No Buy March

[disneyorvegas]

Since I found out that DH was not tracking as he said he would, I'll make a stab at tracking his as well. Mind you, he is responsible for tracking all "family" spending. We'll have a big hit at the beginning since we went to see Mary Poppins in NYC, but the rest is when he overrides my frugalness and he wants to go out or do take out (and no, I'm not a bad cook!).

3/1 $29 beer, $42 dining
3/2 $133 dining, $30 parking, $23 gas
3/3 $10 dining
3/4 $10 beer, $7 cig
3/5 $0
3/6 $0
3/7 $38 DINING

Groceries: $0 Entertainment: $30 Dining: $223 Beer: $39 Misc.: $7 Gas: $23
Running total: $322

3/8 $66 DINING, $19 BEER
3/9 $8 dining
3/10 $0
3/11 $31 gas
3/12 $15 DINING
3/13 $0
3/14 $0 (used gc for dinner)

Groceries: $0 Entertainment: $0 Dining: $89 Beer: $ Misc.: $ Gas: $31
Running total: $

3/15 $
3/16 $
3/17 $10 dining
3/18 $
3/19 $
3/20 $75 misc. (periodic cash to ???)
3/21 $

Groceries: $0 Entertainment: $0 Dining: $89 Beer: $ Misc.: $ Gas: $31
Running total: $442

 

[flame_chick]

I picked up couponing again.. and getting everything free, and planning to resale via garage sale.. also going through items we no longer use to put in garage sale.
organization, keeping myself busy so I will not buy.. big challenge

 

[paulasillars]

I will keep a journal to see where all my money goes (not the regular bills, I keep track of those). Then, at the end of the month, I will have a better idea how to draft a budget. What do you think? I've never done a budget so I really don't know how else to come up with one. Dumb huh?

That is exactly how I started out, though I did mine in a spreadsheet. It was pretty frightening to start with actually finding out how much we were spending, particularly on eating out and "nothing" purchases.

Its taken me about a year to feel fairly confident that our monthly budgeted amounts are accurate. Some of our expenses are annual and they were very easy to forget - not any more.

Also it took a good while to lock down my categories and its a constantly evolving process with tweaking amounts and splitting or combining categories. Its made a huge difference to us paying down our debt though as I can tell you within a few $ what our expenses will be for the rest of this year.

I also found it made me more aware of the ups and downs in our bank account balances. I put a lot of our bills onto monthly payment instead of quarterly and in the case of our electricity which is 3 times higher in winter, I switched to fortnightly set payments - no big power bills come winter then.

Good luck and if you want any help, you know where we are

 

[paulasillars]

1st - $0
2nd - $0
3rd - $2 for a Cabbage Patch Kid which I will restore and sell
4th - $7 lunch
5th - $? lunch (about the same as today)

 

[Debbie]

Grrrrrr. DH has managed to spend $170 of my budgeted $700 for the month (and I know that we'll spend heavily on March Break). We have different ideas of what is essential, and what is not. Lucky for me, I have the car today and I won't be letting him use it tonight, so my fingers are crossed for a $0 day---the first this month.

 

[wall*e2008]

Grrrrrr. DH has managed to spend $170 of my budgeted $700 for the month (and I know that we'll spend heavily on March Break). We have different ideas of what is essential, and what is not. Lucky for me, I have the car today and I won't be letting him use it tonight, so my fingers are crossed for a $0 day---the first this month.

You both need to sit down and talk this out. Until you are on the same page he will feel that you are trying to control him with money and you will feel like you did when you posted. Spending and budgeting can cause huge rifts if not agreed upon.

Maybe you need to give him a certain $ each month that he does not need to tell you how he spent it. If it is gone before the end of the month, then he is out of $. If he has extra then he can save it for a bigger purchase in another month.

 

[smiller]

I also found it made me more aware of the ups and downs in our bank account balances. I put a lot of our bills onto monthly payment instead of quarterly and in the case of our electricity which is 3 times higher in winter, I switched to fortnightly set payments - no big power bills come winter then.

Isn't it too early in the morning for me to have to google what "fortnightly" means? (just learned - once every two weeks, right?)

3/1 - $15.00 Newleaf Natural
3/2 - $0.99 CVS
3/3 - $1.18 CVS

Total: $17.17/$200.00

 

[MinnieBFF]

I'm in for this month too.

Grocery shopping this week was right where I expected it - it was a replenish staples trip, but I was good in using sales and coupons. That should be my biggest "hit" of the month. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Did have an unexpected lunch out yesterday - it would have been really tacky not to join the rest of department as we were celebrating an unexpected bonus that we all got word on in the morning.

I will be at WDW for Spring Break later this month, but I think I have all of the funds saved up in a special account, so we'll see how I do on my parks budget

 

[casper_jj11]

I'm pretty proud of myself. I think this is the longest I've gone without going to the mall.

$550 groceries $9 used, $541 left
$500 gas $50 used, $450 left
$350 swim lessons for all 3 kids $200 used, $150 left
$100 playgroup for DD
$60 playgroup for DS1
$200 summer science camp for DS6
$200 summer sports camp for DS6
$160 summer soccer for DS6 $160 used
$15 DS1's first haircut
$100 DH's bday gift (not sure what yet)
$150 DS1's 18mo pictures to be taken
$300 easter presents (planning on getting DD and DS6 new bikes this year ... maybe this ought to wait til the snow goes...)
$150 spending for me (incl. kids clothes ... Gymboree is my weakness)
$150 spending for DH

Total: $2985 $2526 left

1- $0
2- $200 swimming lessons for DS6, $9 groceries, $40 DS's medical alert bracelet renewal (not budgeted but not really optional either...)
3 - $160 soccer registration for ds (budgeted)
4 - $50 gas (budgeted)

 

[albertamommyof4]

well i put yesterday at $0 a little to early lol, daughter came home with her wrecked indoor shoes so i had to go out , but i did a oopsie and never stopped at the shoes lol
So March 3- $71 at giant tiger( shoes for daughter, clearence shoes for son, and some groceries.
Also i went to Safeway and spent $12 and I.G.A. spend $13 the $71 came out of my savings that was for the trip teh $25 came out of the weekly budget. I hope next week goes so much better.

 

[Enchanted_Mama]

I'm in, too. First timer! This is the first month I am doing the envelope method, so I think I'll have a better sense of our overall spending after this month.

I'm not including our fixed expenses, only the things that I can actually control.

Ours are:

Groceries - $360 (this is a big cutback for us, I'm really trying to stop running to the store every other day for things. From now on, when we run out, we're just going to be out until the weekly shopping trip, unless it is an essential (milk).

Gas - $100. DH works from home and I only commute 5 miles a day, so we don't use much gas generally. We are planning a trip down to MD later in the month, which would require at least one extra fill up. Hopefully, $100 will cover us for the month.

Misc - $75. this one, truthfully, is going to be a stretch. Already (four days into the month), I've hit this envelope up to fund DD's class trip ($5), tickets to a school event for the kids ($10) and a baby shower gift and card ($10). I also really want to get some frames for some photos I would like to hang. I priced them out and it would be about $50 total, so I think I'm going to just buy half of them this month and wait until April for the rest.

 

[punkin]

First time out shopping this month: $57 for groceries (mostly meat). DH is going out to eat lunch today, but he claims it's a business necessity. I have no idea what that will cost me.

 

[FirstTimertoDiz]

Groceries: $360 $299.50 left
Football Registration for ds: $40
Swimming Lessons for ds: $120
Gas: $60
Stockpile (Hba, baby items, food, etc): $40
Sam's Club Membership: $35
Gardening start: $25
Hair color/cut: $40 -$50 left- misjudged that one!
Dog Food: $20
Dr. Appts: $20
Unexpected: $40

1--Groceries: $28.21 at Giant Eagle, $13.35 at Dollar General
2--Hair cut/color, eyebrow wax: $90
3--Groceries: $18.94 (dh bought while I was home sick with a stomach bug)
4--$0
5--
6--
7--
8--
9--
10--
11--
12--
13--
14--
15--
16--
17--
18--
19--
20--
21--
22--
23--
24--
25--
26--
27--
28--
29--
30--
31--


Total left for the Month: $649.50 / $800

 

[SnowWtch]

I tried to go this month without spending a lot but our biggest expenses are groceries, medical bills and medicine. That's all that's on my credit cards and it's already up to about $300 this month.

 

[punkin]

Ha. DH's lunch date canceled and he had to work through lunch. He will be home early, so nothing spent on lunch today. We are doing great!

 

[Debbie]

You both need to sit down and talk this out. Until you are on the same page he will feel that you are trying to control him with money and you will feel like you did when you posted. Spending and budgeting can cause huge rifts if not agreed upon.

Maybe you need to give him a certain $ each month that he does not need to tell you how he spent it. If it is gone before the end of the month, then he is out of $. If he has extra then he can save it for a bigger purchase in another month.

Actually it is the grocery money that we disagree on. He does a fair bit but we both make up and approve the list. He just really feels that spending time in the grocery store is fun....buys things that I feel are unnecessary-eg doughnuts, pop, cookies, granola bars-and that the budget is a bottomless pit.

 

[paulasillars]

Isn't it too early in the morning for me to have to google what "fortnightly" means? (just learned - once every two weeks, right?)

Sorry, I sometimes forget that even though we speak the same language and I understand you all perfectly that sometimes I might use words you aren't familiar with LOL - "fortnightly" has caught me out before too

I had a major spend for me today - I was working in town so bought lunch but I also stopped by the Salvation Army Op Shop (that's what we call a thrift store ) and got a pair of orange Reeboks ($11) and a cool reversible vest jacket ($4) for wearing on the cooler autumn (that's fall ) mornings.

So spend today was $23 total including lunch.

 

[punkin]

Ha. DH's lunch date canceled and he had to work through lunch. He will be home early, so nothing spent on lunch today. We are doing great!

I guess DH got hungry after all and bought 4 packs of Girl Scout Cookies (well 4 packs made it home-I am sure there are several more in his office). Besides the expense, he really cannot afford all those extra calories!

Anyway, I haven't spoken to hm yet because I was out all evening (and spent absolutely nothing) so I don't know what it cost yet.

I am going veggie shopping this morning (Korean store has it cheapest so I make a special run) and we are out of milk as well.

 

[wall*e2008]

I guess DH got hungry after all and bought 4 packs of Girl Scout Cookies (well 4 packs made it home-I am sure there are several more in his office). Besides the expense, he really cannot afford all those extra calories!

Anyway, I haven't spoken to hm yet because I was out all evening (and spent absolutely nothing) so I don't know what it cost yet.

I am going veggie shopping this morning (Korean store has it cheapest so I make a special run) and we are out of milk as well.

DH bought GS cookies and they were $3.50/box.

 

[punkin]

DH bought GS cookies and they were $3.50/box.

Thanks. I will count only the 4 boxes I know about then.

Breakdown for 3/4:
$57 on groceries;
$15 spent yesterday on girl scout cookies. (I will update when I get the full figures. );
$12 spent for food for me and the girls. We go out every Wednesday (usually somewhere cheap) because there is no time to go home and eat before DD10's fencing class and she needs some calories after school. We then have a real dinner at home. I need too start bringing sandwiches. It would be cheaper and probably better too, but it is nice to have some quiet alone time with the girls (even in a fast food joint) instead of eating sandwiches in the car.