No Buy August

[Sandi S]

I'm new to the board and just started doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover with DH. Our goal is to pay off our debts and take the kids to WDW before DD(2) starts kindergarten in 3 years.

I'm glad I found this thread b/c I need motivation and accountability to keep things on the down low.

So far for August (just tracking spending this month):
8/1 - $0 (listed 9 things on eBay - one will definitely sell for at least $44.99)
8/2 - $0 (had a $2.99 BIN ebay!)

Tomorrow I am taking some toys to the consignment shop so hopefully more $ in, but I do plan to have some pleating done at the sewing shop (I smock, but I don't have a pleater). However, I plan to avoid purchasing more fabric (my big weakness).

 

[OnePrincess]

I'm in. This will be my first time joining this thread. I haven't figured out our budget yet but I am going to work on it today.

I'm pretty proud of myself already because I went shopping with a friend yesterday and didn't buy anything.

So far:
8/1 - $0
8/2 - $0

 

[Jennia]

Phew, FINALLY a month where there isn't too much going on! We're leaving for a convention Friday evening, coming back Sunday morning, but the hotel and our registration fees are already paid (some food included in that), so that's my exception.

Aug 1: $0
Aug 2: $0

Also need to buy a few things at Target tomorrow (like a new contact lens case, lost mine when we visited my parents).

 

[Goofygirl17]

Looks like everyone is doing pretty well so far. I spent an unplanned $2.50 today at Dunkin Donuts plus DH bought coffee earlier. Tonight I"m going to set the timer on the coffee maker

I got my grocery shopping done. I went to two stores to get the deals. I spent $51.94 at the first store (and saved $33.24) and spent $74.65 at the second store (and saved $21.21). I don't think $127 is too bad for a family of 4. I stocked up on some things that will last us a while too.

 

[Goofygirl17]

Okay, now I'm waaayyy over $0

I went to Staples and bought school supplies for the girls. Total $12
Then I went to the shoe store and got DD10 a messenger bag and a pair of sneakers (she wore her old ones all last year and never got new ones) and DD6 a pair of dress shoes. Total $71 But I was expecting that- just not all at once! DD6's shoes were 1/2 price so $10.

So now,

Expected purchases this month:
sneakers for me
sneakers for both DDs- $35, -
school clothes for DDs (only if a good sale since they can start with summer clothes)
school supplies (once we get the lists)- $12, $24 (messenger bag)
school shoes for DDs - $10, -

Hopefully tomorrow will be a $0 day!

 

[albertamommyof4]

so far no $0 days but i spent almost all the weekly budget lol( don't count the change, or would have about $20 left) but we bought lots of groceries and bought some fabric and chalk cloth as i want to start sewing again. But instead of eating out for lunch and spending @$65 or more for the 6 i went to grocery store and baought $65 worth of groceries and that includes 3 or 4 meals plus our lunch todayso not bad oh and 4 lunches for kids during the week so did good. Tomorrow will be a $0 day as it is a holiday and we are staying home lol.

 

[uncwgrad]

August 2009:
1- $5.85 McDonald's (Happy Meals for kids before going swimming with friends...should have planned ahead!! Oh well...)
2- $12.37 Lunch out again! On a happier note, took my kids to visit some relatives from out of town and went swimming at their hotel's pool...free entertainment for the whole afternoon.)

 

[paulasillars]

Lots of new faces this month - yay and welcome!

Doing well so far -
3rd - $0
2nd - $0
1st - $0

Nearly stopped for extra groceries on the way home as we are almost out of fresh vege and have no fruit - but decided to change my mind about what we are having for dinner and will probably get those tomorrow.

I figure if I can push out the spending a day or so each week then I can nearly save a weeks worth of groceries that way LOL

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Okay, after several months of not following through with this and a big move at the beginning of July (well, June 30th), I think I'm ready to try this again!

I'm at a new job with a new salary, in a new state, with a new dog and a new car, so this month is going to be interesting to see how much things cost. (Last month I was still on my old salary, and bills are just now coming in for things like electricity.)

My budget for food, gas & car maint., dog, and miscellaneous is about $600 for the month combined. I'll have to double check the budget I made last week.

Possible exceptions for this month (to come out of savings):
-Aerobed for guests (coming in November...looking for a good deal)
-Chairs for our kitchen table (we have none)
-Photo printer (I have one but want a better one...looking for a good deal)
-Desktop computer monitor (again...not urgent so looking for a good deal)

1 - $0

Okay I found the budget sheet I made last week:
Groceries: $200
Eating Out: $100
Gas & Car: $60
Miscellaneous: $250
Total: $610

Okay....I think I may have under budgeted in some categories for this month, namely clothes. I need to get some new shirts for work and I need to do it this month. Target has shirts that I could wear to work for $6, so that is good. I'll go this week. The problem is that I have to get embroidered uniform shirts for the school I'm working at. We are required to wear a school shirt every Friday, so I think I'm going to get two. I think they run about $15 each. I also forgot that I need to get my hair cut this week.

1 - $0
2 - $8.74 Walmart groceries, $2 Walmart (newspaper), $13.06 Raising Canes (fast food), $4.98 McDonald's (McFlurries) [$28.78 total]

Groceries: $200 ~ $191.26
Eating Out: $100 ~ $81.96
Gas & Car: $60 ~ $60
Miscellaneous: $250 ~ $248
Total: $610 ~ $581.22

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Aug. 1 $0
Aug. 2 $0

trying to think ahead for the week, I work from home now so gas went from 35/week to 35/month , groceries probably on friday, girls need new dance shoes (their feet grow so fast), I hesitate to buy dance clothes until they get in there and see what the prevailing syle is for the class (made that mistake before).

I have a bit of a cold today-picked it up when I volunteered at Kindergarten Roundup (DD's helped also), there's nothing more germy than a kindergartener, I swear -all of us have had a sinusy thing the past week, so maybe another zero day for me today...

 

[Tiggerish]

Total discretionary budget for August is $420

Groceries = $120
Auto/Gas = 75
Giving = $50
Medical = $50
Eating Out = $25 / $12 left
Misc. = $100
==================================================

8/1 = $0
8/2 = $13 Eating out

 

[princessbride6205]

Aerobed for guests (coming in November...looking for a good deal)

We bought a Coleman brand - in the camping section of Target. Cost about $25-30 for a double/full size and the electric pump. It has lasted us 2 years now (and counting!).

I'm doing okay so far this month. I've been on a selling kick this past week, so I've managed to use earning from that to pay for everything except groceries.
8/1 - "spending neutral" (made $73 in sales to Once Upon a Child, spent $65 on home organization stuff and let DH & DD pick out a few cheap items at thrift store)
8/2 - $62 groceries, $23 dining out (also purchased DD a toddler-size table and chairs set with money she got from relatives for her birthday, won some ebay auctions of clothes for DD but they were all paid with my Paypal acct from my sales)

The other good news is that I won't need the $40 I budgeted for DD's fall clothes. We have enough now to get her through September, I think.

 

[cjdj4]

Did great today!

8/1- Lunch $17, Ikea $30, Night out $93- Total $140
8/2- CVS $130
8/3 $0

 

[neatokimmo]

I just spent $1 today on a bag of chips and a water cup to go with my lunch - woot!


Groceries - 174/200
Eating out - 24/50
Cats - 30
Baby Loot - 44.13/60
Mama Loot - 32.32/40
Gas - 60
YardSale cash - 50
Misc - 200


August 3 - $1! $67.87/$690
August 2 - zero! $66.87/ $690
August 1 - $66.87/ $690

 

[Goofygirl17]

Not quite a $0 day. I lent DD6 a dollar so she could buy an ice cream bar at the pool But that was it. Tomorrow we're going to the free movie at the local theater and then going to the pool again. I'm going to pack snacks and drinks so we won't buy anything.

Expected purchases this month:
sneakers for me
sneakers for both DDs- $35, -
school clothes for DDs (only if a good sale since they can start with summer clothes)
school supplies (once we get the lists)- $12, $24 (messenger bag)
school shoes for DDs - $10, -

 

[LJC1861]

For me, so far 3 days in August.....3 $0 days!

I know it might not last, but I am celebrating every $0 day.

Linda

 

[Tiggerish]

Total discretionary budget for August is $420

Groceries = $120 / $113 left
Auto/Gas = 75
Giving = $50
Medical = $50
Eating Out = $25 / $12 left
Misc. = $100
==================================================

8/1 = $0
8/2 = $13 Eating out
8/3 = $7 Groceries

 

[uncwgrad]

August 2009:
1- $5.85 McDonald's
2- $12.37 Lunch out again!
3- $4.40 Lunch at work, a soda, and bag of cookies from vending machine....but $0 for dinner...ate at in-laws house!

 

[Sandi S]

So far for August (just tracking spending this month):
8/1 - $0 (listed 9 things on eBay - one will definitely sell for at least $58)
8/2 - $0 (had a $2.99 BIN ebay!)
8/3 - $3.46 @ post office, got $9.88 at the consignment shop, spent $29 @ fabric store (pattern mag & pleating for DD smocked dress), $2.79 @ Walmart, $3.98 at TRU on pull-ups (had $30 worth of gift cards & a coupon!), $8 on Disney Princess panties @ Target, $9 worth of food and snacks while doing all this

So today was not so great - even more annoying is I could barely eat my sandwich thanks to some really long-acting novacain from having a filling done, but I was so hungry I had to eat something.

 

[Forevryoung]

I'm joining for the first time as well- DBF and I have a vacation planned for a week (very budget trip) and I will be off for 3 weeks at the end of the summer (no work, no pay).

So far I've had Sat and Sun (8/1 and 8/2) $0

Today (8/3)- Gas $30, Target $13 (work item, snacks on sale for lunches, clearance outfit for BF's baby), Staples $.05 (5 packages of filler paper)... I should return the outfit and save the $3

Tomorrow will be a budget buster, I am hoping to mail in my paperwork for Licensure. 2 checks will be written totaling nearly $600!

I really want to reign in my spending. I should have more money in the savings account than I do. However, I have no debt (I'm young, no house or family).