No Buy August

[neatokimmo]

And not to be such a downer about everything (I'm in a mood) a woman my mother works with gave me three large bags of clothes today for my little girl. And yesterday I found out she got a scholarship for preschool (that sounds weird, I know). Who knew I was the lowest income in the center? (ok, I knew that lol). I don't have to pay for daycare (really at 2.5 the word school is a stretch) starting next Monday and it will last for possibly a year It was a verbal confirmation over the phone, I am going to try not to get excited until I see it on paper!

 

[lattemomof3]

11th - 0$
12th - 27$ gift for sitter (our last day there after 9 years ), 20$ haircuts, $52 photo developing, 49$ groceries
13th - 0$
14 - 28$ pizza for 7, $11 swimming pool, $12 snacks for 7 @ pool (took our own water), groc 7$, Shwans $53(darn dh)
15 - $110 groc's (in-laws coming for a visit), 8$ small Dairy Queen blizzards for ds & I (good thing I only had 1 kid with!)
16 - $0
17 - $16.84 McD's
18 - $12 lunch, $10 gift
19 - $50.83 groc's
20 - $0
21 - $36 groc's, $12 gift

woo hoo, I cut & pasted (yeah, I know, computers for dummies 101) Thanks for the lesson princessbride!

 

[Siouxstone]

Debbie, have a great trip! Save some free food for those of us following shortly!

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
8/9-$18 book and thank you cards
8/10-$125 groceries
8/11-$6 ChickFilA
8/12-$0
8/13-$0
8/14-$27 out to eat
8/15-$16 haircut
8/16-$0
8/17-$48 Target
8/18-$105 groceries, $90 clothing
8/19-$0
8/20-$55 Sam's, $32 Old Navy, $5 ice cream
8/21-$0

 

[Debbie]

And not to be such a downer about everything (I'm in a mood) a woman my mother works with gave me three large bags of clothes today for my little girl. And yesterday I found out she got a scholarship for preschool (that sounds weird, I know). Who knew I was the lowest income in the center? (ok, I knew that lol). I don't have to pay for daycare (really at 2.5 the word school is a stretch) starting next Monday and it will last for possibly a year It was a verbal confirmation over the phone, I am going to try not to get excited until I see it on paper!

Congratulations, Kim. These things help the budget. My kids loved "new to us" clothes when they were little. We then passed them down to others when we are done. (Actually, DNiece got a few bags full just this past month. She's 12, so I'm sure that that will end soon, as she will soon be as tall as my youngest.)


I think that you are doing great with your budget so far. Keep up the good work....only a little more than a week left!

 

[Debbie]

11th - 0$
12th - 27$ gift for sitter (our last day there after 9 years ), 20$ haircuts, $52 photo developing, 49$ groceries
13th - 0$
14 - 28$ pizza for 7, $11 swimming pool, $12 snacks for 7 @ pool (took our own water), groc 7$, Shwans $53(darn dh)
15 - $110 groc's (in-laws coming for a visit), 8$ small Dairy Queen blizzards for ds & I (good thing I only had 1 kid with!)
16 - $0
17 - $16.84 McD's
18 - $12 lunch, $10 gift
19 - $50.83 groc's
20 - $0
21 - $36 groc's, $12 gift

woo hoo, I cut & pasted (yeah, I know, computers for dummies 101) Thanks for the lesson princessbride!

You'll be a computer whiz before you know it!

Debbie, have a great trip! Save some free food for those of us following shortly!

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
8/9-$18 book and thank you cards
8/10-$125 groceries
8/11-$6 ChickFilA
8/12-$0
8/13-$0
8/14-$27 out to eat
8/15-$16 haircut
8/16-$0
8/17-$48 Target
8/18-$105 groceries, $90 clothing
8/19-$0
8/20-$55 Sam's, $32 Old Navy, $5 ice cream
8/21-$0

Thanks, Susie. Hmmm. DH loves his food, so that might be a stretch. It looks like you have better than a 33% average on $0 days. Good for you!

 

[neatokimmo]

I am not going to leave the house today. So today will be a zero day. I wonder if I can pull a zero weekend?

My Dad returned $9.99 of stuff to Walmart for me last night (I am going to stay far far away from that place!). I am going to add that money back into my misc column.

I forgot that I bought a full tank of gas for $33ish yesterday too. But that will last well into Sept.

Groceries - 93.67/200
Eating out - 22.73/50 (oops)
Cats - 20/30
Baby Loot - 34.24/60
Mama Loot - 15.91/40
Gas - -11/60 (this was surprising, I am normally spot on)
YardSale cash - 5.25/50
Misc - 83.54/200

August 22 - +9.99 $578.46/690
August 20 - $11.97 429.45/690 August 21 - $161ish $588.45/690
August 18 - $14.77 397.48/690 August 19- $20 417.48/690
August 16 - zero 381.91/690 August 17 - $.80 382.71/690
August 13th - $1.65 $257.59/$690 August 14th + 15th - $124.32 - 381.91/690
August 11 - $.20 255.94/$690 August 12 - zero! 255.94/690
August 9 - zero! $254.29/$690 August 10 - $1.45 255.74/$690
August 7 - $41.48 $161.19/$690 August 8 - $93.09 $254.29/$690
August 5 - $11.08 $110.46/690 August 6 - $9.25 $119.71.$690
August 3 - $1! $67.87/$690 August 4 - $31.51 $99.38/690
August 1 - $66.87/ $690 August 2 - zero! $66.87/ $690[/QUOTE]

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Kim, we are huge hand me down fans (of just about everything, lol), and always have been, and we have friends from the whole economic spectrum that do the 'pass around' with clothes, too. I just think of it as another way to be green (the clothes don't get thrown out until they're worn out...)

DH is in a "lets clean the whole house" mood today, so I have about 2k square feet of hardwoods that I have to vacuum, mop, and polish. Woo hoo! I have a $10 coupon for DSW shoes, I may have to use it today just to recover (it usually takes me about 4 hours to do all the floors, I'm a sloooow cleaner)...

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Just an update for this thread because I went MIA sometime around the 10th...

Well, I biffed again in tracking this month and once I went back to work on the 10th I got really bad about recording spending. Since I'm using mostly cash and don't always get receipts (every time I've gotten gas this month, without fail, the machine was unable to print me a receipt!), I can't go back and track it.

I did discover that when I had my sheet with me and there was space in it to record, I did a great job. Problem: I made the sheet too complicated and there were too many categories; I ran out of space and that's when I stopped tracking. So, I'm revamping the sheet and the budget for September to have less categories and more space to record so I will be more likely to stick with it.

I want to stick with it because I've found that I spend WAY LESS if I a) pay in cash, b) track ALL spending, and c) record it here. The less transactions, the less tracking work for me , and if I spend cash, I am limited to spend what I have in my wallet at the time so I tend to get only what I NEED and/or went into the store for.

I know I overspent in the eating out category for the month; we got an hour lunch each day for the 8 days of pre-service meetings and prep work and I took advantage of them because we usually only get 30 minutes. Considering I have to drive a bit to get to food AND clear security on the way back, that's not enough time so I should be a lot better in that category next month.

 

[neatokimmo]

What do you use to polish your floors? I am doing my once a month deep house scrub today. I have to hit the upstairs that is almost all hardwood. I can do 1300 SF in about 30 minutes if people will keep outta my way! lol

Kim, we are huge hand me down fans (of just about everything, lol), and always have been, and we have friends from the whole economic spectrum that do the 'pass around' with clothes, too. I just think of it as another way to be green (the clothes don't get thrown out until they're worn out...)

DH is in a "lets clean the whole house" mood today, so I have about 2k square feet of hardwoods that I have to vacuum, mop, and polish. Woo hoo! I have a $10 coupon for DSW shoes, I may have to use it today just to recover (it usually takes me about 4 hours to do all the floors, I'm a sloooow cleaner)...

 

[lattemomof3]

Wow, Kim, have a great trip, sounds so fun - free dining, yum! I am dying to take advantage of the free dining, I booked a week @ Wilderness in Dec. for a great price but need to cancel today. My dd10 just does not want to miss even a day of 4th gradeI know, crazy! We are in NE, so halfway to either Disney, dh has been wanting to see San Diego, & ds7 is a huge lego fanatic, so I guess we will go to DLR and Legoland in May. Next trip, I get to choose! And it will be the world, for sure!

Arg, had to go to a friends jewelry/40th b-day party, got the least expensive piece for 39$, 45$ w/ tax & shipping. Dang - have to go to another one tom. - for dd's teacher, I've politely declined for the past 3 selling parties she's had, so feel I need to go to this one. Makes me mad that I've been trying not to eat out, save $ & then feel pressured to spend $ for these dumb parties when I usually just buy jewelry from Target.

 

[carissanboys]

8/18 - $2.99 shipping on a Veggie Tales movie.
8/19 - $0
8/20 - $90.36 groceries at the commissary
8/21 - $16.80 (Walmart - underwear and t-shirts on sale for my dh) and $20.98 at Borders for Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
8/22 - $24.84 - bought 5 - 1 lb bags of active yeast online (5 was the smallest amount they sold)

I wasn't planning on buying anything today, but I'd been looking around for bulk yeast and couldn't find any. Tired of paying $5 for a small 4 oz. jar. Finally got around today to looking online and found a place that sells it. Comes out to be $4.96 for a 1 lb. bag. You can buy it cheapter at Costco of Sam's Club, or so I've heard, but I don't have a membership.

I probably won't go through that many bags in a year (which is how long it's supposed to be good for), but I'll give one or two away as part of a gift basket this Christmas.

 

[lattemomof3]

Have a great trip Debbie!!!!

 

[princessbride6205]

Today was a big spending day, but I caught some good deals. Also at dinner, the budget (and waistline!) gods were smiling on us - we splurged and ordered an appetizer, but it never came. So obviously we didn't pay for that. So we just had pizzas.
Gymboree - I stocked up on the sale items with 30% off coupon for DD next summer. I got 5 tops, 2 bottoms & sunglasses for $35. Would've been cheaper but one of the bottoms was only a little on sale. Everything else was $2.99-5.99 before coupon.
Kohl's - Okay I know that stuff there is always on sale, sometimes it's just more on sale. But I was pretty excited to see that I spent $9 out of pocket and saved $36! I got DD a daycare outfit and Carters pajamas for fall. They were on "lowest price of the season" sale, which was 55-60% off, and I had a $10 gift card, which Kohl's seems to mail me every few months.
Trader Joe's - gotta love 3-buck Chuck. How else could I get 2 bottles of wine and DH a six-pack of beer for $10?!

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 - $100 prepaid on our gas card
8/16 - $0
8/17 - $0
8/18 - $0
8/19 - $8 Lunch
8/20 - $0
8/21 - $5 Lunch (from my $40 fun money)
8/22 - $39 Family dinner out, $35 Sale clothes for DD at Gymbo, $9 Sale clothes for DD at Kohl's, $35 groceries at Trader Joe's, $10 TJ's liquor store

TOTALS
Fun money spent $33/40
Groceries $169/300
Family Dining Out $81/100
Other (clothes, diapers, etc.) $147/150
Gas & Parking $120/125
Category I forgot: Alcohol $10/50

Exceptions:
* Photo Software - now I'm thinking of putting this off and making do with what we have.
* 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)
* (Organization stuff - baskets, bins, etc.)

 

[wdwfan16]

8/2 - $0
8/4 - $0
8/8 - $0
8/9 - $0
8/13 - $0
8/15 - $0
8/16 - $0
8/18 - $0
8/19 - $0
8/22 - $0
8/23 - $0

 

[casper_jj11]

This past week has been just crazy. I'm afraid to post the budget... not really sure where things stand although I'm trying to be good. MIL arrived last Monday for two weeks. She shops for my SIL's kids when here (SIL gives her a shopping list) so we've been shopping too much. I've bought back to school things and returned others but I think I'm in budget there... we'll see. Our kids caregiver has been off because of strep throat and a death in the family. Thank goodness MIL has been here so at least I've been able to work when at home. Not much downtime though. Haven't even had time to post. DH took me to Britney Spears on Friday night. He had the tickets for my bday. It was a blast! I also won tix to Jonas Brothers last week. My almost 7yr old son is excited even though he has no idea who they are. I figure it will be a good first concert for him (since JB are a disney group, I figure at least the language will be under control). We also plan to leave early becuase th next day is his first day of school. I'm going to ask a friend of his and her mom to go so he should have fun. OK, here goes the budget ....

groceries $540 $10.89 left
gas $500 $338.88 left
cat food $90
swim lessons for three kiddos $400 $2 left
fall clothing $75 $44.22 over
school supplies $60 $12.87 left
hockey equipment $500 $225 left
skates for ds6 and dd3 $200
dance lessons for dd3 $96
cat sitter for time at cottage $70 $30 left
paint garage $300
DSalmost2 bday gift $50
DSalmost 7 bday gift $50 $26.45 left
DSalmost2 bday party supplies $50
DSalmost7 bday party supplies $100 $98.12 left
boys haircuts $40
my spending $150 $40.41 left
DH spending $150 $131.15 left (DH decided to take $150 in cash out for the month so I won't be keeping track... but he's on board )

Total: $3421 hmmmm that's high ... $1598.13 left

1- cottage stuff (fishing licences, wood, etc) $70.35
2 - fishing gear $48.09
4 - gas $27.75
6 - breakfast $7.76; gas $52.85
7 - breakfast $10.98
8 - back to school clothes $27.22; school supplies $20.88; video rental $11.83; groceries $50.10; cat sitter $40
9 - milk $3.99; school supplies $26.25; groceries $6.32
10 - groceries $28.12
11 - swimming registration $398; car registration $73; diapers $36.82
12- drugstore stuff $42.49; DS6 bday gift $11.28; party supplies $1.70; groceries $1.88;
13 - groceries $10.05; groceries $9.08
14 - groceries $68.90; bday gift for friend of DS6 $$22.59
15 - Boston Pizza - pizza free/tip $10 (great service and gave us free drinks!); groceries $12.40
16 - food at soccer tournament $6; vaccines for DS6 - $43.99 ; bday gift for DS6 $12.27; $12.29 camping chair to replace one we borrowed from neighbour that collapses when DH sat on it at soccer tournament ; groceries $4.84
17 - have to buy hockey equipment today .... expecting a $500 plus bill .. anything less will be a miracle ... well, miracles can happen Final bill... drum roll please ... $275! I was going to get his skates next month but I think I'll do it this month based on that. ... also today, pokemon cards to make it up to DS6 for two vaccines $16.86; gas $9.99
18- groceries $4.98; groceries $32.26; groceries $7.28; groceries; $15.16; beer store $8.45
19- back to school clothes and halloween costume $50, returned clothes -$70;
20-groceries $12.02; groceries $25.19; gas $10.53; gas $60
21 - groceries $21.72; groceries $27.91; McDonalds after the concert $16.67 ;
22 - diapers $55.92; liquor store $10.40; backpack for DD3 $7.90; gymboree back to school clothes $112

 

[Tiggerish]

Total discretionary budget for August is $420

Groceries = $120 / $34 left
Auto/Gas = 75 / $50 left
Giving = $50 / $13 left
Medical = $50 / $46 left
Eating Out = $25 / $3 over
Misc. = $100 /$37 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")
8/10 $12 Misc. items for back to school boxes I am making for church to give to kids
8/11 $4 Misc. - more trinkets for my "treasure chest"
8/12 $0
8/13 $0
8/14 $50 Groceries; $3 Eating out; and, $4 Medical (prescription)
8/15 $4 Eating out
8/16 $15 Giving (church collection)
8/16 $19 Misc. (lunch for the nieces); $25 gas
8/17 $0
8/18 $3 Giving (bought a water and sandwich for a homeless man who passed out at the bus stop)
8/19 $0
8/20 $0
8/21 $24 Misc. (gift for Mom)
8/22 $0
8/23 $10 Giving (church collection)

 

[neatokimmo]

Today was zeeero! In fact I made a little because I am returning something from my big spree the other day and I sold two little pendants on Ebay. Woot!

I am going to stop breaking all this down by category. At this point I'm just trying to come in under my $690 mark!

August 22 - +9.99 $578.46/690 Auguat 23 - zeeero $578.46/690
August 20 - $11.97 429.45/690 August 21 - $161ish $588.45/690
August 18 - $14.77 397.48/690 August 19- $20 417.48/690
August 16 - zero 381.91/690 August 17 - $.80 382.71/690
August 13th - $1.65 $257.59/$690 August 14th + 15th - $124.32 - 381.91/690
August 11 - $.20 255.94/$690 August 12 - zero! 255.94/690
August 9 - zero! $254.29/$690 August 10 - $1.45 255.74/$690
August 7 - $41.48 $161.19/$690 August 8 - $93.09 $254.29/$690
August 5 - $11.08 $110.46/690 August 6 - $9.25 $119.71.$690
August 3 - $1! $67.87/$690 August 4 - $31.51 $99.38/690
August 1 - $66.87/ $690 August 2 - zero! $66.87/ $690[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[carissanboys]

8/18 - $2.99 shipping on a Veggie Tales movie.
8/19 - $0
8/20 - $90.36 groceries at the commissary
8/21 - $16.80 (Walmart - underwear and t-shirts on sale for my dh) and $20.98 at Borders for Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
8/22 - $24.84 - bought 5 - 1 lb bags of active yeast online (5 was the smallest amount they sold)
8/23 - $17 - bought two DVD sets of Mythbusters through Amazon for my oldest son for Christmas, $4 at a yard sale for a 2nd clothes drying rack and a great floor fan (was able to keep the A/C down and use the fan instead)

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

What do you use to polish your floors? I am doing my once a month deep house scrub today. I have to hit the upstairs that is almost all hardwood. I can do 1300 SF in about 30 minutes if people will keep outta my way! lol

I use Minwax Hardwood Floor Cleaner to damp mop the floor, and then about every two months I used this stuff called Lundmark Poly-Pro Tech (I get it at Ace Hardware)-our floors take a real beating with the cat/dog/kids/DH/chairs/toys, and it makes the floors all shiny again. It's a urethane product so if your floors are the old fashioned waxed kind it won't work, and if your floors are the non-shiny kind it won't work. We have shiny espresso-colored oak floors and it does a great job on them.

I need to add up all my receipts from the weekend and post them...

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Aug. 1 $0
Aug. 2 $0
Aug. 3 $110
Aug. 4 $93, $38
Aug. 5 $0
Aug. 6 $140 PTA. Augh!!!!!!
Aug. 7 $253 Target, Auugghhhh!!!!!, $12.30 library fine Auggghhh!!!!!
Aug. 8 $150 Walmart, so far returned $50
Aug. 9 $0
Aug. 10 $0
Aug. 11 $-10.50 $22.47, 23.91, 10
Aug. 12 $30.45 (cvs, sick kid), $20.49 (barnes and noble)
Aug. 13 $52.15 (belk's), $25.62 bday present for DD9, 37.44 Publix, $50.40 (haircut)
Aug. 14 $104.58 (belk's again), $151.04 (Target groceries)
Aug. 15 $43.45 Bday dinner for DD
Aug. 16 $0
Aug. 17 $ 27.82 Petco , $28.92 Target
Aug. 18 $0
Aug. 19 $42.45 Publix (I now have 2 sick kids, lots and lots of yogurt and vitamin c and grape juice), $15 Publix Rx, $40 Pediatrician co-pay
Aug. 20 $0
Aug. 21 $0
Aug. 22 $16.26 JCP (gifts), $35.84 Publix (some of it will be returned)
Aug. 23 $0
Aug. 24. $0 (probably)

I spent about 10 bux on "gummy" vitamins that the kids say are totally gross-those will go back to publix today. I had a free lunch at Boston Market that I used today for luch .

I actually had a "green" week last week (as opposed to being in the red), I was under $102.36. That's what happens when everyone gets sick, nooooo shopping. If I can spend less than $525 for the rest of August, I'll be in under budget. Seems like that should be easy, but I'm sure something will come up, it always does!

MIL's new favorite saying: "Obama helped me to buy a Lexus!" she cracks me up. Did anyone else take advantage of the cash 4 clunkers?