No Buy May

[Siouxstone]

Here we go again!

The Game Plan: Everyone sets their own lists of essentials and exemptions. Think carefully over the month and try to plan ahead. For example, if you know you have a birthday coming up and need to buy a present, or if your Disney trip is coming up, list the trip period as an exemption. Everyone sets their own rules. Do not forget Mother's Day!

The Goal: To become aware of everyday spending habits and save a little money. Or, as I think of it, to end the $100 detergent habit. What's $100 detergent? It's when you run in Target or Wal-mart for laundry detergent and end up spending $100. Now, you may use everything you bought and it may fit into your budget structure, but if you are in a saving mode, did you really need it at that time? Or is it a money leak?

Posting: Try to post your progress every Monday. I found that the more often I posted, the more it kept me honest and the more I thought about it while I was in dangerous situations. If you need/want to post more often, that's up to you. We love lots of posts!


Take the next couple of days to get your lists together! In the mean time, if you haven't checked us out before, try reading through the No Buy April thread. We'd love to have you along as a participant or even just for support. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Good Luck Everybody!

 

[kandeebunny]

This month is expensive for me:

$200 Monthly Allowance.

$300 new glasses, $90 new contacts. My appointment is 5/13 and I have saved up the money for this and will be paying cash. Hopefully I will stay UNDER budget on the glasses, but I need new frames (brown) for a job.

May 19th-22nd will be exempt as I will be in NYC, as I get a bit closer I will set my spending budget for there, but it will be UNDER $200 (I need business casual clothes so I am overshooting it!)

$27.50 Auto-registration, plus $10 to send it priority mail there and back as I live in FL, but will be in NH wen my renewal comes up.

$1000 for my LAST class for my BA!!! This also is already saved up for.

$76 for program fees for my internship.

I believe that is it! At least...I hope to heck so.

 

[luvmikids]

Oh how I know the $100 detergent!

 

[Siouxstone]

Ok, I've been working on May, but I don't have my totals. *sigh* I've got three birthdays, including DH's, my 15th anniversary and Mother's day to deal with. Plus, DH isn't working as much this month because I'm going out of town for work today (affecting his paycheck on the 8th) and again in two weeks. So this month I need to spend more on less. I'll get it posted on Thursday.

Here's to a great month!

 

[SandraVB79]

I'm going to join in. It's really needed.

In May, I have my first mortgage payment of 571 eur. The monthly "charges" we have to pay (for the light in the garage/ income hall, electricity for elevator, ...) have already been paid for April, May and June (about 92 eur/ month)

I have an electricity bill of 50 eur to pay. No idea when/ how much I'll have to pay for the water bill.

I also have to pay my golf club membership. About 750 eur.

Next to all that, I guess I'll have to buy groceries, but only if I live by myself by the end of the month + my mom is planning on giving me a lot from home (all the things they don't like, lol!) So maybe 100 eur for groceries?

I budget about 50 eur a month for lunch at work.

And I'm going to budget about 25 eur to spend at the golf club (practice balls and drinks).

That's it. I hope.


ETA: No, I'll spend way more money, like on furniture etc, but I don't consider that "regular budget".

 

[jennyf2]

I'm in this month!!!!!--I was at my car dealership yesterday getting an oil change & last night my boys & I were at Dairy Queen & I went to start my car & the key wouldnt turn I called a few friends & my brother-in-law (who came to help) & ended up having it towed! THANK GOD I bought an extended warranty--so the tow was free & she just called & they found 5 things wrong, 4 of them covered under the warranty . Of course the biggy a new timing belt is not So it will cost approx $400 for everything. I guess I cant complain --I bought it new in 2003 & have had zero problems with it.

So the MAY no buy is great!!! My main cut back will have to be Caribou coffee (its an addiction lol) !!!

 

[Jaclynfett]

I will join you all too. We have my 2 sons birthdays this month, plus are traveling back up to NY from TN to visit friends and family. I'm dreading the gas costs of the round trip.

I need to write up a quick budget plan tonight and see what I'm working with. Good Luck everyone!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I'm in. I'm working on my budget, and in typical KJJ fashion I STINK at planning ahead, so here's what I've got so far:

2 Rolling Backpacks for kids for fall (watch for sales this month, if one comes up grab it)

Clean Carpet (yep, same thing I've been trying to do for three months now. Next month you'll be seeing "replace carpets" LOL)

My mind just blanks when I try and come up with other stuff. Oh well, I have till thursday...

 

[JustMickey]

Good luck to everyone with No Buy May...I won't be joining in this month but hopefully I'll see you in June!

 

[KarenAylwood]

I didn't do so hot when I took a month off in March... so I'm joining in again for May. April went pretty well but I definitely went over in a few categories. I'm going to work at being better this month.

I'll need to think about things carefully. No car stuff that needs to be done, but I do have to think about Mother's Day, and this year I may do something for my grandma as well. I'll have to think about that one.

Then my mom is visiting May 13-19th so that period will be an exemption. We're going shopping together, visiting Williamsburg, going out to eat a lot, etc. It's all budgeted for in my vacation account though, so I've planned ahead. I'm hoping to keep it to $500 or less.

I'll think about it and post my actual budget tomorrow.

 

[paulasillars]

May is looking good, no birthdays or anything coming up that I know of.

We are going away this weekend but that is with the work social club so much will be covered. However I will need to allow something towards that.

Also the new fence will probably go in this month so that will need to be paid. Our power bill will be creeping up this month too due to the colder weather.

We may also be getting another dog but not sure what costs that will incur. We are basically on a waiting list for a rescue/rehomed dachshund.

Still no word on the land yet either - we are waiting for the title .... still! However that means no mortgage to worry about yet and we can continue saving for the deposit - more deposit = less mortgage. Every bit helps.

I'm going to allow myself $250 for my personal allowance this month.

 

[PrincessParty]

I will be working on my budget today. Wrote the bills out yesterday! Have DD b-day, niece's graduation, dance recitals (flowers) etc.... Will figure it out.

 

[SnowWhite607]

I think I can do mine today for May:

Eating out - 200 including lunches
Groceries and household products - 400
Gasoline - 150
Entertainment - 75
Mothers Day gift - 25
Dance recital gifts/misc - 25

Total this month: 875.00

 

[reginaastralis]

I'm in!

Even though Julie and I are moving back to my parents for the month ... I wrote out my budget for a "regular" month (you know, with a silly thing like rent in it) ... the goal is to actually SAVE this money, and not blow it on senseless things. Fingers crossed!

I do need to get my mom something for Mother's Day, mail out a couple of packages to Iraq ... oh, and did I mention that my brother is coming home on leave from Iraq? Needless to say there will be some spending on him, we celebrate his "Christmas" whenever he is able to be in town with us.

We're also going to Disney May 31st, but luckily two of the days we'll be there will be in June

I can't think of anything else. Luckily I won a doorprize at our company meeting, so I have Father's Day taken care of. I don't know about ya'll, but my parents are really hard to shop for. I always end up getting gift certificates, but that way I know they get what they like, ya know?

Not to mention, my mom booked a Disney Cruise for all of us, next June, so I have LOTS to save up for. I really need to kick my Starbucks habit.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Okey dokey, here's my May Budget for a family of 4:

Food $800 (includes eating out)
2 Rolling Backpacks $100
Gifts for shower/bday/mday $100
Recital flowers $20
Tennis Dinner $50
DH's shirts $25
Beauty products $50
Car Maint. $25
Carpets Cleaned $150
Soccer Photos $20
Pets $25
Memorial Day cookout $200

Total Budget for May $1565.

The backpacks are going to be expensive, I've been buying Target backpacks for the girls and I go through 2-3 each year and right now both of them are duct taped together to make it through the last 18 days of school. So I've been doing my own informal research, reading through the dis boards and watching the kids who get on the bus in the afternoon at school, and I'm going to bite the bullet and just get them two ll bean rolling backpacks. They are the only ones who still look decent by the end of the year and don't have the bottoms all torn up. I figure 3 backpacks x$20=60 for the cheap ones, just get one $60 one at the beginning and be done with it. Hopefully I'll find a coupon for ll bean, 'cause I need to get two of them.

This is my first month with no "personal care" budget in it. I can't stick to it anyway, so it wasn't successful. I'm trying the more detailed budget this month, let's see if that works...

We've lost a few pets in the last few months, two of the lizards died so the girls and I decided to set the other two free - don't worry, we caught them here wild a few months ago and just returned them to their original spot. So, no more cricket buying for me, woo hoo! . Hated having crickets and mealworms in the house!!!! The gerbils are getting pretty geriatric, and I put the one fish in the 5 gallon tank into the big 75 gallon tank and broke the 5 gallon one down and put it away. That brings us to 1 dog, 1 cat, 2 gerbils, 100 fish. I was starting to feel like Dr. Doolittle around here....

Good luck in May, everyone!

 

[IlliniMouse]

If you all don't mind a newbie joining, I'd like to try this! This past month I've been logging everything we spend so I have an idea of things we can cut back on, and just to get a picture of where our money is going. I think this will be a perfect way for me to hold myself accountable for the cutting back part!! Last months shocker is the $783 we spent in GAS. Yes, gas. There isn't a whole lot to cut out of that either since the majority of our driving is for work, and I don't run unless I have to. Ugh.

Anyway, I will post my guidelines on Thursday once I figure out where I was last month and guesstimating where the $ will go next month. Entertainment and eating out will be the hard ones to estimate!!!

 

[sandisuze]

Hope it's ok for newbies too cause I am in
May is an insane month for us (family of 3) (Sometimes 4 with Stepson)
we have 3 Disney trips and graduation stuff and Bdays, Mothers day and a field trip and science fair- YIKES!!
OK here goes - I think I can post this ok:

Household bills 925.00
(mortage, electric, water, phone & cable, alarm system,)
NO Credit cards Bills! no insurance this month-
Groceries/Paper stuff/H&B supplies 400.00 (Stocking up for the month-no eating out except Disney)
Car repairs 60.00 Hubby needs a 55.00 part and he can fix the 2nd car!
School uniform Deposit 50.00 (if i put a Deposit now i can buy at this year prices next year!
School Lunches 20.00
gas in cars 140.00
bday & Moms day 30.00 total

Disney trips:
11th: 60.00 (CS X2 for 3 )
18th: 130.00 lunch buffet for 4 adults 1 kid & Ice cream for later LOL!
31: Overnite at ASMo, MP&PP, lunch at CP, BBB for DD BDAY, (June 1 - Lunch at Garden grill)
Gas to go over and back 16.00 round trip X3 (i my car's gas mileage)
Mic. Spending $$ for hubby to get ice cream 30.00
GOOD NEWS!! have either paid in full OR I have enough saved up to pay for it all!! (Disney $$, prepaid visas, change jar!!!)

Graduation dinner: 30.00, Field trip 20.00, science fair supplies 15.00
125.00 Misc. spending for unexpected whatevers...
(last week got DD 4 dresses at target for under 3.00 each..)

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Hope it's ok for newbies too cause I am in
May is an insane month for us (family of 3) (Sometimes 4 with Stepson)
we have 3 Disney trips and graduation stuff and Bdays, Mothers day and a field trip and science fair- YIKES!!
OK here goes - I think I can post this ok:

Household bills 925.00
(mortage, electric, water, phone & cable, alarm system,)
NO Credit cards Bills! no insurance this month-
Groceries/Paper stuff/H&B supplies 400.00 (Stocking up for the month-no eating out except Disney)
Car repairs 60.00 Hubby needs a 55.00 part and he can fix the 2nd car!
School uniform Deposit 50.00 (if i put a Deposit now i can buy at this year prices next year!
School Lunches 20.00
gas in cars 140.00
bday & Moms day 30.00 total

Disney trips:
11th: 60.00 (CS X2 for 3 )
18th: 130.00 lunch buffet for 4 adults 1 kid & Ice cream for later LOL!
31: Overnite at ASMo, MP&PP, lunch at CP, BBB for DD BDAY, (June 1 - Lunch at Garden grill)
Gas to go over and back 16.00 round trip X3 (i my car's gas mileage)
Mic. Spending $$ for hubby to get ice cream 30.00
GOOD NEWS!! have either paid in full OR I have enough saved up to pay for it all!! (Disney $$, prepaid visas, change jar!!!)

Graduation dinner: 30.00, Field trip 20.00, science fair supplies 15.00
125.00 Misc. spending for unexpected whatevers...
(last week got DD 4 dresses at target for under 3.00 each..)

Hi Newbies!

That "misc" part has been biting me in the butt for the last six months doing the No Buy-this is my first month without something called "misc" "slush" or "personal care". I wonder which of my categories will go kerflooey first without it...

 

[TaniaU]

I'm going to try too this month (another newbie! ) We have a $$ leak that I'd like to find and control. Especially since we got A/C installed last month and have to pay that, on top of everything else

I'll post my numbers tomorrow when I have everything in front of me.

 

[sylvenmaid]

This newbie is going to sit out May. I have our Wedding Anniversary tomorrow and hubby's b-day 3 weeks later. Then Mother's Day (I have 3 moms to buy for not including me but all gifts have been purchased), remodeling our porch, and dh is off all next week on vacation. So I know we will be over budget most of the month. LOL! I'm not going to attempt since it will just give me a headache this month. Next month will be a very quiet month so I will start then with you guys.