No Buy January 2010

[Where'sPiglet?]

Welcome to No Buy!

I am starting this a couple days early so people can consider joining as we begin a new year and get a fresh start.

I expect to see some familiar "faces", as well as many new people this month. Please feel free to join in, regardless of if you've joined us in the past or not.

The point of this thread is to keep track of your discretionary spending on each day of the month. The goal is to have as many $0 days as possible.

The beauty of this challenge is that each person gets to set their own spending goals and choose how they would like to post their results. Most people choose to post their spending for each day on a daily basis, as well as keep a running total of the monthly spending. Some people break it into categories, while other people do not. You can also list exceptions to your spending, such as gift purchases or vacations. It is entirely up to you!

Good luck to everyone!

 

[neatokimmo]

I'm so in! For like the whole year!

The random spending and accumulation of stuff has just got to cool it at my house. We are going to be a frugal and very green family this year

I don't have a monthly budget, I have a yearly one now. I have no idea if I can stick to it, but I am going to try

 

[neatokimmo]

Ha, I was so excited to see the new link, I didn't mention any special things for the month

I have one birthday party for a friend's child but I bought the gift a couple of months ago. I might have to buy wrapping paper for it though.

Natalie's birthday is Feb 1. We are doing a low key party at the house but I'll need to buy her an extra present to go with her board games. I have a $20 doll picked out. I also have some playfood picked out. My budget is $35.

 

[charming23]

I'm in again. No buy has really gotten me to somewhat control my spending.

I have a goal for 15 $0 days

Grocery/Household- $300 (still working the pantry challange)
Gas- $50
Entertainment/Eating Out- $50
Emergency/Misc- $100

Total for January- $500

I do have a huge execption this month and it is my Grandmother's 90th birthday. Still not sure how we are going to celebrate it yet but I will not be including it in this budget.

 

[ziggystardust]

I'm so in...

a few extras that might come up is a trip to MD to visit my boyfriend's brand new niece but we stay with them and usually eat with them. And a nice dinner out with his mother, it was her christmas gift from me. So I can convince myself that that counted towards december if I really wanted to.

I've always wanted to join this thread in previous months but i always found in a little late, when the page count was sooo high, and got a little intimidated. but my new years resolution, is no more excuses!!

I give myself a $125 weekly budget to include groceries, gas, and any incidentals. My goal is to stick to this and if possible have extra money at the end of every week to move over to my savings

 

[cpdrn7]

I am in! I am tracking my spending daily and I am thinking that will make a huge difference in my spending. Not taking the debit card out with major thought.....
wish me luck!! You all have inspired me--thanks!!

 

[Swmr359]

I'm back. I kinda missed this while I was gone; but it was too busy to keep track plus thelaptop is broken so I have to use a very tiny computer with a keyboard not much bigger than a cell phone...sigh
My mom bought me food before she went home so I hoping to keep my grocery spending low.

Groceries: $100
Eat out: 0/2 ($0)
Misc.: $0
2 kittens who need to be spayed: ?????

 

[KibbyCat]

My goal for the month is $1000, or $200 per week.

Gas/Groceries - $500
Giving - $100
Misc - $100
Debt Reduction - $200
Entertainment/Eating Out - $100

 

[luvsJack]

I am in!!

Jan 15 is my oldest ds's birthday--$50 for that. Actually I haven't purchased all of his Christmas gifts yet (we won't have Christmas with him and his wife until Jan 31) but that is already set aside.

groceries $400

gas $160 (one tank per week)

dd's school lunches $80

misc. $50

 

[luv2nascar]

I'm in need to save money and cut expenses.

$600 month grocery/health & beauty/dog food/eating out/cleaning supplies

$200 ($25 per week for me & $25 week for DH for lunch misc)

$80 for DDs school lunches

$320 gas for both DH & I $40 each per week



I will have a car bill next week light is on and need oil change and 4 wheel drive fluid changed

Good luck to everyone
and I hope to have at least 6 $0 days this month

 

[A.Mickey]

I am back! So I saved my spending in word on the final day from the November and December No Buy Thread and I found this very interesting. For November I spent $788 and for December I spent $790! Wow! Well, I guess considering December was one day longer I did better in December. Guess I know my budget! But lets see if I can keep it at $700!

Running Total: Spent $0
$700...
$0 Days:0
Goal is 15 or more!

Groceries- $250...
Gas- $150...
Eating Out- $100...
Misc. (Shopping/Entertainment) $200...
I always round up to the nearest dollar.

 

[annsteere]

I'm in.

I took Dec. off because I intended to spend some money on impulse treats like Starbucks with visiting family members. It turned out to be less expensive than I expected --higher grocery bills than a "normal" month and a surprise trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, but less eating out or picking up "dabs" than I would have thought.

Both my neice and DD got engaged in Dec so two weddings in 2010. Neice is marrying half way across the country so airfare, hotels, restaurant meals etc, etc. in addition to hosting DD's wedding.

So, Jan. will be "Cold Turkey" for me. If it isn't necessary, I'm not buying it.

Exception: lunch out with DD and her future mother-in-law 1/9 when we shop for wedding dress, fancier food for a "meet-the-in-laws" dinner at our house some night this month. These two exceptions will be funded from my weekly blow money.

 

[mistysue]

I really need to do this. We were really good about not spending while paying off debt when we got married, but since then it's just been open spending and this is probably very bad for our future.

I have no solid idea how much we spend on what the last 8 months- shopping is all at supermarkets that sell everything so I need to figure out a working budget for two adults, a 6 year old and a toddler. My brother sent me to mint.com so I am using that to track everything we do.

We have one birthday in January, a trip to a waterpark and DH taking a business trip.

I have a shopping problem. I did figure out easily in December that if I don't go to stores on weeknights, we save about $200-400/week so I need to start there.

I need to stop hoarding children's clothes and toys. Both of my kids could get through the next year without buying anything new and still have clothes that have been worn once and toys they don't even realize they have.

 

[delmar411]

I'm in! The holidays are over so I can get back to normal.

Our spending this month is going to be a bit odd. Both DH and I will be attending school FT plus the kids have school and their outside activities. Some of the activities still need to be paid for. Plus I have preschool fees to pay this month and that will bring us through the end of the school year. Also we are paying off all our CC's so a major chunk of our money will be going to those as well.

Planned exps this month are:
PAID~$600 DH's surgery (might be a bit less or a bit more depending on pain meds)
PAID~$800 school exps (this will probably much less but I under budgeted last semester)
PAID~$710 preschool fees (paid through the rest of the school year)
PAID~$80 activity fees (swim lessons, gymnastics, etc)
PAID~$180 or $0 DD's plane ticket for the spring (if we extend our dates the flights are cheaper and would cover her ticket cost. If not then it will be $180 OOP for her ticket)

Planned savings for this month:
SAVED~$400 preschool fees for next year
SAVED~$1900 DVC loan payments for this year
$800 sinking funds

Gas, Grocery, Eating out, Household budget for the month: $700 combined
doesn't matter how it breaks out as long as $700 is the limit

Everything else is just regular bills with the addition of $20/mth for my 5yr old DS's new allowance. He turned 5 in Oct but I start allowances at the beginning of the year so Jan will be the first month he gets an allowance.
I need to get his allowance card setup with USAA this week.

ETA~ I forgot to add in that I still need to get steel shelving for the garage. I was supposed to get it today but it was too cold to go out so those will have to be bought before the sale ends on the 3rd. I have a 10% off coupon to help lower that a bit more too. Also I'm taking DD and her friend to see that new Twilight movie tomorrow. I have GCs to cover the movie but I'm sure popcorn and drinks will be around $20. So I'm adding in an additional $100 for the month.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I had these ambitious plans to limit my spending to $500 for food, gas, and misc. However, I'm not entirely sure this is realistic. I'm going to try though....ehhh nevermind. I'm keeping with my $600.

I have two exceptions this month. We are doing an activity with a friend who is having a birthday as well as her husband deploying in the same week. I'm thinking this activity will be about $60. Also, I need a new pair of good sneakers.

Goals: 15 $0 Days; stay within $600 for food, gas, and misc.

Totals:
$0 Days: 0/15: 0% (15 left)
$600 Limit: $0.00: 0% ($600.00 left)
Month: 0/31: 0% (31 days left)

 

[ssdeverell]

Hello! I would like to join for the first time. I followed the one from December and found it so interesting to watch you guys track it.

My budget for this month:

Groceries/Household $300
Lunches Out at Work $40 (we go out on Friday each week)
Entertainment/Eating Out $125
Gas (me) $250 (I drive 2 hours a day for work)
Gas (DH) $100
Clothes $25
DS's birthday present $55

I am hoping for at least 10 $0 days.

 

[kbheap]

I'm in. I have been watching for a while but little purchases between myself and DH have gotten out of control.
I have set aside a budget for myself and DH and hopefully we can stick to it. We have never budgeted before so this will be hard for us but we are going to do it with the help of all of you.

$240-Gas - 1 fillup per week for DH - 1 fillup every other week for me
$200-Groceries/diapering - I stocked up on lots of things before the holidays so grocery bill should be less this month
$100-Entertainment/eating out/gifts (my nephew turns 5 this month)
15 - $0 days

 

[DawnM]

I am IN!

We need to cut almost $250 from our reg. budget as we just refinanced to a 15 year loan (and cut our interest rate down!), but the difference is $250/mo.

I am not including basic needs in our spending, just the somewhat discressionary/flexible spending.

I am committed to ENVELOPES for the new year! Dave Ramsey/old school, take $70 in cash from your envelope with you to the store and add up the amount before going to the cashier and pay in CASH! No debit, no credit cards!

Groceries: $500 (includes toiletries, cleaning supplies, dog food)
Entertainment: $200 (includes books, movies, eating out, garage sale-ing)
Gas/Transportation: $150 (includes $42 train pass for DH)

 

[patsal]

Last year I was able to do Jan, Feb and March pretty easily, April -June was hit or miss and then I gave up, I'm hoping to do better this year! I'd like 10 $0. days this month!
1/1 $0. Did lots of online window shopping, but dumped my cart each time!
1/2 $115 DH's Birthday gift.
1/3 $9.98 two roasted chickens to take to DH's Mother's house for dinner--way less expensive than taking her out to dinner, since I had all the vegiges and sides at home already and took them along as well!
1/4 $33 on veggies at Wegmans--gotta keep healthy up!
1/5 $0
1/6 $117.65 salad at work(1.65), groceries for DH's birthday dinner($44), gas ($32), and a coldwater creek splurge ($40 pants, shirt, sweater, plus shipping).
1/7 $20 (DD's Cello Lesson)
Woo Hoo Under $300 for the first week!
1/8 $126 ($98 groceries at ALDI, $28 Groceries that I needed that ALDI didn't have)
1/9 $0
1/10 $11.92--CVS run--BB's expiring today--OOP $5.36 (BB $14 but got $19.50 in BB) and Aldi run $6.56
1/11 $18 2 pair fo crocs Georgie (Thanks BB)
1/12 $99 (gas $40, groceries (veggies are expensive! $59)
1/13 $0
1/14 $20 DD's Cello Lesson
Under $275 for the second week total of $575 so far this month! 4/10 on $0 days!

I just found out my lapband is approved and my surgery date is in 4 weeks, to prepare the household I will need to spend extra $$ on groceries and things for when I am not able to resupply for the house and I need to get a few special things that were not in budget for myself. So this week may be off on the high side, but the next six weeks should balance it!

1/15 $237 Totally blew it today! BJ's shredder, tax software, meat--$224.37, aldi a few veggies and string cheese$12.92
1/16 $52 Took DD to lunch after her cello audition ($20), All kids went out, so DH and I went out to dinner ($32) Found a $10 off coupon so it was $25 plus the $7 tip (based on before coupon total)
1/17 $25 decided I'd like pizza one more time before I start my pre-banding liquid diet
1/18 $85 Target and Red Robin
1/19 $0
1/20 $95 pre-banding groceries and gas
1/21 $47 more pre banding groceries and DD's Cello lesson
This week was way out of control, but I had so much that was really necessary--not much was frivolous but I will try harder next week!
$541 for the week and $1116 for the month so far!

1/22 $0
1/23 $0
1/24 $93 $68 groceries at Aldi and $25 to top off the tank.
1/25 $0
1/26 $27 for food for my students taking exams--gotta keep those brains functioning!
1/27 $49 $35 for haircut, $1.00 parking at hospital for pre -op testing, lunch at TGI Friday's
1/28 $35 so far planned $20 DD's Cello lesson, $15 for Subway

Total for week: $215 Total so far for month: $1331 $0 days so far 8/10

1/29 $0
1/30 $129.66 ($3.00 script co-pay, $78.58 Aldi, $13.08 groceries not carried at Aldi, and $35 aththe home center for new CO monitor and smoke alarms)
1/31 $175.00 Final BJ's run prior to WLS so I needed to stock up for the family!

Total for 3 days: $304.66 Total for Month: $1636 (cut expenses in half form last month would like to cut it to $1500 for Feb.) $0 days in January: 9/10 Almost there, but not quite!

 

[Shmily1]

I so need to do this since I have a lot of bills to pay off before DH retires. I spend money and don't even know where. I think this first month will be me keeping track of what I'm spending so I know what to cut out for the next months. I'm going to try to keep spending down and pay off bills, or atleast that's my goal. Hoping for lots of $0 days!!

Edit: I forgot to add that I'll have an extra ~$600 going out this month for car tags since the state decided that was the best b-day present they could give me!