No Buy April- come join us!

[Ava]

4/1 - $14.93 cat food/litter
4/2 - $9.86 lunch, $5.00 tip for Red Cap, $27.93 DD Easter/Birthday gifts (ordered back in March but just charged to card now so I guess it has to count for April!)
4/3 - $0!
4/4 - $0!
4/5 - $24.00 laundry
4/6 - $8.20 post office, $18.23 grocery, $3.29 milk, +$325.00 birthday $ & cell/internet payment from MIL
4/7 - $11.40 DP lunch, $1.50 grocery
4/8 - $263.00 balance due on CSA membership, $9.75 me lunch, $1.56 post office, $71.63 grocery
4/9 - $3.21 Starbucks, $39.35 clothes for DD
4/10 - $23.01 lunch out, $62.98 clothes for DD, $18.95 shoes for me, $3.00 sodas, +$50.77 returns to Target & BRU
4/11 - $58.84 grocery, $5.76 cat litter, $9.03 drugstore, $76.85 printer ink
4/12 - $24.00 laundry, $2.01 post office
4/13 - $3.37 grocery, $0.80 snack, $4.85 laundry
4/14 - $9.75 me lunch, $5.00 DP lunch
4/15 - $1.25 bottle water, +$250.00 focus group

Spent A LOT of money last weekend, lol. It was all things we needed though. DD now has a full spring/summer wardrobe of clothes that actually fit her - she's such a skinny peanut that most of things we/others bought for her ahead of time are too big. Lesson learned, don't try to buy ahead for a baby! Tonight though I'm doing a focus group for $250, woohoo extra cash!

 

[bas71873]

Total spent through 4/11 = $1067.72 and only 2/10 no buy days.

4/12 – $4 (heel inserts for DD’s tap shoes)
$386 (Arbonne – product and consultant starter kit)
$2 (pizza money for in school field trip on 4/19)

4/13 – $35 (dr. copay)
$4.75 (Sbux after bloodwork)
$25 (advertisement in neighborhood newsletter)
$96 (groceries/Walmart, including office supplies, extras)
$3 (DD dinner at McD's after dance)

4/14 - $160 (summer musical theater camp registration for DD)
$30 (prescips for me at CVS)
$34 (spring garden flags for house)
$60 (gas)
$25 (dinner with friends from out of town)

4/15 – $20 (book fair $ for DD)

 

[PeytonSdiz]

Goals = Spend $650 (or less) and have at least 15 $0 days. Also...to only eat out once this month. (Unless we go out of town to visit family, because then we basically have to eat fast food a little.)

1st = $52 (groceries)
2nd = $36 (gas for husband's car)
3rd = $0
4th = $0
5th = $0
6th = $0
7th = $0
8th = $63 (groceries)
9th = $0
10th = $100 (home improvement store)
11th = $13 (stuff for dog)
12th = $0
13th = $0
14th = $182 (Target, Walmart, grocery store)
15th = $0

Total so far = $436

Zero dollar days = 9/15

 

[Tiggerish]

The budget is $700 and 10 no spend days.

Automobile $75 / $45 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $75 / $44 left
Giving $120 / $80 left
Groceries/Household Goods $250 / $156 left
Medical $15
Misc. $165 / $87 left

No Spend Days Achieved = 5
Coupon Savings $17.70
-----------------------------------------------------
4/1 Groceries $8
4/2 Eating out $19
4/3 Groceries $9; Misc. $21 for printer ink
4/4 Giving $20 (church); Groceries $24
4/5 Groceries $15
4/6 Groceries $2; Eating out $7.
4/7 $0
4/8 Groceries $2; Eating out $4
4/9 $0
4/10 Groceries $34; Gas $30
4/11 Giving $20 (church collection); Misc. $28 for a new disney guide book
4/12 $0
4/13/$0
4/14 Misc. $10
4/15 $0

 

[lougoofy]

4/13/10: $5.00 laundry and $1.93 milk and candy (Found milk 50 pct. off with 4 days till the date on it) Dollar general store

4/14/10:$3.05 dollar general (grocery items)
4/15/10: $1.50 bus fare, $5.30 meal at Quisnos and $63.25 Wal-Mart groceries and computer software and $2.89 snacks for at work

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

April 1- School Fundaiser Night at Chuck E Cheese $19.06
New Moon DVD, socks for Easter Baskets and popcorn for resale at Walmart $20.36 ($5.40 for the popcorn.)
Total- $39.42 paid out
April 2- $0 ~~~I am counting this as a $0 spend day because all I spent on was taking my DD8 to the eye doctor ($60 copay) and because her eye is not getting better they had to patch it, so $12 for a patch. This to me is the same as a morgage, insurance and all that. It is a necessity. So while I am writing it down for my benefit to know where the money went, I am calling today a no spend day. Total- $72.96 It was a day off from school so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to do something with them, but we played outside (it was 86 today) and made peanut butter playdough (like at Coral Reef.)
April 3- Busy Day but financially not too bad. We did 3 eggs hunts (town, Adventure Landing and Girl Scouts) and 2 free crafts (Michael's and Home Depot) and played at the park.
$5 Donation to Make a Wish
$1.50 for a mid day slush for the kids (it was 88 degrees in upstate NY!)
$10 gas
$19.38 pizza for dinner
$1.08 New Moon DVD(second copy, this one is for charity.)
$4.50 New Disney Family Stickers for the van, mine are beyond peeling. This is not a necessity, I know, but I bought them anyway. I got them off eBay for a lot less then the ones I bought in Disney.
Total- $41.46
April 4-
Walmart (razors and medicine) $18
Easter Dinner Out (with coupons) $24
Ice Cream for Dessert $3
Groceries $99
Total- $144
April 5- $0
April 6-
$61.95 Produce and meat (shopping on Easter night, these dept. were lacking)
$109 dance tuition
$11 Recital Trophies
$15 gas
Total- $196.95
April 7- $0
April 8- $0 Day 4, so how do we get that $20, Paypal???
April 9- $0
April 10-
Gas- $48.68
Best Buy (DH's B-day gifts)-$124.18
Target(spring clothes)-$117.23
Lunch for the kids- $3.24
Target (spring clothes)- $38.56
Target (spring clothes)- $26.29
Little Cesears (dinner)- $13.98
Lowes (new grill and cover)- $194.95
Ulta (my makeup)-$27.00
Total-$594.11
April11-
Longhorn Steakhouse (DH's b-day lunch)- $38.37
Bed, Bath, Beyond (Mother's Day gifts on clearance, Keurig Mini for travel for DH and a big box of Keurig cups)- $76.10
Marshalls' (clothes for me)- $20.79
Wegman's (groceries)- $28.57
Total-$163.83
April 12-
$60-X-Ray copay DD (Hand not broken! )
$15.98- 10 pair of Mudd Sunglasses (couldn't resist)
Total- $75.98
April 13-
$15.69- Dinner Date with hubby
$103.30- Wegman's Groceries
Total- $118.99
April 14- $14 DD8's ssoftball uniform came in. UGGG, and it was finally going to be a $0 day. This has been a bad month for me.
April 15- $0 FINALLY!!!

Total No Buy Days--- 6

Total Spent- $1690.51

 

[charming23]

Groceries/Household- $250/ $145.71 left
Gas/Car- $50/ $29.31
Entertainment/Eating Out- $75/ $50.23 Left
Misc/Emergency- $75/ $51

Total- $450/ $276.25 Left

10/15 No Buy Days

4/1- $45.00 Groceries
4/2- $0
4/3- $24.77 Dinner Out and $24 Office Max
4/4- $0
4/5- $0
4/6- $0
4/7- $0
4/8- $39.80 Marc's (Groceries)
4/9- $0
4/10- $0
4/11- $0
4/12- $20.69 Gas and $7.03 Deli (Lunchmeat)
4/13- $13.46 Groceries from save-a-lot
4/14- $0
4/15- $0

 

[SunnieRN]

4/1 Pd bills only $0
4/2 $30 Pizza, family over
4/3 $67.20 Groceries
4/4 $0
4/5 $18.50 Clutch for gift
4/6 $25.16 Daughters birthday lunch
4/7 $0
4/8 $0
4/9 $0
4/10 $0
4/11: $0
4/12: $6.40, breakfast for 4
4/13: $0
4/14: $0
4/15: $0

$0 days 10 out of 13! My daughter did buy me dinner tonight, Wendys chili and chicken nuggets! So that gave me another $0 day!! Thanks DD!

As an aside note, we can now see what we have in our pantry!! Therefore we know what we actually need!

 

[QVCshopper]

Enjoyed my free Starbucks coffee today! And best of luck to casper_jj11 with your DD, I will pray for you.

No-buys: 8/15

4/1-$0
4/2-$10 gift for nephew; $3.20 candy
4/3-$40 Wegmans (food)
4/4-$0
4/5-$17.09 Target (after Easter, snacks); found .60
4/6-$0; found .25
4/7-$51 Wegmans/Redners (food); $5.61 BK (lunch); found .25
4/8-$0
4/9-$22.70 Target (Easter, snacks), $10.15 Wegmans (food), $2.40 Sears (clothes), found .25
4/10-$10 ice cream, $16.43 Chinese food, $6.88 Genuardis (food), found .02
4/11-$0
4/12-$20 Wegmans (prescriptions and food)
4/13-$0
4/14-$0
4/15- $0

 

[ronnmel]

4/1 don't remember
4/2 don't remember
4/3 55$ (dinner + bachelorette gift)
4/4 0$
4/5 0$
4/6 30$ (gas + dinner)
4/7 23$ (breakfast + groceries)
4/8 0$
4/9 52$ (groceries + lunch)
4/10 0$
4/11 10$ (ice cream)
4/12 50$ (groceries)
4/13 5$ (fast food)
4/14 0$
4/15 0$

No buy days goal: 6/10

I think for next month I'm going to keep two tallies, one for me and one for my FI.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Hi everyone

I gave up on March when we booked a trip to Mexico. The actual trip aside, I had so many things to buy for it that there was no point in even trying to keep to budget. I did try to get the best prices possible and have some things that we never used with tags still on that I plan to return.

Just before we left, dd was released from the outpatient oncology clinic. Her doctor actual said that there was more danger for her in the playground or in a car than the cancer returning. We arrived home to a voice message from the oncology nurse that there's a problem with her last test. The same thing happened in the fall but they rechecked and said it was a lab error. They're retesting next week but aren't saying lab error anymore. I suspect its back and the lab error was actually the recheck in the fall and not the original test. We've been on a roller coaster this week but I"m starting to get back on track and we're working on finding another lab to get the test run again just to double check the results. Anyway, I am going to try and stick to a budget for this month because after last month, we need to get back on track. I'm not, however, going to be as careful with the groceries. For a year now, we've been on a 'if you don't need it, I don't buy it' grocery list. Some of the kids fav things (which isn't actually junky but convenience foods like individual fruit cups and cheese strings for example) have been off the list in favour of less expensive items. My view is right now very different. If something as little as a fruit cup makes dd and her brothers happy, they she's going to have it. And I'm not going to wait for a sale.

Anyway, here's the budget

groceries $700 $531 left
gas $500
cat food $90
hockey registration $500 $0 left
gymnastics registration $318 $0 left
boys haircuts $36
summer shoes for kids $350
my spending $150
DH spending $150
family pics $200
summer clothes for kids $160 $0 left

Total: $3154 $2007 left

Apr 12: groceries $160; gymnastics registration $318
Apr 13: summer clothes $160; groceries $9
Apr 14: hockey registration $500
Apr 15: need to get a few more groceries and cat food and gas ...

So sorry about your daughter. I hope everything turns out well. I agree that you can't be so strict that it interupts your life. You never know what tomorrow will bring so you should enjoy today. Little things can add up yes, but they can also sometimes bring the biggest smiles! Side note-

My kids love string cheese too, I buy the Chuck E Cheese ones, they come with 12 free tokens on each package and are actually the cheapest ones at our store. Then I can take them for an afternoon at CEC for free!

To your family!

 

[VirataMama4]

4/1- $62- Yearly fees for DH and DS
4/2- $70- Walmart (weed eater & extras)
4/3- $105- Groceries, $20 Toys R Us- board games
4/4- $0
4/5- $24- BK
4/6- $63- Groceries
4/7- $0
4/8- $52- (pull-ups, jeans for me, shampoo & conditioner, travel items for DH), $30 Taekwondo fee
4/9- $0
4/10- $0
4/11- $40- Gas for DH, $24- Hair cuts for DS and DH, $11-Taco Bell for DH (traveling)
4/12- $19- Groceries for DH (work travel), $6- Mcdonald's for DH
4/13- $0
4/14- $128- Groceries, $35- Underclothes, Mother's day cards and B-day card, $28- School sweatshirt for DD
4/15- $0 (Well I paid bills, but nothing else)


Groceries $450-315 = $135
Necessities $150-82.50= $67.50
Eating out $50-41= $9
Extras = $156.50

6/10- $0 days I made it past the half way point!

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $266
$600...$334 left
$0 Days:7
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $250...$135 left
Eating Out- $150...$42 left
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$157 left
I always round up to the nearest dollar.

1- $34 (Shopping-Target). My son's 3rd birthday is tomorrow-picked up a Disney Preschool computer software, diapers, wrapping paper and a few toys.
2- 0
3- $18 (Eating Out- Chipotle), $6 (Groceries-Walgreens), $2 (Shopping-Dollar Tree), $13 (Groceries- Jewel)
4- 0
5- 0
6- 0
7- $2 (Eating Out- Wendy's), $5 (Groceries- Jewel), $1 (Groceries- Walgreens)
8- $2 (Groceries- Walgreens), $9 (Groceries- Jewel)
9- $19 (Groceries- Walgreens), $4 (Groceries- CVS)
10- $25 (Eating Out- Museum), $21 (Eating Out- Ice Cream Museum), $2 (Groceries- Target)
11- $13 (Eating Out- Subway), $20 (Eating Out- Bakery), $7 (Shopping-Dollar Tree)
12- 0
13- $9 (Eating Out- McDonald's), $8 (Groceries- Jewel), $42 (Groceries-Dominick's), $4 (Groceries- Walgreens)
14- 0
15- 0


$0 Days: 7: 47%
$600 Limit: $266: 44%
Month: 14/30: 50%

My savings from coupons and sales: $466.83
Year to Date Total from Coupons and sales: $2978.66
Year to Date Spent: $2449

 

[lougoofy]

4/14/10:$3.05 dollar general (grocery items)
4/15/10: $1.50 bus fare, $5.30 meal at Quisnos and $63.25 Wal-Mart groceries and computer software and $2.89 snacks for at work

4/16/10: $0 so FAR 2:21 am

 

[thebigkahuna]

04-01 No Spend Day!
04-02 No Spend!
04-03 No Spend! OH! I found .36 cents! so +.36 !
04-04 $46.01 Gas. (unbudgeted)
04-05 -$2.54 bread & two chocolates that were 50% off!
04-06 - $15.86 Target - groceries. (Note to self: STOP shopping without a list. Thank you.)
04-07 - $2.44 Dunkin' Donuts. Bad day = a bagel "pickmeup"
04-08 - NO SPEND!
04-09 -$7.00 breakfast, $8.00 co-workers breakfast. $15.98 Sephora, $17.57 Jewelry Kiosk in the mall. Wow. I lost a bit of my grip today ~Tomorrow is another day! (hopefully a NO SPEND DAY!)
04-10 - NO $PEND!
04-11 - NO $PEND! and I stayed in my grocery budget! Shopped wisely & came home with change!!
04-12 - PLUS $57.60 (sold some old jewelry) minus $15.14 (lunch) Profit = $42.46
Not a zero spend day, but I'm still ahead of the game!
04-13 - NO $PEND!
04-14 - $37.09 Target. Didn't really want to spend, but someone at work mentioned that their h/d had crashed, and they lost everything. So on the way home, I stopped into Target & picked up an 8GB flash drive. Just put all my pictures on it. I cant imagine how distraught I would be if I lost all of the pictures of our 1st trip to Disney.
04-15 - $9.90 for dinner
04-16 - $8.07 breakfast, and I have to go to the post office on lunch, so that will be more spending.

GOAL: 10 NO $PEND DAYS
# OF NO $PENDS: 7

DISNEY BUCKET MONEY: $20.00

 

[hmack]

04/01 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/02 - Easter gifts - $22
04/03 - lunch out - $17, clothes - $57, easter gifts - $10, gas - 40, groceries, $153
04/04 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/05 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/06 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/07 - gas $40, groceries - $16
04/08 -
04/09 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/10 - groceries - $79.37
04/11 - lunch out - $42, Borders (book & cd) $18
04/12 - pizza out - $11
04/13 - gas $40, groceries $7
04/14 - ZERO SPEND DAY
04/15 - ZERO SPEND DAY

7 no spend days/4 to go.

I know that this will not be another zero spend day. I've already gotten my oil changed. ($38) I'm heading into a three day weekend and I'll try to be good. Saturday will involve an epic grocery shopping trip and Sunday dd & I are doing a 5K - race fee $20. Monday I have off, so...no promises.

 

[Tiggerish]

The budget is $700 and 10 no spend days.

Automobile $75 / $45 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $75 / $44 left
Giving $120 / $80 left
Groceries/Household Goods $250 / $120 left
Medical $15 /$5 left
Misc. $165 / $76 left

No Spend Days Achieved = 5
Coupon Savings $22.08
-----------------------------------------------------
4/1 Groceries $8
4/2 Eating out $19
4/3 Groceries $9; Misc. $21 for printer ink
4/4 Giving $20 (church); Groceries $24
4/5 Groceries $15
4/6 Groceries $2; Eating out $7.
4/7 $0
4/8 Groceries $2; Eating out $4
4/9 $0
4/10 Groceries $34; Gas $30
4/11 Giving $20 (church collection); Misc. $28 for a new disney guide book
4/12 $0
4/13/$0
4/14 Misc. $10
4/15 $0
4/16 Groceries $62; Medical $10 (prescription); and Misc. $11 (postage)
__________________

 

[casper_jj11]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. We're staying positive and are in wait mode right now until we speak with her doctors.

Love the Chuck E Cheese idea but although we're the nation's capital, the nearest Chuck E Cheese is in a small town almost 2 hours away

groceries $700 $522 left
gas $500 $448 left
cat food $90 $49 left
hockey registration $500 $0 left
gymnastics registration $318 $0 left
boys haircuts $36
summer shoes for kids $350
my spending $150
DH spending $150
family pics $200
summer clothes for kids $160 $0 left

Total: $3154 $1895 left

Apr 12: groceries $160; gymnastics registration $318
Apr 13: summer clothes $160; groceries $9
Apr 14: hockey registration $500
Apr 15: gas $62; groceries $9; cat food $41
Apr 16

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Groceries/Necessities: $31.57, $8.58, $16.48, $5.75, $24.92, $7.98

Gas: $130

"Extras": $42.12, $32.70, $2.10, $49.73 x 2, $15, $22.34, $38.49, $59.41, $118.26, $114.63, $26.99, $119.96, $7.67, $13.61,

New "Extras" as of 4/16: $7.79 (Trip to local icecream place.), $13.90 (Batteries), and a big purchase of $302.40 for our exercise bike (We have tax $$ coming and some of it will be used to pay this.)

Medical: $30.00 (Prescription Refill-Darn Allergies!), $25.00 (Copay at DR.)

$0 Days= 7 (4/1, 4/2, 4/5, 4/7, 4/8, 4/12, 4/13)

 

[Mickey1Fan]

I've been having computer problems but here is my budget for April 16 to 29. I work my budget to a two week period to coincide with pay day:

Transportation 75.70
Food 119.20
Entertainment 23.08
Clothing/Gifts 23.08/21.95
Pets 23.08

Food includes an extra $19.20 from the last two weeks that I should put in my vacation fund.

3 out of 10 no spend days