No Buy November 2009

[Mom2Ben02]

Well, I am in a forced No Buy - my DH lost his job last Monday...10 days after I found out I was pregnant.

My goal is not to spend anything...but, alas, we need to eat.

$300 - groceries
$0 - eating out
$150 - gas
$50 - misc kids (scouts/school/etc)
$200 Christmas (I was DONE with Christmas - but now our WDW trip is being delayed, and all my gifts were for the trip. So......now must shop.)

1st - 1.10 - hot dog buns ($300 - 1.10 = 298.90)

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Well, I am in a forced No Buy - my DH lost his job last Monday...10 days after I found out I was pregnant.

My goal is not to spend anything...but, alas, we need to eat.

(I was DONE with Christmas - but now our WDW trip is being delayed, and all my gifts were for the trip. So......now must shop.)

Sorry about the job loss and the delayed WDW trip, but congratulations on the pregnancy!

And welcome to No Buy!

 

[disneyorvegas]

I didn't just fall off the wagon last month, but fell into the stuff the horse left behind! Starting today, looking to keep my eating out habits controlled (my big problem) and the rest of my expenditures within budget. Major exceptions this month is soccer team pizza party, Christmas/birthday shopping, and the fact I just found out Ddog has kidney disease and I will now be cooking for him too.

(Of course, I say this about dining out, but we had to have our traditional "clocks change" breakfast!)

11/1 $20 dining
11/2
11/3
11/4
11/5
11/6
11/7

Total: Groceries: Misc.: Dining: Christmas:

 

[24601]

Well, this is right up my alley. I've lurked a fair bit and I think I've not posted in three years, the last time I posted it was just me and my wife and now it's us and two kids. I have no idea what is reasonable for us to spend - never really monitored things as we were saving money but I'd be interested in keeping track. Might as well do it here!

The goal is 15 no buy days for me this month, I have no idea what we will spend in each area.

11/01 - $268.63 for groceries, big load for the month and got a $25 gift card for it.

Thanks for posting this!

 

[wdwpluto]

1: $120 Off to a bad start. I'm a photographer and had to send a piece of gear out for repair.

 

[Applemomma]

Can I join? I'm sweating over how to cover Christmas, all the regular stuff and still save for vacation (which I refuse to not do....I need a break at least once a year from reality!)

So far I've blown day one but hopefully Nov 2 will be better.

 

[lori1043]

300 for food in month????? is that per person iknow i spend 800-900 in food and house soap stuff for family of 4

Well, I am in a forced No Buy - my DH lost his job last Monday...10 days after I found out I was pregnant.

My goal is not to spend anything...but, alas, we need to eat.

$300 - groceries
$0 - eating out
$150 - gas
$50 - misc kids (scouts/school/etc)
$200 Christmas (I was DONE with Christmas - but now our WDW trip is being delayed, and all my gifts were for the trip. So......now must shop.)

1st - 1.10 - hot dog buns ($300 - 1.10 = 298.90)

Congrats on the baby and about the job loss I feel your pain. My hubby was out of work for about 4 months starting in Jan 09. But he was given the good news right before Christmas last year. All I can say is, enjoy the time b/c there not much else you can do with the stress of it all. My DH says now that he is employed again, how he got more done when he was "involuntaruly retired".

Bethany- I never told you but you inspired me to get a calendar and stickers after you told me about yours. Sadly, I never kept it up much last month and have 3 documented days of no spending, but I know there were a few more. DD10 will tell me at the end of the day, "hey mom, give yourself a sticker cuz you didn't spen anything today!".

I am in.
My hubby is out of town most of this month so I may combine going out to eat in my grocery budget. I am not big on cooking, but love emealz.com and use it almost every night when he is not traveling. When he is traveling, well, it's makes too much food that will go to waste, so we find out all the kids nights and do that. This month I will commit to having water with those meals as paying for drinks makes it go up quite a bit.

Mondays- I will cook soup and grilled sandwiches or something that I already have at home
Tuesdays- Sicily's, kids eat free-usually my bill is $12 with a tip
Wenesday- church dinner for 3=$13
Thursday-not sure, may vary
He comes home on Thursday nights,late, so Fridays will be crock pot meals like gumbo, etc so he can work from home while I go in for work.

The biggest issue for us this month is that we have a couple pricey field trips(I am a homeschooler) planned-Ren Fest and NOMA Disney art thing.
We are moving soon and so we have friends who are asking about going to dinner and spending time together one last time before the move. Plus Thanksgiving, and 3 birthdays.

It's gonna be rough, and i'll let ya know how it works out.

Thanks ya'll!

Lori

 

[rmonty02]

Ok, I posted in Oct. and it went pretty good. I will set the same goal this month, no fast food/eating out. EXCEPTION....will be our Disneyland trip this month. However I have planned some meals in our villa, to keep the food budget in check.
I thought I was over planning when I made my Christmas list and budget last week. Now I see I'm behind...to those that have finished their shopping, Way To GO!
Maybe I won't have host Thanksgiving dinner this year....that will be a great savings

 

[Tiggerish]

total budget for November of $500 plus Christmas.

Groceries - $200 / $133 left
Automobile - $50
Giving - $50 / $49 left
Medical - $50
Eating Out - $25
Misc. - $125
Then I have a separate budget for Christmas - $426 / $76 left
========================================================

11/1 Giving $10; Groceries $67

 

[crazelion]

I did good in October. I a had a lot zero buy days.

November is a different now with holidays rolling around.

Thanksgiving dinner at home 30.00

Thanksgiving dinner at cousins house 15.00 for paper plates, forks and spoons, paper cups.

Cousins funny about the food they serve. So I don't like a bring a plate home. I decide to have a little something at the house. It taste better any how.

Work dinner and training meal 15.00

Black Friday eat out 10.00

Thats it for extra budget stuff.

Now if found a Christmas job I would be happy to with my other job.

 

[A.Mickey]

I HEART Caputos - where in IL are you?

We live in Arlington Heights. We usually shop at the Joe Caputos in Palatine on Rand Rd! Where are you?

Running Total: $750...$673 left

Groceries- $300...$265 left
Gas- $150...$130
Eating Out- $100...$85 left
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...$193 left

Nov 1st- $35 (Groceries), $15 (Eating Out..we went to an Imagination Movers concert today!) $7 (Parking) $20 (Gas)

 

[neatokimmo]

Nov 1 Gas = $30, groceries = $32

I discovered I have more grocery cards than I thought, about $80 instead of $50. I'll use those up before I use "real money"

Groceries - 80/80 (I also have an additional $80 in gift cards and a house full of food.)
Eating Out - 15
Cats - 30
Gas - 35/65
DD Loot - 30
Christmas - $280 left to spend
Misc - $40

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

$0 Day Goal: 15
Money Goal: $600 for food, gas/car maintenance, and miscellaneous.

1 - $14.81 Popeye's

Running Total: $14.81
600-14.81 = 585.19 left

Bethany- I never told you but you inspired me to get a calendar and stickers after you told me about yours. Sadly, I never kept it up much last month and have 3 documented days of no spending, but I know there were a few more. DD10 will tell me at the end of the day, "hey mom, give yourself a sticker cuz you didn't spen anything today!".

He comes home on Thursday nights,late, so Fridays will be crock pot meals like gumbo, etc so he can work from home while I go in for work.

The biggest issue for us this month is that we have a couple pricey field trips(I am a homeschooler) planned-Ren Fest and NOMA Disney art thing.

Awwww! I'm glad I inspired you!

I think NOMA is free to La residents. I need to learn how to cook gumbo.

As for the rest of that post of yours that I erased (oops), Suze Orman always says "People first, then money, then things." Go enjoy spending time with the people here before you up and leave us.

 

[Siouxstone]

I'm in, but starting in an exemption as my DSis is here for my b-day. I'll post budget later in the week and get it all going. I've exempted myself until the 4th, so I will definitely be here by the 5th!

 

[lori1043]

Thanks Bethany! NOMA is free to la residents on certsin days, but the Disney part is not! It's nominal I think, but i want the full effect!

I spent nothing today- but DH spent $50 on groceries and that will last us the week or more since he will be OOT and so our week of groceries should be no more than $90 with those out to eat days drinking water only. not bad for a family of 4 for a week! Our regualr monthly food bill has been running $700-800. before Emealz it was running a couple hundred MORE a month. That is for all food, incl going out to dinner. DH eating on his employers dime most of this month will save us a good bit.

Emealz runs us about $90-110 per week, plus about $50-80 for lunches and staples like eggs and milk for our family, inlcuding dinners out.

I have been on a not wasting food thing for over a year now. So much so that i hardly throw out food at all-at least like i used to. if we have french bread with dinner, then it is crunchy buttered toast for breakfast or garlic toast with lunch or next nights dinner. If bananas are starting to go bad, I throw them in the freezer for smoothies or banana bread at Christmas time for gifts. Veggies hardly go bad anymore with Emealz. It is working nicely for us-easy , inexpensive and recommended by Dave Ramsey-even though he is not my favorite financial guru. he does have some great ideas though.
Food is our biggest expense. Hey, I am from New Orleans, can't help it!

Lori

 

[fairykin]

I'm going to try this for the first time.
As one of my new years goals is to increase the deposits into my grandchildrens college funds.

I know I'm going to finish the grandchildren's christmas shopping and they have only put three things on their list.
So....

3 childrens gifts x 3 {I'll update the costs when I make the purchases}
1 birthday gift for my grandmother.

 

[CherylA]

Well I tried to start midway last month but I needed to start with a fresh month so November it is. Here is my budget

Clothing
$100
-42.13 payless shoes
=57.87

Gifts
$60

Unexpected Spending (misc)
$250
- 84.88 PO box bill plus interest and late fees (DH has autobill going to a card we don't ever use anymore so I never check to see if it has a balance. Grrrr!)
=165.12


Groceries
$530
-19.81 Trader Joes
-65.43 Stop and Shop
=444.76

Entertainment ( I include eating out in this category)
$350
-11.11 McDonalds
-9.89 (cash) McDonalds
=329

Gas
$290

Haircuts
64.00

Home Items (Repair/Upkeep/Decorating)
$100

Christmas

Immediate Family $600

Other gifts $420
- 75 snapfish calendars
=345.00

Xtra food and events (dinners out, food for xmas dinner)
$230

It looks like a lot of spending for my 1st day but some of the stuff was from a couple of days ago but showed up on my bank statements today so I'm taking it out of my Nov budget. Also I'm going to try for 15 $0 days!

Nov 1- McDonalds, late cc bill, Stop and Shop
Nov 2-

 

[princessbride6205]

I want to participate again - this will be my 3rd or 4th month (how fast I forget!). I feel like I'm not being true to the spirit of this challenge though. I am mainly shooting to stay under budget, rather than focusing on $0 days. I am really grateful, though, to have the accountability of this thread and charting my spending.

November Budget
Groceries - $275
Other (diapers, household, clothing) - $200
Dining Out - $120
Fun Money - $40 each (me and DH)
Car/Gas/Parking/Bus - $250 (incl airport parking over Thanksgiving)
Giving - $25
Medical - $50

Exceptions
Christmas - Budget TBD
Friend's Baby Shower - $25

 

[lori1043]

Nov 1- $50 at walmart

My DD11 needs a couple clothing items, so we'll see where that leaves us today. We don't spend a lot on clothes and only get them when needed badly. Gonna try consignment 1st, then Target and/or Old Navy

Lori

 

[wdwpluto]

1: $120 Off to a bad start. I'm a photographer and had to send a piece of gear out for repair.
2: $16.09 lunch, $13.93 groceries

I'm gonna make tomorrow a $0 day!