No Buy November 2009

[wdwpluto]

Glad to know I'm not alone in the once I blow the $0 day mentality! I think I'll track the HSA spending, but not count it in my budget (or against a $0 day if that's the only thing I spend on!)

 

[casper_jj11]

groceries $700 ($175/wk) $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 $92.88 left
DH spending $150 $125.60 left

Christmas (carried over from last month)
DS7 $85 $44.71 left
DD3 $50 $0.20 over
DS2 $35 $19.63 left
DH $150
DMom $100
DDad $100
DMIL $100
kids caregiver $100 $88.55 left
SIL $50
BIL $50

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 $3338 $2543.11 left
1 - $0 YEAH! Good start!
2 - groceries $70.51; yard bags $6.76
3 - $332 swimming registration; gas $59.53
4 - DS7 $5 Christmas; Christmas DD3 $5; something for DS2's new big boy bedroom $4; friend's son Christmas $9.04
5 - DS7 gift $14.50; Christmas clothes for kiddos $26
6- Christmas gifts: DS7 $20.79; DD3 $45.20; DS2 $15.37; caregiver $11.75; bday gift for friend $18.08; newborn gift for friend $24.40

 

[charming23]

Today is a $0 day as well I have been rearranging my bedroom and am too tired to go out and get anything. Maybe if I do manual labor all the time I will be too exhausted to shop . Tonight's dinner is even already defrosting.

Groceries/household- $300/$236.33 Left
Eating Out/Entertainment- $100
Gas/Car-$50
Misc-$150/$107.15 Left
Holiday items- $100/$57.71 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
11/4 $24.29 at grocery and $11.26 for holiday items
11/5 $0
11/6 $0

Total for November $700/$551.39 left

I have also started to track my saving from coupons and sales and so far I have saved $87.71

 

[lougoofy]

Oct. 4: $1.50 bus fare, $4.50 (chinese food) lunch, $12.82 dollar general (stocked up on trash bags, splenda and got a few other things) and $13.01 groceries at Kroger's plus $1.00 snack at work

I have an appt. Feb. 1 so I need a new calendar to keep track of things. I think I will get a $1.00 calendar instead of spending 10 or 15 times that at a Bookstore or some-where.

Oct. 5: $2.12 Hardees, $1.50 bus fare, $.99 chips, $2.33 calendars and a small mint and $5.70 gum and beers

 

[neatokimmo]

I spent $5.10 on random junk at work today. It was food, but not really eating out, but not really groceries so I guess I'll stick it in the misc column.

My last yard sale ever is tomorrow. I have a lot of furniture, appliances and little stuff to get rid of. Whatever is left, I'll donate to Goodwill on Jan 4th. We are going to be one of those happy families with zero clutter, I am looking forward to it!

Nov 6 = $5.10
Nov 5 = $5
Nov 4 = zero
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 - $163.90/40

 

[Tiggerish]

Total budget for November is $500 plus Christmas.

Groceries - $200 / $114 left
Automobile - $50
Giving - $50 / $37 left
Medical - $50
Eating Out - $25/ $13 left
Misc. - $125 / $93 left

Then I have a separate budget for Christmas - $426 / $66
================================================== =====
1/1 Giving $10; Groceries $67
11/2 Christmas $10; Eating out $12
11/3 Giving $3; Misc. $29
11/4 Groceries $19; Misc. $3 (library late fees, oops)
11/5 $0
11/6 $0

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I spent $5.10 on random junk at work today. It was food, but not really eating out, but not really groceries so I guess I'll stick it in the misc column.

My last yard sale ever is tomorrow. I have a lot of furniture, appliances and little stuff to get rid of. Whatever is left, I'll donate to Goodwill on Jan 4th. We are going to be one of those happy families with zero clutter, I am looking forward to it!

I put snacks bought individually (versus in bulk at a supermarket) as part of the "eating out" category. I figure it's food that I got while out and about, so it technically is "eating out". Misc. for me is cleaning supplies, books, activities, etc.

on the last garage sale and the absence of clutter!

 

[Swmr359]

Nov.1 $4 for ice cream
Nov.2 $27 for groceries
Nov.3 $0
Nov.4 $0
Nov.5 $7 at Target
Nov.6 $0

I was so exhusted after work I couldn`t even think about shopping.

 

[princessbride6205]

Nov 1 - $5 water & juice for airplane
Nov 2 - $3 parking/shuttle
Nov 3 - $3 parking/shuttle
Nov 4 - $3 parking/shuttle, $60 bus/shuttle pass, $9 stamps, $74 groceries, $21 gift
Nov 5 - $2 parking, $4 groceries, $5 lunch, $100 gas card
Nov 6 - $0 Finally!

Groceries - spent $78/$275
Other (diapers, household, clothing) - spent $9/$200
Dining Out - spent $5/$120
Fun Money - spent $5/$40 each (me and DH)
Car/Gas/Parking/Bus - spent $171/$250 (incl airport parking over Thanksgiving)
Giving - $25
Medical - $50

Exceptions
Christmas - Budget TBD
Friend's Baby Shower - spent $21/$25

 

[paulasillars]

Not much to report since my first and only posting this month back on the 1st.

1st - $15 for dinner & $5 at a school fair ($1 for a Winnie the Pooh mug, $2 box of books, $2 bag of clothing)
2nd - $0
3rd - $0
4th - $0
5th - $0
6th - $0
7th - $0

Just following on from previous comments, I only report on here items that I can really control which is my personal spending.

I track all household expenses on a spreadsheet but they are things like groceries, utilities and so forth. They have to be paid regardless so I simply don't report on those for the No Buy threads. We do have $ values assigned to them though as do our best to stay within these amounts.

I guess my main goal for "no buy" is to curb frivilous or unnecessary spending and keep "eating out" to a bare minimum. I've gone from eating out 5 days a week for lunch plus dinners a couple of times a week to usually only once a week and have been very disciplined with taking lunches to work - I guess I save $2000 a year on that alone - easier than getting a pay rise... and much better for my waistline not to mention my arteries.

We paid made the final payment for our 2010 cruise today - woohoo and I put through our DVC request today as we are at our 11 month window

 

[24601]

11/01 - $268.63 for groceries, big load for the month and got a $25 gift card for it.
11/02 - $0
11/03 - $0
11/04 - $8.31 at McDonalds of all places. Oh well.
11/05 - $0
11/06 - $45 for gas

12 more no-buy days to go this month. It might be close ...

 

[charming23]

Today is another $0 day. I have some friends coming over in a few hours for a get together and are having a movie night with breakfast for dinner so i have everything in the house already.

Groceries/household- $300/$236.33 Left
Eating Out/Entertainment- $100
Gas/Car-$50
Misc-$150/$107.15 Left
Holiday items- $100/$57.71 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
11/4 $24.29 at grocery and $11.26 for holiday items
11/5 $0
11/6 $0
11/7 $0

Total for November $700/$551.39 left

I have also started to track my saving from coupons and sales and so far I have saved $87.71

 

[24601]

11/01 - $268.63 for groceries, big load for the month and got a $25 gift card for it.
11/02 - $0
11/03 - $0
11/04 - $8.31 at McDonalds of all places. Oh well.
11/05 - $0
11/06 - $45 for gas
11/07 - $46.41 for groceries

Still have 12 no-buy days to go but tomorrow has the possibility of being one ... we'll see if it happens.

 

[neatokimmo]

I spent $33 something on groceries today and have $15 ish left on the last giftcard.

I made $417 at the sale. $150 of that is estate $$ so I am adding $342 to my misc column.

Nov7 = $33
Nov 6 = $5.10
Nov 5 = $5
Nov 4 = zero
Nov 3 = $5
Nov 2 = zero
Nov 1 Gas = $30, groceries = $32

Groceries - 75/80 (I also have an additional $15/80 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 - $505.90/40

 

[rmonty02]

If achieving $0 days will be difficult for you, then maybe modify it for yourself to have $0 days in certain categories only, or just to do dollar amount limits for each week, like $150/week as well as $600 overall.

You're totally right. I will have to figure something and monitor myself accordingly.
No zero days as of yet, but I think today is the day...I shouldn't need to go out of the house for anything else, keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[lougoofy]

Oct. 5: $2.12 Hardees, $1.50 bus fare, $.99 chips, $2.33 calendars and a small mint and $5.70 gum and beers

Oct. 6: $.73 soda and $5.75 dollar general store
Oct. 7: $5.07 Hardees breakfast and $3.50 laundry

 

[A.Mickey]

Not doing so good, I think we are still under my budget for 200 dollars the 4 day weekend in AZ, but I had to spend 20 dollars in baggage fees here and back, for a total of $40! Rawr! I hope to count the money tonight of what we have left, luckily we are almost done as far as spending money goes as the wedding is tomorrow and Monday we leave!

 

[Tiggerish]

Total budget for November is $500 plus Christmas.

Groceries - $200 / $106 left
Automobile - $50
Giving - $50 / $37 left
Medical - $50
Eating Out - $25/ $8 left
Misc. - $125 / $93 left

Then I have a separate budget for Christmas - $426 / $66
================================================== =====
1/1 Giving $10; Groceries $67
11/2 Christmas $10; Eating out $12
11/3 Giving $3; Misc. $29
11/4 Groceries $19; Misc. $3 (library late fees, oops)
11/5 $0
11/6 $0
11/7 Groceries $8; Eating out $5

 

[Swmr359]

Nov.1 $4 for ice cream
Nov.2 $27 for groceries
Nov.3 $0
Nov.4 $0
Nov.5 $7 at Target
Nov.6 $0
Nov.7 $4 at Starbucks

I went to the mall to get something, wasn`t there... I should have stayed home and saved my money

 

[SnowWhite607]

Thanks for the heads up about the NOMA thing.......we also do Ren Fest, we are on the Northshore (Slidell) and this will probably be my last year to work a full time job so I am always interested in money saving tips!

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