2 pairs of boots and a pair of sneakers for me and 3 pairs for the kids, so I was very pleased about that!)
5/12: Definitely NOT a No-Buy day as I went into the city with a friend to see a movie - so tolls, parking, snacks, and then lunch at McDonald's with DD...but I took all of this $ out of a separate account so I am not adding it up. Ridiculous amount of library fines I was ashamed about and will NOT mention the amount! $6.53 groceries/$167.56 left for the month; $10 gas (just to get us through till tomorrow when DH gets paid); $14.99 sports equipment for DS.
5/13: $109 for tuneup and oil change (naturally it needed a bit more work than that); $5 DS school lunch; $4 snacks at baseball game; $7.99 swim shoes for DD (after a $5 coupon, yeah! ); 2 weeks at DD's daycare ($148); $72 for pet medicine (Frontline for both dogs - DH remembered to use a coupon, YEAH!); $25 on Amazon for a new plug for my laptop (DD broke the other one - this is my NEW laptop...)...$24 for training pants; $24.86 groceries/$142.70 left for the month. Also paid our mortgage, cell phone and DH's student loan...so already half the paycheck DH got today is gone plus our car loan payment will come out Monday.
One thing I did today which I feel great about is that I noticed the bank where I have an account to use for mortgage payments, was offering a 6-year CD at 3%. I realize that's not great but these days, it's something. I rolled most of the kids' savings accounts at this bank into a CD in my name which they will be beneficiaries of if anything should happen to me before it matures. Anything helps, right?
5/14: $10 gas, $10.48 groceries/$132.22 left for month; $8.06 at Six Flags (DS and DD wanted capes)...this was the ONLY thing we bought there! If we can get off that easy other times I'll be delighted. $22.01 on beer and wine when we got home (no, not because it was a rough day, LOL!) I think DH spent about $4 on coffee for the drive home too.
I feel really good that we spent so little at the theme park today.
5/15: $2 Dunkin' Donuts; $30 books; $9.98 groceries; $32.34 pet store; $41.72 to fill up DH's tank; $26.85 training pants on Amazon (counts as Medical).
5/16: $26.65 groceries/$95.59 left for the month - I got a TON of cereal, free cat food and 2 free canvas bags - great grocery day; $50.34 to fill up my tank (it's gone down 5 cents, whoopie!); $19.99 for 120 allergy tablets (DH and DS both use them now); $4.21 Dollar Tree; $35 for tricycle for DD (found on Craig's List).
5/17: Oil change on van turned into "you need two new tires NOW!"...$418 I think?...UGH!; lunch with my SIL $14.51; beer $14.64; paid some bills.
5/18: $2.51 post office; $13.26 groceries/$82.33 left for the month; $10 household.
5/19: Seeing a play in NYC with my friend at night (free tickets but I'll have transportation costs)
5/20: DS lunch at school; getting tires put on ($40); plants for the garden
5/21: Eye exam ($110)
5/22: Annual Congregational Meeting, I'm sure we'll have to make some donation or other...
5/23:
5/24:
5/25:
5/26:
5/27:
5/28: Going to Six Flags New England - definitely not a no-buy day!
5/29: Coming home from Massachusetts.
5/30: Going to the Zoo for sheep-shearing day (we are members so I MAY be able to pull off a no-buy...)
5/31:
No-buy days: 3/9 and holding...sigh...
Happily, I'm able to lower the utility bill allotment this month but it will be most likely eaten up by the gas increases...
5/1: $25.96 Petco (more stuff for DS' "free" fish); $7.46 CVS; $33.81 Home Depot (new grill cover and play sand).
5/2: $139.36 groceries (aggregate from the weekend but don't know what was when); $5 gas; $12 doctor (but they should have charged $15 so I'm sure that will be resolved); $9.58 for potty training DVD and VHS for DD (Craig's List); $5 overdue fines at library (still owe $9, ugh!).
5/3: $0!
Paid bills and spent $26.65 on groceries/$433.99 left for the month and I don't need too much more meat!
5/4: $0!
$108.26 groceries (stocked up on a LOT, decent coupon/sale day too!)/$325.73 left for the month
(Edited upwards - we were at dinner when I realized the kids were out of milk boxes, which involved another grocery store run!)
5/5: Paid a few bills; $10.78 Post Office to mail Mother's Day cards and gifts; $33.90 for pet food and a few other groceries/$291.83 left for the month! At least I got a deal on the pet food; spent about $28 and got $20 in coupons to use on future Purina purchases which means, between what I bought today and those coupons, we won't have to pay for pet food again for several months.
EDITED TO ADD: we'll have to pony up $1 for the Tooth Fairy - DS lost #7 today! ;o)
5/6: DS school lunch $4.65; Dunkin' Donuts iced mocha $3.52; homebrew ingredients $48.95; CVS $10 (prescription)
5/7: Groceries $77.07/$214.76 left for month (HARDLY NEED ANYTHING ELSE; got some great deals!); DH gas $41.47; $17.10 AC Moore (DS wanted to make a gift for me and got a T-shirt and some Dollar section stuff); $4 snacks at DS' B-ball game; $10.99 McDonalds.
5/8: Well, I wanted to go out to lunch so we spent $$$ today. $45 on lunch, $6.41 on wine, $8 on bowling, $12.03 on ices for dessert after a yummy grilled dinner, $12-something at Bed Bath & Beyond, and $10.09 on groceries today/$204.67 left for the month. I really had fun and enjoyed everything I ate today though...I do think it's important to do this once in a while but I am feeling a bit guilty about it too!
After I pay the tuition for my second summer class we will only have about $300 left in Savings. I am hoping that the class gets cancelled again (I was supposed to take it this spring but it was called off due to low enrollment)...if that happens I can make a strong case for getting them to let me take it as an independent study in the fall when my tuition is cheaper, and I will be taking out loans this year.
5/9: $20 gas, $24.23 in groceries/$180.44 left for the month....and ANOTHER $1 for the Tooth Fairy! (Twice in one week! ) $162 for Extended Care for DS for the month.
5/10: $0 (REAL $0, no groceries either!)
5/11: $6.35 groceries, $7.49 Staples (used a gift card though!), $121 shoes at JCPenney.com (got 2 pairs of boots and a pair of sneakers for me and 3 pairs for the kids, so I was very pleased about that!)
5/12: Definitely NOT a No-Buy day as I went into the city with a friend to see a movie - so tolls, parking, snacks, and then lunch at McDonald's with DD...but I took all of this $ out of a separate account so I am not adding it up. Ridiculous amount of library fines I was ashamed about and will NOT mention the amount! $6.53 groceries/$167.56 left for the month; $10 gas (just to get us through till tomorrow when DH gets paid); $14.99 sports equipment for DS.
5/13: $109 for tuneup and oil change (naturally it needed a bit more work than that); $5 DS school lunch; $4 snacks at baseball game; $7.99 swim shoes for DD (after a $5 coupon, yeah! ); 2 weeks at DD's daycare ($148); $72 for pet medicine (Frontline for both dogs - DH remembered to use a coupon, YEAH!); $25 on Amazon for a new plug for my laptop (DD broke the other one - this is my NEW laptop...)...$24 for training pants; $24.86 groceries/$142.70 left for the month. Also paid our mortgage, cell phone and DH's student loan...so already half the paycheck DH got today is gone plus our car loan payment will come out Monday.
One thing I did today which I feel great about is that I noticed the bank where I have an account to use for mortgage payments, was offering a 6-year CD at 3%. I realize that's not great but these days, it's something. I rolled most of the kids' savings accounts at this bank into a CD in my name which they will be beneficiaries of if anything should happen to me before it matures. Anything helps, right?
5/14: $10 gas, $10.48 groceries/$132.22 left for month; $8.06 at Six Flags (DS and DD wanted capes)...this was the ONLY thing we bought there! If we can get off that easy other times I'll be delighted. $22.01 on beer and wine when we got home (no, not because it was a rough day, LOL!) I think DH spent about $4 on coffee for the drive home too.
I feel really good that we spent so little at the theme park today.
5/15: $2 Dunkin' Donuts; $30 books; $9.98 groceries; $32.34 pet store; $41.72 to fill up DH's tank; $26.85 training pants on Amazon (counts as Medical).
5/16: $26.65 groceries/$95.59 left for the month - I got a TON of cereal, free cat food and 2 free canvas bags - great grocery day; $50.34 to fill up my tank (it's gone down 5 cents, whoopie!); $19.99 for 120 allergy tablets (DH and DS both use them now); $4.21 Dollar Tree; $35 for tricycle for DD (found on Craig's List).
5/17: Oil change on van turned into "you need two new tires NOW!"...$418 I think?...UGH!; lunch with my SIL $14.51; beer $14.64; paid some bills.
5/18: $2.51 post office; $13.26 groceries/$82.33 left for the month; $10 household.
5/19: Seeing a play in NYC with my friend at night (free tickets but I'll have transportation costs)
5/20: DS lunch at school; getting tires put on ($40); plants for the garden
5/21: Eye exam ($110)
5/22: Annual Congregational Meeting, I'm sure we'll have to make some donation or other...
5/23:
5/24:
5/25:
5/26:
5/27:
5/28: Going to Six Flags New England - definitely not a no-buy day!
5/29: Coming home from Massachusetts.
5/30: Going to the Zoo for sheep-shearing day (we are members so I MAY be able to pull off a no-buy...)
5/31:
No-buy days: 3/9 and holding...sigh...
. I also went and sold some old DS games at Gamestop for $10 and mailed a package at the post office.
I hope it gets better soon. I know it's stressful when you are spending more than you wish to.
