December "No Buy" - Wrap up 2016 with a bang!

[tinkarooni]

So here we go, we're off into December. The rules are the same, set your own rules, decide what counts as "buying" for you and figure out how many "No Buy" days for the month. Then post here often to tell about your success (or confess your mistakes).

Join us for a holiday season of No Buying and having more time to spend with family and more money in your pocket!

 

[tinkarooni]

So I am going for 21 days this month. Higher than I've ever tried before, but I'd like to ramp up for a big savings year in 2017 and I'd like to kick start it here. I don't count regular bills like electric or insurance, but I am counting grocery shopping this month because I shouldn't have to do much and I want incentive to stay out of the store. Just as an aside, I've also implemented a personal no clothes shopping ban for December which should help me get to my No Buy goal.

December 1 - No Buy (1/21)

 

[travelgirl06]

I'm in - this as so helpful last month. I know the holidays will come with purchases and travel, so I'm targeting 10 days. I don't count groceries/essentials, bills, or expenses required for activities the kids are in

Today - old navy order (mostly Christmas presents)

 

[jsmla]

I count any money that I personally spend outside of paying the monthly electric/water/mortgage type bills. This includes stuff like groceries and gas. DH refuses to get on board ;-)

I'm not going to set a goal. December is hard for me to predict. We'll be visiting our daughter out of town over Christmas and that will be spendy. Our DS and DIL will be here at New Yeat and I expect we'll go out. Plus gifts!

December 1 (very spendy!)
$132 on the dog (who is rapidly becoming the da**ed dog) at the vet. Hopefully this will be the last visit for a while!

$561 with SkyAuction on a week's rental in a 2BR condo in Las Vegas for May of next year. Friends are coming in from Germany and we're headed west. We were originally headed to the Smokies but cancelled due to the fires. DH also booked two rooms at the Grand Canyon for one night but that's his doing. We may or may not stay overnight there.

Today will be a spend one, it's grocery day although I don't need much, mostly milk and produce.

 

[tinkarooni]

December 1 - No Buy (1/21)
December 2 - No Buy (2/21)

Traveling for work this week and next. While it's a pain to be away, it saves me big bucks. I eat on an expense account and DH and DD eat whatever I cook and leave for them. This should be the last of traveling for awhile so I'm looking at the silver lining, saved $$$.

 

[khmorgan]

I didn't meet my goal last month of 15 so I'll try for 15 this month. It's going to be hard with Christmas shopping not done, and Disney trip at the end of the month. Counting anything that comes out the checking account that isn't bills.

December 1- $40 Target for stuff for the elf to bring when he showed up last night!
December 2- no buy (1)

 

[tinkarooni]

December 1 - No Buy (1/21)
December 2 - No Buy (2/21)
December 3 - grocery shopping - just spent $15.00 picking up milk, yogurt, salad and some fruit. We're eating out of the freezers and pantry a lot right now.
December 4 - I ordered a $100.00 Target gift card online for $90.00 since the gift cards are 10% off today. This will be a gift for my MIL, and with that purchase my gift shopping is done.

I calculated the weekends as spend days into my goals, I always run errands on the weekend and rarely during the week, so I think I can still make my goal for December.

I am avoiding purchasing some of the trappings I usually get sucked into for the holidays. For example, we're not really doing any entertaining this holiday season, so I'm cutting back on what I purchase to put outside, no extra live garland or what not. Where we live, nobody sees it anyway if the're not coming specifically up to our home. I am also skipping live poinsettias inside the house. I have a pretty good fake I purchased at Michaels a few years back, and will just use this instead. This thread and some other chat boards I'm on have me re-evaluating my purchasing as a whole. I really don't think the holidays are going to be ruined if I keep a little extra money in my pocket, so I'm considering where I can cut back and still have a nice holiday with my family.

 

[khmorgan]

December 1- $40 Target for stuff for the elf to bring when he showed up last night!
December 2- no buy (1)
December 3- Loaded grocery, and Starbucks card. Bought gift cards for nieces, nephews, and teachers. Got a few more presents knocked off the list at Target. Extension cord from Home Depot.
December 4- Took the kids out to breakfast, Christmas shopping for DH and the dogs, and got them a snack on the way home.

 

[jsmla]

December 1-$132 at vet, $531 on lodging for May Vegas trip
December 2-$37.28 on milk/produce
December 3-$0
December 4-$0

Dreary rainy weekend, DH and I stayed in.

 

[travelgirl06]

12/1 - old navy
12/2 - lunch out and some American Girl stuff on sale
12/3 - Disneyland day - fabulous day, but definitely not a no-buy
12/4 - No buy (1/10)
12/5 - No buy (2/10)

 

[fallonkendra]

I'm going to aim low once again, and try for 10 no-buy days. I don't count my mortgage payments, house/auto insurance, electric/water/hydro bills.

December 1 - Paid for lunch for a co-worker and myself ($20)
December 2 - Had the day off work, so ran some errands. $25 at the bakery, $30 on gas for my car
December 3 - We stopped at the grocery store for 2 things, but there were so many great deals on meat I ended up spending over $230. My mom bought us a new deep freeze on Black Friday, so I figured we should have a few things to put in it . That said, we should only have to buy fresh fruit/veggies for the rest of the month
December 4 - Went to a fundraiser for the animal rescue group we adopted one of our dogs from, spent $30 for the dogs to get pictures with Santa, $5 from their bake sale table and $40 on art prints that they make with rescue dogs' paw prints and pet-safe paint.
December 5 - Worked from home, so ate leftovers from the fridge for lunch No buy (1/10)

 

[khmorgan]

December 1- $40 Target for stuff for the elf to bring when he showed up last night!
December 2- no buy (1)
December 3- Loaded grocery, and Starbucks card. Bought gift cards for nieces, nephews, and teachers. Got a few more presents knocked off the list at Target. Extension cord from Home Depot.
December 4- Took the kids out to breakfast, Christmas shopping for DH and the dogs, and got them a snack on the way home.
December 5- no buy (2)
December 6- no buy (3)

 

[Shughart]

I am once again going with a higher goal than I am comfortable with, but somewhat more realistic, especially given the holiday. I am going for 20 no spend days this month. I am not counting grocery or recurring/necessary bills. We are coming up on 2 weeks with my vehicle in the shop with no end in sight yet. Very frustrating with 2 kids, but doing decent things for our wallet.

December 1 - No spend day #1
December 2 - No spend day #2
December 3 - I had girls night out and a day of shopping because I've been stuck in the house. All said I spent about $100.
December 4 - No spend day #3
December 5 - Had a LLR party to earn Christmas leggings and didn't do well but I purchased them at a discount.
December 6 - My daughter needed dues for GS, needed pain reliever for her first aid badge, needed 1 more gift for Xmas and grabbed some dinner from the deli.
December 7 - Calling it early as we have no activities tonight and I am without a car No spend day #4

No spend days 4/20

 

[fallonkendra]

I'm going to aim low once again, and try for 10 no-buy days. I don't count my mortgage payments, house/auto insurance, electric/water/hydro bills.

December 1 - Paid for lunch for a co-worker and myself ($20)
December 2 - Had the day off work, so ran some errands. $25 at the bakery, $30 on gas for my car
December 3 - $230 on groceries
December 4 - $75 at a fundraiser for an Animal Rescue Group
December 5 - Worked from home, so ate leftovers from the fridge for lunch No buy (1/10)
December 6 - A co-worker bought my lunch, No buy (2/10)

 

[tinkarooni]

December 1 - No Buy (1/21)
December 2 - No Buy (2/21)
December -3 groceries
December 4 - took daughter shopping, she was spending her clothes allowance, so I would consider that "No Buy", except I bought a pair of jeans. Epic fail for me.
December 5 - target odds and ends
December 6 - No Buy (3/21)
December 7 - No Buy (4/21)
December 8 - No Buy (5/21)

It's easy to call today, I'm out of town for work. I really never spend a penny when I'm away for work, too busy, too tired and someone else is paying to feed me. That's the only benefit to so much travel.

 

[travelgirl06]

12/6 - ordered holiday photos and cards, a few gifts
12/7 - out to dinner
12/8 - DD needed money for an outing
12/9 - lunch out, ordered picture frames and happy hour with DH

Not doing so well this month, still at 2/10

 

[khmorgan]

December 1- $40 Target for stuff
December 2- no buy (1)
December 3- Loaded grocery, and Starbucks card. Bought gift cards for nieces, nephews, and teachers. Got a few more presents knocked off the list at Target. Extension cord from Home Depot.
December 4- Took the kids out to breakfast, Christmas shopping for DH and the dogs, and got them a snack on the way home.
December 5- no buy (2)
December 6- no buy (3)
December 7- no buy (4)
December 8- no buy (5)
December 9- Target for boots, and paper towels

 

[tinkarooni]

December 1 - No Buy (1/21)
December 2 - No Buy (2/21)
December -3 groceries
December 4 - took daughter shopping, she was spending her clothes allowance, so I would consider that "No Buy", except I bought a pair of jeans. Epic fail for me.
December 5 - target odds and ends
December 6 - No Buy (3/21)
December 7 - No Buy (4/21)
December 8 - No Buy (5/21)
December 9 - No Buy (6/21)

 

[Shughart]

December 1 - No spend day #1
December 2 - No spend day #2
December 3 - I had girls night out and a day of shopping because I've been stuck in the house. All said I spent about $100.
December 4 - No spend day #3
December 5 - Had a LLR party to earn Christmas leggings and didn't do well but I purchased them at a discount.
December 6 - My daughter needed dues for GS, needed pain reliever for her first aid badge, needed 1 more gift for Xmas and grabbed some dinner from the deli.
December 7 - Calling it early as we have no activities tonight and I am without a car No spend day #4
December 8 - Out with my mom and dad and the kids for my brothers wedding since I don't have a car so they took me to target for a few things $32.
December 9 - No spend day #5
December 10 - Pair of LLR leggings, picked up a chocolate cake from portillos and had lunch. $70.
December 11 - No spend day #6

No spend days 6/20

 

[khmorgan]

December 1- $40 Target for stuff
December 2- no buy (1)
December 3- Loaded grocery, and Starbucks card. Bought gift cards for nieces, nephews, and teachers. Got a few more presents knocked off the list at Target. Extension cord from Home Depot.
December 4- Took the kids out to breakfast, Christmas shopping for DH and the dogs, and got them a snack on the way home.
December 5- no buy (2)
December 6- no buy (3)
December 7- no buy (4)
December 8- no buy (5)
December 9- Target for boots, and paper towels
December 10- no buy (6)
December 11- Target for school "winter celebration" things
December 12- left grocery card at home, so had to pay for a few times for dinner, grrr
December 13- no buy (7)