No Buy August

[Siouxstone]

8/1-$0
8/2-$0
8/3-$75 groceries
8/4-$35 petsmart, $25 Sam's
8/5-$0
8/6-$58 Target, $33 dinner
8/7-$4 Redbox

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone! I am much better now that I got my staples out. Turns out I have severe reactions to surgical stainless steel. I guess its a good thing I never had anything, um, "delicate" pierced! I've had most restrictions lifted and I go back to work on Monday!

I do have some grocery shopping to do this weekend, but I have to pick up my August schedule before I can plan meals. And, this house... well, it looks like I haven't done anything for a few weeks!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[dismom9761]

I have been skimming through and am trying to form my own budget,We HAVE to get a handle on our spending.We have been working hard to pay off our debt and now only have the house and two credit cards left.Big improvement from where we were...

Am I right that you don't include utilities,etc?

Groceries,gas,etc?

 

[Debbie]

I have been skimming through and am trying to form my own budget,We HAVE to get a handle on our spending.We have been working hard to pay off our debt and now only have the house and two credit cards left.Big improvement from where we were...

Am I right that you don't include utilities,etc?

Groceries,gas,etc?

You decide exactly what you want to include. I usually include groceries, gas, miscellaneous (not officially budgeting and tracking that this month because of my trip and getting DD to university, although I have mentioned both). The miscellaneous" category is for those unexpected purchases and bills that crop up. We don't eat out, but those that do budget for that. Decide what will work best for you. And

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

You decide exactly what you want to include. I usually include groceries, gas, miscellaneous (not officially budgeting and tracking that this month because of my trip and getting DD to university, although I have mentioned both). The miscellaneous" category is for those unexpected purchases and bills that crop up. We don't eat out, but those that do budget for that. Decide what will work best for you. And

I have a slightly different definition of "miscellaneous" than Debbie does. I consider my "misc." category to be things that I get from Target or CVS - stuff like household cleaners, toiletries, etc. It also includes small impulse purchases like books or DVDS. On my budget sheet, I have separate categories for misc., clothes, dog stuff, gifts, and health (i.e. prescription copays), but for this thread I combine them all into a single misc. category.

Larger purchases I don't do on impulse, I will hold out on those (unless it's some sort of emergency purchase and then it's in Misc.) and consider them exceptions and take them from my savings.

That's the beauty of this thread - YOU design your own categories and definitions for them, as well as how much money you intend to spend for each category.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Yeah, annsteere said "design your own wagon".

That's so you can recognize it when you fall off-mine's already on its way off a cliff

It's the gold colored one with disney stickers all over it and dollar bills flying off of it.

 

[Schmoodle]

Yeah, annsteere said "design your own wagon".

That's so you can recognize it when you fall off-mine's already on its way off a cliff

It's the gold colored one with disney stickers all over it and dollar bills flying off of it.

I've been out of town for the last week, so I'm getting a late start with posting and tracking. My goals for August are to have more $0 days than July, and to avoid unplanned spending. Also to track on a daily basis here.

Planned Monthly Expenses:
Groceries $500 - 198/500
Eating Out $150 - 74/150
Movies $50 - 5/50

Exceptions:
State Farm Auto Ins Due $550
Hershey Park $100
Tickets for company picnic $50
Disney trip due – $955
Dance registration fee – $10
Back to school shopping – $150
Camera – $350
Computer - $500

So far:
8/1 – Butcher/Farmer's Mkt/Groceries - $115, Breakfast Out- $5
8/2 - $0
8/3 - Fam ate out while I was away - $40
8/4 – Bras $24
8.5 - $0
8/6 - $42 Souvenirs for Kids, Doctor - $95
8/7 – Movies $5.75
8/8 – Breakfast out $4.55, Butcher/Farmer's Mkt/Groceries $83, Gas $46, Pay Sitter $200, Pay Disney Trip $955, Girls’ Lunch Out - $25, Pay allowances - $30

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

1 - $0
2 - $8.74 Walmart groceries, $2 Walmart (newspaper), $13.06 Raising Canes (fast food), $4.98 McDonald's (McFlurries) [$28.78 total]
3 - $0
4 - $29.30 Rouses (groceries), $56.64 Target, $10.17 Quiznos, $0.83 Walgreens, $4.39 Office Depot [$101.33 total]
5 - $5.00 Cafe du Monde, $1.36 soda @ Target, $4.34 Arby's [$15.70 eating out], $17.11 school uniform shirt, $4.56 Target, $2.50 parking in FQ [$24.17 misc] [$34.87 total]
6 - $15 lunch, $2.20 coffee [$17.70 eating out], $12.56 gas, $6 car wash [18.56 car] [$36.26 total]
7 - $12.04 Arby's, $3.46 Baskin Robbins [$15.50 eating out & total]
8 - $0

Groceries: $200 ~ $161.96 left
Eating Out: $100 ~ $28.39 left
Gas & Car: $60 ~ $41.44 left
Miscellaneous: $250 ~ $163.97 left
Total: $610 ~ $393.26 left

Today was a $0 day; tomorrow will not be. I buy the newspaper every Sunday and tomorrow we need some groceries and misc. also.

 

[cjdj4]

8/1- Lunch $17, Ikea $30, Night out $93- Total $140
8/2- CVS $130
8/3- $0
8/4- A LOT
8/5- Lunch $12
8/6- Publix $51
8/7- Staples $11.77, Dollar General $6.42
8/8- $0

Finally, another zero day!

 

[neatokimmo]

I need a zero day really bad. Tomorrow I won't leave the house.

I bought two entertainment books for $40. It was a school fundraiser, the books have $40 in my favorite grocery store coupons in it so it's a wash (and I won't be conned into gift wrap this year!!)

I also spent $45.09 at the farmers markets, salvage store and grocer. I got 67 tomatoes for $5.00 I love the end of the day sales!

I also spent $8 on yard sale stuff. Most of it was to resell in the consignment sale next month.

Groceries - 102.47/200
Eating out - 2.37/50
Cats - 30
Baby Loot - 44.13/60
Mama Loot - 32.32/40
Gas - 22/60
YardSale cash - 33.75/50
Misc - 160/200

August 8 - $93.09 $254.29/$690
August 7 - $41.48 $161.19/$690
August 6 - $9.25 $119.71.$690
August 5 - $11.08 $110.46/690
August 4 - $31.51 $99.38/690
August 3 - $1! $67.87/$690
August 2 - zero! $66.87/ $690
August 1 - $66.87/ $690

 

[wdwfan16]

8/2 - $0
8/4 - $0
8/8 - $0

 

[dismom9761]

Okay,I am going to try to post what I spend the rest of the month.I have never had a budget so I am going to make a guess and then see how it works for the last three weeks of the month.The last two weeks have been expensive trying to get four kids ready for school,they started yesterday.I am also going to have a "sport" category because it is a BIG expense with us and my DH and I have been arguing about the amount.Remember these amounts are for three weeks, not a month.

Gas and car 180
groceries 300-13.85/300
eating out 50
Misc 100
Sport 350(yes that is correct.and that is a low number)
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
8/8-$13.85-We were going to cook out at a friend's house and needed steaks.We bought 4 steaks(the youngest wasn't with us and I don't eat steak),rolls,and a 2 ltr drink

 

[paulasillars]

Doing ok so far - might do some spending over the weekend though

But I didn't... except for groceries which aren't included here, I spent $0 over the weekend!

 

[Forevryoung]

My paycheck came in the mail today, after taxes and health insurance, a large chunk is gone (paid monthly).

I wrote a check for $270 for my license Friday so there went that

8/1- $0
8/2- $0
8/3- $42.19 gas/target (snacks for week, work stuff)
8/4- $2.17 CVS/party city (more work stuff, notebooks for kids/stickers)
8/5- $19.14 lunch/CVS (photos for license, birthday cards)
8/6- $17 dinner at Yankee game
8/7- $308.76 professional license, post office, gas, ice cream
8/8- $20 Central Park Zoo (2 tickets)

Tomorrow I need to go to the fabric store and pick up something I had ordered last month.

I'm just tracking my spending this month but I'm disappointed by the high amount.

 

[princessbride6205]

8/1 - $0 (+$73 and -$73)
8/2 - $62 groceries, $23 dining out
8/3 - $0
8/4 - $2 coffee, $9 Target
8/5 - $0
8/6 - $11 Gas
8/7 - $11 Lunch out (out of my $40/mo)
8/8 - $19 dining out as a family, $12 pants for DH
8/9 - $72 groceries, $57 stock up on diapers, wipes & sunblock


Exceptions:
* Photo Software
* DH and I each get $40/mo. "fun money" - can go out to lunch, buy other non-necessities, etc. I'll track my fun money above, but DH just gets his envelope with $40 cash and that's that.
* Dad's birthday gift (no ideas yet) - less than $50
* Getting a passport (I really should have renewed years ago, but now there is a slim chance I'll need to go to Europe for work - not that work will pay for the passport!)
Paid with income from items sold:
* (Fall clothes for DD - $40)
* (Organization stuff - baskets, bins, etc.)

 

[Sandi S]

So far for August (just tracking spending this month):
8/1 - $0 (listed 9 things on eBay)
8/2 - $0
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
8/4 $0.27 for lunch (I had a $5 GC to a local sub shop - treated myself before a dentist appt)
8/5 $0
8/6 $0
8/7 $0
8/8 $44 @ Joann's (interfacing, thread - needed, one yard of princess fabric for DD, okay, not needed), $5.79 lunch @ Taco Bell, $12 at JCPenney (but I plan to return and repurchase with a coupon tomorrow that will knock that down to $2), $7 at Victoria's Secret (after $17.50 worth of coupons!) - The good news is my ebay auctions are all done and all sold! I got almost $100.
8/9 $213 (groceries)

Total in: $109.88
Total out: $338.02

 

[Sandi S]

But I didn't... except for groceries which aren't included here, I spent $0 over the weekend!

Yay!

 

[Tiggerish]

Total discretionary budget for August is $420

Groceries = $120 / $84 left
Auto/Gas = 75
Giving = $50 / $40 left
Medical = $50
Eating Out = $25 / $4 left
Misc. = $100 /$98 left
==================================================

8/1 = $0
8/2 = $13 Eating out
8/3 = $7 Groceries
8/4 = $29 Groceries
8/5 = $0
8/6 = $0
8/7 = $8 Eating out
8/8 $0
8/9 $10 Giving (church collection); $8 Misc. (some dollar store trinkets to stock up my "treasure chest")

 

[Siouxstone]

Yeah, annsteere said "design your own wagon".

That's so you can recognize it when you fall off-mine's already on its way off a cliff

It's the gold colored one with disney stickers all over it and dollar bills flying off of it.

Why am I never behind Kickapoo to pick up the money flying off?

8/1-$0
8/2-$0
8/3-$75 groceries
8/4-$35 petsmart, $25 Sam's
8/5-$0
8/6-$58 Target, $33 dinner
8/7-$4 Redbox
8/8-$12 Urgent Clinic Copay, $18 lunch after Urgent Clinic
8/8-$98 new suitcases

Because I was feeling so much better, I started sewing our MNSSHP costumes on Friday. Yesterday morning, I got the machine back out to finish them up and... well, I sewed my index finger. The needle went through the nail, bent on the bone and came out the side. So, off to the minor emergency clinic for a tetanus shot, antibiotics, and xrays to make sure we got all the metal out and no breakage. Yeah. I know.

But, I had a major score today. After the baggage carousel ate the zipper off of one of our pieces of luggage last year, I promised myself one new bag before this next trip. So, DH went to do a warranty exchange on one of his craftman tools at Sears, and I made him walk down to Penneys to look at luggage. Secretly in my heart, I wanted to get three small lightweight hardside suitcases, but I resigned myself to just replace the one case. Low and behold, I found a clearance corner with lightweight hardside suitcases! Each one was originally $160, marked down, then again, then 70% off on pink clearance tags combined with a 20% off coupon and.... Three brand new hardside suitcases for a grand total of $98 including tax!

Now, if I can just stay out of the ER...

 

[cjdj4]

8/1- Lunch $17, Ikea $30, Night out $93- Total $140
8/2- CVS $130
8/3- $0
8/4- A LOT
8/5- Lunch $12
8/6- Publix $51
8/7- Staples $11.77, Dollar General $6.42
8/8- $0
8/9- CVS $32, Walgreens $6, Publix $89, Lowes $28

 

[Goofygirl17]

Siouxstone- Ouch!!!

Not doing too great but not horrible either.

8/1 $0 (DH $31)
8/2 $2.50-DD, $127 groceries, $12 Staples, $71 Famous Footwear
8/3 $1 (DD6 ice cream)
8/4 $9 at the "free movie", $10 copay at CVS but got $50 in gift cards
8/5 $10 (approx)
8/6 $0 (DH got milk for us @ $3)
8/7 $10 ice cream for all kids w/ us, $41 dinner out (Mmmm, mexican)
8/8 $0 for me, $12 or so DH- milk etc
8/9 $31 groceries (saved $19)

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, -