No Buy February

[PixiePlanner]

OK, I am in for February!

I want at least 12 $0 days. I will keep my groceries to under $350.


2/1 $12.37 (lunch for DD & I)
2/2 $0 (my boss treated me to lunch today!)

total groceries: $0/350
total $0 days: 1

 

[tinkarooni]

I am going to start trying this. Maybe with a group effort in motion I will be more determined.
First, I am dealing with an upcoming choice. To buy a car or try to get this one fixed. Its older and the repair we think it needs is going to cost us quite a bit....we think the head gasket is going. We keep finding a lack of radiator fluids, and on top of that it drives with a stutter and we fixed what the garage told us it was and it is still doing it...so that could be the fuel pump. So I dont know how on track I can be but I am working on paying off debts...we had a special needs baby 5 years ago and debts piled up. She passed away two years ago and I got a job to pay off that. Its been slow going and I am working on it. So I dont know that I will have much "left-over" money after paying bills but I am trying to save for a WDW 2011 trip...so I just feel I should be keeping track of spending and resist those impulses. I am figuring if I see where I spend in front of me than I know where to avoid next time.

I have no idea how you ladies are all having these small grocery budgets. We have 5 of us...dont know if that matters. I had a budget of 600 for WDW and by staying out of the stores more I saved 113 of that money. My freezer is bare so I am gonna use that money to stock pile my freezer with ground meat and chicken....I buy from a butcher in bulk and we are actually able to save better that way.

For this first month I am not going to say a $ ammount. My goal instead will be to keep a total of payoffs and 0$ days....my goal is for 10 0$ days for Feb.

So here goes....2/1 3$ Grocery
2/2 Rent paid.

So sorry about your child. Don't let our crazy low numbers discourage you, maybe they can help encourage. For me I will tell you I am spending $100 per week maximum this month. I hope to spend less. But what you don't see is that for years my food budget was out of control and I have a pantry and two freezers full of food. So shame on me if I can't reach my goals. So don't forget that we all have a hidden backstory. Set your goals for you and do all that you can do to reach them. Good Luck!

 

[tinkarooni]

Goal $400 food Budget for the month. No other purchases unless true needs, ie: somebody outgrows their sneakers all of a sudden. (and I don't mean me, no excuses this month to buy cute shoes )

February 1: $102.74 Grocery store
February 2: $0.00

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Sounds challenging:

I am in. My monthly bills are always the same so:

House Note $650.00 pd.
Car Note/Insurance $275.00 pd.
Utilities: $300.00 pd.
Cable $75.00 pd.
Cell phone $150.00 pd.
Groceries $300.00
Paper goods/Soaps $100.00
School Tuitions: $750.00 pd.
Gas for car: $150.00
Sports/Dance $150.00 pd.

So that is $2900.00. I am going to up it to an even 3000.00. This should leave a cushio of $600.00 for Disney depending on what else comes up. Here's hoping it works...

Feb 1 - groceries $72.00, gas $40.00
Feb 2 - $1.00 for downtown parking
Feb 3 - $0.00
Feb 4
Feb 5
Feb 6
Feb 7
Feb 8
Feb 9
Feb 10
Feb 11
Feb 12
Feb 13
Feb 14
Feb 15
Feb 16
Feb 17
Feb 18
Feb 19
Feb 20
Feb 21
Feb 22
Feb 23
Feb 24
Feb 25
Feb 26
Feb 27
Feb 28

I am going to have some misc. costs: The car is sick and my birthday is the 16th. DD graduates HS so we are sending her 13 flowers on Valentines day through a school function (I think it is $2.00 per flower).

We are going to Disney for my daughter in April, so I am hoping that savings can go for our Mad money.

 

[charming23]

Went to class then came right home instead of stopping anywhere. I do need a few more things for school but I am going to wait until my class tomorrow to see what else i might need.

Budget:
Grocery/Household: $200/$149.47 Left
Gas: $50
Eating Out/Entertainment: $50
Emergency/Misc: $75/$64.92 Left

Total: $375.00/ $314.39 Left

2/1- $50.53 Grocery and $10.08 Misc
2/2- $0

1/15 $0 days so far

 

[delmar411]

2/1 = $74.82 ($75/$700 f/g/h)
2/2 = $19.47 ($95/$700 f/g/h)
Kroger $19.47
I will be going to Kroger to work on some more of the grocery deals they have going on and re-stock up our bottled water supply. I can get 16 bags of the quaker quakes (mini rice cakes) and 4 cases of water for $2.80 total so I'm doing that transactions 4x. The cart only hold 8 cases of water (barely!) so I'll do 2 trans today and 2 tomorrow. Unless I get motivated and just go to the car unload and go back in to do it again. I also have a few other transactions that I'll be running too for this grocery sale so I'll definitely be spending grocery money today!

 

[lougoofy]

2/1/10: $1.50 bus fare, $1.79 coffee (restaurant), $15 Borders Bucks and $1.75 (money) Borders and $1.50 bus fare

2/2/10: $2.95 Dollar General (a few grocery items) and $10.96 Pic Pac (groceries) and $3.50 laundry

 

[erikawolf2004]

Jan totals were:
12 no buy days
Eating Out $316
Groceries $565
Shopping $427
Misc./Entertainment $69
=$1377

Goals for Feb:
12 no buy days
Eating Out $250/$13
Groceries $450/$33
Shopping $200/$16
Misc./Entertainment/Haircut&color $160/$105
=$1050

2/1 $154, $105 Haircut/color, $16 cookbooks, $33 groceries
2/2 $13 pizza

 

[thebigkahuna]

still going for my goal of ten "no $pend" days - good thing it's only the 2nd!


Feb 1st - $10.00 gas , $4.23 Michael's
Feb 2nd -$15.65 lunch ( I *must* leave the credit card at home! Its simply too much temptation for me...I packed a lunch and everything )

 

[PeytonSdiz]

Goal = Spend $600 (or less) and have at least ten $0 days.

February 1st = $0
February 2nd = $19.80 (ordered a bunch of mailing labels because I'm almost out.)

Total so far = $19.80

$0 Days so far = 1/10

 

[Swmr359]

I have the whole weekend off!! This is the first time this has happened in a long time...so I'm going to try to make it to the weekend before I buy anything.
-------
Feb. 1: $77 Kroger, $44 Target, $50 SkinID
Feb. 2: $0

Groceries: $77/$150 $73 left
Eat out: 0/3 ($0)
Other: $94

Total:$171/$250 $79 left
0 days: 1/20

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget is a generous $525 for a short month..

Automobile $50
Eating Out/Entertainment $25 / $20 left
Insurance $75
Giving $50
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $175 left
Medical $25
Misc. $100 / $70 left
Running total of coupon savings $12.71
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2/1 Groceries $35; Misc. $30 (to do two state income tax returns online)
2/2 Entertainment $5 - bought a ticket to my niece's school talent show (she is singing in it).

My grocery budget is $50 a week for just one person. I was talking with my sister and saying how impressed I was that she feeds her family of 4 for $100 a week when I can hardly scrap by on $50. Then she said, ". . . but we eat dinner at your house at least three times a week so you are not just feeding one person on your $50." That made me feel better.

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

I'm in again for this month. Hopefully I will be better at posting. Will edit to add my budget later.


Family of 3 w/1 dog. Plus, I either cook or shop for multiple other households at different times. Everything that is purchased for the house is included in groceries. ex. paper, H&B, laundry, pet.
Plus, this will be a $$ maker month for me. I make chocolate gifts for Valentines Day.
Groceries: $550.00 (never stocked up on meat last month) So, most of this will be for meat for several months.
Gas:$200.00 A little higher than normal but we have some day trips planned.
Entertainment/Eat out: $200.00 higher than last month. Valentine/Anniv. dinner included.
Misc. spending:$50.00
Valentine's Day/Anniv. $50.00
-0- Spend Days Goal 10

02/01 $22.00. It was DH's turn to make dinner....He choose to order grinders. Does he not realize it's day 1 of this challenge....he's killing me already.
02/02 -0-

What's left
Groceries: $550.00
Gas:$200.00
Entertainment/Eat out: $178.00/$200.00
Misc. spending:$50.00
Valentine's Day/Anniv. $50.00
-0- Spend Days Goal 10[/QUOTE]

 

[Debbie]

Week 1:
Budget $225 for groceries, gas and misc.
$153/$225
1/10 $0 days

Feb 1: $0
Feb 2: $37 groceries + $35 gas and washer fluid

 

[wdwfan16]

2/2 - $0

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Well the $60 car budget is shot with the $300 towing and service bill today

1 2.26 groc
4.51 birthday card - it's a lot but it is for my son and it is his first year
living in a different city than Mom
2 300. car towing and service
10.05 groc
3 - wishing for no spend day...

 

[littlered]

2/1 0$
2/2 0$

Tomorow will not be a no spend as its 1$ Jamba Oatmeal Day. Hoping for 1$ or 2$.

 

[A.Mickey]

The words are Suze Orman are aiding me in blowing February's budget plan on February 2nd.

BUT, People first, and I know this will mean the world to her. She is worried about him being there alone too. My grandparents are the greatest people. They raised me as their own when my parents didn't want to be parents. I know someday when they are gone I won't care about the money or the budget, I will care that I was there.

Nicely said! Enjoy the time with your grandparents!

I am going to start trying this. Maybe with a group effort in motion I will be more determined.
First, I am dealing with an upcoming choice. To buy a car or try to get this one fixed. Its older and the repair we think it needs is going to cost us quite a bit....we think the head gasket is going. We keep finding a lack of radiator fluids, and on top of that it drives with a stutter and we fixed what the garage told us it was and it is still doing it...so that could be the fuel pump. So I dont know how on track I can be but I am working on paying off debts...we had a special needs baby 5 years ago and debts piled up. She passed away two years ago and I got a job to pay off that. Its been slow going and I am working on it. So I dont know that I will have much "left-over" money after paying bills but I am trying to save for a WDW 2011 trip...so I just feel I should be keeping track of spending and resist those impulses. I am figuring if I see where I spend in front of me than I know where to avoid next time.

I have no idea how you ladies are all having these small grocery budgets. We have 5 of us...dont know if that matters. I had a budget of 600 for WDW and by staying out of the stores more I saved 113 of that money. My freezer is bare so I am gonna use that money to stock pile my freezer with ground meat and chicken....I buy from a butcher in bulk and we are actually able to save better that way.

For this first month I am not going to say a $ ammount. My goal instead will be to keep a total of payoffs and 0$ days....my goal is for 10 0$ days for Feb.

So here goes....2/1 3$ Grocery
2/2 Rent paid.

As far as the grocery amount. There are only 3 of us (well and the cat), and I have been clipping coupons lately and looking for the best deal. I have a word document of the best price I have seen something for, so then I know if I am truly getting a deal. Grocery stores can be tricky sometimes, just because something is on sale, doesn't mean it is a good price.

Another thing...my DH loves PB&J and he eats two every night at work! I am really lucky that he sticks to eating PB&J. That helps the food budget .

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $145
$700...$555 left
$0 Days:1
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $250...$181 left
Gas- $150...$117 left
Eating Out- $100...$82 left
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$175 left
I always round up to the nearest dollar.

1- $69 (Groceries-Meijer &Dominick's), $33 Gas, $18 (Eating Out- McDonald's), $25 (Misc.- Taxes)
2- $0


$0 Days: 1/15: 7%
$700 Limit: $145: 21%
Month: 2/28: 7%

My savings from coupons and sales: $62.37

 

[thebigkahuna]

still going for my goal of ten "no $pend" days - wish me luck!


Feb 1st - $10.00 gas , $4.23 Michael's
Feb 2nd -$15.65 lunch, $20.00 Misc.
Feb 3rd - $10.00 gas