No Buy January 2010

[catinthehat35]

I am joining the no buy bandwagon. I really need to try hard to keep track of my expenses and keep on budget. Maybe this thread and all of you will be the motivation and support that I need.
No buy days: Goal 15
Car payment $165.00
Gas $75.00/month (approx- 1 tank per week)
Food: 150.00 per month (I pay 1/2 of grocery bill)
Entertainment/Eating out: $50 monthly allowance
Car insurance and other monthly bills: $250.00

Jan 1: $0
Jan 2: $62.00 Computer cord $21.00 Lunch out.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I don't know if I will get here daily, but I am doing this on my own as my New Years resoluton (well, one of 3 resolutions.) I like the idea of starting though.
January 1st $0!
January 2, I am mad at myself, but since you can't get it back I am moving on. I spent $8 on VHS tapes. My DD15 BFF was in Disney this past week with the school band. They were in the Citrus Parade and called to ask us to tape it. I had no tapes and ran to Walmart. All they had was a 5 pack. Wish I had more time to look for a single tape, they used to have them for $1. This I am not upset about though, it is a once in a lifetime for her and I would want to have it if it were my kid too. While there I let the kids get a movie at Redbox and each a Kid Cuisine. ($4 total) Also not mad about this, a pretty cheap afternoon treat on the last few days of vacation.
However, DH had a busy day out with friends today and works tomorrow, then back to a crazy week again so we decided to both take our DD10 to basketball and then go to breakfast. I don't really like breakfast, he loves it. I was hoping for McDonald's $1 menu, he wanted a real breakfast. I wish we hadn't spent $14 on breakfast. I make him a hot breakfast 6-7 days a week including steak and eggs on Mondays, this was kind of a waste. I liked the time with him, but we could have done it far cheaper. Anyway, moving on...tomorrow should be another $0 day (I hope) so it should make me feel better and move on.
I seem to save so much better on our Disney years, so I am trying to get back in to the "We are going in 11 months" mode of saving.

 

[preschoolmom]

I'm in. I was really bad in 2009... And DH's year end bonus didn't really happen... So... Now we're going to have to be super good this year, so we can save for things like property taxes and our spring Disney trip, and build up our emergency fund, and I'd really, really like to relocate - so we'll need to work on this house a little bit and save for a new down payment and relocation expenses (just in case it really happens)

Anyway - Too much information, but I'm in.

1/1 - $0
1/2 - $0

 

[smiller]

We are closing on our new house next Friday, so we are really going to have to stick to our budget. This may be a good place for me to find help and encouragement.

Congratulations of the new house!

I had a fantastic shopping trip at Whole Foods today - saved 32% on my groceries with coupons!

Bought 18 items, used 19 coupons, saved another $0.20 by bringing my own bags. Got lots of organic dairy, some pasta, and a couple other fresh and pantry items. Need to do some cooking tomorrow!

1/1 - $0
1/2 - $38.84 Whole Foods

$38.84/$202.78

 

[ssdeverell]

My budget for this month:

Groceries/Household $300 ($168.24 left)
Lunches Out at Work $40 (we go out on Friday each week)
Entertainment/Eating Out $125 ($119.52 left)
Gas (me) $250 (I drive 2 hours a day for work)
Gas (DH) $100
Clothes $25 ($13.25 left)
DS's birthday present $55

1/10 $0 days

Dec. 31: $109.27 groceries, $11.75 tights for DD
Jan. 1: $0
Jan. 2: $22.49 groceries for sick Mom/birthday cupcakes for the dog; $5.48 KFC for sick Mom; also had lunch out, but had GC to cover that

 

[eeyoresmom]

Ooooo, have fun Eeyore'smom! We are about an hour away from NOLA so we have done many of those things regularly but this summer we are taking a cruise from NO and plan to spend a few days after we get back just playing tourist in our town. I want to do a cemetary tour also and breakfast at Cafe du Monde is not to be missed!! The beignets are delicious!!

If you are a gambler, they also have Harrah's Casino by the aquarium. The zoo is nice also if you like outside activities. You can ride a riverboat from the zoo to the aquarium if you like. Thats something I have alwasy wanted to do. Dont forget to ride a streetcar on St Charles Ave!! Hope you have a great time and come back often!!

Our hotel is very close to Harrah's so I'm sure we'll check it out. Will definately be riding the St. Charles streetcar too. Thanks for the input.
Ok, DS lost a Netflix movie so I had to pay $14 for that. I'll count that as a spending day so:
No spend days: 0/15

 

[Goofygirl17]

Not such a good start- but it will smooth out now that vacation is over.

1/1 $30 went to the movies as a family, used gift card at Border's, got candy for the movie for free at CVS

1/2 Took the kids skiing-probably about $200 total- but this was a planned birthday party for my nieces

 

[delmar411]

1/1 = $75.88 ($25/$700 food/household/gas , $50.88 from planned spending)
1/2 = $0
1/3 = $0 still too cold to go anywhere or do anything, I might have DH bring home milk on his way home from work so this might not be a zero day after all.

 

[charming23]

Too cold to go out and do anything today and I also have a cold and feel miserable.

I have a goal for 15 $0 days

Grocery/Household- $300 (still working the pantry challange)
Gas- $50
Entertainment/Eating Out- $50
Emergency/Misc- $100

Total for January- $500

I do have a huge execption this month and it is my Grandmother's 90th birthday. Still not sure how we are going to celebrate it yet but I will not be including it in this budget.

1/1 $0
1/2 $0
1/3 $0

 

[eeyoresmom]

That sounds like a good list!

NOMA (NO Museum of Art) is having a special Disney exhibit until March. It focuses on the history of Disney animation and also has a big section on the new movie, The Princess and the Frog. I went once already and plan to go again at least once. NOMA is in City Park, which is also nice to walk around in - lots of live oaks and some ponds with stone bridges.

Which IMAX show are you thinking of? Hurricane on the Bayou? It's well done and informative; some parts are hard to watch.

Mardi Gras World is good if you want to know about the history of Mardi Gras and see some of the floats they use, as well as how they make them.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it too.

Thank you so much for the NOMA info! We'll definately add that to our list. The hurricane IMaxx is the only one we know of. Is there another?

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $133
$700...$567 left
$0 Days:1
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $250...$181 left
Gas- $150...
Eating Out- $100...
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$136 left
I always round up to the nearest dollar.

1- $0
2- $14 (Norton Anti-virus Shopping), $50 (Shopping, Wal-mart and Meijer-Comforter, scale, rechargable batteries and battery pack), $69 (Groceries-Meijer)

My Savings from coupons and sales: $78.81

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Thank you so much for the NOMA info! We'll definately add that to our list. The hurricane IMaxx is the only one we know of. Is there another?

http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/imax/now-showing It looks like there are a bunch.

Coming Up (Jan. 15 - March 4, 2010)
10 am Fly Me to the Moon 3D 2 pm Hurricane on the Bayou
11am Dinosaurs Alive 3D 3 pm Dinosaurs Alive 3D
12 pm Wild Ocean 3D 4 pm Hurricane on the Bayou
1 pm Fly Me To the Moon 3D 5 pm Fly Me to the Moon 3D

http://www.noma.org/dreams.htmlhttp://www.noma.org/dreams.html

That's the link for the NOMA exhibit.


I hope today will be a $0 day.

 

[ILUVPOOH1]

Ok I'm in this month/year! I've always wanted to join this thread. You know that movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic"? Well that could have been based on me! LOVE to shop.
Anyway I'm not working now (my own choice, wanted a break). DH makes plenty, but it still would help if I could curb my shopping.

DS turns 16 this month, already have most of his gifts, but dinner out will be $$. DH has a b-day on the 28th, bought his gift yesterday.

So far for me:

1/1 $0
1/2 $200 on DH gift
$80 on new shoes
$ 130 on jumpstart Christmas shopping for next year (hit a great sale)

not really starting off too well here. Hope to get better!

 

[Shmily1]

1/1--groceries/household stuff--181.53 (includes baby stuff DGS needed)
1/2--$0!!


Total number of $0 days--1
(Got to get more than that out of it!)

 

[kbheap]

I'm in until the 23rd. DH and I are going to New Orleans for 5 days for our anniversary from the 23rd to the 27th. I'll bring $100 for misc spending, but I will spend more if I want to since this maybe a once in a lifetime trip(cash only though, no more cc debt!) My goals for this month: $320 for both gas for my car and spending, 15 no spend days until the 23rd (not including gas). Ok, so I spent $10 on a used video game today for DS and got him a pretzel at the mall so:
Jan 1: $13

It's a shame you are not staying a few more days. The Mardi Gras Parades won't really get started until the end of the month. That would have been something fun to do for you and free! The parades are always awesome to see.

 

[kbheap]

I'm in. I have been watching for a while but little purchases between myself and DH have gotten out of control.
I have set aside a budget for myself and DH and hopefully we can stick to it. We have never budgeted before so this will be hard for us but we are going to do it with the help of all of you.

$240-Gas - 1 fillup per week for DH - 1 fillup every other week for me
$200-Groceries/diapering - I stocked up on lots of things before the holidays so grocery bill should be less this month
$100-Entertainment/eating out/gifts (my nephew turns 5 this month)
15 - $0 days
------------------------
1/1-$0 - off to a good start
1/2-$14 diapers($186 left in budget)
1/3-$0

 

[mmfan53226]

I have been just a "looker" on the boards for the past year. But after the holiday's I really need to get back in the grove of things.

My main goal, the first 2 weeks is stick to my weekly budget which is:

Food ~ $100
Gas ~ $80
Spending ~ $50 (which I have budgeted but I am not planning on spending, I would like to save this money)

After that I really want to work on getting money over to savings. I have gotten out of my routine of using cash and have started to buy things I really do not need.

Here is to keeping me honest.

Krystine

 

[kinntj]

Looking at expenses for the first week. This week will be the worst, since we have gymnastics and dance both due. Dance is covered for this month and gymnastics is covered for 2 months.

1/1 - $0
1/2 - $0
1/3 - $127, dog food, and $20.00
1/4 - $150 for gymnastics DD7
1/5 - $0
1/6 - $33.00 for dance DD5
1/7 - $0

My goal for this coming week is not to eat out. I'm trying also to cook 3 meals from scratch (not processed food) this week.

 

[tinkryansmom]

And so it begins...LOL

$40.85 for DNiece BD gift - had it monogrammed + add shipping = $10 over budget.

But I did not buy the cute shoes! So thats something right??

Back to the laundry and cleaning.

 

[wdwfan16]

1/1 - $0
1/3 - $0