March No Buy..Rolling Into Spring!

[ronnmel]

May:
Gas : 73$
Car repairs : 390$
Groceries : 226$
Eating out (and snacks) : 250$
Non-necessities : 267$
Total spent: 1206$

June:
Gas : 47$ (26$ less)
Groceries : 140$ (86$ less)
Eating out (and snacks) : 115$ (135$ less)
Non-necessities : 204$ (63$ less)
Total : 506$.

July:
No Buy Days : 5/10
Gas : 40$ (7$ less)
Car repairs : 261$
Groceries : 189$ (49$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 179$ (64$ more)
Non-necessities : 865$ (661$ more )
Total: 1554$

August:
No Buy Days : 12/10
Gas :38$ (2$ less)
Groceries : 317$ (128$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 196$ (17$ more UGH)
Non-necessities : 657$ (208$ less)
Total : 1208$

September:
No Buy Days : 16/10 New goal 15
Gas : 85$ (47$ more, but my new job is further away)
Groceries : 264$ (53$ less )
Eating out (and snacks) : 126$ (70$ less )
Non-necessities : 503$ (154$ less, but still way too much!)
Total : 978$ (230$ less )

October:
No Buy Days : 12/15
Gas : 91$ (6$ more)
Groceries : 193$ (71$ less)
Eating out (and snacks) : 118$ (8$ less)
Non-necessities : 493$ (10$ less)
Total: 895$ (83$ less)

November:
No Buy Days : 11/15
Gas : 98$ (7$ more)
Car : 74$
Groceries : 298$ (105$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 164$ (46$ more)
Non-necessities : 204$ (289$ less )
Total: 838$ (57$ less)

December:
No Buy Days : 7/10
Gas : 120$ (22$ more, but gas prices went up and I did lots of shopping)
Groceries : 151$ (147$ less )
Eating out (and snacks) : 185$ (21$ more)
Non-necessities : 404$ (200$ more, but it was the month of splurging on myself and lots of activities. Hopefully January will be much calmer)
Christmas : 285$ (85$ over budget)
Salsa lessons : 280$
Total : 1420$ (Less than my worse month though, and it's December, so I guess not *that* bad )

January:
No Buy Days : 16/15
Gas : 98$ (22$ less)
Groceries : 237$ (86$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 99$ (86$ less )
Non-necessities : 222$ (182$ less)
Total: 656$ My second best month!

February:
No Buy Days : 19/16
Gas : 102$ (4$ more, which is good considering gas prices went up)
Groceries : 247$ (10$ more)
Eating out (and snacks) : 42$ (57$ less)
Non-necessities : 633$ (411$ more)
Total : 1024$

March:
No Buy Days : 11/12 (didn't make my goal. )
Gas : 182$ (80$ more!!! I know prices went up, and I did a lot of traveling to bring my mom back and forth to the hospital, but I didn't think it would be that bad)
Groceries : 228$ (19$ less )
Eating out (and snacks) : 195$ (153$ more, but 100$ of that was a gift for some close friends)
Non-necessities : 790$ (157$ more)
Total : 1395$

This month will be known as the month that keeps spending. Hope April will be better, but I doubt it...

 

[ronnmel]

Try as I might, I just could not wait until tomorrow to put gas in my car, so I failed my no-buy days goal.

No Buy Days : 11/12
Gas : 182$ (62$ over)
Groceries : 228$ (22$ under)
Eating out (and snacks) : 195$ (95$ over, but 100$ was helping DH pay for a very nice dinner-gift for close friends of his, so for my own personal spending I'm 5$ under)
Non-necessities : 790$ (290$ over, even with increasing my limit)

03/01 : 45$ (gas + pharmacy)
03/02 : 0$
03/03 : 0$
03/04 : 0$
03/05 : 0$[
03/06 : 95$ (canadian tire + dinner)
03/07 : 0$
03/08 : 118$ (dinner, passport, and a few little things)
03/09 : 79$ (gas + long overdue windshield wipers)
03/10 : 55$ (cat litter & food)
03/11 : 22$ (breakfast, envelopes, groceries)
03/12 : 59$ (gift for baby shower + snack)
03/13 : 0$
03/14 : 38$ (gas)
03/15 : 0$
03/16 : 287$ (salsa class + fast food)
03/17 : 79$ (groceries)
03/18 : 100$ (dinner)
03/19 : 0$
03/20 : 85$ (dress + drinks)
03/21 : 0$
03/22 : 144$ (gas)
03/23 : 0$
03/24 : 2$ (bagel)
03/25 : 0$
03/26 : 25$ (helped pay for step-daughter's birthday dinner)
03/27 : 48$ (drinks, a mini-wallet, OTC medecine)
03/28 : 190$ (salsa dancing shoes + groceries)
03/29 : 9$ (medication)
03/30 : 0$
03/31 : 38$ (gas)

 

[Virgderon]

MickeyMom, can I come to your party? Just kidding.

This was a crazy month. Hope April will be calmer.

Running Total: Spent $653
$900 budget... $247 left
$0 Days: 8
Goal is 8 or more!
coupon/sale savings :110

Groceries budget- $250-3-52-47- 8-12-38= 90 left

March 1: 22
March 2 : 0
March 3: 52 ( groceries)
March 4: 0
March 5: 11 ( Walgreens pop, cooking supplies)
March 6 : 22 ( cleaning supplies )
March 7 : 0
March 8: 18 ( 13 Walgreens, 5 snack at bowling)
March 9 : 0
March 10: 48 ( Publix)
March 11: 43 ( 15 dress, 28 gas)
March 12 : 0
March 13 : 0
March 14: 60 ( meds, toiletries, cleaning supplies, pop)
March 15 : 32 ( 11 make up, 16 bowling, 5 food )
March 16: 9 ( magazine and snack at airport)
March 17: 27 ( shirt )
March 19 : 41 ( 15 Jewel, 9 take out, 17 lock for storage locker )
March 20: 0
March 21: 30 (shipping)
March 22: 41 (5 airport snack, 4 magazine at airport, 32 gas for rental car )
March 23: 12 ( pop, snacks)
March 24 : 0
March 25 : 58 ( 20 haircut, 16 misc, 22 gas)
March 26: 6 ( beach ball , toys)
March 27: 48 ( 38 groceries, 10 snack at arena football game)
March 28: 11 ( snacks, lunch)
March 29: 27 ( 6 lunch, 10 gas, 11 pop & misc)
March 30: 6 ( lunch)
March 31 : 20 ( 7 lunch, 13 gas)

 

[Tiggerish]

The March budget is $700 with 12 no spend days.

Auto $50 / $22 over
Eating Out/Entertainment $100 / $35 over
Giving $10 / $7 left
Groceries/Household Goods $250 / $27 left
Medical $25 / $3 left
Misc. $75 /$13 over
Set bills $205 / $70 left

No spend days 12 /17
Coupon savings $30.66
Christmas 2011 $8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/1 $0
3/2 $0
3/3 $0
3/4 Misc. $27
3/5 Groceries $22
3/6 Set bills $30 (church); Eating out $4
3/7 Eating out $18
3/8 $0
3/9 $0
3/10 $27 Misc. (copying, faxing and printer ink)
3/11 $0
3/12 Groceries $76 (k-cups and the cheese store); Set bills $25 (credit card); Misc. $2 (Easter cards from the dollar store); Eating out $20 (took niece to lunch); Auto $38 (gas - which is now $3.65 a gallon)
3/13 Set bills $30 (church); Groceries $5; Giving $1 (person begging in the grocery store parking lot)
3/14 $0
3/15 $0
3/16 $0
3/17 $20 Set bills (newspaper delivery); $10 eating out.
3/18 $0
3/19 $76 Groceries; $10 Set bills (cell phone); $40 Eating out (Chinese food with my sister and two nieces)
3/20 $30 Set bills (church); Eating out $45 (pizza take) $2 Misc. (bought a shirt for niece at Kohls used two coupons) $25 Misc. (tickets to other niece's school play for myself and my brother and his family)
3/21 $0
3/22 $0
3/23 $0
3/24 $12 Groceries; $7 Eating out; $5 Misc.(stuff for Easter baskets); $22 Medical (co-pay on prescription); $2 Giving
3/25 $11 Eating out
3/26 $0
3/27 $0 (and yes, this means I skipped church today)
3/28 $0
3/29 $0
3/30 $34 Auto (gas); $16 Groceries
3/31 $11 Groceries

 

[Debbie]

The month is over and I have achieved the no buys. (but only by a hair!) It's been a tough one with car bills, vet bills, and music audition costs (did I mention that my DD has been accepted at both of her first choice universities? Now, she has to decide which is first first. A nice dilemma to have!), gifts for this month and later. Oh, yeah....and clothes for me. Yikes, I'd hate to tally it up.....so I won't.
Here's my plan:
1. I will only track PoS transactions-cash, cc, or debit-usually, groceries and gas, although this month there will be a couple of birthday gifts, and my running shoes need to be replaced [there goes $200]
2. Bills paid regularly, including all charity, not included, nor all items that are budgeted for (eg. DD's music trips....money is already set aside-I'll note them, but they don't count)
3. Whatever 'fun' money DH spends i.e. junk food, on himself....not counting
4. I anticipate some eating out this month-birthday and March Break
5. Gas....there is no telling!
6. I would like to aim for 10 No Buy days. Something to shoot for.

Great start.
Mar. 1: DH took the car in for a needed oil change. Found other issues (I knew there was something) Maintenance $434, gas $40
Mar. 2: $0
Mar. 3: $0
Mar. 4: $0
Mar. 5: Mom paid for the hospital parking and supper, but went to Costco: $90 for DD's gifts (birthday), $20 for odds and ends
Mar. 6: groceries $98, gas $47 Music trips that are $5budgeted for: $125
Mar. 7: medical co-pay , groceries $16
Mar. 8: $0
Mar. 9: Happy Birthday to my baby, who asked for pizzeria pizza (a rare treat) $25 and ice cream cake $24. (and for me-Buster bars while I was at DQ $10), fundraiser World's Finest Chocolate almonds for DNiece $20, gas $44
Mar 10: $0
Mar 11: vet charges for tests/visit $250 definitely not planned for, and only the beginning. My poor fur baby!
Mar 12: Medicine for $28, plumbing repair $80, groceries $55
Mar 13: $0
Mar 14: Costco-gifts plus a steam mop $241 (but gifts for DH are DONE for birthday AND Father's Day), tea from Timmy's $2, vet $147
Mar 15: Groceries $89 Mostly for Mom. So excited to actually find Hot Cross Buns! Last year, I didn't have one serving.
Mar 16: Tea from Timmy's $2, pretzel at the mall $2 It could have been a $0, but playing chauffeur when I hadn't had any supper....
Mar 17: Parking fees $20, gas $48, Dinner at Denny's FREE but the tip $10.
Mar 18: Cotton Ginny $126, Parking $1, Tea and Croissant $3
Mar 19: DS (that'd be dumba$$ son ) broke his tooth last night and it couldn't be saved. He has no coverage, so $339 out the window. DD had her university music audition, $22 for lunch/supper, groceries $41, gas $25, DH is taking the script for DS (again, no coverage, so Mommy has to pay.) $27
Mar 20: $0
Mar 21: DH went grocery shopping (and large water bottles, too) $16
Mar 22: gas $40 hospital parking $6
Mar 23: DH bought some milk $5
Mar 24: gas $41 (yuck!) buttermilk $3
Mar 25: $0 Under threat of a body part coming off .....a no buy day! (not optimistic that I can get another 2, but we'll take what we can get. )
Mar 26: gas (returning DM's car...full, please) $54, groceries-market for meats, M&M for meat, Costco (ibuprofen, Caltrate, groceries etc), regular groceries, and farm eggs $150, Shoppers for contacts solution and miscellaneous $45. DEFINITELY not a no buy day!
Mar 27: $0
Mar 28: groceries $51, gas $37, postage for 2 registered letters $23
Mar 29: DH had to pick up DD at the music festival $2 entry fee
Mar 30: another music festival day $2, gas $27, groceries $10, DH medication co-pay $4
Mar 31: $0

NO BUY DAYS: 10/10

 

[wlake]

Seems like it wasn't an easy month for most of us. I made my no buy goal, but the non-consumable goal was hard. Still, it made me really think about purchasing things.

3/1:
3/2: $26 groceries
3/3:
3/4: $35 after school care, $540 brakes (ouch!), $12 dinner, $16 skate night
3/5: $13 Christmas Tree Shop (candy for basket raffle, cupcake liners, and replacement garden clogs), $23 Yankee Candle (candle!), $24 Michael's (gifts for parties the boys are invited to), $51 gas and $16 Walmart (groceries and a dry cleaning kit I have a rebate for)
3/6: $35 dinner out to celebrate DS8 scoring two goals in his indoor soccer game today (he's not terribly athletic, so this is huge!) and the end of indoor soccer season (DS5 played too, but he's very athletic and usually outscored the other team) as well as $49 on groceries. A little more bragging here: I saved $30 on that grocery bill between sales and coupons AND walked out with coupons for a free box of frozen fish and a free gallon of milk. I'm pretty proud of myself!
3/7:
3/8: $6 groceries (well, ice cream after a tough couple of days) and $5 books
3/9: $10 lunch, $26.50 x2 for school lunches for the boys
3/10:
3/11:
3/12: $3 JoAnn's (sprinkles and cupcake liners), $40 gas, $? Target (drinks, cat litter, health and beauty type stuff), $25 birthday gift for my aunt, $25 birthday gift for my sister
3/13: $27 groceries
3/14: $30 dinner (DH is out of town, so my mom suggested going out -- I was all too happy to go and pay for dinner!), $38 sneakers for the boys
3/15:
3/16:
3/17:
3/18: $2 bake sale at my school
3/19: $100 cut and color, $39 gas, $30 Target (snacks and a gift for a birthday party), $18 pharmacy (time to start buying the OTC allergy meds!)
3/20: $32 groceries, $50 Target (clothes for me, items for the kids' basket raffle baskets, groceries, things for school)
3/21:
3/22: takeout
3/23:
3/24:
3/25:
3/26: Lowe's, $75 BJ's, $38 gas, $3 candy, $91 running shoes
3/27: I can't remember any of today's numbers: cleats, baseball pants x2, glove for DH, misc. at Target (all consumables), Christmas Tree Shop (more muffin liners!), lunch out. Expensive, but everyone's outfitted for baseball season. Edited to add: one non-consumable, the glove for DH. Boy cleats and baseball pants don't last long!
3/28: groceries, $25 socks (replacements, I promise!)
3/29:
3/30:
3/31:


no buy days: 15/12
longest streak: 3
meals out: 6/5
days without dinner out: 9
longest no dinners out streak: 10
non-consumable items purchased: 5/0

 

[charming23]

I started a new No Buy Thread for April. Hope to see everyone there.

April 2011 No Buy

 

[Virgderon]

Debbie, congrats on your daughter college acceptances! Its such an exciting time.

 

[A.Mickey]

SO GLAD THIS MONTH IS OVER!!

Running Total: Spent $2923.96
$0 Days:14/14 Got 13 no buys last month, trying to up it to one more.

Groceries ($279-$9/day)- $238.16
Eating Out ($217-$7/day)- $232.42
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) ($806-$26/day) $2218.69
Gas $250- (3/1-$23.69), (3/6-$28.55), (3/8-$37.45 $3.64/gal), (3/17-$35 $3.52/gal), (3/23-$55 $3.69/gal), (3/26-$55 $3.73/gal)= $234.69

WEEK 1 BEGIN:
1- $15.76 (Dominick's-Groceries), $31.02 (Target-Pictures), $23.69 (Gas)
2- $0
3- $9.26 (Walgreens-Groceries), $2.85 (Meijer- Groceries), $3.97 (Dominick's-Groceries), $26.58 (Jewel-Prescription), $12.46 (McDonald's-Eating Out)
4- $0
5- $11 (Zoo Admission), $16 (Eating Out), $37 (Chinese- Eating Out-we bought food for 5 people), $3.91 (Home Depot- Misc.)
6- $196 (Spring Awakening Tickets-Misc. Weren't expecting this, but we are sitting 2nd row center and it is our 7 year anniversary of knowing each other and it is the last performance of the show in Chicago...I forgot that my husband wanted to see this, he wanted to go to two shows and sit in the cheap seats, but for the price of sitting in the 2nd to last row for two nights it is the same as sitting in the front row for one performance, so we opted for sitting close, since our broadway series shows are for the cheap seats), $149.41 (Cedar Point Hotel-Misc.), $31.75 (Driver's License Renewal),
$126.11 (Sears Essentials-Misc. husband wanted a Logitech harmony remote forever! and it was more than half off in liquidation sale), $20.63 (Culver's-Eating Out), $2 (Dollar Tree-Papers), $6.96 (Dominick's-Groceries), $12.50 (Meijer-Groceries), $82.73 (Printer Ink), $27.51 (Amazon.com-Veggie Cages and hiking book)
7- $5.18 (Trader Joe's-Groceries), $24.33 (Joe Caputo-Groceries)
8- $.59 (Dominick's-Groceries), $5.04 (Meijer-Groceries), $6.59 (Chipotle-Eating Out)
9- $0
10-$0
11- $107.50 (Signed up Hubby and I for 5K in October), $3.39 (Dominick's-Groceries), $2.86 (Meijer-Groceries), $1.73 (Walgreens-Groceries), $3.23 (Aldi's-Groceries)
12- $14 (Train-Misc.), $65 (The Berghoff-Eating Out), $4 (Dollar Tree-Misc.)
13- $13.42 (Walgreens-Groceries)
14- $205 (Airplane Tickets for October-Southwest), $9.20 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $15.94 (Joe Caputo-Groceries)
15- $0
16- $7.97 (Deal Woot-Shopping), $14.58 (Meijer-Groceries)
17- $0
18- $0
19- $0
20- $2 (Dollar Tree-Newspapers), $14.30 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $19.60 (Walgreens-Groceries), $1.02 (Dominick's-Groceries)
21- $0
22- $890 (Car Fixed-Misc.), $130 (Tickets for Sisters birthday present to see Comedian...forgot about budgeting for her present), $95 (Great America final season pass payment-Misc.), $5 (Meijer-Groceries)
23- $0
24- $4 (McDonald's-Eating Out), $33.70 (Joe Caputo-Groceries)
25- $0
26- Kinda went crazy today! But it was fun! Spent $60 at Imagination Movers concert, bought Warehouse Mouse he is beyond cute, he looks just like the real thing, a light stick because all the kids had one and my Aaron would be wanting one too, and his 1st concert tshirt with the cities on the back. His birthday is next weekend and I am not really spending anything on him for his birthday so I didn't feel that bad and the look on his face was priceless. (He is sleeping with his Warehouse Mouse right now.), $34 (Old Chicago Pizza-Eating Out), $2 (Dollar Tree-Papers), $7.35 (Walgreens-Groceries)
27- $0
28- $0
29- $4.07 (Walgreens-Groceries), $3.46 (Trader Joes-Groceries), $2.18 (Ikea-Home Improvement), $10 (Meijer-Groceries), $11.02 (Target-Tangled), $7.24 (Wendy's-Eating Out)
30- $6.93 (Dominick's-Groceries), $4.98 (Meijer-Groceries), $6 (Chipolte-Eating Out)
31- $0


Budget: $1552....188% DUMB CAR!
Month: 31/31: 100%
No Buy: 14/14: 100%

My savings from coupons and sales: $1157.29

Next Month: Get car fixed need new rotors and brake pads on other car...rental car for October...Road Trip to Washington D.C. w/friends

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

These days are flying by this month. There's never any time to post. Hope all is well with everyone.

Auto $210.00/$240.00
Groceries/Household Goods $178.00/$150.00
Eating Out/Entertainment $112.00/$150.00 (raised DMil's Bday)
Misc $295.00/$200.00 raised this one due to Prom
No Buy days 15/15
Coupon savings $116.00

January coupon savings $360.00
no buy days 17/10
February coupon savings $124.00
No buy days 15/12

03/01 $40.00 $30.00 gas already!!!!, $10.00 Pizza.. Mom's on strike day. At least I had a $10/20 purchase.
03/02-0-
03/03-0-
03/04-0- I've haven't been feeling well. So, I've been going right home after work. Upset stomach has been helping with my no spend days What ever works right.!
03/05 $66.00 $50.00 Gas- $16.00 dinner out with the ladies. Shouldn't have gone, I ordered a dinner and then didn't eat it. But, the company was priceless.
03/06 Today will be a spend day. Have to do some shopping....It was cold and raining today...So, we only went out to go to Church and to bring DD to work. Then back in the house for the day.
03/07$160.00 Woke up to a flooded basement this morning. By 6:30 AM my DH was at Home Depot buying a sump pump and things that go with it. Luckly I don't think there is a lot of loss. Our old house used to flood every year. We learned from that. We have a small fortune invested in totes and very few things are actually on the floor. Although we did loose a stockpile of T. Paper, paper towels, and 4 bags of dog food so far. DH was able to take the day off from work to get rid of the water and start the cleaning.
03/09$36.00 Walmart groceries and extra cleaning supplies(coupons savings $28.00.
03/10 $50.00 Lia Sophia Party. My DD is crazy about their jewelry. Ok, so am I. I've decided to become an adviser for them. Will save a ton of money and hopefully make some at the same time.
03/11 -0-
03/12 $45.00 $40 gas, $5.00 2 gal. of milk
03/13 $40.00 $25 gc for DNephew's B'day. $15.00 to make veggie platter for his party and 2 bags of rolls from Costcos for the same party.
03/14 $32.00 groceries (saved $22.00)
03/15-0-
03/16$40 in gas. Gas prices are killing me! Not only are the prices out of this world, but, I seem to be filling more often. Went to the Mall to have DD's Ipod looked at. And didn't spend $$. Although she did. With her own money. I love her having a job now. It's saving me $$$.
03/17 Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day. $6.00 at Target on household.(saved $13.00 in coupons).
03/18 -0- Allergy day. went right home from work and never went out again.
03/19 $26.00 Target. (saved $43.00 in coupons and gc)
03/20 -0- Went to Church and back home for the day. Another allergy day!
03/21 DMIL's Birthday $32.00 in take out for family dinner at Inlaw's.
03/22 -0- Went shopping and watched DD spend her money for a change.
03/23-0-
03/24 -0- Everyone in the house was in bed by 8pm. I think the flu is going thru the house.
03/25 $173.00 $55 DD's hair, $50 nails & pedi, $50 gas, $5.00 milk, $13.00 fast food (yuck quick and easy). This was Prom night. And it was crazy. We have all been sick. Especially my DD. But, she insisted on going to the Prom. Can't blame her and we let her go. You're only a Jr. once.
03/26-0- Never left the house
03/27 $58.00 Costco's
03/28-0- going right home from work.
03/29-0-
03/30-0-
03/31 $54.00 out to dinner. I needed it.