NOvemBUY (November No Buy)...All Are Welcome!

[iluvdiscruises]

I have been looking at this thread, and think it's a great idea...but I am struggling with one thing:
On the days you DO spend, do you find you try to fit in more spending those days to make up fo the days you won't spend??
I get the # of days/times eating out piece...obviously, you can't "cheat" on that.
I can just see trying to cram what I would normally spend Monday through Thursday into Monday if I already have a purchase that I absolutely have to make that day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Or am I just seeing loopholes that the rest of you are great about ignoring?
Thanks for the feedback...I am interested to hear how this really works for people, as I think the idea can be a great money-saver, especially for those impulse purchases.

 

[SDSorority]

I'm jumping on board- only buying what we NEED (food, toiletries, etc) and Christmas Gifts.

 

[Virgderon]

I have been looking at this thread, and think it's a great idea...but I am struggling with one thing:
On the days you DO spend, do you find you try to fit in more spending those days to make up fo the days you won't spend??
I get the # of days/times eating out piece...obviously, you can't "cheat" on that.
I can just see trying to cram what I would normally spend Monday through Thursday into Monday if I already have a purchase that I absolutely have to make that day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Or am I just seeing loopholes that the rest of you are great about ignoring?
Thanks for the feedback...I am interested to hear how this really works for people, as I think the idea can be a great money-saver, especially for those impulse purchases.

Hi! Welcome! The last thing you wrote is the whole thing for me.

What No-buy does is help you plan, and helps you resist the urge to walk into a store for those impulse purchases.

I definitely will try to combine getting gas with a day that I need groceries anyway, but what I won't do is pop into the grocery store for one thing, because you know you are going to walk out with 5 things and it blows my no buy day.

For me, being on the no-buy thread is helping me stay under budget, because I post everything I buy, and I can see where I am wasting money and where I am doing well. If I have spent too much on eating out or entertainment in the first half of the month, I know it, I see it, and I cut back.

Hope that helps!

 

[PrincessBelle09]

Okay, I have tried this before and totally failed but I am determined to stay within my budget this month to maximize what's left for paying down debt and saving for a Disney trip. My goal is 15 no buy days.

Here's the breakdown:

Groceries: 0/200
Dining out: 0/50
Pet: 0/35
Personal care: 0/20
Gifts: 46.25/150
Household: 0/30

Total budget: $485

Total current savings: $7
Total current spending: $46.25
What's left: $438.75

No Buy Days: 0/15

 

[charming23]

I am feeling better but sent my mom out to do the grocery shopping. I am still trying to figure out whether it was a good idea or not. She came home with a lot of snack foods that I normally do not buy.

Also she shipped my cousin her birthday present.

Groceries- $200/$152.65 Left
Household/Pet-$50/$48.15left
Thanksgiving food-$50
Gas/Car-$50
Entertainment/Eating out- $50
Misc-$75/$64.30 left

Total-$475/$415.10

Goal of 15 no buy days

Week One
11/1- $47.35 groceries, $1.85 cat litter, and $10.70 Post office
11/2-
11/3-
11/4-
11/5-
11/6-
11/7-

0/15 No Buy

Coupon and Store Savings- $13.03

 

[firsttimer03]

Hello everyone!
I'm new to the no buy month. I've seen the posts but never really checked it out.
I have recently quit my job and we are having to readjust our fianances and stop "want to" purchases and are only doing "need to".
I'm excited about trying this out so I will be watching and learning and appreciative any tips/tricks you may have for me.
Thanks!!!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I have completed 10 months of my 12 month goal and am excited for November. This month we are headed to Disney, so my goal is 8 for the days I am in town.

November 1-$0 Anyone who knows me knows I have to start the month with one or I don't do well for some reason. So, I made do with groceries today and made it a November 1st No Spend Day!

November No Spend Days 1/8
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Happy About Record Since Joining No Buy-
January-14 Days
February-13 Days
March-17 Days
April-15 Days
May-15 Days
June-8 Days
July- 6 Days (only in town and only recorded half the month, probably had about 7-8 no buys while away)
August-15 Days
September-15 Days
October-13 Days
Longest Streak-4 Days in a Row[/QUOTE]

 

[3goofyboys]

My goal for the month is 17 no buy days. Looking forward to another good month!

1 $10. Was going to be a no buy day, but DH needed gas...oh well!

 

[3goofyboys]

I have been looking at this thread, and think it's a great idea...but I am struggling with one thing:
On the days you DO spend, do you find you try to fit in more spending those days to make up fo the days you won't spend??
I get the # of days/times eating out piece...obviously, you can't "cheat" on that.
I can just see trying to cram what I would normally spend Monday through Thursday into Monday if I already have a purchase that I absolutely have to make that day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Or am I just seeing loopholes that the rest of you are great about ignoring?
Thanks for the feedback...I am interested to hear how this really works for people, as I think the idea can be a great money-saver, especially for those impulse purchases.

For me, the fact that I DO plan to combine shopping days is key. It means that I plan ahead, think about what expenses I'll have and how to deal with them. It stops impluse purchases, which has made all the difference in the world to our budget!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I have been looking at this thread, and think it's a great idea...but I am struggling with one thing:
On the days you DO spend, do you find you try to fit in more spending those days to make up fo the days you won't spend??
I get the # of days/times eating out piece...obviously, you can't "cheat" on that.
I can just see trying to cram what I would normally spend Monday through Thursday into Monday if I already have a purchase that I absolutely have to make that day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Or am I just seeing loopholes that the rest of you are great about ignoring?
Thanks for the feedback...I am interested to hear how this really works for people, as I think the idea can be a great money-saver, especially for those impulse purchases.

Hi! Welcome! The last thing you wrote is the whole thing for me.

What No-buy does is help you plan, and helps you resist the urge to walk into a store for those impulse purchases.

I definitely will try to combine getting gas with a day that I need groceries anyway, but what I won't do is pop into the grocery store for one thing, because you know you are going to walk out with 5 things and it blows my no buy day.

For me, being on the no-buy thread is helping me stay under budget, because I post everything I buy, and I can see where I am wasting money and where I am doing well. If I have spent too much on eating out or entertainment in the first half of the month, I know it, I see it, and I cut back.

Hope that helps!

I agree with my No Buy Pal, Virgderon. A couple things is it keeps you out of the stores so much and saves gas from running here and there so often. But also it gives you more self control (at least I feel it does) on the days you are spending. It has changed me in a way of thinking out purchases more, even if it is a spend day.

Welcome all the new people, I hope you find success here.

And to the PP who thought it was no buying for a whole month. I can't even make it 5 days, can't imagine a MONTH! Glad to clicked to check us out!

 

[annsteere]

Family begins arriving 12/2 for "Thanksmas" so holiday shopping will be pretty much complete in Nov.

Targets: 10 no buy days
0 spent on entertainment/meals out (except snack driving to
MIL's for Thanksgiving dinner)
300 groceries
0 over set budget for Christmas gifts

11/1 Nothing impulse (didn't even go for reduced Halloween candy). But, finally had the plumber in and worked through a tax issue. I spent three weeks gross income in a single day.


Anybody know why my post has a thumbs down that I can't delete?

 

[ronnmel]

No Buy Days : 0/15
Gas : 0$ (max 85$)
Groceries : 35$ (max 250$)
Eating out (and snacks) : 0$ (max 150$)
Non-necessities : 0$ (max 250$)

01/11 : 35$ (groceries)

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Family begins arriving 12/2 for "Thanksmas" so holiday shopping will be pretty much complete in Nov.

Targets: 10 no buy days
0 spent on entertainment/meals out (except snack driving to
MIL's for Thanksgiving dinner)
300 groceries
0 over set budget for Christmas gifts

11/1 Nothing impulse (didn't even go for reduced Halloween candy). But, finally had the plumber in and worked through a tax issue. I spent three weeks gross income in a single day.


Anybody know why my post has a thumbs down that I can't delete?

If you edit and "go advance" you will be able to remove it.

 

[wlake]

Annsteere, I thought the thumbs down was for your first day! Ouch!

Iluvdiscruises, I do try to lump my spending together on fewer days now. While I have to do that to an extent (I live miles and miles from the nearest anything), it keeps me away from that online shopping when I've had a long day....

Good luck everyone!!

The latest:
11/1: $42 for last week's after school care, $? for the PO (been avoiding that trip for almost 3 weeks, so I don't really want to know, but I suppose I'll have to ask later), $62 on clothes, and $140 for indoor soccer registration for the boys (ouch, but I was able to get the late fee waived because I didn't even know this place had indoor soccer until Sat., and the deadline was of course Fri.! That was really nice of them.) Starting off with a huge day!

 

[Monny2AE]

I know it's only Day 1 but so far so good. I ran to the library with my kids tonight and fought off the impulse to stop in any stores along the way!

11/1: $0



1/15 No Spend Days...only 14 more to reach my goal!

 

[A.Mickey]

I am back! I love No Buy, but I tend to go over budget, maybe this month I can come in under! We are going to Disney again next month, so would really love to come in under budget this month!

Running Total: Spent $0
$0 Days:1/10

Groceries ($200)- $0
Eating Out ($100)- $0
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($200) $

Decided to start a weekly budget, maybe this way I won't get too discouraged

WEEK 1:
$40 Groceries
$20 Eating Out
$40 Misc.

WEEK 1 BEGIN:
1- $0


Budget: $500....0%
Month: 1/30: 3%

My savings from coupons and sales: $0

 

[fairyprincess1]

Goal: 12 No Buy days

11/1 $0


1/12 No Spend Days...

 

[charming23]

Calling today a $0 as I have no car since my mom is working at the election booth today.

Groceries- $200/$152.65 Left
Household/Pet-$50/$48.15left
Thanksgiving food-$50
Gas/Car-$50
Entertainment/Eating out- $50
Misc-$75/$64.30 left

Total-$475/$415.10

Goal of 15 no buy days

Week One
11/1- $47.35 groceries, $1.85 cat litter, and $10.70 Post office
11/2- $0
11/3-
11/4-
11/5-
11/6-
11/7-

1/15 No Buy

Coupon and Store Savings- $13.03

 

[thebigkahuna]

I'm setting a goal of 10 no $pend days.

I noticed last month I wasn't keeping track the way I wanted to, and then I was just "giving up" because I had forgotten or didn't have receipts. So instead of keeping track of every day, I'm going to keep track of *JUST* my NO $pend days

No $pend day # 1 - 11-01-10
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Good luck to everyone & thanks to MickeyMomOfThree for starting the November thread!

 

[thebigkahuna]

I have been looking at this thread, and think it's a great idea...but I am struggling with one thing:
On the days you DO spend, do you find you try to fit in more spending those days to make up fo the days you won't spend??

I don't. If I need to spend money, then I will. I'm not going to spend extra, but also, I'm not going to skip getting gas, or something else important because it might ruin a "no spend" day for me.
What the no spend days *do* for me, is help me realise that I don't need to run out for an iced coffee, or that I have plenty of food at home, and I *really* DO NOT need to hit McDonalds on the way home ! LOL It has also helped me with my impulse purchases. Which were many. Moving on......

I can just see trying to cram what I would normally spend Monday through Thursday into Monday if I already have a purchase that I absolutely have to make that day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Or am I just seeing loopholes that the rest of you are great about ignoring?
Thanks for the feedback...I am interested to hear how this really works for people, as I think the idea can be a great money-saver, especially for those impulse purchases.

If there is something that I normally buy, it's probably a budgeted expense. Everyone tailors the "no buy" to what works for them, and that's what I love so much about it! For me, it helped me see where my budget "leaks" were
(the afforementioned iced coffees LOL!) and it helps me to think, hey, instead of a 3$ coffee, I'm going to make today a no spend day & count that 3$ towards my Disney fund. (or my new boots fund, or my I want to buy a car with cash fund, or sometimes, the my car needs gas fund! )

I do try to do all my errands at once though, but that's just because I'd rather go out once instead of all through the week.
Emergency items though, those I deal with as they come up (like when I HAD to stop & grab allergy medicine. I thought I was going to sneeze my head right off my neck. ) That purchase made my day a $pend, and I didnt care.

Do what works for you! There are some months I make it & some I don't - and that's ok, because I'm more aware of my spending now then I have been in a long time. Plus, everyone here is so super supportive. I've never seen a negative post here & that is just magical