The big "no buy in July" thread!

[thebigkahuna]

I like that idea! Since what I really want is to be able to save for a down payment on a house, I should cut out a picture of a really cute house to put in my wallet!

Yes! do it! I had no idea a picture could be so motivational!

 

[Virgderon]

This sounds dumb, but I have another tactic that works for me, and I have mentioned it before.

I have two daughters, 20 years old and 23 years old. They live far away, so when they come to visit me, all budgeting tends to go out the window. I try to find restaurant.com deals and the like, but I still know I am going to be spending big when they come.

Soo... when I know they are coming, I adjust other budgets. I simply spend less in other categories so the money is there. Couponing combined with shopping sales has given me some of the extra funds I need during months when visits happen.

I guess what I am saying is that I don't fight it anymore, I work with it. DH and I have gone 3 or 4 weeks without eating out or going out to movies or whatever so I can be ready for the kids visits.

Also, I do an old fashioned Christmas club- $25 a week goes into it. In November I get a check for $1300 that covers Christmas. Then I am not scrambling in November and December to take care of holiday expenses.

I like the ticket in the wallet idea! Brilliant!

 

[SnowWhite607]

July 1 - $6 for ice cream for me and DD, $10 lunch Chick Fil A

July 2 - 98.45 at Walmart - that includes groceries for the week, cat stuff, paper products and toiletries. If I can keep this under $500 total for the month, that would be great!
17.68 Sonic for lunch

July 3 - groceries 20.38 (meat and stuff)

July 4 - 3.03 McDonalds

July 5 - 16.93 lunch, $3 snacks at the pool

I will be going out of town Thursday thru Saturday this week. All things will be paid for thru savings set aside for this so I am not going to count it here.

 

[MomOf3LovesMickey]

Grocery- $1.68/300
Household- $9.89/100
Eating Out- $7.50/50

7/1- $1.23
7/2- $7.50
7/3- $5.57
7/4- $4.77
7/5- $0

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Goals: 15 $0 Buy days
Max spending $500 for gas, food (groceries & eating out), and miscellaneous.

01 - $0!
02 - $0!
03 - $82.80 Winn-Dixie (Saved $34.85)
04 - $0!
05 - $0!
06 - $0!


Totals:
$0 Buy: 5/15..................33%
Spending: $82.80/$500....17%
Days in Month: 6/31........19%

Averages:
$500/31 days= $16.13
$82.80/6 days= $13.80

I'm going to call this one early. I hope I don't have to come back and edit it!

We were supposed to go out and run some errands, but I was piggy backing errands so other days would be $0. When the first one got canceled, I figured all the others can wait until tomorrow! Then, I resisted the urge to get a snoball!

 

[SunnieRN]

July goals:
13 No buy days (after set bills)
Grocery: $400/-$153 (My daughter/son in law will put in the same amount!
Entertainment/Eating out: $200/-$31.68

July 1: $0 (and worked on CE at home, so 5 hours overtime at work!
July 2: $153 Groceries, (including 4th of July potluck and BBQ and a crab dinner tomorrow night. LOTS of fresh fruit also! But 4 more hours OT!
July 3: $0
July 4: $0
July 5: $0
July 6: $31.68 Take out lunch (enough chinese for 2 meals)

4/13 No Buy Days!
Added to Savings: $115

 

[thebigkahuna]

07-01 $9.00 sandwich for dinner. Work ran WAY later than I thought.
07-02 $11.65 lunch (actually it will be lunch and dinner - so it's really not that bad price-wise)
07-03 $0! The first no spend day of July! Woo Hoo! Its been a rainy day spent indoors - no need to go out in this weather!
07-04 $0!! Happy 4th to all!
07-05 $5.03 at Kmart
07-06 $1.00 vending machine ice cream!

No $pend days: 2 / 12
Added to Emergency fund: $_____.___

 

[lougoofy]

7/04/10: $4.21 dgmarket, $1.75 newspaper and $1.99 lottery and cappucinno
7/05/10: $3.25 laundry

7/06/10: $4.36 DGMarket (a bit of) groceries

 

[secretpantssam]

7-1- $9 gave in and bought Panera Bread for dinner since I had physical therapy and was too tired to cook
7-2- $0
7-3- $85 groceries
7-4- $0
7-5- $49 mom's b-day gift

2 no buy days...not a bad start!

 

[jitterbug7129]

I am jumping on board for my first no-spend month; JULY! I am already a little behind so I am going to start tomorrow and proceed from there.


Goal of 10 no buy days for the rest of the month!

 

[MissBritt]

7/1 $73.19 WinnDixie (saved 58.04)
7/2 $52.74 Pubix (saved 57.84)
7/3 $34.30 Gas, $17.87 Post office, $50 Sephora (gift), $6.41 The Body Shop (gift), $15.00 Etsy (gift), -$5.34 Return
7/4 $14.00 Movie & snacks (Grown Ups)
7/5 $20.25 Movie & snacks (Toy Story 3), $28.00 Dinner out (1/6)
7/6 $0

Groceries 125.93 (saved 115.88)
Dinner Out 28.00 (1/6)
Gas 34.30
Gifts 71.41
Entertainment 34.25
Incidentals 17.87
Returns -5.34

TOTALS:
306.52
$0 DAYS- 1/10

 

[Virgderon]

I absolutely refuse to go out today. I need another 0 spend day.

Running Total: Spent 198
$1150 budget...952 left
$0 Days: 3
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon savings $19

Groceries budget- $200-4-2... 194 left

July 1 0
July 2 0
July 3 14 (8 misc, 2 book, 4 lunchmeat)
July 4 21 (16 lunch at Changs, 5 tee at Old Navy)
July 5 163 (misc at Disney, 2 pop)
Jully 6 0

 

[charming23]

Went to Marc's for groceries today. Spent a bit more than I wanted but we were out of a lot of stuff

July Budget:

Grocery- $200/ $138.84 left
Household- $50
Car/Gas- $50
Eating out/ Entertaiment- $50
Misc- $50/$38.24

Total- $400/$327.08 left

Goal of 10 no buy days

7/1- $11.76 at Kmart
7/2- Out of town
7/3- Out of town
7/4- Out of town
7/5- $0
7/6- $61.16 at Marc's for groceries

1/10 No Buy days

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

July Budget:

Grocery- $258.90/300
Household- $50
Eating out/ Entertaiment- $30/50
Misc- $100

Total- $500

Goal of 8 no buy days



July 1st- No Buy Day
July 2nd-$30.00 groceries $20 eating out
July 4th- No buy Day
July 5th-No buy Day
July 6th-$11.10 groceries
Coupon Savings $64.34

 

[Tiggerish]

Budget for July is $1000 with 10 no spend days.

Auto $60
Eating Out/Entertainment $100
Giving $125 /$100
Groceries/Household Goods $300 / $228 left
Medical $265 / $255
Misc. $150 / $140 left

No spend days = 2 /10
Coupon savings = $19.35
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $12

-------------------------------------------
7/1 Groceries $20
7/2 $0
7/3 Groceries $43; Misc. $10 (new Mickey Mouse watch)
7/4 Giving $25 (church); Groceries $6
7/5 Groceries $3; Medical $10 (3 month prescription)

 

[SnowWhite607]

July 1 - $6 for ice cream for me and DD, $10 lunch Chick Fil A

July 2 - 98.45 at Walmart - that includes groceries for the week, cat stuff, paper products and toiletries. If I can keep this under $500 total for the month, that would be great!
17.68 Sonic for lunch

July 3 - groceries 20.38 (meat and stuff)

July 4 - 3.03 McDonalds

July 5 - 16.93 lunch, $3 snacks at the pool

July 6 - ZERO!!

I will be going out of town Thursday thru Saturday this week. All things will be paid for thru savings set aside for this so I am not going to count it here.

 

[Cindy-rella]

Trip to Target, spent $23.04 and saved $20.60.

Budget
Groceries $440, Spent $46.19
No Buy Goal 12, 2 so far

 

[A.Mickey]

Running Total: Spent $133.44
$0 Days:1

Groceries ($200)- $29.08
Eating Out ($100)- $61.36
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($200) $43

1- $0
2- $2.76 (McDonald's- Eating Out), $1.76 (Target-Groceries), $6.72 (Walgreens-Groceries), $.74 (CVS-Groceries) $3 (Carnival-Entertainment)
3- $10 (Carnival-Entertainment), $25 (TeddyFabz-Eating Out), $3.05 (Jewel-Groceries)
4- $7 (Dollar Tree-Shopping), $12.99 (Jewel-Groceries), $23 (Carnival-Entertainment)
5- $26 (Carnival-Eating Out)
6- $7.60 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $3.82 (Jewel-Groceries)




$0 Days: 1: 7%
Budget: $500....27%
Month: 6/31: 19%

My savings from coupons and sales: $176.06

 

[dreamer310]

7/1- 40.28 Staples/22.23 Petco
7/2- 0
7/3- 0
7/4- 0
7/5- 20.00 Gas/14.33 Farmer's Market
7/6- 0


So far 4/15

 

[Virgderon]

Nice job dreamer! you are off to a good start!