No Buy March

[CherylA]

Still keeping track even though I'm over budget...

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
-40.00 Shop Rite/S&S 3/24
-6.00 Jerrys 3/25
= negative 88.58



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 65.58 remaining of $865 total budget

 

[wgwtgb]

So today is the first day!! Didn't stop for the $1.50 coffee I ususally get in the am. But I forgot my lunch at home, so I'll have to get something. Hoping that is it for today!!!

 

[charming23]

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

14/15 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
3/25- $0

 

[thebigkahuna]

March 1st - $10.00 groceries. I forgot 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 - $16.00 worked late & bought dinner
March 7th - $61.00 Wal-Mart. Evil, evil Wal-Mart.
March 8th - $15.00 lunch
March 9th - $5.00 lunch, $13.00 movie & snacks
March 10th - Zero Spend Day!!!
March 11th - NO SPEND DAY!! (good thing I got one more in too....before the storm that was this weekend)
March 12th - $11.30 present for a friend, $37.70 lunch (I was captive waiting for the car, which brings me to...) $122.99 car repairs, $64.00 rental car.
March 13th - $15.01 gas for rental car, $181.51 car repairs (yes, the same car) $18.30 post office, $11.76 lunch.
March 14th - $20.04 gas, @47.00 at the Grocery store.
March 15th - $21.69 Petsmart
March 16th - ZERO SPEND! woo hoo!
March 17th - $7.44 Post Office, around $13.00 Misc. items
March 18th - $8.60 Breakfast, $16.50 and $15.98 @ the mall on lunch, $182.00 car repairs (not un-expected, i've known about it for a week, but certainly not budgeted!)
March 19th - $7.33 lunch
March 20th - $4.00 lunch
March 21st - $5.61 fast food dinner
March 22nd - NO SPEND!
March 23rd - NO SPEND!!
March 24th - NO SPEND!
March 25th - 1.25 on a soda from the vending machine (dagone sugar addiction )

NO $pend days = 7 out of 10 ! WOO HOO!
__________________

 

[jensen]

This sounds like an interesting group... so, I'll join in here... of course, my month is shot already because I took a week of unpaid leave for vacation... I had money in savings to pay for it until... DH hit a deer and we paid a $250 auto deductible and our basement flooded.

But, maybe this will help me recoup those costs through savings in other areas.

 

[MommyBell08]

3/15-$0
3/16-$18.61 Princess and the Frog (is this necessity?)
3/17- DH $16.91 for wine
3/18-$5 train ride for the family
3/19-$0
3/20-$0
3/21-$0
3/22-$0
3/23-$11.78 for Toy Story and Toy Story 2, $68.04 gas, $6.41 CVS, DH-$36.02 Gas
3/24-$0
3/25
3/26
3/28
3/29
3/30
3/31

$0 days-6
Gasoline-$100.03
Non necessities-$58.71
__________________

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget is a tight $475 for a long month.

Automobile $50 /$2 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $25 / $5 over
Giving $50 / $10 left
Groceries/Household Goods $200 / $42 left
Medical $25 / $15 left
Misc. $100 / $48 left
Easter Baskets $25 / $1.50 over
Coupon savings $54.89
_________________________________
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
3/10 Misc. $23 (haircut and printer ink)
3/11 Auto $26 for gas; Easter baskets $2
3/12 $0
3/13 Groceries $40
3/14 Giving $10; Misc. $10 (ordered a flower for Easter from kids club at church)
3/15 $0
3/16 $0
3/17 Misc. $7 for craft supplies; Groceries $7; Easter Basket stuff $13
3/18 Groceries $30; Easter Basket stuff $4.50
3/19 $0
3/20 Groceries $20; Misc. $10
3/21 Giving $10 (church collection); Misc. $2
3/22 $0
3/23 Auto $22 for oil change & filter; Easter baskets $6
3/24 $0
3/25 Medical $10

 

[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
March 25-$0



# of $0 Spend Days- 13 PROUD OF THIS! (Trying for 15)

Total Spent $1607.84 in 25 days NOT PROUD OF THIS!

 

[lougoofy]

same day: $1.00 cappucino + 25cents given away

3/25/10: $3.39 latte, $1.50 bus fare, $2.25 laundry and $1..47 sour cream and chives potato (wendy's)

 

[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
10th = $68 (groceries)
11th = $0
12th = $0
13th = $0
14th = $8 (fast food for my husband)
15th = $0
16th = $212 (grocery store, target, walmart)
17th = $0
18th = $150 (hardware store and Costco)
19th = $0
20th = $269 (pet store, restaurant, haircut, groceries. Most was at the pet store because we needed a new kennel for our dog.)
21st = $64 (hardware store)
22nd = $12 (grocery store)
23rd = $0
24th = $0
25th = $100 (grocery store)

Total so far = $1040 (WAY over budget. Oh well. There's always next month, right?)

Zero dollar days so far = 14/15

 

[MommyBell08]

3/15-$0
3/16-$18.61 Princess and the Frog (is this necessity?)
3/17- DH $16.91 for wine
3/18-$5 train ride for the family
3/19-$0
3/20-$0
3/21-$0
3/22-$0
3/23-$11.78 for Toy Story and Toy Story 2, $68.04 gas, $6.41 CVS, DH-$36.02 Gas
3/24-$0
3/25-$0
3/26
3/28
3/29
3/30
3/31

$0 days-7
Gasoline-$100.03
Non necessities-$58.71

 

[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
03/25 - $25 Walgreens (shampoo, lotion, body wash, toothpaste, egg coloring kit & cold medicine)


11 goal - 8 accomplished = 3 more to go.

 

[dtr_angel]

Goal - 10 no buy days - 10/10 so far
Budget
$200 - groceries/food - $2.27 left
$150 - gas - $31.66 left
Misc - $30 - $1.61 left

3/16 - $6.65 food
3/17 - $2.54 food
3/18 - $2.44 food
3/19 - $0!
3/20 - $32.16 groceries
3/21 - $0!
3/22 - $0!
3/23 - $0!
3/24 - misc 1.69
3/25 - groceries 3.59

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $524
$600...$76 left
$0 Days:10
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $300...$32 left
Eating Out- $100...$12 left
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$46 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), $26 (Shopping-Oil Change)
25- $0


$0 Days: 10/15: 67%
$600 Limit: $524 : 87%
Month: 25/31: 81%

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

 

[QVCshopper]

Hi Ladies! I love the no-buy month... it's fun! Anyway, I have a question. Do you track gas for your car? I think some of us do and some don't--which is fine. Just wondering about your logic. I am this month, but don't think I will next month. It's more something I need, versus a want. I have been walking to pick up my kids from preschool about 3x/week--it's about a 1 mile walk each way. And, we've been home more b/c I haven't gone shopping as much. Thanks!

 

[A.Mickey]

Hi Ladies! I love the no-buy month... it's fun! Anyway, I have a question. Do you track gas for your car? I think some of us do and some don't--which is fine. Just wondering about your logic. I am this month, but don't think I will next month. It's more something I need, versus a want. I have been walking to pick up my kids from preschool about 3x/week--it's about a 1 mile walk each way. And, we've been home more b/c I haven't gone shopping as much. Thanks!

This is my first month not tracking gas and I really prefer not tracking it. I have been able to stay on track with my budget and when I need gas I don't have to stop at the store and spend money. When I needed gas before since it was ruining my no buy day I would go out and buy stuff. Now too if I see a low price on gas I just go there and get some and I don't have to worry as much about it. Also, since I use percentages filling up my gas tank would cause a huge spike in my percentage since I would be spending $30-$40 on gas.

 

[dtr_angel]

Hi Ladies! I love the no-buy month... it's fun! Anyway, I have a question. Do you track gas for your car? I think some of us do and some don't--which is fine. Just wondering about your logic. I am this month, but don't think I will next month. It's more something I need, versus a want. I have been walking to pick up my kids from preschool about 3x/week--it's about a 1 mile walk each way. And, we've been home more b/c I haven't gone shopping as much. Thanks!

I was thinking about that too. I budget $150/month for gas, but there isn't anything I can do about it if we need more than that. We luckily don't have to drive far to school and work, but walking for either of us is not an option anywhere, so I was also wondering to myself why I track this when it's out of my control. Gas just went up, so now I'll be paying 3.05/gal for premium. Luckily my tank lasts a long time now (usually around 3 weeks) but my husband drives our Jeep Cherokee and his tank only lasts about 10 days, and he only drives to work and back (about 7 miles) eek!

 

[charming23]

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

15/15 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
3/25- $0
3/26- $0

 

[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!)
March 26 - $0.00

 

[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
3/10 $185 passports for DH and DS
3/11 $0
3/12 $99 Target household items, $14 Dollar Tree cards & snack items, $19 Sunflower Market fresh produce
3/13 $25 Target, $45 Safeway - hit the cereal stock up sale and got dairy items
3/14 $0
3/15 $83 pay medical bill
3/16 $13 Dollar Tree frozen vegetables & sympathy cards, $20 King Soopers cheese/Rx, $10 Goodwill 2 new dresses for DD & 1 shirt for DH
3/17 $0
3/18 $15 Walmart crafts for DD's party next week
3/19 $0
3/20 $80 Safeway groceries & gift cards for DSis' birthday, $45 King Soopers groceries
3/21 $35 gas
3/22 $50 Target stuff for birthday party next weekend, birthday gifts for DNieces
3/23 $27 Post office mailing birthday packages, $45 Target summer clothes DD
3/24 $0 We are snowed in and it is still coming down, so no shopping today!
3/25 $43 Walmart shoes for DS, groceries
3/26 $0

11 of 10 no-buy days so far!