No Buy November 2009

[Tiggerish]

Total budget for November is $500 plus Christmas.

Groceries - $200 / $133 left
Automobile - $50
Giving - $50 / $40 left
Medical - $50
Eating Out - $25/ $13 left
Misc. - $125

Then I have a separate budget for Christmas - $426 / $66 left
================================================== ======

11/1 Giving $10; Groceries $67
11/2 Christmas $10; Eating out $12

I got four gifts off the clearance shelf in the local bookstore, two books and two games. I also spent $45 at Kohls for new sheets and pj's but paid with all Kohls cash that I earned from buying Christmas presents there last week so it does not come out of the budget. Then I bought myself and sister lunch - she does all the driving on our shopping excursions and so I buy the lunch.

 

[Applemomma]

So far, so good! I'm batting 50/50....one $0 day....yes, I know it's only the second day of November....

 

[charming23]

I am off to a great start.
I have redone my budget a little bit to reflect some changes. I did spend money at Aldi's today for groceries but I also got a ton of my baking ingredients there today for the Holiday season. I had to go to Target to get a new shelve to use as my nightstand since mine broke last night.

Groceries/household- $300/$244.44 Left
Eating Out/Entertainment- $100
Gas/Car-$50
Misc-$150/$132.02 Left

I also would like to have at least 15 $0 days.

11/1 $0
11/2 $55.56 at Aldi's and 17.98 at Target

 

[Mom2Ben02]

$298.90/$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
2nd - 4.05 for icees and popcorn at Target - BUT this was on my "return spree" today. I got back $200 - so I am counting this as a ZERO day

 

[Mom2Ben02]

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

We are in Plainfield

 

[DawnM]

I am SO in! We have little to buy this month (we are doing remodeling but that $$ is already saved and budgeted so I am not counting it).

So, groceries can go way down.
I need to return items and ebay items.

Goal: No extras this month.....only necessities.

 

[reginaastralis]

I haven't finished my October month yet ... lol. But, I'm in for November! This past week has been HECTIC.

We were at the Fort this weekend. Trick or treating on Halloween and then last night for MNSSHP. I'm exhausted. I feel like I've been gone for a week, it's hard to believe it was only for two days!

I'm going to go through the rest of my numbers from October tonight or tomorrow ... to really get an idea of where I can fill in the huge holes in my budget.

I have a couple of goals for this month.

1. Knock all spending back my $20 per category.
2. Make more breakfast stuff at home, I know I did BAD on this one.
3. Try to convince my four year old to drink more water, since it's free. I'm also going to make tea, because I found out she likes it.
4. Have 15 No Spend days.

We're really lucky because we don't hold Thanksgiving .. so WOOOT!! I'll make a side or two and maybe some dessert to help my mom. Oh, and my daughter has outgrown some of her 4t clothes now. 3t were fitting a couple of weeks ago, but some of her 4t are to short in jeans and such. I'm gonna really have to think about that one.

Nov 1 - $17 dinner at WDW (the only money I spent at Disney this weekend!) That's almost a miracle.
Nov 2 - $3 breakfast, $1.50 making copies, and $5 sending a certified letter.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Okay!~ I am proud to say I had a $0 spend day today! Not tomorrow because DH has to get gas but today was a good day! i saw something I wanted but said no....I will put that $ into DISNEY!

 

[neatokimmo]

Nov 2 = zero
Nov 1 Gas = $30, groceries = $32

Groceries - 80/80 (I also have an additional $48/80 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

 

[annsteere]

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.

You are TOTALLY in line with the spirit of this challenge--disciplining your spending.

It doesn't make much difference how many zero days you have if you are making lots of impulse buys on the days you spend.

Today I saw a perfect greeting card for 53 cents. It is just right for somebody who is challenging to find a good card for. DId I "blow" it because I shot a zero day?? No way, I got a true bargain: high quality at a low price on something I intended to buy. (Even though I originally intended to buy it in May, not today)

If you reach your own goal, you win!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

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

1 - $14.81 Popeye's
2 - $0

Running Total: $14.81
600-14.81 = 585.19 left

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!

Lori

Hmmph. I guess I didn't read their website closely enough. I still plan to go! And I want to see the Princess and the Frog when that comes out.

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.

That still falls within the spirit of the thread.

You are TOTALLY in line with the spirit of this challenge--disciplining your spending.

It doesn't make much difference how many zero days you have if you are making lots of impulse buys on the days you spend.

Today I saw a perfect greeting card for 53 cents. It is just right for somebody who is challenging to find a good card for. DId I "blow" it because I shot a zero day?? No way, I got a true bargain: high quality at a low price on something I intended to buy. (Even though I originally intended to buy it in May, not today)

If you reach your own goal, you win!

You said that very well! The first month I managed to keep track all the way through the month (September), I had a problem sticking to my budget on days I'd already spent money. It was as if "well, the day is blown for $0, so I might as well get this...and this...and this...."

Last month, I tried to counteract that by including both a $0 goal and a money amount goal. That helped reign it in a lot. I was sill over budget, but not by nearly as much.

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $77
$750...$673 left
$0 Days:1
Goal is 15 or more!

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) $7 (Parking) $20 (Gas)
Nov 2nd- $0

 

[lougoofy]

Nov. 1 so far: $4.00 for drinks

Rest of Sunday: $16.72 groceries and $4.22 restaurant
Nov.2: $1.50 bus fare, $3.48 taco bell, $1.90 drink, $8.53 starbucks (for two) and $6.50 laundry

 

[Swmr359]

i`m in. I just got off COBRA, so I`ll be saving over $400 and I want to make sure I save that for my Disney trip! I hoping to keep my grocerys at about $50; eat out no more than twice and go to the ice cream store no more than twice.
Here we go!

Nov.1 $4 for ice cream
Nov.2 $23 for groceries

 

[CherylA]

Not too bad yesterday, an evening out bowling with the hubby took a little out of the entertainment budget, well worth it!

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
-14.00 bowling and donuts and coffee
=315

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



Nov 1- McDonalds, late cc bill, Stop and Shop
Nov 2- $14 bowling and coffee/donuts

 

[casper_jj11]

Hi everyone!

I'm in again this month. Just posted my end of october budget and didn't do too bad. Still over in groceries though. Its been crazy here. DS7 came down with h1n1. he's doing great now, tamiflu is amazing stuff, and he's back at school but my work is concerned I may carry it (I've had a headache and something on my chest for days now) so I'm working from home for the next few days. Unfortunately, Nov's budget is at the office. I'm going to post what I remember but I'm going to have to adjust when I head back, hopefully later this week.

groceries $700 ($175/wk) ... went over last month despite increasing the budget... Cdn thanksgiving probably didn't help $622.73 left
gas $500 $440.47 left
cat food $90
MIL bday $50
winter boots for DS7 $50
swimming registration for 3 kiddos $$350 $18 left
gymnastics registration for 2 kiddos $318
tire change and oil change at garage x 2 $160
my spending $150
DH spending $150

Christmas (carried over from last month)
DS7 $85
DD3 $0 .... hmm, blew the budget on dd last month.... I may need to increase this...
DS2 $35
DH $150
DMom $100
DDad $100
DMIL $100
kids caregiver $100

I'll carry over what isn't spent on Christmas this month, into next month. I'll also increase DH's budget then too for my Christmas gifts... no way he'll shop before mid Dec

Total including Christmas $3188 $2719.20 left
1 - $0 YEAH! Good start!
2 - groceries $70.51; yard bags $6.76
3 - $332 swimming registration; gas $59.53

 

[Tiggerish]

Total budget for November is $500 plus Christmas.

Groceries - $200 / $133 left
Automobile - $50
Giving - $50 / $37 left
Medical - $50
Eating Out - $25/ $13 left
Misc. - $125 / $96 left

Then I have a separate budget for Christmas - $426 / $66 left
================================================== ======

11/1 Giving $10; Groceries $67
11/2 Christmas $10; Eating out $12
11/3 Giving $3; Misc. $29

A local grocery store was having a double coupon day so I combined sale items and coupons and bought $51 worth of tooth paste, tooth brushes, deodorant, razors, and OTC medicine for $29 and got a coupon for $1 off of gas. I also got $12 worth of female products for $3 which I will donate to the food pantry which is always in need of them.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

$298.90/$300 - groceries
$0 - eating out
$150 - gas
$42.15/$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
2nd - 4.05 for icees and popcorn at Target - BUT this was on my "return spree" today. I got back $200 - so I am counting this as a ZERO day
3rd - $7.85 at Michael's for Scouts tonight - but used my return credit so nothing oop. Still counting that for misc kids.

 

[charming23]

Went to Books-a-million today to spend a gift card I got. I bought 3 books (1 for me, 2 for my mom) and only had to spend $9.87 of my own money.

Update: I met a friend at Target to hel her pick out gifts for her new niece and bought a bunch of Halloween Candy to use in baking for the holiday season and flannel sheets. So I have decided to make a seperate category for holiday supplies and have updated the totals to reflect that.

Groceries/household- $300/$260.82 Left
Eating Out/Entertainment- $100
Gas/Car-$50
Misc-$150/$107.15 Left
Holiday items- $100/$68.97 left
I also would like to have at least 15 $0 days.

11/1 $0
11/2 $55.56 at Aldi's and 17.98 at Target
11/3 $9.87 at Books-a-million, Target $14.65 for baking and $15 for new sheets

Total for November $700/$586.94 left

 

[neatokimmo]

I found $17 cash while doing laundry last night. I am counting that as found money! (is that cheating?)

I spent $5 at a bake sale today for our troop support committee.

Nov 3 = $5
Nov 2 = zero
Nov 1 Gas = $30, groceries = $32

Groceries - 75/80 (I also have an additional $48/80 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 - $57/40