I am back from being away and ready to rejoin! Realistically hoping for 5 this half of the month. I am not doing so well at the no buy days but what I am spening is very low.
July 13- Groceries $26
July 14-Groceries $121 Higher then usual but I just realized I didn't spend anything on groceries for over 2 weeks! DH and I shared an ice cream $3.50 TOTAL-$124.50
July 15- $0 
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July 16- About $50 at Micheal's (gift), $3 Sam's lunch for DD who went out with me, about $70 on shamoo, girl stuff etc--a major bathroom closet restock, $10 pizza since I ws worn out! Gas about $35
July 17- movie with the family (Sorerer's Apprentice) about $30, eating out about $20, Michael's a few more supplies $20 but that is cause plan A was taking too long so plan A is going to be the baby's b-days gift (in 11 months) and I made plan b whcih actually is a better plan A then B anyway!
These 2 days are by memory. I hosted an Ice Cream for Breakfast event for Give Kids The World today with 40 or so people. It has been all I have thought about over the last couple days and everything is a bit blurry. On top of that we have a Baptism out of town tomorrow so I had to get the gift supplies and make the gift and we had promised the kids the movie today so it has been a busy weekend so far. Tomorrow is another busy day and not a $0 day since we will be gone all day, but what do you do? Have to go...People first, right?
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July 18- We spent about $15 on food on the road. We had to go away for a day trip for a freiend's baby's baptism. Also $2.50 for a card and gift bag for the gift and some hard candies for the kids to have during the service.
I am realizing how hard summer is going to be. I am not spending much but I am spending often. Tomorrow for example, I am taking the kids to see How To Train Your Dragon. It is only $.50 a person but there you go. Oh, and tonight before bed the kids asked for money for church tomorrow. They will be at VBS all week and have a collection all week. But if that is all we spend I may still consider it a $0 day, I mean, it's giving not spending. The we are into another weekend then my b-day is Monday and we will be pushing August already. Yeah, not doing so well in July but spending WAY less then usual so that is more important then no buy days I guess.
July 19-$0 I gave the kids money for offering at VBS but turns out they didn't do it today being the first day. My oldest told me they never do, but I didn't remember thatso I gave them money just in case. Never doubt her, she remembers EVERYTHING! Also, DD8 and DD15 were pooped after VBS so they came home and took a nap and DD11 had a friend over so we skipped the movie today, so turned out being a $0 day. I think we will go to the movies tomorrow though, it is supposed to be stormy and it's only $1 a person tomorrow. I like the free movies best but we can't do them this week cause of VBS.
July 20- Spent $1.60 at Staples for School Supplies that we gave at VBS today for Habitat for Humanity, and gave the kids money for giving that doesn't count! Took them to the $1 movies to see How to Train Your Dragon, $3. Took them to Toys R Us for a GREAT deal and found another deal, wound up spending $90
But I will explain. First deal, the Crayola B1G2 deal. I got the 50 count markers and 2 free ones. They were $9.97 each but 2 were free and I had a $6 off coupon from Crayola from when we got some dry markers a while back. So 150 markers for $3.97! Woo Hoo!!! While I was paying I saw a cool camera. We have been looking for a reasonable one for DD11 since her b-day in May. It was on clearance and it was the last one. I couldn't reach DH so I just bought it and fiured I could return it later. He read reviews tonight and seems it is a keeper, so it was a good find. Then we went to family night for dinner. I used coupons and the 3 of us (dh had plans as did DD15) had dinner and ice cream for a total of under $8. This also included face painting, balloon animals, games, prizes and the kids won a few silly bands so they were happy! A fun and reasonable day!
Also, I used to be the face painter but they had to cut back and I was let go. But I may be getting hired back since they are getting busy again and was asked to work tomorrow night, $40!!!
July 21-$0 After VBS I picked up the kids and we went to the park for a picnic, unfortunately a major storm hit so we had a picnic in the car and watched all the crazy people still playing in the park during the hail and lightening, then we came home and hung out here. I also got called into sub at my old job tonight and made $40 for 3 hours of painting faces.
July 22- Took the kids for doughnuts before VBS. I usually do it once a year as a treat. I used a GC I was given but put the $3.25 it would have cost me into our Disney Fund. $156.14 Wegman's, but it wasn't all groceries. I got almost $40 worth of facial cleansing products (there was a sale and I have a teenager and a tweenager so it was worth stocking up.) Plus they had free pull string backpacks with purchase so I bought enough to get each girl one free. They are going to decorate them for our Disney trip. I also needed paper goods and it was all on sale and I found a basketball for $4 (yes, at the grocery store) and DD11 my b-ball princess's ball was taken from our yard.
$48.42 Walmart, school supplies and locker organizers for my new middle schooler. We also bought about $30 worth of stuff at Staples. $20 will come back to me in Rebates (which will also go to Disney) and the remainder of the $10 is some for my kids and most for the collection at VBS. I spent $16 at Target on a few more school things and colored duct tape so the kids can make duct tape wallets. Finall, DH and I went out on a date. He's stuck at work and needed a break and wanted to see me.
Plus, I had a B1G1 dinner coupon! So for that, with tip, $20. Normally when we go out I cheat and get the kids dinner too. Tonight I cooked for them (kind of.) I made them the new Kraft Homestyle mac and cheese. They never had it but when we were at a festival they were giving it out for free. There were 5 of us and we went twice so we got 10 free packages so their dinner was free!
July 23-I just baked some brownies and popped some corn, we are headed to the free movies in the park tonight! I did sooo want Subway today, the kids had subs at VBS and they looked so good but I resisted and hasd a salad with lots of banana peppers (my favorite on a sub!) So I made another. ETA- Spent $6 on ice cream, so not a no buy after all.
July 24-$0 Took the kids to a free Kids SportsFest. Tonight DH wanted to go out to dinner since my b-day is Monday and he has to work 7am to 3 am and tomorrow we are going to the amusement park, but I wasn't feeling it after being in the sun all day, so I decided to cook. Dinner was great (so they say, I wasn't hungry.) I ws going to take the kids to CEC tonight for a bit to play (we have tokens so it would have been free) but when I was grilling it started pouring and I feel like a wet dog, and a tired one, so we skipped it and in exchange I let them make whatever flavor milkshakes they wanted. They went with chocolate strawberry. So, it was a good and FREE day!
July 25- Spent the day at the amusement and water park. Tickets were free. Normally we'd pack food but tomorrow is my b-day and hubby is working a 24+ hours shift (he's there now, it was supposed to be 7am to 3 am but they just called him in early.) SO he said today was sort of my b-day so no cooking. We spent about $30 eating there. I put my foot down on drinks and packed them cause I won't spend their prices for water or lemoniad! So a wonderful day or rides and slides and lunch and dinner $30. So worth it! Tomorrow won't be a $0 day either. After taking DD11 to basketball camp and the orthodontist, we are heading to CEC for the afternoon. I may treat myself to a nice treat after that too, you only turn 35 once!
July 26-My Birthday! Was not a $0 day! But it was a great day $ wise! I ahve to share this witl all my No Buy friends, I posted on Facebook and all my non-BB friends don't get my excitement. After basketball camp and the orthodontist with DD11, she and I and DD8 headed to Chuck E Cheese. We got a large pizza with pineapple (yuck!) and 136 tokens and used our free mugs for drinks and it cost me $11 ( lots of coupons!) They played for 4.5 hours, ate and came home with leftover tokens and pizza. We also got one ice cream sandwich on the way out that I cut in half. It was $2. Total $13.
For dinner tonight we (long with DD15) went to Moe's. Our dinner (kids eat free!) was $11 for the 4 of us.
After dinner we went bowling, using coupons for kids bowl and shoes free, it cost us $1 for me to bowl too.
Then Staples today! This is my deal of the day!!!
This was our order...
We all bought 2 small really useful boxes (storage containers) for $.25 each total 8 boxes $2.00
We all bought 2 Big Pens 8 pack for $.01 each, so total 64 pens for $.08.
DD8 and DD11 each bought a pack of printer paper for $4.99 that comes with a $4.98 rebate, so it will cost $.01, so $.02 for 1000 sheets of paper. They each also bought 2 packs of highlighters for $.25 each so for $1 we got 24 highlighters (we didnt think we needed more, I have a few days to change my mind.)
DD15 bought a pack of really nice gel pens for $4.99 but it has a $4.98 rebate so that is 5 retractable gel pens for $.01.
Finally, I got a new backpack for DD11. It was $79.98, half off and then you get the full price back in the form of a rebate, so $39.98 for a backpack and after rebate it will cost me $0!
So, I spent $58.03 and will be getting back $54.92 so in the end I got allllll that for $3.38!!! Plus, I have rebates from last week coming and there will be more to come! And I LOVE that you can do them right online so NO STAMPS!!!!
All and all, yeah, not a $0 day, but I did really good!!! My DH has been at work since about 9 last night. We were supposed to break away for breakfast but he came home to take me and looked so tired, I told him to get some sleep. The he was back to work. He's been there since and is hoping to be done by 3am, we shall see. He feels bad it had to happen on my b-day, I feel bad that he has to work that much at all. We did stop by, he asked me to come and visit for a bit. When we got there he had gotten an ice cream cake for me (he works for Friendly's.) We sat with him for a bit and at dessert before dinner. It was nice. I am hoping he can rest up a bit and go into work a little late tomorrow cause we have a B1G1 free dinner coupon at Unos and free movie tickets for Dinner for Schmucks tomorrow night, so if he is awake enough, that will be a nice, cheap date!
July 27-Spent another $18 at Staples, will get back $15 in Rebates, all school supplies. Spent $2 on milk, spent $70 at Walmart on school supplies, new pajamas for 2 of the kids and a few new tops on clearance for me that were desperately needed. I know people say that and it isn't really the case, for me, I have just about no summer shirts, mostly I wasr Mickey ts or DH's ts, I needed a couple things taht made me feel girlie and yet not fancy. Tonight DH and I skipped dinner cause he's been working 16 hours shift. I didn't think we should do the free movie but we did and it was SOOOO funny! We saved on dinner so he went and got a popcorn and drink. I wish I had gone and not him, it was $13.75! And the popcorn was stale (prepopped!) YUCK! Waste of money but the movie was free so it was still a cheap date.
July 28- So today was going so good. We went to the splash park, we ate lunch at home and went after. I packed popcicles and drinks so they wouldn't want to buy anything. So my DH calls and a coworker needed DD15 to babysit but she was with me. So he said he'd come gt her and take her. Sounds good. On his way out he passed this pizza place we ahve been dying to try. It's a real pizzaria place everyone talks about. He gets to the park and says, "why don't you pick up a pizza on the way home, we can finally try it." I resisted, but I was a good wife and got the pizza (even though I had dinner marinating at home.) So, $18 on the best pizza I have ever had in my entire life!!! Soooooo good!!! Then tonight I went and got some Sharpies for $2. I wouldn't have if not for the pizza, but since I did anyway I got the Sharpies DD needed for school. Tomorrow won't be either, we are going bowling with friends we haven't seen in months! I have coupons though!
July 29-$0 We did go bowling, but they ony wanted to bowl one game and I had coupons for that. After they wanted to go to our friends house and do the slip and slide and water balloons and stuff, so it turend out to be a $0 day.
July 30-$0 Tomorrow will not be. Hubby finally has a day off and we need some family time and some date time and I am not lookin to do it the no spend way.
Looking forward to August!!!! It will be nice to be in for the whole month again.
No Buy Days-6/5 (half month, away for the first half of them month but spent very little)
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
Longest Streak-4 Days in a Row!
I have MORE no spend days than I was aiming for!
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I WILL do better next month!!
