No Buy May

[smiller]

5/1 - $20.00 CTA

5/1 - $3.00 Cubs Game

$23.00/$200.00

 

[casper_jj11]

Well, I ended up buying groceries (milk and fruit) and gas last night but taht was still April ... guess it means I was over more than I though... anyway, on to May.

groceries $540
gas $500
cat food $90
hockey registration for DS $500
summer activity registration for DD $100
Mother's Day $100
haircuts for both DS $30
new dishwasher $700
my spending $150
DH spending $150

Total: $2860

1 - $0 YEAH! Off to a great start
2 -

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget

Church/Giving $50 - $49 left
Groceries $160
Gas $45
Auto insurance $240 (ouch) $0 left
Mother's Day $90 $6 left
Medical $50 - $30 left
Eating out $15
Misc. $50
-------------------------------------------------------------------

I am not off to a good start.

5/1

$240 auto insurance
$20 Medical - office visit and one month high blood pressure prescription
$1 giving
$84 - Mother's day present

They were collecting for the Lyons Club for the blind at the drug store when I picked up my prescription; it is my practice to give a dollar to these things whenever asked. The medication is a new expense and I am waiting on the blood test results to see if Dr. wants to add prescription for high cholostrol so the doctor visit was not good news.

 

[annsteere]

May is the month for happy but costly surprise expenses for us.

Already on the list are:
3 wedding showers
1 wedding
2 baby showers
6 graduations
Mother's Day for both my Mom and DH's
2 retirement celebrations
Memorial Day party

And--an unexpected day with Mickey.
(Work brings me to Orlando on a Tuesday. With my flight being free, a great airfare on Southwest, and a $100 travel voucher, DH and I are flying in for the weekend for $39!).

I'm not quite sure how to handle this month. I'd planned to go "cold turkey" with Kickapoo Joie Juice, but that doesn't seem quite right.

Maybe, my new definition of "cold turkey" will be "buying gifts that feel right and express our joy not to impress others PLUS no indulgences for self other than the quickie vacation." Is that a brand new category??

 

[crazelion]

All I know may is be a expensive and be very tight month period. I will come back post may budget soon when I get done.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My exceptions are:
Groceries: $700
Cub Scout camp: $50
Vehicle Registration renewal: $70 (I don't really know how much this will be because we're renewing in a different state, I'm just going to budget the old state amt.)
DD's birthday presents: $120
Driver's License renewal: $30 (I don't know how much this will cost either)
Fillings at the dentist for DS and copay for other DS: $8


May 1: Post Office $9.55
dinner at Subway $50
birthday presents for DS (not DD as budgeted) $42
haircut and snack money for DH: $20
(he's going away for the weekend)


Ugh, I'm ready to give up and I've just started. I have to do better this month or we're going to really get ourselves in trouble financially. The dinner at Subway really killed me, we just can't afford to be eating out right now, but I just did not want to cook tonight. We don't eat out often, but right now it needs to be not at all. I'm really angry with myself right now.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

May is the month for happy but costly surprise expenses for us.

Already on the list are:
3 wedding showers
1 wedding
2 baby showers
6 graduations
Mother's Day for both my Mom and DH's
2 retirement celebrations
Memorial Day party

And--an unexpected day with Mickey.
(Work brings me to Orlando on a Tuesday. With my flight being free, a great airfare on Southwest, and a $100 travel voucher, DH and I are flying in for the weekend for $39!).

I'm not quite sure how to handle this month. I'd planned to go "cold turkey" with Kickapoo Joie Juice, but that doesn't seem quite right.

Maybe, my new definition of "cold turkey" will be "buying gifts that feel right and express our joy not to impress others PLUS no indulgences for self other than the quickie vacation." Is that a brand new category??

Wow, Ann, you have a really festive month coming up! How 'bout you have the Lukewarm Turkey Month?

May 1: $0

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Ok, so here we go in terms of those "unbudgeted/needless items":

5/1: $2.02 Post Office - postage for a PBS book
5/1: $18.00 Vinny T's - dinner & tip w/Crystal
5/1: $9.04 Target - needed hangers and a pair of shorts to wear under a dress
5/1: $10.00 movie ticket

UGH. I KNEW we shouldn't have gone into Tarjay. Although I'm proud of my self-control. I could walk into that store and spend $100 every time! LOL

So far so good today!

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget

Church/Giving $50 - $14 left
Groceries $160 - $121.10 left
Gas $45
Auto insurance $240 - (ouch) $0 left
Mother's Day $90 - $2.51 left
Medical $50 - $30 left
Eating out $15 - $10
Misc. $50
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5/1

$240 auto insurance
$20 Medical - office visit and one month high blood pressure prescription
$1 giving
$84 - Mother's day present

5/2
$38.90 Groceries
$25 Giving - supporting a niece in a ALS walk to honor her grandmother
$10 Giving - supporting another niece in a hunger walk
$3.49 Mother's day card
$5 - Eating out - treated my niece (and me) to soft serve ice cones

I had reduced my giving budget from $100 last month to $50 for this month. I can see that this was unrealistic as I put between $40 to $60 each month just into the church collection plate. I think that I am going to try to scrimp a little more on groceries during the month to cover the anticipated overage on the giving.

 

[2002Disneybride]

I never did this before...but I am going to try!
What do I need to do? Post a monthly budget. I have not budgeted before...
We usually spend about $75 on groceries a week...and I know I spend $ I shouldn't!

5/1/09
$48 Friend's birthday dinner and drinks

5/2/09
$180 Peapod Groceries for next 2.5 weeks
$20 Summer Arts and Crafts program for DS4

5/3/09
$198.09 Yikes! For MNSSHP Halloween Tickets
$100.00 Paid toward May 2010 Cruise...
$30.00 Dunkin Donuts (am) Pizza/Soda (nite before)

5/4/09
$10 Cards and Lottery Tix for Aunt's Birthday

5/5/09
$0 so far

 

[rileysmommy]

Is it too late for me to join in?

5/1- $120 for kids' swimming lessons this summer (already budgeted)
5/2- $144 for dd's dance recital tickets (already budgeted)
5/3- $0
5/4- $0
5/5- .99 (I bought one song off iTunes)
5/6- $36.59 (filled my gas tank, was under 1/4)
5/7- $0
5/8- $5 (book order for dd)
5/9-
5/10-
5/11-
5/12-
5/13-
5/14-
5/15-
5/16-
5/17-
5/18-
5/19-
5/20-
5/21-
5/22-
5/23-
5/24-
5/25-
5/26-
5/27-
5/28-
5/29-
5/30-
5/31-

I just left my job on Thursday 4/30 and so now the budget is tight. I need to definitely curtail my spending. One of the worst budget busters for me is fast food on the way to dance every week. But since I am home now I'm going to try and forgo that and make something at home quick before we go. I decided to make my mom her Mother's Day card from my scrapbooking stash so no need to spend money on that. Probably make one for my mother in law too. Hopefully this thread will keep me in check.

 

[cpdrn7]

I am going to join!! I made a budget plan for my desk top and I will see how close I can come to it...it includes paying extra on debt. I refuse to go out to eat until that amount is paid in full montly...wish me luck...I am going to need it!! But the benefits will more than make it worth it, if I can stay strong!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Hi rileysmom, never too late!


May 1: $0
May 2: $0

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My exceptions are:
Groceries: $700
Cub Scout camp: $50
Vehicle Registration renewal: $70 (I don't really know how much this will be because we're renewing in a different state, I'm just going to budget the old state amt.)
DD's birthday presents: $120
Driver's License renewal: $30 (I don't know how much this will cost either)
Fillings at the dentist for DS and copay for other DS: $8


May 1: Post Office $9.55
dinner at Subway $50
birthday presents for DS (not DD as budgeted) $42
haircut and snack money for DH: $20
(he's going away for the weekend)

May 2: Mother's Day forgot to budget for $47

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget is $750 and after only 3 days I have already spent $442.39

Giving $50 - -$1 over
Groceries $160 - $121.10 left
Gas $45
Auto insurance $240 - (ouch) $0 left
Mother's Day $90 - $2.51 left
Medical $50 - $30 left
Eating out $15 - $10 left
Misc. $50
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5/1
$240 auto insurance
$20 Medical - office visit and one month high blood pressure prescription
$1 giving
$84 - Mother's day present

5/2
$38.90 Groceries
$25 Giving - supporting a niece in a ALS walk to honor her grandmother
$10 Giving - supporting another niece in a hunger walk
$3.49 Mother's day card
$5 - Eating out - treated my niece (and me) to soft serve ice cones

5/3
$15 giving (church collection plate)

 

[MomtoGKC]

OK - I've done my updates and I'm only missing the amount we spent at a bar last night. We bought drinks for our friends because they took us to a super nice dinner at The Capital Grille. A dinner worth well over $150 free - now that was budget friendly! I know we can get better at this, but we have about $150 to last us until Friday and all I know we need is about $100 of groceries and about $25 of gas.

$400/week - about $150 to go

1 - $10 - over from last week
$37 - ice cream (for our friends & their kids too - they bought dinner)
$15 - gas
$12 - pizza
$6 - medicine
$12 - hostess present


2 - $25 - paint for kitchen - almost done now!
$27 - groceries
$25 - gas
$17 - wine for hostess

3 - $4 - chocolate chips for pancakes
$15 - oil & filter for DIY car oil change

 

[neatokimmo]

I read the April posts but gave up halfway through. I was $200-300 over I'm sure lol

May is going to be the most expensive month EVER, I bought a house! We close on May 22nd.

So the spending is locked down. I'll have a mortgage again and a sort of high one because I am doing a 15 year loan. Now I'll have to stay on budget simply because I won't have any extra

Groceries - $60 for milk, bread and fruit - we are eating out of the freezer so we won't have to move food.
Eating Out - $20
Cats - $50
Gas - $50
yard Sale $ - $50 (I buy things to resell at our bi-yearly consignment event)
Misc - $70
------ $300 for extras

I already spent $9 on the eating out portion (oops) and $20 at a yard sale.

Groceries - 60/60
Eating Out - 11/20
Cats - 50/50
Gas - 50/50
yard Sale - 30/50 (I buy things to resell at our bi-yearly consignment event)
Misc - 70/70

I made $555.85 in my yardsale yesterday All that extra cash is going right on my downpayment

 

[Jennia]

May 1: $9, dress for dd
May 2: $0

Will be spending a little today since I'm going to a friend's partylite party, but I plan on only buying something small. I'll be going out for groceries on Tues, and we're having an electrician come sometime this week for estimates (old house, old wiring, will depend on what the estimates are).

 

[Reagan&Co.]

OK, I am in! DH said today we only have $100 for the next two weeks (he is not counting the money in our bank accounts), I love a challenge! He will pay all the bills!

This month I need to buy:
groceries: We need to clear out some freezer space, so that should feed us for a week or so with meat and veggies.......
McD's sweet tea: one per day. This is non-negotiable!!!!
party gifts:I think I have at least two of three in my gift stash already
feed the kids on the run:this is the budget buster. I bought snacks today. I will keep some in the car so we don't have to get fast food
ballpark food:again, take a cooler with our own food and drinks

Michael's is having a good sale this week on scrapbook stickers. Other than that, I will restrain myself.....

 

[paulasillars]

4th - $11.50 for lunch, $20.50 for dinner and $6.50 for lunch tomorrow ($38.50/$80 of my daily allowance - see below)
3rd - $0
2nd - $0
1st - $0

I'm working out town until Friday and am on a daily allowance. I get to keep what I don't spend. However, for the next 4 mornings, the meal is included with the accommodation so I can't claim for breakfast. But I'll try to keep my lunches cheap and meals around the $20-$25 amount so I can keep about $30 per day. I already have snacks leftover which I bought last week with my allowance for that job.