No Buy January

[5 at disney]

 

[delmar411]

Jan 2: I can post for the day since DH is already gone to work and I've got no car.

DH either just popped the $5 in gas yesterday or didn't get any at all as he was running out the door late to work mumbling about needing gas. So he at least took the speedway card so we can earn points. He'll still only put $5 or $10 in gas since he's running late.

so $5 or $10 for gas...maybe there will be a miracle and he'll actually fill up!

milk at Walmart...$2.99 for that...very poor planning on my part. I should have gotten up early this morning and gone to CVS and used ECBs.

but $2.99 is in the food budget so not the end of the world I guess.

So still on plan with nothing extra spent. There will be no online spending today either. I'm still guilting over the 10pairs of kids shoes I bought on 12-30 even though they are a great deal @ $28.80 for them all shipped and was spent before No Buy Jan!

 

[kandeebunny]

OK I did a budget!!!

$478 for car insurance (what I put away for this changes monthly, I split it in to 2 payments per 6 months, and each payment is about $900)
$100 for cell phone bill (I need to look in to cutting this back, but I use all of my options and extras!)
$250 ($50 p/w discretionary spending...gas/food/toiletries/paper products/dog food/whatever else I need)

Which IF I can manage to stick to that and have no emergencies (medications/etc) means I get to put about $200+ in savings this month. My months run the 2nd Wednesday of the month to the 2nd Wednesday of the next month. I always wait and do savings last, I know this is a bad habit and I need to make it first, but I don't have that much extra income and should I run across an emergency I need to cash available. I do not have a credit card, as I try to live off of cash only, so savings ends up last.

I am going to try doing envelopes for the $50 a week, and seeing if that helps, just sliding my debit card is too easy, if I have to hand over cash I think I will be less likely to want to spend outside of what I have allotted.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm in. We make a decent living, but it just seems like the cost of everything is going up so much that there's nothing left at the end of the month. Dh also recently started putting away much more in supplemental retirement savings, which is making things tighter on the day to day expenses.

My biggest problem is the $100 detergent. I need to just stay out of stores unless there is something I absolutely need to get. I stop by Target sometimes just to check out their clearance, and while I don't buy terribly frivolous stuff, what I do buy adds up. We need to make due with what we have.

I'm also trying to cut down on grocery bills. I'd like to make sure I get to Aldi's at least once a month to stock up on the non-perishable stuff that they do much cheaper than my normal grocery store. But it's a bit further away, and I'm always short on time.

My biggest financial blunder recently was in trying to be frugal. I thought I'd try to cut our phone bill by switching to Earthlink's Truvoice. Major, major, major nightmare, which left me running back to Verizon. Some things are just not worth the penny pinching. Long story short, we are without a telephone line for over three weeks, so I guess I won't be racking up any long-distance bills.

 

[Irin997]

Hey guys, made it through day one....$0 day!

No plans to buy anything today as I would like to go home and hit the gym. Of course, all of the people with resolutions will be crowding the gym but hopefully that will fade in a month. I don't need anything at the store, any groceries, or anything at all!

I did forget to add in my budget that I need to buy a plane ticket to Cleveland for a wedding we're going to in May, but I'm not sure if we'll be buying it this month or next month. We'll see!

My DVD player crapped out on me on Sunday which totally sucks. I have one in my room so it's not a total disaster, but it does suck that it just stopped working!

Hoping for a $0 day today!

I've also put my budget list on a small notepad and stuck the notepad with a pen in my purse so I have to be held accountable for every little penny. It's so easy to just toss that receipt and round the numbers. If I write it down I'll see exactly what I'm spending.

 

[Siouxstone]

I managed to start the year with a $0 day! But now I have to leave the warm house to go to the grocery store with weather in the 30's. I should be making my list now, but I am hoping that if I procrastinate long enough, it will maybe hit the 40's before we venture out. But I have to go out before I go to work today and it kind of bites because I had my Grocery Game list all ready to go and missed the shopping window. But, now HEB has Peter Pan PB 5 for $5. PB, milk, eggs & bread make up most of my list for the rest of the week. I may have had a nice little slice of holidays with 4 days off in a row, but now I'm not off again until the 11th. I am glad to be back to our normal routine, though. I my boys (the big one and the little one) but after 4 days of being trapped, em, I mean staying home with them I am glad to send DH back to work!

I do have some bright spots in my auto-bills. My electric/trash/water/sewer bill is only $141 this month! I think I've only seen it this low one other time! I'm so very excited. I budget $300 a month for this to help build up for the summer months when it is at 300 or just above. That's less than half of my budget!

I hope everyone has a great day!

Reginaastralis~ Happy Birthday to your Juliette! I hope you have a magical day today!

 

[Deffenm]

I would like to join. We are really trying hard to be out of debt iby end of 2008 (except for house). My DH is a SAHD so we live off of my paycheck. We do OK but we could be a lot better if I would stop going to Target "just to look". I have not made a formal budget for Jan. but here is what I know.

Groceries - $300
Basement project - $200
Gas - $450

Everything else we have are standard bills that I can't change. I really want to go to WDW in Dec. to see the Christmas lights and the only way I can do that is if I stop buying things we don't need.

I have started a coin jar and using evelopes this month so I hope to see a difference in my savings.

Jan. 1 - Spent $98 at Grocery store - part of $300 budget
Jan. 2 - $0 spend day - brought lunch to work and DH will make dinner at home

 

[mmfan53226]

Well yesterday I did end up spending $25.00 at Target, DS need boots, but I did manage to skip all of the clearance items. DH wanted to go out to watch a football game at some friends that are about 20 min away and told him no. I am budgeting gas and if they want they can come over to our house. He wasn't too happy but I didn't care. That is just an extra day of gas in the tank.

Now my DH on the other hand today is not making this a zero spend day. I had $20.00 in my purse from a return that I was going to put in the "savings" fund. Got up this morning and it was gone. He took it because his cooler was left a my brothers house so he couldn't take a lunch. I told him that was no more than an excuse. He could have "old schooled it" and took his lunch in a bag. His reply we have no brown lunch bags, only to be countered with you could have used a plastic bag from the pile we have from stores.

Because he has this habit of doing things like that, I have put together a spreadsheet to keep track of these expenses, so when he comes to me with I need money. I will give him the spreadsheet and there was his spending money.....

Hope everyone is starting the new year right and keeping to those goals!!!

Krystine

 

[momx2]

Okay, I want to join in the fun! I know it is the 2nd, but better late than never. I have my budget for the month. I am trying to limit groceries to only $400 more this month. I already spent alot on the 30th. So I am pretty stocked up. My only exceptions for January will be:

$40 for swim lessons for DD;
$100 for some essentials for mom;
$70 to join WW online for 3 months for mom also.

So far yesterday was a $0 day.

 

[kinntj]

I'm in!

Jan 1st: $0
Jan 2nd: $0

This month:
Keep groceries at $600
Eat out once a week
This weekend will pick up bathroom scale and food scale -?


I'm not drawing out our whole budget, but will post on ocassion what I spent on those days.

 

[paulasillars]

I've also put my budget list on a small notepad and stuck the notepad with a pen in my purse so I have to be held accountable for every little penny. It's so easy to just toss that receipt and round the numbers. If I write it down I'll see exactly what I'm spending.

I think this is a great idea and it might be worth trying for those that are just joining us - start writing down everything you buy/spend - then at the end of the month summarise into categories. Then you can work out what you actually needed and what was a just simply throwing money away.

So my summary for the first two days of the month -

1st - $0 - YAY but thats cheating as most shops were closed
2nd - $0
3rd - $0 but its only 8am

I also have realised that I have neglected to mention donations each month. I have a set amount that hits my VISA for my sponsored child in Bangladesh which is just less than $40/month - I don't even see it or notice it in my budget.

Then I occasionally make additional donations to a number of organisations so I'll budget $30 per month as it depends how I feel on the day - some months I do, some I don't.

What I did to save money?
1 - I got my Mum to cut and colour my hair. We also shared the hair colour so that halves the cost of that too. Estimated saving over going to the hairdresser ~ $50- $150
2 - I also got Mum to help me take in two pairs of pants at the waistband as they were far too big. One is a pair for work and one pair for around home at the weekend. Estimated saving - $40+ for a new pair of pants for work (I have enough casual wear for now).
3 - Didn't go to any shops - can't it spend if there is nothing to tempt
4 - Planned meals for the next few days (and made sure I have everything on my shopping list that I will need)

Give me strength though as I'm going to get the groceries in about an hour - I have a list and will try to stick to it faithfully. Groceries come out of the household account so aren't included in my personal budget but if I keep the cost down, we can get the renovations to the house done quicker.

 

[Katie]

Okay, I am going to try this.

It's going to be a tough one, because I am the most impulsive buyer out there.

Jan 1- $0.00 ( did not leave the house)
Jan 2- 4.00 for breakfast
5.00 for lunch


see, this might be tough, we eat breakfast and lunch out everyday at work

 

[kandeebunny]

Today (its only 3:30pm) I have spent $0 again! Granted in my mind I am still on last months money until 1/9 it just means more left over at the end of the month for savings!!! I will not be going anywhere today as I am still really sick.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

After lurking for many months, I joined the board so I could join in on the No Buy threads. I'm not sure how everything works yet, but I'll try to post my budget to the best I can figure it. I've been really good about avoiding the after Christmas sales and haven't bought anything. I do have a bad case of the "$100 detergent problem" though. That will be one habit I'll be trying to break this year, along with staying away from Wal*Mart.

What I'll spend in January aside from utilities and house pmt. are:

Property taxes on acreage - $165
Extra property tax not figured in with house pmt due to a tax increase - $250
DH work expenses - $100, hoping he will cut back on this by taking his lunch some days
Gas - $100
Prescriptions - $40
Teeth cleaning bill I owe from last month - $65
Groceries/Household - $500
Cat food - $10
Horse food, hay & wormer - $160
Horse Farrier - $50
Propane to heat the greenhouse - $200
Gifts $0 - only one birthday this month and gift is bought already
Eating out - $25 - We rarely eat out because I am paranoid about germy people touching my food, especially during flu season
Workshop Project -$200

 

[disneymom3]

I want to do this, but am so overwhelmed by it. I think I am going to watch this month, and maybe join in next month. I am 24, and have never done a budget. (I am horrible with numbers) I just know that I get $xx per month and when its gone its gone, but that hasn't been conducive to saving money for me.

ETA: I need to really cut back on impulse buys and ask myself if I *need* it not just if I want it.

On the upside I didn't leave the house today (I have strep) so I spent $0

My suggestion for you would be to very first thing set up a savings account. Ours are through ING and are linked to our savings account. They have a much better interest rate than at our bank which last I checked were below 1%. At any rate, every time DH is paid, I have a certain amount automatically deducted. What we do is round to the nearest hundred. That way we never see the money and therefore never miss it. If you are used to just spending whatever, this magically disappearing money will add up quickly for you without your realizing it is even gone, I bet.(Sorry you are sick!!)


I love the "don't buy anythign that can collect dust" suggestion!

I am trying really really hard to not get sucked into the "good deals" I see in the stores. Of course, a good way to do that is to STAY OUT of them, so that is what I am going to have to do. Anyone else feel like the Budget Board can actually make you spend MORE money somedays??

I am going to Aldi today. I have my meals--both lunch a dinner planned for the next 6 days. Big sigh of relief there! I did get lazy and got McDs today for me and the kids but that will be the last of that for some time.

I am stuck on one issue though. DD is going to a friend's house tomorrow to spend the night. Her friend mentioned that she has a Christmas gift for DD. My approach to gifts for her friends is that I have a bunch of stuff in my closet for her to pick from. Here is the problem--her mom won't let her have any AG stuff because she says the co supports abortion (they do give money to an organization that supports girls learning about themselves and whatnot but it is aimed at girls 7-10 so don't think they do too much about abortion. At any rate.....) ALL the stuff in my closet right now is AG in some fashion or other. Whether it be books, Bath and Body Works stuff, etc. So-ooo I have to figure out how to do a gift within a very low budget by tomorrow. Ugh. Ideas??

We do have a rollerskating outing with our homeschool group for tomorrow. I have decided not to go however. Mainly because of cost and the fact that I know I would end up buying something for them at the snack bar thing. Easier to just stay home. They have two other field trips this month that I have already paid for so it's not like they will be suffering.

Today I spent $12 at McDs and will spend about $50 at Aldi. I am hoping to not have to go to the store again for two weeks. (Though we will need milk in that time.)

 

[vegasnative]

I don't know if you guys are like me, but I'm glad to see January roll around.
As far as I can think of I don't have any extra expenses "planned" for this month. I'm hoping I don't get any surprises. DH's b-day is this month, but I already have his gift, I bought it in Oct.!
I'm really going to not only try super hard this month, but along with Siouxstone I'm going to try all year! We'll see how it goes.

It's so cold outside that I'm not going anywhere, so it's safe for me to post my extra spending (or non budgeted) amounts total!
Jan. 1 & 2- $0

 

[vegasnative]

Ahh, dang it. I just remembered something that I do have to get done this month, and it's something that we don't really budget for because we don't have to get it done often. But our dog needs a vaccine and needs grooming. That's about $60 for everything.....drats, I forgot about that. I started reading the thread because I'm a little behind on my reading it this month, and saw someone else mention it!

 

[eeyoresmom]

Hi everyone! January 2 -spent $20 for gas but that was budgeted so $0 really spent out of budget today ( AND found $1.25 for the" Disney fund" ) I think I put around $12-13 in there over the last few days just picking up loose change from the car, laundry room, etc. What I'm most proud of though is NOT using my credit card for gas. I did'nt have any cash on me but found a Christmas card that is DS's in my purse that had $20 in it. I used the cash then came right home and transferred $20 from my checking to his ING account. I'm going back to the envelope system this payday, it really works.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Awww, jeez. This is what happens when I post on the 'my car is malfunctioning' threads-I killed my battery a few weeks ago and despite repeated recharges, it died again this morning as I was trying to go to work. So, borrowed the in laws (very smelly and old) extra car (very thankful that they keep it around) and went to work while the battery recharged again, then brought it into the dealer because the Napa auto parts guy was like, oh, hey, that's a weird car, you need to bring it to the dealer because I don't know which one to sell you.

D'oh! So, the $60 battery ends up costing me 140 because the dealer won't just sell you one, they want to put it in, too. On top of this the kids are on winter break and I had to drag them to work for 3 hours AND the dealer for 2 hours.

They were awesome, so I treated them to Subway (cheap mommy). Looooong day for me, and I really wanted it to be $0. Oh well...

 

[iggbees]

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