No Buy August

[casper_jj11]

LOL From everything I've heard, the equipment still stinks!

I always wanted to take horseback lessons as a kid. I've heard its really expensive though so I'm kinda happy there are no places really close enough for the kids to want to try it.

 

[casper_jj11]

Joanne, you are doing great on your gas (another thing that I regularly track). Where is the bread on sale? Bread is a thing that we use a fair bit, and is rarely on sale. We use both white and 12 Grain in our house. B]

Yeah, the gas is kinda not realistic. DH and I both drive back and forth a 1/2 hr each way to work. I budget high because when I started, the price of gas was much higher than now. I like knowing that our budget for that is more than necessary because the price can fluctuate so much. DH also bought a motorcycle in the spring so he's been using that all summer. It uses next to no gas. Come the winter, we'll be at budget levels I expect. For now, it allows for things I've forgotten in the budget.

As for bread, I usually buy whole wheat and sometimes, 12 grain. This week, Loblaws group (so Zehrs and Independent) is having a great sale. The Wonder bread is on for 2/$4 but there's in independant brand I've never heard of on for $1 a loaf! I bought one loaf to try and its great so I've stocked up. I've never seen bread that low before! The loaves I've bought are whole wheat but I think they have white as well. (its on the front page of the flyer I think)

If you're not familiar with it, www.smartcanucks.ca is a wonderful website! You can find loads of coupons there but also, they have forums where they post all the flyers and note the great deals at each store (shopping deals and flyers forum). They also have a posting each week where they mention where you can use the coupons to best save money. Its awesome!

 

[Tiggerish]

Debbie,

I had a cat like that, would only eat one brand and would starve itself if I bought anything else. But fortunately it was one I could buy in bulk at Sams Club. My cat passed away 6 years ago but I still miss him. However, right at time he died, I got a SIL that is highly allegeric so no more cats for me since I like her.

Today, I have decided to spend some of my misc. money and take two of my nieces out to eat. Their grandmother is having a complicated surgery today so their parents are staked out at the hospital. I think going out to eat would be a good diversion for the kids.

 

[princessbride6205]

8/1 - $0 (+$73 and -$73)
8/2 - $62 groceries, $23 dining out as family
8/3 - $0
8/4 - $2 coffee, $9 Target misc.
8/5 - $0
8/6 - $11 Gas
8/7 - $11 Lunch out
8/8 - $19 dining out as a family, $12 pants for DH
8/9 - $72 groceries, $57 stock up on diapers, wipes & sunblock
8/10 - $7 lunch
8/11 - $9 Gas
8/12 - $0
8/13 - $0
8/14 - $25 Dad's B-day gift
8/15 - $0
8/16 - $0

TOTALS
Fun money spent $20/40
Groceries $134/300
Family Dining Out $42/100
Other (clothes, diapers, etc.) $103/150
Gas & Parking $20/125

I'm doing well, but I feel like I cheated this weekend. We had $0 out of pocket, but my folks came to visit and end up buying us groceries and a lunch out. And as usual, my mom couldn't resist buying DD some clothes.

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 - $25
* 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.)

 

[tara32]

Forgot to ask. Tara, where do you buy your milk? I've found, around here, anyway, the cheapest place is No Frills (like Aldi's, I think), Costco, and Shoppers Drug Mart. I think the corner varieties tend to have it cheaper than the grocery store, too.

Thanks for the info. I live in Canada too (NB) and here the price of dairy is "regulated" to protect the milk farmers, but it means milk is never on sale, and its the same price everywhere! $6 and change for 4L milk , $4 a tub for cottage cheese, $2.50 for the small tub sour cream, $4 for a container of soymilk. Cheese on sale is $5.99, and yogurt on sale is 4.99 for 12x120mls.
Philly is $3.50!
I scratch my head at some of the prices esp that the Americans are able to get. Lucky! With double couponing and the cheap price of chicken and fruit!

Here are some examples :
typical price of chicken breasts $7.99-$12.99/lb
bananas .90/lb
1 "gallon" milk (4L) $6.50
butter $4.99
cheapest price for lean ground 1.99/lb
cheapest price marinating steak 2.99/lb
nectarines/peaches/plums 2.50/lb
cherries 6.99/lb
Still , I have to work with what I've got, and try to maximize my "scores" and minimize output.. and one thing I am bad for is not planning meals-ingredients in advance, so I come from the store $150 later and there is still "nothing for supper"!

 

[LBelle]

Hello!

1st time I've ever ventured onto the Budget Board. This thread caught my eye. I'd really like to know exactly what I'm supposed to do and/or how this all works. Is the point to see how many days in the month you can manage to spend 0$? Or how many times we spend on things NOT in our normal budget?

I'm interested in learning 'where o where my dollars have gone'!!

 

[neatokimmo]

Holy cow, if I lived in Canada, we'd have to live off of ground beef and bananas!

Thanks for the info. I live in Canada too (NB) and here the price of dairy is "regulated" to protect the milk farmers, but it means milk is never on sale, and its the same price everywhere! $6 and change for 4L milk , $4 a tub for cottage cheese, $2.50 for the small tub sour cream, $4 for a container of soymilk. Cheese on sale is $5.99, and yogurt on sale is 4.99 for 12x120mls.
Philly is $3.50!
I scratch my head at some of the prices esp that the Americans are able to get. Lucky! With double couponing and the cheap price of chicken and fruit!

Here are some examples :
typical price of chicken breasts $7.99-$12.99/lb
bananas .90/lb
1 "gallon" milk (4L) $6.50
butter $4.99
cheapest price for lean ground 1.99/lb
cheapest price marinating steak 2.99/lb
nectarines/peaches/plums 2.50/lb
cherries 6.99/lb
Still , I have to work with what I've got, and try to maximize my "scores" and minimize output.. and one thing I am bad for is not planning meals-ingredients in advance, so I come from the store $150 later and there is still "nothing for supper"!

 

[neatokimmo]

Today was 80 cents on chips, not too bad

Groceries - 101.67/200
Eating out - 12.76/50 (oops)
Cats - 30
Baby Loot - 34.24/60
Mama Loot - 15.91/40
Gas - 22/60
YardSale cash - 5.25/50
Misc - 102.31/200

August 17 - $.80 382.71/690
August 16 - zero 381.91/690
August 14th + 15th - $124.32 - 381.91/690
August 13th - $1.65 $257.59/$690
August 12 - zero! 255.94/690
August 11 - $.20 255.94/$690
August 10 - $1.45 255.74/$690
August 9 - zero! $254.29/$690
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

 

[Debbie]

Here are some examples :
typical price of chicken breasts $7.99-$12.99/lb
bananas .90/lb 69¢/lb
1 "gallon" milk (4L) $6.50 $3.97
butter $4.99 (been awhile, but I think $2.99 when it is on sale)
cheapest price for lean ground 1.99/lb Same here....on sale at that price
cheapest price marinating steak 2.99/lb (I buy all my meat on sale 30%=50% off, so I'm not sure)
nectarines/peaches/plums 2.50/lb 99¢-1.99
cherries 6.99/lb Oh, I got THE best cherries from our local Foodland $1.79, right now they are $2.99
Still , I have to work with what I've got, and try to maximize my "scores" and minimize output.. and one thing I am bad for is not planning meals-ingredients in advance, so I come from the store $150 later and there is still "nothing for supper"!

This last part is the best thing that you can do. Look at the flyers the day or two before you shop. Plan your meals and write them down. I put mine on the calendar, so that I have a guide. Sometimes, I'll change my mind, but I don't have to think so I will usually "follow the plan"

Is the point to see how many days in the month you can manage to spend 0$? Or how many times we spend on things NOT in our normal budget?

I'm interested in learning 'where o where my dollars have gone'!!

Belle, it is up to you how you track your spending. Whatever you are struggling with, come up with a plan to better your spending-even if only a wee bit. We're here to ! Start by literally tracking your spending for a few weeks to determine your 'latte factor'-and then work on saving, not spending.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Ok, seriously, I had to go buy bugs today for DD10's leopard gecko, and we get home and the waxworms are all dead!

$4.80 dead waxworms, $4 gas, now I have to bring them back. Only thing grosser than live waxworms is dead waxworms. Ewww.....

Don't buy your kids reptiles, people, even if they offer them buy one, get one free. It ain't worth it!

 

[dismom9761]

Gas and car 98/180
groceries 183.52/300
eating out 29.52 /50
Misc 89.63/100
Sport 230/350(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
8/9-$11.63-school supplies and DH spent $3 on gatorade/water for ball practice and $2.50 for a newspaper
8/10-9.72-hamburger meat and pretzels...I have to get better about planning ahead and doing one grocery store run...
8/11-gas-$8 and groceries $7.68
8/12-$20 gas
8/13-,$3.79 for drinks at ballfield,$9.90 for dinner for DH and DS11 and DS13...and then the girls and I stopped at the store for something DD5 needs for school tomorrow and I spent $8.62 on groceries
8/14-$14 for Dh and I to eat out for lunch,$10 for DS13 to go to High School football game,$4.37 at grocery store,gas $25,new fish for DS11(his died)$6,groceries(drinks and sandwich stuff for ballfield mostly)$14.698/15-girls' softball registration $180,fans for kids' rooms $27,boys tryout fees $50
8/16-$20 gas,$35 friends' birthday gifts,5.62 DH and boys eating out lunch,$113.96 groceries
8/17-$25 gas,$1.39 Sunkist drink(YUM!)

```````````````````````````````

I can't believe how different the food prices are.I didn't realize how cheap food is here.I shopped at four different stores and shopped major sales and used a TON of coupons.I stocked up on meat,laundry detergent,and a few other things.I won't need to buy much next week.
Some of the prices here(sale):
chicken breasts-1.79 lb
milk-1.99 gal
bread-.88
laundry deteregent(All brand)B1G1 $5.12 plus I had $2 coupons on two
The groceries I bought feed six people three times a day plus snacks.The kids
all take their lunch most of the time because it would cost me $9 a day to feed them at the school.DH and I take our lunches except for the day he gets paid(twice a month).

I hope to have our first $0 day tomorrow.

 

[paulasillars]

My final post for the month as I'm on holiday as from tomorrow until mid-Sept.

18th - $0
17th - $7.50 for lunch + $45 for magazine sub
16th - $0
15th - $0
14th - $0
13th - $7.50 for lunch
12th - $0
11th - $0
10th - $0
9th - $0
8th - $0
7th - $0
6th - $0
5th - $0
4th - $8.50 for lunch out of the office
3rd - $0
2nd - $0
1st - $0

Budgeted was $100 for my misc stuff and actual was $68.50 which was pretty good. Makes up for all the months when I've over spent

In terms of grocery prices - we don't have coupons either here. Supermarkets do weekly "specials" where they knock off a few cents here and there. Occasionally they do loss leaders which if its something I would buy, I'll stock up.

All I can say is I'm glad I don't eat meat - thats the killer for grocery prices here. Also our fruit/vege prices have gone up 12% in the last month according to the news. I've seen little of the "seasonal" produce specials this year where they virtually give fresh items away in a glut.

$NZ1 = $US0.67 = $CAD0.74 so these are some of the items I got just a few minutes ago and are mostly cheap supermarket brands or the weekly specials ...
Biscuits/Cookies 500gm - $2.99
400gm canned cat food (fish) - $0.99
400gm canned tomatoes - $0.99
400gm canned baked beans & spaghetti - $0.99
1kg brown rice - $3.79
1kg ice cream - $3.99
600gm yogurt - $3.89
1kg cheese - $8.99
250gm sour cream - $2.79
grapes - $5.99/kg
cheap wheatmeal bread $1.69
expensive grain bread $4.89

Ground beef (I looked to see if it was on special) was $10.99/kg and that was about the cheapest available today. Ground pork was $12.99/kg.

Our dairy prices have also gone up a lot in the last year or so.

We've just hit our grocery budget for the month and if I wasn't going on holiday we would have gone over by quite a lot this month.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

have fun, Paula!

 

[billwendy]

Hi Everyone,

This thread looks really interesting - Im trying to see how you work it, and does it really help with the budgeting???

Thanks so much!!
Wendy

 

[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 - deposited $247 that had been sitting in DH's piggy bank - how did I forget this???
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, $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)
8/10 $3 at JCPenney (jeans for DD after coupon), $10 for lunch, $14 at the sewing shop (buttons and fabric), $1.60 at Joann's (zipper), $14 at BJ's for a giant jug of All detergent, deposited $20.72 after dumping more change at the bank
8/11 $19 @ post office, $5 at Wal-e world
8/12 $0
8/13 $0 spent, but I got a credit card dispute settled $230 in our favor! Proflowers pulled a bait and switch with a 3rd party company on my DH when he sent his mom flowers on Mother's Day last year. Long story short...the Chase people put the squeeze on the 3rd party company and I have my money back.
8/14 $150 earned on a side job for nutty uncle, $26.11 earned from the consignment store
8/15 $12 @ the sewing shop, $45 @ Children's Place, $10 @ Old Navy, $12 @ Michael's, $10 for the scrapbook party, $12 eating out twice, $4 snacks @ Target
8/16 $25 for 3 pairs of nice shoes for DD (eBay!)
8/17 $50 from DH's buddy for some computer equipment we didn't need and he did! Spent $39.82 at the grocery store

Total in: $733.71 - all not expected as of 8/1
Total out: $574.44

Net: $159.27 in my favor!

 

[paulasillars]

have fun, Paula!

Thanks - I sure will

This thread looks really interesting - Im trying to see how you work it, and does it really help with the budgeting???

Hi Wendy, welcome! The interesting part about this thread is we are (mostly) trying to minimise the frivolous spending and each person sets out their own budget areas to target. Some people report on all spending, some try to cut costs, others try to have as many $0 days as possible. Just whatever works for you.

Since I've started participating which I guess must be for about 18 months now, I have stopped buying lunch at work most days - this month I have bought lunch 3 times total instead of 6 days a week.

I have also got a very good idea of exactly how much we spend monthly on our household expenses and although I don't report on it here, I do track it personally.

I have alway been fairly frugal and considered myself good at budgeting but this group has really given me the ability to forecast both expenses and savings/debt repayment.

It was interesting when seeing a lawyer last year when we purchased some land, she asked how we wanted to split the mortgage - and I give her exact amounts and how long I wanted the terms for. She looked at me surprised and asked why I wanted those amounts and terms and was even more shocked when I said - "thats the schedule that we will pay each chunk off". So far we have been exactly correct and in fact a little ahead of schedule which is a good thing.

 

[StuckInKS]

This is a little more difficult for me because we do not have a budget, self employed so do not have a set amount of money coming in.


We need this because we spend way too much eating out.

Wow. This sounds just like ME! Our income is self-employment income, so it varies per month and we spend wayyyy too much money eating out. Hey, after working and taking care of 4 small kids all day, the last thing I want to do is cook and clean up after. Plus, it is soooo nice to have a relaxing meal with DH and the kids after a hectic day. But...it is eating into our Disney/beach money and our trip coming up too quick for me to take on a lot of extra work, so fat has to be trimmed.

I caught this thread late. Can I start mid-month?

 

[Debbie]

My final post for the month as I'm on holiday as from tomorrow until mid-Sept.

Have a great time, Paula. See you in September.

Ground beef (I looked to see if it was on special) was $10.99/kg and that was about the cheapest available today. Ground pork was $12.99/kg

YIKES!

Total in: $733.71 - all not expected as of 8/1
Total out: $574.44

Net: $159.27 in my favor!

Great job "finding" extra cash this month, Sandi!

I caught this thread late. Can I start mid-month?

Sure you can. That will let you get your little toe wet before diving in to your neck next month.

 

[tara32]

Holy cow, if I lived in Canada, we'd have to live off of ground beef and bananas!

Yeah, but then you'd be able to write your own diet book and make a killing!!


Mmm, the hamburger & Bananas Diet!!

 

[tara32]

I think since I'm starting so late, I'm just going to keep an honest tally this month and start fresh next month. This month was full of exceptional purchases- tv, keurig, micro. My micro passed away on the wknd and I use it many times daily..

Aug 17-mon
microwave $173.00
m&m's $2.30
iced capp & timbits $3.60

Today I need to pick up some groceries, I'll try to do the advance meal planning