No Buy May! Welcome old and new savers!

[DisneyCrafter]

Does anyone have realistic goals for a first time budgeter?

It's me and my two DS's age 10 and 14 ... they eat a lot. Growing boys.

I have never really had a budget for expenses so I could use some help!
I can't imagine spending only $50 a week on groceries but I don't know what a money concious amount is?

Thanks for any advice.

WDWO

I don't know how much assistance I can offer you but I suggest making your meal list BEFORE you go to the grocery store each week. I didn't do this at first when DH and I got married and I was spending $100 a week on groceries. (for only 2 people!!!) Now we spend between $40 and $50 a week. Also, do you shop at only one grocery store? I suggest pricing out the different grocery stores in your area to get the most food for your $$. For example, I buy produce and deli meat at one grocery store and dairy products at another. The savings is substantial every week. Then again, I have more time on my hands than I used to so I can spend the couple hours every week that it takes to go to multiple stores. It seems as though one of the biggest things you can benefit from is a budget for eating out. DH and I used to spend almost $400 a month on eating out! I am shocked by that number. It was totally unnecessary and didn't fit our incomes at all.

 

[SunnieRN]

May 1: $0
May 2: $39.78 Groceries

1/13 $0 days!!

 

[MomToOne]

Another zero day, thank goodness. Unfortunately tomorrow won't be, since I need gas. So I'll probably throw in some birthday party shopping too - but that was all included in the budget so it's cool.

(Due to my unique form of budgeting, my "month" runs 4/26-5/30)
4/26 $0
4/27 $0
4/28 $0
4/29 $16 Field Trip Fees
4/30 $44 Dinner Out
5/1 $31 DL Renewal, $26 Target, $14 FoodsCo, $2 Oroweat Bakery Store, $30 Cash to "Summer Fun" Envelope
5/2 $0

Total Spent - $163/800
No Spend Days - 4/20

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Oh wow I need to do this. I don't want to even think about what I have spent just this weekend on take out and such.

So I am at $225 already and it's the 2nd!

We eat out waaaaay too much. My 14 year old DS was hungry last night a few hours after dinner and cold stone and wanted pizza! Wowza.

Ok so I read that around 10 days was good for a first timer so I am going to stick with that for this month. That will mean packing lunch for my boys some days and that will be a challenge (but add up since lunch is like $3 now!)

What is a reasonable budget for a mom with two boys age 14 & 10 who eat me out of house and home?

I really need help with this as I have no clue.

Feeling like I should do 12 days.

Help! Advice!??

Thanks!

I really don't know how to say this with out it coming across as snarky. Please please understand that I am by no means trying to do that...

If my son was hungry after I took him out to dinner and ice cream, you would bet your bippy that he would be making himself a sandwich, bread and water, or oatmeal. It is really hard to break that cycle though.

I think that 12 days is too many for you. First, take lunches out of the mix. If they are used to eating lunch at school, add it up and put it in a budget. Just don't give them any extra. If you do, that would be your overage.

As for a budget, if you are going to go out and let the food sit and not use it, you are wasting it also. It is a very hard committment. I am sure you can do it, but I would recommend making a meal plan first for 1 week. Purchase the groceries for that week and see if you stick with it. Then you can go to the next week. No need to stress yourself out by doing a whole month. Take it one day at a time and you will be fine. I promise. Once again, if this comes across snarky, I am sorry!!

 

[wdwobsessed]

I really don't know how to say this with out it coming across as snarky. Please please understand that I am by no means trying to do that...

If my son was hungry after I took him out to dinner and ice cream, you would bet your bippy that he would be making himself a sandwich, bread and water, or oatmeal. It is really hard to break that cycle though.

I think that 12 days is too many for you. First, take lunches out of the mix. If they are used to eating lunch at school, add it up and put it in a budget. Just don't give them any extra. If you do, that would be your overage.

As for a budget, if you are going to go out and let the food sit and not use it, you are wasting it also. It is a very hard committment. I am sure you can do it, but I would recommend making a meal plan first for 1 week. Purchase the groceries for that week and see if you stick with it. Then you can go to the next week. No need to stress yourself out by doing a whole month. Take it one day at a time and you will be fine. I promise. Once again, if this comes across snarky, I am sorry!!

No ... not at all and things are a little outta control so that is why I asked for some help. Is hard being a single mom who owns her own business but that doesn't mean I can't make an effort.

My youngest son would rather me pack him lunch and my other does not really care (I don't think). It's more about me DOING it.

I went grocery shopping tonight and spent $80.30 my sons are already tearing through the snack stuff. Grrrr. I was careful and bought small amounts of things that are perishable so they don't go bad. If I buy 20 yogurts on sale they won't get eaten but if I buy 4 they will.

I think I can do 10 no spend days and just track my spending on other days so I know where I am at. The first step is being aware I guess.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

My suggestion, and do with it what you wish, is to not so much try for a budget right away, but write down what yo uare spending, then after a month look at it, see where you can cut and set a budget based on that. It is hard for anyone to tell you what you should be spending. We all have different incomes, different bills, different situations so you need to see what works for you.

Cutting the school lunches wasn't a big deal for me, my kids used to buy a couple times a month but we have cut it out completely. Once you get into the habit of it you will do it without even thinking.

Good luck, the writing everything down is really eye opening, I say start there.

 

[elsie7119]

*

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

I am in! DH and I sat do down to look at our budget today so we can really start to save. ANd now I found this thread! We want to take a trip for my 30th B-day at the end of August.

I hope that this will keep me on track! I will set my goal for 12 no buy days

We budget for the month:

Groceries: $400
Spending(Extras): $200

Wish me luck!

May2: $17 groceries

 

[MomToOne]

We eat out waaaaay too much. My 14 year old DS was hungry last night a few hours after dinner and cold stone and wanted pizza! Wowza.

I know how hard it can be to cut the eating out, esp. as a single parent. You are never off the clock, and have no one to throw responsibility to when things get insane and overwhelming. But you can get the eating out monster under control! It just takes some work. I found trying to cut things down one step at a time is easier than trying to go cold turkey and think you are going to cook from scratch every night right away. Here's how I tackled things:
1. In the first phase, I cut down on restaurant dinners. I identified a few cheaper fast food options for us, and went with those when I just wasn't up to cooking. Yeah, fast food is not very healthy, but neither is restaurant food most of the time.
2. In the second phase, I tried to replace the fast food dinners with prepared frozen meals - from the freezer to the microwave, and dinner was done.
3. Finally, in the third phase, I started working on identifying more dinners I could get cooked and on the table within 30 minutes of walking in the door. And then I worked on remembering to take the meat out of the freezer the night before so I could actually cook it!! It took awhile, but I eventually got to about 4 weeks worth of meals that I can rotate.

It takes time and work to replace old habits with new ones, so you really have to push yourself sometimes to just do it. And that's especially hard when you are tired and hungry!! But if you have to push yourself just a little instead of a whole lot.....well then it's easier at least. And once you do it a few times, and can say to yourself when dinner is done "I just saved $xxx by not going to a restaurant like I wanted tonight!", then you start to feel good about it and it gets easier to push thru the next time.

 

[butterflygirl3]

I'm gonna try and stay for the WHOLE month this time !!! That is my goal for now Hopefully I will have at least 12 no buy days, but I'm gonna REALLY work on staying accountable for the whole month... I get discouraged and quit So here goes...
May 1st- $20.00 garage saling (it was planned into the budget though )
- aprox. $4.00 for snow cones (not planned, but yummy )
May 2nd - 21.00 Walmart (the BIGGEST thing of TP I have EVER seen and other essentials.. (Not unneeded things, so not tooo bad Hope I can get a few $0 days though

 

[bas71873]

MAY GOALS:
Spending budget = $1000
“No Buy” days = 0/10
Running total spent = $119/$1000
Coupon savings =


5/1 – $33 (lunch at Kings Dominion, including a refillable cup for the rest of the season)

5/2 - $55 (DH’s birthday lunch); $31 (deck sealant and a plant)

 

[wdwobsessed]

Goal: Budget $1000 & 10 no spend days

5/1
$165

5/2
$140(grocery shopping)

$305 / $1000
0/10 Going to try hard to get one today.

 

[MommyBell08]

5/1-15.64=stockpile stuff Wags and Target 5.68-Target Groceries
5/2-4 for newspapers 11.64 for organizing coupon stuff!





Here's our budget for May:
(Total Budget-2298.36/left-851.22 after bills pd in advance for May)

Groceries-230 = 57.50/Week

Gas-150 Left-112.63

Miscellanies-50Total (DH/10.18 ME/17.18)

Stock Pile-20/Left 4.36

No Buys- 0/15=Goal No Buys!

 

[thebigkahuna]

here I am, late as usual!

This month is going to be very busy & difficult for me.

I will be paying off some debt (early!) that will free up some of my income,(YAY!) but I have other expenses coming up that will tear through some of the money that paying off the debt will free up. ACK!

I'm also trying to put a trip together for the fall. I'm trying to do this now, so everything can be *completely* paid for when trip time arrives.

I'm hoping that by the end of the month, things will have evened out. (crosses fingers!)

So, here we go!

Goal: 12 no spend days (I beat my goal of 10 last month, so I'm upping my goal days by 2)

5/1 and 5/2 - my weekend was a nightmare-ish whirlwind . I know I spent $3.00 and some change on food on Sunday, then another $6.00 or so late Sunday. I dont think I spent any money on Saturday. As I can't remember properly , I'm going to label the weekend a wash, and start fresh on Monday.


Good luck to us all, & welcome to all the newcomers!

 

[wdwfan16]

5/1 - $0
5/2 - $0

 

[NJMomma]

Hi everyone!

I would like to join you all this month I have never done this before, so wish me luck! I am planning a sort of "baby steps" approach this month - my goals this month are 10 no buy days, $500 on groceries for the month, $50 for pet food (big hungry dog, one small cat) and $75 on gas.

I am not off to the best start, due to my son's First Communion and party this weekend, but that's over now

I tend to spend wayyyyy too much on groceries. I plan my meals, I use coupons, but still spend btwn 600-700/mo on groceries (that includes pet food). We are a family of 4. I feel I can trim this, but still working on it. Any tips are welcome!

I really want to see what I spend overall, so I am going to write down everything. I think that next month I will be able to come with a more comprehensive budget.

 

[princessbride6205]

Dining out is the biggest area we can and need to cut back on. This weekend was not off to a good start! But at least I'm tracking.

5/1 - $55 dining out with friends
5/2 - $100 on gas card, $14 clothing, $24 dining out
5/3 - $6 parking

Groceries (food only) - $350
Other (Diapers, toiletries, household supplies) - $50
Gas/Transport/Parking - $106/320
Dining Out - $79/200
Fun Money - $40
Extras (Clothes, gifts, etc) - $14/100

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Groceries: (Budget is $200...$143.82 left)

Gas: (Budget is $300...$240 left)

Extras: (Budget is $140...$134.87 left)

Medical: (Budget is $30)

5/1: $0
5/2: $5.08 (Groceries-Jewel), $25.47 (Groceries-Brookhaven), $16.35 (Groceries-Aldi), $4.28 (Groceries-Jewel)
5/3: $5.13 (Extras-Shipping)
__________________

 

[Mickey1Fan]

I will eventually get 10 no buy days in a month. Here's to trying again in May.

Budget April 30 to May 13 looks like this
Transportation: $ 27.70
Food/Personal: 100.00/83.63
Entertainment: 27.69
Clothing/Gifts 46.16/44.75
Pets: 23.08

1/10 no buy days

 

[thebeesknees]

I'm in. Hoping for 11 no-buy days this month.

5/1 $0
5/2 $0
5/3 $0

3 of 11 no-buy days so far.