No Buy March

[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

 

[thebigkahuna]

March 1st - $10.00 groceries. Can't believe I forgot to get the cheese.
March 2nd - $11.70 lunch, around $10.00 for dinner <--- eating out is one of my biggest expenses - I'm trying very hard to cut back in this area.
March 3rd - $0.00!
March 4th - Around $6.00 for dinner
March 5th - $30.60 Avon (I ordered this last month, but it just came in today)
March 6th - worked late & bought dinner - $16.00
March 7th - $61.00 Wal-Mart. Evil, evil Wal-Mart.
March 8th - $15.00 lunch
March 9th - ?? Lets hope for zero......


still at 1 of 15 days....

 

[CherylA]

I had another 0 day yesterday! It hink I may achieve my no buy goal this month! yay!

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
=108.75


House Upkeep/Decorating 40.00
-7.00 furnace air filters 3/4
=33.00

Misc Spending 140.00
-20.50 NH Register newspaper subscription 3/4
= 119.50

Gifts
35.00
-10.10 fruit salad M&M farms sis bday 3/6
=24.90

Entertainment
200.00
-110.00 dinner and drinks sis bday 3/5
=90

4/9 no buy days (Mar 2nd) (Mar 3rd) (Mar 7th) (Mar 8th)
$426.15 remaining of $865 total budget

 

[hmack]

I feel behind in reporting.

I too had a spending weekend - and mine was a long weekend. At the University I work, we don't get President's Day - but we get Spring Break. So I played.


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
so-far 03/09 - $40 gas - $15 dd fundraiser


My goal is 11 no-spend days/3 down = 08 to go.

We've been having some beautiful early spring days here, so I'm hoping that my electric bill will go down. I've already started hanging out clothes on the line. (this morning I did it with gloves on, as it was only 30. but it's supposed to get into the mid 40s today).

Here's hoping for some no spend days!

I'm anxious to do my tally at the end of the month and see where my day to day spending is going.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I missed a couple days, so I'd better catch up!

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 (rounded, lost receipt) Total- $201.50.
March 7- Date With hubby $16 Red Robin, Gas $39.74, staple Groceries $30.92 and Easter Basket things $26.88 Total Today- $113.54
March 8- $0

Total Spent $520.04
# 0f $0 days- 4

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Oh the things that make me smile.

Budgeted $4.50 for parking at school last night. A student was leaving the parking lot and offered me his ticket for the balance of the evening so parking was $3 instead of $4.50.

This is a two week budget because I am paid every second Friday.

Food/Household 35.78/93.04
Pets 15.10/15.31
Transportation 3.00/34.50
Entertainment 3.19/ 9.50 shipping for birthday movie from Disney Movie Rewards

 

[dtr_angel]

I have a question, hoping someone can help me. This is the first year that I am budgeting, and I started in January. My husband and I both get paid bi-weekly (on the same day) Twice a year, we have a month where we get paid three times instead of two. April is one of those months, and I don't know what to do about budgeting for April!

 

[lougoofy]

3/4/10: $.50 snacks
3/5/10: so far $3.25 laundry and $4.22 meal at Hardee's

3/5/10: $14 haircut and tip, $9.62 Borders (gift), $9.52 drinks for at home, about $9 groceries and paper products, $4.00 gas and $40 or so entertainment OH YEAH and $3.50 girl scout cookies

3/6/10: $4? Hardees for breakfast
3/7/10: $1 newspaper and $5 or so groceries

 

[lougoofy]

3/5/10: $14 haircut and tip, $9.62 Borders (gift), $9.52 drinks for at home, about $9 groceries and paper products, $4.00 gas and $40 or so entertainment OH YEAH and $3.50 girl scout cookies

3/6/10: $4? Hardees for breakfast
3/7/10: $1 newspaper and $5 or so groceries

3/8/10: $1.50 bus fare, $2.62 taco bell, $1.95 iced coffee and just under $20 entertainment

3/9/10: $4.25 laundry and $5.29 lunch at Wendy's

 

[thebigkahuna]

I have a question, hoping someone can help me. This is the first year that I am budgeting, and I started in January. My husband and I both get paid bi-weekly (on the same day) Twice a year, we have a month where we get paid three times instead of two. April is one of those months, and I don't know what to do about budgeting for April!

I have those also, but we must be on opposite weeks, because mine are in July and December!
I try to pretend those aren't paydays & stash the money into savings. I will take out a few bucks to splurge on myself or spend foolishly, (and NOT feel guilty about it!) but honestly, I'm used to living off of 2 checks a month, so I try my best to live off the 2 checks & pretend the 3rd didn't happen


HTH!

 

[hmack]

I have a question, hoping someone can help me. This is the first year that I am budgeting, and I started in January. My husband and I both get paid bi-weekly (on the same day) Twice a year, we have a month where we get paid three times instead of two. April is one of those months, and I don't know what to do about budgeting for April!

I agree, it can be tricky. At first, I thought "great" an extra pay check I can stash the whole thing away." But for me it doesn't work that way. Some of my bills including my mortgage, auto insurance (things you really don't want to be late on) come due before my next check would arrive.

For example, my third April check comes on the 30th, but my next May check doesn't come until the 14th - but my mortage may be due on the 12th.

So, I pay ahead as much as I can - and make the "extra money" last into the next couple of months.

But I don't have it down to a science enough that I can totally budget months in advance. I would just look at your fixed bills for April, May & June and see how the "extra money" can best be spent or saved.

 

[thebeesknees]

3/1 $0
3/2 $0
3/3 $0
3/4 $0
3/5 $35 gas, $44 Dollar Tree for birthday party stuff for tomorrow, $6 lunch, $16 pictures for DD, $77 groceries
3/6 $22 groceries, $15 haircut for DD
3/7 $8 passport photo for DH, $165 Sam's Club groceries, etc.
3/8 $0
3/9 $4 Lands' End swimwear for DD

5 of 10 no-buy days so far.

 

[wdwfan16]

3/1 - $0
3/2 - $0
3/3 - $0
3/4 - $0
3/6 - $0
3/7 - $0
3/9 - $0

 

[erikawolf2004]

Goals for Feb:
12 no buy days/did 9
Eating Out $250/$237
Groceries $450/$498
Shopping $200/$450(have a $17 credit from LeapFrog coming)($100 ebay sells)
Misc./Entertainment/Haircut&color $160/$294
Goal $1050/$1479 Actual

Goals for March:
8 no buy days
Eating out $400, more than normal because we are going on vacation
Groceries $450
Shopping $400 Vacation & DD's Birthday this month
Misc. $200
Birthday Party supplies and food $100
Total: $1550 I hope to be under this, but trying to be realistic at this point.

3/1 $144, $9 lunch, $42 Whole Foods, $40 Ebay, $53 Shutterfly book from Disney trip last Sept.
3/2 $0 1/8 ($28 Macy's return)
3/3 $13 lunch out
3/4 $65, $36 gifts for Austin Trip, $5 Donuts, $24 Pizza
3/5 $222, $66 Contacts, $51 TJMaxx(new sheets), $24 Michael's B-day supplies, $22 Party America B-day supplies, $53 buycostumes.com Party supplies and Gift($34) Macys, so bummed had to return the cutest pj's because they shrank, $10 lunch, $30 dinner out
3/6 $0 2/8
3/7 $125, $10 lunch, $115 Groceries
3/8 $60, $20 Starbucks, $10 lunch, $4 tortillas, $26 Princess & the Frog
3/9 $0 3/8

 

[PeytonSdiz]

Goals = Spend $650 (or less) and have at least 15 $0 days. Also...to only eat out once this month. (Unless we go out of town to visit family, because then we basically have to eat fast food a little.)

1st = $0
2nd = $0
3rd = $94 (groceries)
4th = $0
5th = $0
6th = $17 (cookies) $31 (restaurant)
7th = $15 (car wash)
8th = $0
9th = $0

Total so far = $157

Zero dollar days so far = 6/15

 

[charming23]

Went out to Books-a-million this morning to get Chelsea Handler's new book and use my giftcard so no OOP money there. I then stopped at Walgreen's since we were out of papper plates and got some nice ones on clearance as well as cute little paper easter bags for my cousins.

Grocery/Household- $250/$172.99 Left
Gas- $50/ $29.46
Eating Out/Entertainment- $75/ $62.94 Left
Emergency/Misc- $75/$69.85 Left

Total- $450/ $335.22 Left

4/15 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

 

[Debbie]

Mar 8: $22 groceries
Mar 9: $22 groceries + $32 gas (plus DD's birthday dinner, but that comes out of a different budget, thank heavens!)

No Buy Days: 2/10
Week 2:174/250
Week 1: 137/250

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget is a tight $475 for a long month.

Automobile $50
Eating Out/Entertainment $25 / $5 over
Giving $50 / $30
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $139 left
Medical $25
Misc. $100
Easter Baskets $25
Coupon savings $13.14
_________________________________
3/1 $0
3/2 $0
3/3 Eating out $13; Groceries $2
3/4 $0
3/5 Groceries $44
3/6 $0
3/7 Giving $20, Eating out $4
3/8 $0
3/9 Groceries $17; Eating out $13

 

[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

Total Spent $520.04
# 0f $0 days- 5

 

[dtr_angel]

I have those also, but we must be on opposite weeks, because mine are in July and December!
I try to pretend those aren't paydays & stash the money into savings. I will take out a few bucks to splurge on myself or spend foolishly, (and NOT feel guilty about it!) but honestly, I'm used to living off of 2 checks a month, so I try my best to live off the 2 checks & pretend the 3rd didn't happen


HTH!

lol yes we must be opposite, mine are April and September this year
As far as the normal bills like water, mortgage, etc. I know I'll be fine since they will come out of the first & second paychecks - but just trying to figure out groceries and gas. My budget is working so well now on gas & groceries so I'm kinda frustrated, lol. I like the 3rd paycheck months because that 3rd paycheck they do not take out insurance premiums so I sock that money away since my check is larger.