No Buy January

[mmfan53226]

vegasnative - I am so sorry for your loss. Take care!

My posting for yesterday is:

$79 groceries, $60 for gas and we are left with $100.00 of weekly money, to resist tempation, I am putting 1/2 of that in the bank. After the bills were paid we were actually left with money, so I paid off a dental bill and will use that money next month to pay off DH's dental bill. Let the pay downs begin.

Today should be a no spend because we are just staying in and watching a movie. Tomorrow is laser tag and hot chocolate or sledding and hot chocolate. Sunday will be another in house day, don't even think I will get out of my PJ's.....

Yippy Skippy the month is almost over

Krystine

 

[Siouxstone]

The other day, when DS got sick, I spent $55 at Wallyworld. $23 was out of the clothing budget for some tights & new long johns for DH. (I may sneak into his closet and burn the old pairs ) The other $32 comes out of the household/grocery budget. I bought some juice, dishtabs (.63 after my coupon!), box tape & labels. I was off to a good start on the yard sale prep until DS got sick. Then DH ran out and got 2 2-liters of Sprite for DS & his tummy bug.

Yesterday consisted of a Pixar Movie Festival! Poor DS was so tired and puny feeling. It started with Cars, then both Toy Story Movies. Really, he dozed through almost all of it. Then last night, I met my friend at the coffee house and it was super packed. So, we bought our coffee and headed back to her house. It was so great to have adult interaction outside of work. And, by leaving the coffee shop, I didn't go back for a second mocha. So, $3.90 for a Mocha.

1/23-$55 planned household/clothing/groceries, $3 unplanned but covered by grocery budget
1/24-$3.90 Mocha, unplanned, but greatly needed and most appreciated!

I can't believe this month is almost gone. I keep having to tab to my Feb worksheet in Excel. Keep up the good work everyone!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

1/14 $277 (groceries, in budget)
1/15 $10 (notary, unplanned)
$32 (mailing, in budget)
1/16 $0
1/17 $0
1/18 $18 bowling (in budget)
$19 helmet/tire pump (taken from homeschool budget)
1/19 $29 (bowling league, in budget)
1/20 $13 (bowling tourney, in budget)
$10 (arcade & snacks at tourney, in budget)
$22 (McDonalds, in budget)
1/21 $0
1/22 $0
1/23 $22 (homeschool field trip, in budget)
$28 (lunch on field trip, unplanned )
1/24 $40 (4 new grammar books, planned)
1/25 $0

I didn't want to spend the money on the kids new grammar books, but I'm really pleased at how quickly they worked through their last ones and I was able to find two on half.com and two used on amazon. Today hopefully I will make $15 selling DD's outgrown clothes on CL.

 

[delmar411]

no spend day, not sure if that's technically correct as DH did have to pick up some work stuff at Office Depot but that's reimbursed right away so I'm not counting it. He just need to pop that cash in the bank tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow I'll have to spend something or other at CVS. I'm almost out of soda and I want to do a few of the deals that I didn't do earlier this week.
I'll figure out a good plan though.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I know it's not monday yet but by the end of the month I start getting all fidgety and feeling squeezed, and I start literally "blanking" on what I bought that day. Yes, No Buy Listers, the dog ate my receipt... So just to help keep me focused (I do write everything down in my little blue notebook, and I try to keep the receipts in it with a rubber band around everything to hold it together), here's the spending so far for this month (pardon the repeats!)

Jan.1 $0
Jan.2 $0
Jan.3 $147 (fix car +subway)
Jan.4 $18 (movies-Enchanted-first movie in over a year with kids, used coupon, still not budgeted for )
Jan.5 $0
Jan.6 $0
Jan.7 $168 (groceries + emergency breakfast stop at McD)
Jan.8 $61.70 (home maintenance, in budget)
Jan.9 $125 (DD's birthday party, paid in advance, under budget so far)
Jan.10 $58 (gas+subway)
Jan.11 $0
Jan.12 $0
Jan.13 $164.93 (church and groceries, in budget),
Jan.14 $94.82 (groceries, still in budget but getting a little nervous)
Jan.15 $0
Jan.16 $0
Jan.17 $214 (lowes, ow), lunch $15, publix $94.07, dinner $26. Evidently I try to save up being bad for one day!
Jan.18. $0
Jan.19 $0
Jan. 20 $48 (it should have been zero except my dizzy self forgot the gift card!!!! )
Jan. 21 $0
Jan. 22 Alta tennis renew $20, CVS $15 (I did use a two coupons and bogos )
Jan. 23 Gas $45
Jan. 24 lunch $18 (oops, already over budget here), Publix $75 (still under budget for groceries this month-I may make it!)
Jan. 25 Target $50.72 (bought 10 pairs of clearance gloves at 2.78 each, 7 are for party favors for skating party tomorrow, remaining 3 because it's FREEZING here and we need gloves), Party City 39.74 (Party supplies, still spent waaaaay too much, although I'm still way under budget for that category)

Tomorrow I have to pick up DD's cake, and if parents want to skate I'll pay for them to skate with their kid so it may go a little over. It's a small party, seven kids ice skating and having pizza and cake-we're doing the pizza and cake first so we can give them the party favors before they go out on the ice. I also found flashing orange jelly wristbands they can wear on the ice since it's a dropoff party and I need to keep an eye on them (between the two of us we think 7 kids is manageable).

I'm hoping that from Sunday on can be all $0 dollar days, but historically the end of the month is when I tend to lose a little control and start "needing" all these things....

 

[hhartill]

Is there going to be a no-buy February?

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Now if I could just get my grocery bill under control. I budgeted $300 for the month and I am over $500. It is so hard. I use coupons, make menus, and everything but for our family of 5 I am having a hard time. This is my biggest complaint every week. I read every grocery thread and follow the tips but I still can't get it any cheaper.

the groceries are tough for us too. The four of us (DH, me, DD9, DD7) drink about 4 gallons of milk a week, and that's 20/week, 100/month. That's 1/6 of my budget right there! Add about 1 gallon of OJ/week at 7.99, that's another 32 bucks a month. I do a lot of scratch cooking, too, and I make chocolate chip & pecan waffles and french toast on the weekend, and we use real maple syrup, I get the big jug at Costco, but that's another 18 bux a month. A good month is $550 for food, but over the holidays it was 1k a month (I was feeding a lot of people, tho).

Ok, I have to add a disclaimer that despite all the seemingly lard-inducing food behaviors we have we're all pretty skinny-we don't do chips or snacks (except popcorn), and I've never used trans fats, I think butter mixed with olive oil is the best cooking ingredient known to man . We go through a lot of bananas and oatmeal, I think they're their own food group in this house. You won't find ring dings or ho ho's in the house, you may, however, find cinnamon buns rising and made from scratch made with real cream and butter. You eat one and you can't move for an hour...

Ooooh, made myself hungry!

 

[paulasillars]

Is there going to be a no-buy February?

I sure hope so, I have already started reviewing my budget for February.

 

[smiller]

I sure hope so, I have already started reviewing my budget for February.

I sure hope so, too!

This is what gets me through the month!!!

 

[kandeebunny]

$0 again today!

 

[reginaastralis]

Is there going to be a no-buy February?

I am going to vote yes!

I hope to do No Buy for the rest of the year

Today was a zero dollar day, I just need to update my totals.

I also need to learn how to make an excel spreadsheet. I had one on my old computer, but I don't have one on the laptop. I just don't know how to work out the columns so it makes the numbers work for me.

 

[Siouxstone]

Is there going to be a no-buy February?

Absolutely! I'll post the thread at the beginning of next week. I'm trying to think of a Feb theme. I thought "No Buy February, now with an extra day!" or "No Buy February, with extra love!" Any thoughts?

If I post it too early, we all jump ship. Normally I post it 3 or 4 days before the 1st of the month.

 

[delmar411]

Absolutely! I'll post the thread at the beginning of next week. I'm trying to think of a Feb theme. I thought "No Buy February, now with an extra day!" or "No Buy February, with extra love!" Any thoughts?

If I post it too early, we all jump ship. Normally I post it 3 or 4 days before the 1st of the month.

hmm No Buy February..Leaping and Loving ?

 

[hhartill]

I like the loving and leaping, count me in for February. It's a good month to start, not too long.

 

[McDuck]

Vegasnative, so very sorry for your loss.

Today was a $0 day, but the two prior were not. Spent $93 (after coupons) stocking up at the commissary, and then we splurged on a king cake. I'm originally from New Orleans and I was CRAVING one! It was fresh-baked so that was $16 well spent in my book. In the GOOD NEWS side though, I did check three books out from the LIBRARY!

 

[reginaastralis]

Absolutely! I'll post the thread at the beginning of next week. I'm trying to think of a Feb theme. I thought "No Buy February, now with an extra day!" or "No Buy February, with extra love!" Any thoughts?

If I post it too early, we all jump ship. Normally I post it 3 or 4 days before the 1st of the month.

She's right! Whenever the new No Buy thread starts, I seem to think that means I can restart and forget to post on the "previous" month ... which is really the current month.

In fact, I am working on my spreadsheet for Feb already! WOOT!

And maybe I am crazy, but since I am a server and only make money on the days I am scheduled, a month with fewer days seems slightly

Oh, and guys ... I will NOT be going out for drinks with the girls tomorrow ... Seriously, if I do .. someone needs to pop on over here and smack me in the head.

 

[smiller]

Oh, and guys ... I will NOT be going out for drinks with the girls tomorrow ... Seriously, if I do .. someone needs to pop on over here and smack me in the head.

I could use a good smack in the head...














1/25 - $75.00 for dinner out with DSis and a GF.

DSis is in just as tight if not tighter situation as I am so I paid for half of her share. The food was AMAZING, the company WONDERFUL, but still SEVENTY-FIVE BUCKS???

1/25 - $1.11 at CVS for 10 bags of M&Ms and a canister of baby powder. Gave 6 bags of M&Ms to DSis. Told her to keep some of them for when I'm babysitting and playing "hotel" with the kiddos. DNephew is going to be the bellhop. DNiece will learn about turn-down service and placing chocolates on the pillows.

Tomorrow my BGF from the UP in MI is coming into town so we're going out to lunch. Another falling off the wagon moment. THANK GOODNESS I've been so diligent the rest of the month these special times out won't completely push me over the edge!

Oh, February can't come soon enough!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I could use a good smack in the head...


!

****SMACK******

Fifty lashes with a wet noodle!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Absolutely! I'll post the thread at the beginning of next week. I'm trying to think of a Feb theme. I thought "No Buy February, now with an extra day!" or "No Buy February, with extra love!" Any thoughts?

If I post it too early, we all jump ship. Normally I post it 3 or 4 days before the 1st of the month.

How about "No Buy February: If You Can't Make It Through The Shortest Month In The Year On Budget You're Screwed!"

 

[annsteere]

Jan was an expensive month--planned vacation, unplanned auto accident.

March is shaping up to be a doozie.

So, Feb will be a no buy month. I'm looking forward to avoiding impulse buying for Feb. to help me be ready for March. See you soon.