No Buy March

[MickeyMomOfThree]

March 1 $0
March 2 $84 groceries, $109 dance tuition, $7 DH prescription
March 3 $5 Much needed HipHop Shoes (from the resale box at dance!)
March 4 $0
March 5 $0
March 6- Movie $49. Sam's Club $131. Taco Bell $14
March 7- Date With hubby $16 Red Robin, Gas $39.74, Wegman's $30.92 and Easter Basket things $26.88
March 8- $0
March 9- $0
March 10- $86 AP Test for DD15 (she better pass it!) $101.34 groceries $.50 ice cream treat (went to lunch with DD8)
March 11- $0
March 12- $0
March 13- $315.49 Mostly clothes and some groceries and lunch out with the kids and date night with hubby.
March 14- $0
March 15- $0
March 16- $0
March 17- $185.41--Dance clothes, groceries, DVD
March 18- $0
March 19- $26.97 Pizza and Wings, friends over
March 20-Paid kids for YardWork $6---Dinner out $17.79---Color Me Mine $12.96---Groceries $16.19----Total $52.94
March 21- Breakfast out $10--- Chuck E Cheese Free!!!---Toys R Us $16.51 P&TF plus preorder TS1&2---Little Ceasars $5.40 --Blockbuster $2.16---Gas $14.60 Total $48.67
March 22- $2.25 DD10 bought lunch---$20.80 Big Lots 2 pairs of Mickey Crocks for the kids---$71 groceries---Total $94.05
March 23- Gas $45.08, Sam's groceries (most will be paid back. DH runs the snack area at work and I had to resuplly it. We get it back but in the form of coins that we put towards Disney.) $50.14--- Walgreen's (Easter backet stuff) $15.98, Little Ceasars (this is like the 3rd day in a row for this. DH had surgery yesterday and all the meds have been making him not feel good and crazy bread is all that he was in the mood for.) $2.70---$9.13 fruit at Wegman's---$5.90 Toys R Us, Toy Story 1&2 on BluRay. Total---$128.93



# of $0 Spend Days- 11 PROUD OF THIS! (Trying for 15)

Total Spent $1607.84 in 23 days NOT PROUD OF THIS!

Today I think I can do it. We are going out to dinner with Girl Scouts, the kids are paid by the troop. I have a $5 Gift Card I can use or I can eat at home. Other then that I need nothing so today may be day number 12!

 

[charming23]

Would have been a $0 day but I had a craving for Subway so I got a footlong for my mom and I to split.

Grocery/Household- $250/$69.73 Left
Gas- $50/ $29.46
Eating Out/Entertainment- $75/ $30.07 Left
Emergency/Misc- $75/$29.68 Left

Total- $450/ $158.83Left

13/15 No Buy days

3/1- $41.26 Groceries
3/2- $0
3/3- $0
3/4- $12.06 Qudoba Lunch
3/5- $20.54 Gas
3/6- $0
3/7- $35.75 Groceries
3/8- $0
3/9- $5.15 Walgreen's
3/10- $0
3/11- $0
3/12- $25.68 Dinner at El Rodeo
3/13- $0
3/14- $23.12 Groceries at Giant Eagle
3/15- $39.84 Groceries and Household from Marc's and $12.07 at Kinkos
3/16- $14.99 for The Princess and the Frog
3/17- $0
3/18- $0
3/19- $0
3/20- $40.30 Marc's, $2.19 Brueggers, and $13.20 Lowes
3/21- $0
3/22- $0
3/23- $0
3/24- $5 Subway

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Would have been a $0 day but I had a craving for Subway so I got a footlong for my mom and I to split.

I have had that craving. I think they put something in the bread!

 

[iwrbnd]

Is it cheating to start now that March is almost over?

I'm in for the last days of March at least. I'm going to say the rest of the month will be a no buy for me except groceries. Do groceries count? And I've always wanted to know this...what is a reasonable grocery bill for a family of 6? I feel like that is where my budgeting goes down hill!

 

[wdwfan16]

3/1 - $0
3/2 - $0
3/3 - $0
3/4 - $0
3/6 - $0
3/7 - $0
3/9 - $0
3/10 - $0
3/11 - $0
3/12 - $0
3/14 - $0
3/18 - $0
3/20 - $0
3/24 - $0

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Is it cheating to start now that March is almost over?

I'm in for the last days of March at least. I'm going to say the rest of the month will be a no buy for me except groceries. Do groceries count? And I've always wanted to know this...what is a reasonable grocery bill for a family of 6? I feel like that is where my budgeting goes down hill!

Nope, not cheating at all---wecome!!!
As for groceries. I am no help. My kids eat as much in fruit as I see some people put as their whole grocery bill. It is crazy. I bought $9 in fruit yesterday and it will be gone by tomorrow night, no joke! And I only buy what is in season and on sale. Still. Gone.
I think everyone does it in their own way. I record everything, just like to keep track of it all. So I record groceries. Seems most people here do. I also don't do it too much on the weekend. I want to go have fun with my kids, sometimes it is free, sometimes it isn't but when it does cost it is always worth it to me. You have to find what works for you.

 

[wgwtgb]

Is it cheating to start now that March is almost over?

I'm in for the last days of March at least. I'm going to say the rest of the month will be a no buy for me except groceries. Do groceries count? And I've always wanted to know this...what is a reasonable grocery bill for a family of 6? I feel like that is where my budgeting goes down hill!

I hope it's not too late... I'm starting tomorrow (except for groceries... I would like to know how to budget that also..l. we're only a family of 4). I'm going to try to set some limits and try for a few 0 days.

 

[CherylA]

Spent the day in NYC yesterday and I am now officially over my March budget. Boo. But we did have fun...

Clothing 50.00

Groceries 400.00
- 1.00 toast 3/1
- 25.10 coffee kcups 3/1
-13.60 s&s 3/1
-21.00 School lunch program 3/4
-2.50 milk 3/4
-18.69 M&M produce 3/4
-15.50 weight watchers bars @ meeting 3/4
-27.00 Target 3/4
-31.34 Adams grocery 3/5
-118.56 Costco 3/6
-11.96 S&S 3/6
-5.00 S&S 3/5
-2.70 milk 3/9
-4.00 S&S 3/10
-14.00 hubby work groceries 3/12
-56.65 Target 3/16
-10 M&M farms 3/18
-20.00 ww bars 3/18
-16.00 GC cookies Tiff 3/16
-20.00 Girl Scout Cookies Shelli 3/18
-7.98 ice creams 3/20
= negative 42.58



House Upkeep/Decorating 40.00
-7.00 furnace air filters 3/4
-7.50 Lowes 3/21
=25.50

Misc Spending 140.00
-20.50 NH Register newspaper subscription 3/4
-10.00 car wash hubby 3/10
-1.60 rest.com gc 3/12
-5.00 izzy bangs trimmed 3/18
-5.00 Pokeno pot
-10.45 ship Proj Linus blankets 3/19
= 87.45

Gifts 35.00
-10.10 fruit salad M&M farms sis bday 3/6
-21.75 pokeno & me stuff @ target 3/18
-15.00 Easter gift zhu zhus
= negative 11.85

Entertainment
200.00
-110.00 dinner and drinks sis bday 3/5
-6.00 lunch 3/9
-9.5 lunch w hubby 3/10
-15.00 Buffalo Wild Wings w friends 3/12
-23.00 hubby and kids pizza out 3/12
-10.00 sandwich/tips scrap weekend 3/13
-10.00 hubby Chilis w/guys 3/13
-14.65 Princess & frog 3/16
-8.50 Wendys 3/20
-15.20 Plaza diner 3/22
-106.00 day in NYC
=negative 127.85


8/9 no buy days (Mar 2nd) (Mar 3rd) (Mar 7th) (Mar 8th) (Mar 11)(Mar 14) (Mar 15) (Mar 17)
negative 19.58 remaining of $865 total budget

 

[lougoofy]

3/23/10: Been spending some today- $4.50 bus fares, $7.37 club sandwich (from a diner), $2.52 white castle breakfast, $1.70 coffee, $8.21 (peddlers mall) and $11.47 wine (CVS)

3/24/10: $9.50 3 tier rolling cart and $12.74 groceries (Pic Pac)

 

[Mickey1Fan]

I know, everyone is tired of this but here is my favourite budget site for the people just joining and asking...the interactive budget worksheets are really good in my opinion.

http://gailvazoxlade.com/resources.html

 

[iwrbnd]

Okay, I just joined today and already failed! I said I didn't need to spend anymore money all month and my son just got his haircut! $13.00.

p.s. thank you to all 8th grade girls out there that are making him all of a sudden want to shower, brush his teeth, wear deoderant and (this is a new one) get his haircut!!!

 

[QVCshopper]

Went to KMart yesterday for the 1/2 off toy sale, but showed great restraint (for me!). Today was a no-buy day, so I'm at 9/10. Will try for yet another tomorrow, but I doubt it b/c we have free babysitting lined up with Grandma. Might as well take advantage...

March 01 - $21.47 Target (cat food, snacks); $6.33 AC Moore (picture frames); found .01 cents
March 02 - $0; found .27 cents
March 03 - $8.46 BK (lunch); $10.14 Wegmans (food; ice cream); $50 (gift cards for March b-days); found .45 cents
March 04 - $0; found .07 cents
March 05 - $0; found .40 cents
March 06 - $8.46 Brusters (ice cream); found .12 cents
March 07 - $5 AG Doll Fashion Show (bear); $1.50 Chuck E Cheese (ice cream); $6 Wendy's (lunch); 10.60 Wegmans (food); found .11 cents
March 08 - $16 GreatClips (haircut); found .36 cents
March 09 - $0; found .31 cents
March 10 - $42.85 Wegmans (prescription, food, lunch); 19.62 gas for car; found .16 cents
March 11 - $35.39 gas for car; $0.10 Genuardis (groceries); found $1.38
March 12 - $0; found .11 cents
March 13 - $9.51 McDonalds (lunch, coffee); $10.38 Wegmans (food); $4.23 TRU (toy for son's b-day); returned -$4.75 Target
March 14 - $24.70 Wegmans/Genuardis (food); found .31 cents
March 15 - $0
March 16 - $21.56 Disney Store (PJs, toys), $3.10 Auntie Anns, $2.68 Candy, $2 ColdStone, $7.69 QVC (gift), found .42
March 17 - $5.61 BK (lunch), $5 Monkey Joes, found .05
March 18 - $12 Wegmans (food)
March 19 - $0; found .02
March 20 - $46.74 Wegmans (food for party), $32 gas; found .96
March 21 - $10 GreatClips (haircut), $11.25 Target (chix, snacks), $11.60 Five Below (games), returned -$10.60 Disney Store, found .03
March 22 - $9.46 Wegmans (food), $92.18 Redners (food), $25.81 gas
March 23 - $20.63 KMart (toys); found .01
March 24 - $0; found .01
March 25 - $0; found .01
March 26
March 28
March 29
March 30
March 31

I'm at about $600 spending for the month, and I've found about $5.50. It's very interesting to see everything all lined up in Excel. Next month, I don't think I'm going to keep track of gas b/c I consider that more of a bill. I walk when I can...

 

[Mickey1Fan]

4/10 no buy days but I don't expect to make my ten with son and daughter in law arriving in two days.

March 5 to 18:

Transportation 32.19/17.13
Food/Household 92.30/122.76 (-29.74)
Entertainment 13.84/40.37 (-26.52)
Pets 24.15/26.80 (-2.65)
Clothing/Gifts 14.61/27.76 (-13.15)

March 19 to April 1:

Transportation: 32.48/27.98
Food 100/59.96
Entertainment 18.46/18.46
Pets 13.84/18.46
Clothing/Gifts 18.46/18.46

Coupon and Sale savings March 19 to April 1 $11.56

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

March 1 $0
March 2 $84 groceries, $109 dance tuition, $7 DH prescription
March 3 $5 Much needed HipHop Shoes (from the resale box at dance!)
March 4 $0
March 5 $0
March 6- Movie $49. Sam's Club $131. Taco Bell $14
March 7- Date With hubby $16 Red Robin, Gas $39.74, Wegman's $30.92 and Easter Basket things $26.88
March 8- $0
March 9- $0
March 10- $86 AP Test for DD15 (she better pass it!) $101.34 groceries $.50 ice cream treat (went to lunch with DD8)
March 11- $0
March 12- $0
March 13- $315.49 Mostly clothes and some groceries and lunch out with the kids and date night with hubby.
March 14- $0
March 15- $0
March 16- $0
March 17- $185.41--Dance clothes, groceries, DVD
March 18- $0
March 19- $26.97 Pizza and Wings, friends over
March 20-Paid kids for YardWork $6---Dinner out $17.79---Color Me Mine $12.96---Groceries $16.19----Total $52.94
March 21- Breakfast out $10--- Chuck E Cheese Free!!!---Toys R Us $16.51 P&TF plus preorder TS1&2---Little Ceasars $5.40 --Blockbuster $2.16---Gas $14.60 Total $48.67
March 22- $2.25 DD10 bought lunch---$20.80 Big Lots 2 pairs of Mickey Crocks for the kids---$71 groceries---Total $94.05
March 23- Gas $45.08, Sam's groceries (most will be paid back. DH runs the snack area at work and I had to resuplly it. We get it back but in the form of coins that we put towards Disney.) $50.14--- Walgreen's (Easter backet stuff) $15.98, Little Ceasars (this is like the 3rd day in a row for this. DH had surgery yesterday and all the meds have been making him not feel good and crazy bread is all that he was in the mood for.) $2.70---$9.13 fruit at Wegman's---$5.90 Toys R Us, Toy Story 1&2 on BluRay. Total---$128.93
March 24 $0!



# of $0 Spend Days- 12 PROUD OF THIS! (Trying for 15)

Total Spent $1607.84 in 24 days NOT PROUD OF THIS!

 

[Debbie]

p.s. thank you to all 8th grade girls out there that are making him all of a sudden want to shower, brush his teeth, wear deoderant and (this is a new one) get his haircut!!!

The only problem with this is that the showers get longer and longer. They might just as well stay in there all day!

 

[Debbie]

Mar 22: groceries $5
Mar 23: DH bought chips for himself + mac and cheese that we did not need $5
Mar 24: DH and groceries (he DOES love to shop) $8 + gas $32

Budget for week 4 200/250



No Buy Days: 7/10
Week 3: -52/250
Week 2: 81/250
Week 1: 137/250

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $498
$600...$102 left
$0 Days:9
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $300...$32 left
Eating Out- $100...$12 left
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$72 left
I always round up to the nearest dollar.

1- $0
2- $8 (Groceries-Jewel)
3- $7 (Eating Out-McDonald's), $2 (Groceries-Jewel), $1 (Groceries-Walgreens)
4- $36 (Groceries-Meijer) $16 (Eating Out-Ikea), $59 (Shopping-Amazon Aaron Needs a Toddler Bed, he is almost 3!!)
5- $6 (Eating Out- Mario's), $1 (Groceries- Jewel)
6- $6 (Eating Out- McDonald's), $23 (Groceries- Joe Caputo), $10 (Groceries- Aldi), $13 (Groceries-Jewel), $2 (Shopping-Dollar Tree, for 2 Sunday Papers for the coupons!)
7- $0
8- $0
9- $2 (Eating Out- Wendy's), $18 (Groceries-Jewel), $6 (Groceries-Target)
10- $12 (Groceries- Jewel) They have had some great catalina's with sales going on and I keep rolling them! Saved $120 dollars on today's shopping trip with my coupons and cats! Paid $12 and got $13.50 in cats back! All that shopping in March has paid off! $7 (Groceries- Meijer)
11- $0
12- $0
13- $21 (Eating Out- Portillo's), $7 (Groceries-Walgreens), $3 (Groceries-CVS), $4 (Shopping-Dollartree), $7 (Groceries-Dominick's)
14- $24 (Eating Out- Fuddrucker's), $20 (Groceries- Target), $22 (Shopping-Target)
15- $0
16- $4 (Eating Out- Wendy's & DQ), $4 (Groceries-Jewel), $2 (Shopping-Family Dollar Easter Basket and goodies), $12 (Groceries-Target)
17- $0
18- $0
19- $10 (Groceries-Jewel), $14 (Groceries-Meijer)
20- $8 (Shopping-Toys R Us, got my copy of PATF, the blu-ray combo pack and pre-ordered TS 1 & 2), $3 (Groceries-Jewel), $17 (Shopping-Wal-Mart), $8 (Groceries- Walgreens), $6 (Shopping- Dollar Tree) Done with stuff for Aaron's Easter Basket!
21- $19 (Groceries-Joe Caputo), $4 (Groceries-Aldi's), $2 (Groceries-Jewel)
22- $0
23- $18 (Eating Out- McDonald's), $3 (Groceries-Jewel), $6 (Shopping-Toys R Us for TS 1 and TS 2)
24- $2 (Groceries- Dominick's), $13 (Groceries-Walgreens), $xx (Shopping-Oil Change)


$0 Days: 9/15: 60%
$600 Limit: $498 : 83%
Month: 24/31: 77%

My savings from coupons and sales: $1002.98 Will I break $1,000 for this month?!?! I did it!

 

[lougoofy]

3/24/10: $9.50 3 tier rolling cart and $12.74 groceries (Pic Pac)

same day: $1.00 cappucino + 25cents given away

 

[hmack]

03/01 - 7.50 - school lunches for youngest dd
03/02 - 0
03/03 - $30 gas - $56.59 between Walgreens, Shaws & Hannaford.
03/04 - 0
03/05 - 0
03/06 - $30 gas - $37 Burlington Coat (but I got both my oldest DD's semi-formal dress and my youngest's easter dress) + $76 TJ Maxx (spring clothes) = $113 clothes - $13 Tim Hortons for lunch - $8 groceries
03/07 - $96 weekly groceries (pretty good for me), $13 Cold Stone Ice Cream
03/08 - $17 meeting DH for lunch, $6 groceries, $7.50 school lunch
03/09 - $40 gas - $15 dd fundraiser - $14 new book (this month's book club book)
03/10 - 0
03/11 - $36 - groceries (did some pantry stocking up with coupons)
03/12 - 0
03/13 - gas $40, groceries $14, gelato fiasco (the splurge) $41
03/14 - groceries $90, ydd school lunch $5, sent away for a certified copy of odd's birthcertificate $10.
03/15 - 0
03/16 - $9 - Walgreens, $30 gasoline
03/17 - 0
03/18 - $3 - groceries, $37 for three Threadless Ts (one for me and one for each girl's Easter gift)
03/19 - $38 - DD's athletic fee, $27 - treating dh to dinner
03/20 - groceries - $33, Gap & Old Navy, $111 (and that's with the 30% off coupon) - gas $40
03/21 - groceries - $81
03/22 - school lunches - $5
03/23 - $9 - special prizes for my class
03/24 - 0


11 goal - 8 accomplished = 3 more to go.

 

[summersalt]

March 01 - $0.00
March 02 - $0.00
March 03 - $19.74 Groceries and Birthday Gift
March 04 - $0.00
March 05 - $0.00
March 06 - $236.32 Groceries, Gas and Household items
March 07 - $80 Love Offering at Church, Motorcycle Gas for DH, and Movies for DD
March 08 - $0.00
March 09 - $0.00
March 10 - $190.00 Groceries
March 11 - $3.95 Juice and Popsicles for sick DD.
March 12 - $0.00
March 13 - $38.08 Medicines
March 14 - $0.00
March 15 - $10 school supplies, $30 hair products and cosmetics, $34 gas
March 16 - $0.00
March 17 - $0.00
March 18 - $0.00
March 19 - $0.00
March 20 – $74.40 eating out and gas
March 21 - $0.00
March 22 - $14.74 groceries
March 23 - $10.71 groceries
March 24 - $0.00
March 25 - $103.03 groceries, $10.71 a bundt pan! (yay!)