No Buy January

[KarenAylwood]

I'm wondering ... how do you all handle Walmart. I am seriously considering seperating my purchases, at least for a month or so. Like, clothes, food, household ... and paying for them seperate. I know I might drive the cashier nuts, but I think it will keep me on track. What do you all do.

I personally add it all up when I get home. I separate it on the little conveyor belt by what it is (household, food, etc) and when I get home I plug the numbers into different columns in excel, hit the SUM button and use those totals. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to do.

McDuck~ Your little No Buy Destroyer looks like she was worth it! So adorable!!

1/16: $12 on eating out for lunch.

1/17: $0

I've got about $27 left in the eating out budget. But I've only spent $30 on groceries all month. I also have bought nothing for the house in terms of toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. Nothing on laundry either. Crazy. Now that I actually have to shop on the weekends, I do everything I can to avoid it.

I got my first monthly paycheck and it's bigger than I thought it'd be (although it's smaller than I thought but payroll made a mistake and is crediting me more money tomorrow since they shorted me almost $300). I plunked all I wanted in savings and other various accounts, and still had money leftover to cover my high CC bill from xmas/after xmas sales!

All I have to worry about now is this DC trip (leaving tomorrow) and my LASIK next Friday. I'll have to pay about $300 out of pocket to cover the extra expense of cutting the flap with the laser. Other than that, it's all in my FSA.

 

[neatokimmo]

I'm wondering ... how do you all handle Walmart. I am seriously considering seperating my purchases, at least for a month or so. Like, clothes, food, household ... and paying for them seperate. I know I might drive the cashier nuts, but I think it will keep me on track. What do you all do.

I spend a few minutes when I get home and put each item into it's column on the spreadsheet. It gives a really accurate picture of where the $$ is going

Today was $3.81. I bought a chicken by proxy lol Dad had to stop at the store before coming over. I think for now on I am going to get him to shop for me. He won't buy anything that isn't on my list!

 

[smiller]

I'm wondering ... how do you all handle Walmart. I am seriously considering seperating my purchases, at least for a month or so. Like, clothes, food, household ... and paying for them seperate. I know I might drive the cashier nuts, but I think it will keep me on track. What do you all do.

If possible, I try to do separate transactions. At places like Aldi it's pretty easy. Food first, household second, etc. It all goes into the same cart so I've never had a cashier get annoyed. I'm a pro at the Aldi and they appreciate it!

Some places it's harder, say at the CVS when I'm using ECBs and tons of coupons and end up with tiny totals and three different tax brackets. I try my best to divide it up with a calculator and note it in my daytimer where I keep my budget.

1/17 - $0

I successfully talked roomie out of going out tonight. Not only am I poor and worn out, it's 12 degrees out! I am going to a casual event tomorrow night, but I'm hoping to not spend a lot (if any) money.

I LOVE that I did all my grocery shopping and a ton of cooking at the beginning of the month. Now selecting food for lunch and assembling a quick dinner is a pleasure! I so have to do this next month.

 

[kandeebunny]

$0 again today!!!

$40/$250 allowance spent this month...I'm doing well. I got a bonus from expotv today so i made an extra payment on my student loan! I really don't want to pay this off for the next 4 years, I'd like it gone sooner.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

1/1 $0
1/2 $0
1/3 $53 (budgeted oil change and haircut)
1/4 $17.50 (V-day gift, unplanned)
1/5 $31 (bowls unplanned)
$65 (bike unplanned)
$8.95 (mailing planned)
1/6 $0
1/7 $0
1/8 $0
1/9 $10.70 (grocery budget)
1/10 $30 (ds game, unplanned)
1/11 $114 (Old Navy, unplanned)
$18 (McDonalds, in budget)
1/12 $39 (bowling league, in budget)
1/13 $0
1/14 $277 (groceries, in budget)
1/15 $10 (notary, unplanned)
$32 (mailing, in budget)
1/16 $0
1/17 $0

I can't join the PJ club, but I have been staying home so I got a couple of $0 days under my belt .

 

[tinkarooni]

January 17: $3.00 (unplanned ZUMBA class)
Next week I am going to start going twice a week and I will work into February's budget. Honestly this is a bargain! I feel great, and it is so much fun!

Other than that right on track. DD7 who has been so sick all week is finally starting to get better. Her fever is hovering around 99-100 so we are going nowhere yet. Hopefully Saturday she'll feel better, we have tickets to see The Lion King Musical. (Christmas Gift). It also is starting to get very cold. 14 degrees here on Sunday. BRRR!

We have been keeping the wood burning fireplace going because there is no way I want to fill the propane tank. That will be a very depressing day for me on the No Buy Thread.

Good Luck everybody!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Well, I just spent an unbudgeted $135.53 at Disney Shopping on new clothes. The good news is I probably won't buy any more new clothes for a few months, but my "no buy" January is blown. I am proud of getting halfway through the month though without spending anything, except for my budgeted groceries.

 

[kandeebunny]

Today will be another $0 day for me! I am not going anywhere...I slept less than 3 hours last night and feel awful. Being sick is no fun...but it's good for the budget!

 

[Siouxstone]

We got DH Saturn back from the garage last night. I had budgeted $500 (about $75 above the estimate) but the total came out to $291.10! Ooooh, I love it when that happens.

Wednesday, I got out of the jammies and took DS to the library. (Yep, giant octopus.) I did manage to find one of the books I was looking for- The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. I very much recommend it. It was originally published in the 1920's and every single thing still holds true today. One of the best financial books I've read, and I've been reading a ton of them lately. It's been helping in the No Buy mentality.

Today, I won't be venturing out until work. It's wet and cold. I totally feel sorry for those of you who are at the top of this system. If it's this miserable at the bottom, it must be further north! DS is bouncing off the walls because it's to miserable too even play in the yard. I hope everyone stays warm.

McDuck~ You budget destroyer is totally adorable! It must be

mrsbornkuntry~ I always look at your totals, then look at the line of your little darlings and am TRULY AMAZED! Jaw-dropping, eye-popping amazed.

The month is all downhill from here! Way to go everyone! Have a great weekend!

1/16-$0
1/17-$291.10 (budgeted $500!) for DH car repair

 

[Adi12982]

1/11 - 1/14 - $40 (traveled for school/business and had to buy my food and such, everything else was covered - coming from entertainment budget) and DH spent $45 gas (from gas budget)
1/15 - $100 (Costco, coming from grocery budget) and $20 Costco gas (from gas budget - $67 dollars left there)
1/16 - $10 (Dinner at school - was there til 8:30pm - from entertainment budget -$49 left in that budget for the rest of the month)
1/17 - $5 (breakfast and lunch at school - from groceries budget)
1/18 - $0 (hopefully writing it down will make me stick to it!!)

We have been spending, but thankfully it was all budgeted for. I did make one big purchase this month - a portable DVD player, BUT I had an American Express giftcard I got for Christmas that I used for it, so we didn't REALLY spend any money on it! My struggle has been in staying away from splurge's or the "deals" on the budget board!!

Glad to see everyone is doing pretty well!! We can do it!!

 

[Deffenm]

So far this month the only non planned items I have bought are wind shield wipers for my truck, Birthday present for DH best friend, and DH said he needs a hair cut today.

1/18/08 - $12 for DH hiar cut.

1/17/08 - groceries in budget

1/16/07 - gas in budget


We also budgeted to go out to dinner one time this month and so far we still have not gone. This has been very hard to do but with a family of 5 it was a big expense for us.

Dh and I went out for his BF birthday last weekend but his wife paid so no expense for us.

A little less then 2 weeks left in this month. Keep up the great work everyone.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Apparently I'm being very bad today. After spending the $130, whatever the exact dollar amount is on Disney Shopping, I went to Amazon, and pre-ordered three DVDs, and a CD. Though nothing is being released until Feb, and some of the stuff not until March, so I'm not being charged until then, so it's not really January purchases, and a gift card from Christmas covered most of it, which was an exemption to the "no buying," but I did go over the gift card amount slightly, about $20 over, (it was a $50 card,) but I did get some cool stuff, and some stuff I really wanted.

I pre-ordered the soundtrack to the Little Mermaid, the Broadway show, and the DVDs I got were all Disney too, the Aristocats, 101 Dalmations, and what may have become my favorite movie, and definatly my favorite of 2007, Enchanted.

 

[tinkarooni]

WOOHOO!

January 18: $0. We have not left the house. Nice and sunny but COOOLD!

Sticking to my two week meal plan means that I haven't really run out of anything and haven't had to make any unexpected trips for groceries. My husband stopped for me last sunday but I won't be going again until my regular 2nd trip on 1-23-08. That will get me through the month.

So today I'm making meatball sandwiches and home made fries along with a spinach salad. (out of the cold frame in the garden, even that will probably be frozen over the weekend so we're going to eat it all today) Needed rolls for dinner but someone ate them out of the freezer, (probably ds9 with pb&j) So instead of ventuing out I just thawed some yeast and made some myself....didn't feel like it but saved probably about $2.99 and the cost of gas roundtip about 15 miles to the store!

Sometimes you just have to pat yourself on the back!

 

[delmar411]

needed some groceries at the store today but used $42 in coupons bringing my total down to $14.xx

the kids have been going through those little oranges, clementines?, like crazy. But it's only for a little while that they are in season so might as well indulge them.

 

[HenDuck]

My attempt at no-buy January has been to avoid frivolous CC purchases for one VISA billing cycle. The rest of my personal spending has been allocated to cash and savings.

I just wish disneyshopping.com would stop sending me emails!!!

I have put stuff in my cart so many times, only to stop myself from buying anything.

This "needs vs. wants" thing is much harder than I thought.

So far so good for this billing cycle, though. No frivolous CC purchases. In fact, no CC purchases at all! Boy, the end of the billing cycle (Jan. 26th) can't come soon enough!

Good luck everyone!

 

[neatokimmo]

Today was a zero day, I donned on the uniform (eeyore pants, mickey tshirt and a sweater lol) and didn't leave the house.

I think besides getting some fruit, I am not going to grocery shop any more this month. I just can't get over what is in my house already. I am going to start in on the mystery frozen leftovers in the ziploc bags hehe

 

[paulasillars]

Friday 18th - $0
Saturday 19th - $0 (at least I'm hoping so as I have no plans to leave the house)

Total this month personal spending - $26.50/$400

We got our quote for our new conservatory and ouch, its more than double what we'd thought - we'll get another couple of quotes but looks like we need to tighten the budget a bit... to put it lightly. It wasn't until they measured the area that we realised exactly how large the patio is. Its certainly do-able just perhaps a little further away - but heck, its summer, what do we need a conservatory now for?

Robert has jumped on the bandwagon on the budgeting wholeheartedly this time and after agreeing that a monthly allowance is fine with him too is now also doing $0 days. After showing him in a spreadsheet how quickly we can achieve the household goals for maintenance with putting money aside regularly, he was a little shocked at how much of his money was just "disappearing". He's taking breakfasts, lunches and snacks to work and not buying coffees.

He's agreed to try to cut right back on all spending which even means groceries so apart from fresh fruit/veges at the market tomorrow which we will get for the week we aim to live out of the pantry/freezer for as long as possible (except for milk and maybe bread).

What I did to save money? Did another big batch of homemade muesli this morning instead of boxed cereals. Cooked lunch instead of buying which is what we used to do on Saturdays and did 3 extra portions to freeze for lunches. We are also going to be planting some more vege seeds this weekend for our autumn crop.

Nearly 2/3 through the month so stick with it everyone. If you've fallen off the wagon, its not too late to jump back on again!

 

[reginaastralis]

I just wish disneyshopping.com would stop sending me emails!!!

I have put stuff in my cart so many times, only to stop myself from buying anything.

This "needs vs. wants" thing is much harder than I thought.

I agree! I have tried to be sooooo good. I haven't bought anything yet, but my mom bought Juliette some things. I really want to pick up some panties and some pjs, but ... I've been restraining myself.

 

[kandeebunny]

OK so I ended up getting dragged out tody with Mom as she needed a new matress pad for her new bed (went from a king to a queen) and I ended up spending $20 for an ipod charger, new ear buds,, 4 headbands, eyeshadow, mini umbrella (x5 moms vday gift) and a wooden Tink picture to put pins around and frame. I needed the ipod charger and spend less on all of the above than I would of had I just gone to Best Buy and bought the charger.

This month that puts me at $60/$250 allowance

 

[reginaastralis]

HAHAHA ...

I have been online for about 45 minutes really really trying to come up with $50 worth of stuff from disneyshopping.

It's really hard!

She just has so much stuff already, that I think it's silly to buy more. I am in love with the drawf panties, and she needs new pjs, but I don't need anymore of anything else.

I even tried to buy something for myself ... and couldn't come up with anything. I think I have finally convinced myself to be a good spender. I knew it would work ... but I didn't know it would work this well.