February 2011 Controlled/No Spend Thread

[singlemomky]

Question - another thread made me think abou teh mom. Does anyone know if she made it over to the new board or how she is doing?

[pointy]

I'm in for February - 21 NS and 25 No QVC days...
The only good thing about this snow that's wreaking havoc - I don't have time to spend!! Stay safe and warm everyone!

[azmom]

Singlemom: Thank You so much for your input. I have never thought of the clean up part... She has a sister here and she is taking her son tonight. He is school aged so the day time is covered. I have offered to take him for a couple of hours after school this week and this weekend. My son and him are about the same age but other than occasionally telling him hi in passing, he doesn't really know me. I'm hoping between her sister and a couple of other closer friends they have him covered, but I will continue to offer to take him for her. Someone is taking her dinner tonight and I will be taking her lunch tomorrow.

We texted a bit today and she is really humbled by the generosity of so many women. I want to put together the get well basket tonight but that may be to ambitious since it requires I go out shopping while the kids are at their Bible Study, pick them up on time and make dinner for DH and I. DH is swamped at work (his billing closes tomorrow) so even though he would cook for us, I really try not to ask him when work is stressful enough.

Dakota: That stinks about your fridge. I saw your pics of the snow and all I can say is WOW...we are so spoiled here in AZ

I hope you are all staying safe.

[startsmart]

Just a quick post to say hi - I dug out my sunglasses, threw on some flip flops and made my big trek out for iced coffee and a trip to the bank today Just teasing all you snow bound ladies! I know red2black is happy but sorry for the rest of you! It is beautiful here today so I thought I'd mention that CA is open year round and if you come visit I'll be sure to loan you my sunblock

Good day for the most part, very very excited to transfer $2,000 to savings after depositing my paychecks and I spent an hour on the phone with my client's client and now I'm so so ready to launch this business of mine. It is SO needed!

[3catslady]

smokey; I have tehmom's email so I will e-mail her and see what is going on. I hadn't noticed she wasn't on.

[mizbear]

I know when I had my surgeries- I appreciated someone getting me some "grownup time" and getting me out of the house. My nieces think they were/are as big/old as me and sometimes you just need an adult. My mom and DN11 also did my grocery shopping and laundry for me.

[mizbear]

I have started with 2 NSD- which was pretty easy considering I don't get paid until tomorrow. I then have a couple CSDs lined up- including watching a friend from school perform at a local place. I did EO tonight, but I have learned that it is no in my best interest or personal safety to turn my DGM down when she invites me out. And the "it's not in the budget" line does not work with her.
My MOANs are no going as well, unless you count running errands and dancing around to a vocabulary CD because I couldn't sit any longer.

[kcgal]

I am going to try 20 CS/NSD 2+ Moans a week (60 minutes each) which I can do IF it quits snowing. What am I saying I made my moans even with the snow. I think shoveling the drive is exercise! Easy to get those NSD when you are snowed in.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 2/15 NS days

Hope all of you are safe in this weather. Take care tomorrow as well.

Teh mom -- I emailed her a short note and sent a link to this site so I hope that she will rejoin us.

Just finished correcting papers and am ready to turn in! Good night all.

[muttleynfelix]

My to do list is becoming a done list!! Yeah. I'm staying home one more day. Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow it won't be questionable if we can get up and down our driveway. DH thinks we got 12" of snow which would be about right from everything I've heard. I made it through our medical expenses for 2010. Yikes almost $9k I'm going to hopefully scrub the tile floors tomorrow during DS's first nap and then work on cleaning the office some more. Plus i Have a few phone calls to make. But things are moving at a good pace. I'm letting myself relax, but I am also getting things done.

[3catslady]

update; 1 NSD and 1 CSD. I had to buy a snow shovel since DS isn't working for the guy who had a snow blower. Now he has to do it himself.
I e-mailed tehmom and told her where we are, hopefully she will join us.

[ses]

After a -24* low overnight I waited until noon when it was a balmy 7* before I did my preliminary grocery shopping trip to Walmart today. I had my list with the prices I had in my price book from the shopping of the last three to six months. I was surprised to see the "creep" in the prices in that short time. I was a little ashamed of myself to be so complaisent that I hadn't noticed it before and just paid the difference without thinking. I tried to buy generic whenever possible, but when there was only $.03 difference between generic and my favorite peanut butter I went with my favorite. I am glad I did, because I had to jettison my favorite snack of almonds in favor of PB and celery due to cost of the almonds.

I am so ticked off with myself. When I got home with two loaves of high fiber whole grain bread for $5.88 I realized that if I had just spent $.88 on a packet of yeast I could have made my own bread and saved $5.00.

I also found it difficult to buy the smaller container of things with a higher unit price just because i couldn't afford the larger more economical size of container. There are some things I only buy once a quarter and it was hard to decide which were absolutely necessary now and which could be postponed to another month.

I need to go to Safeway tomorrow for some dairy products and some meat. Then I will hit the dollar store for some seasonings.

It was sort of funny to bring home all these bags of groceries and have the cats magically apear to sniff all the bags and look at me with the expression that said "you didn't bring something for US??" They even stuck around to double check as I put stuff away before they turned their backs to me and washed each others' ears and pointedly ignored me. I feel truly chastised (or should that be "catsized") now.

[startsmart]

lovely night ;D
I have a new website in the works, blue eyes is doing all of the creation for me and we spent about an hour on the phone catching up and going over details. He also had me set up an email for us to use which will be confusing when I email myself from my email account to my other one

Other than that, spoke with a client, we're launching a new program in March which makes... three programs I'm launching in a month. Oomph. Also set up a call with a VA friend of mine who has a ton of experience in the field to talk about this project.

And I need to determine what state I'll incorporate the business in and run that by my client (this is what she coaches on and will help me out free) and get the paperwork started!

[WholeLottaNothin]

I have 1NSD so far.

So I've decided that this is the year I get really serious about my debt. It causes me a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights (like last night for example) and I know that getting rid of it will make me feel so much lighter that maybe it will help with my weight problem too (not to have that much stress I mean).

So I added up all the credit card debt a.k.a. the stuff that keeps me up at night, and the grand total is: $12,527.10 Just looking at that number makes me want to cry. But admitting it is the first step I guess. I started reading Dave Ramsey and will give that method a try.

[munjoyhill]

2/14 No spend days


2/25 MOAN days


I have been a bit housebound for the past day and a half because of the back to back storms, but on the bright side I haven't spent any money and I worked out both days. Even though I am tired of the snow, at least something good came from them, I've already "earned" two No Spend and two MOAN days! What a way to start off February!

Today will be a no spend day also, I have my lunch packed, and I know what's for dinner, so no unexpected trips to the grocery store.

[muttleynfelix]

We are snowbound for Day #3!! UGH! Its been ok. DS has a cold so we don't want to get out anyway, but still 3 of us in our not so big house and then this morning we brought the dogs in from the garage. So, 1 large dog, 1 medium dog, a baby (or toddler, he is kind of in between) and 2 adults in our house. Fun stuff. Today is suppose to make it into the 20s, so that is a big improvement. But we are fortunate, we have power, TV, and internet. I have a great boss who was like, yeah don't worry about coming in. Of course I really only have 1 thing to do and that will be done next week and we still don't have the contract on it. So, it isn't like i am missing work. Now to get us dug out. And I'm getting stuff done around the house while still having fun and relaxing.

[MittenKitten]

tehmom: I have just been e-mailing her. Her DS was out with the flu for a couple of weeks and she has been really busy.

I will e-mail the spreadsheet to shannendoah today.

Exhausted today. Plus after I get the kids off to school I can't lay down since the puppy thinks it is time to play. Can't get him to stop biting and barking and jumping. ARG Plus can't put him in the kennel as he yelps and barks. I have a headache and just want to lay down! But I have a lady coming over for an estimate and my mom will probably be over so there goes all that.

MrsL: SO GLAD you love your job and are making such positive strides in moaning. I really need to get back on that wagon. I fell off after my weight loss challenge and need to get back on. With it so cold and snowy it is hard since I REALLY want to be able to play and exercise outdoors but I can't. Okay time to put my big girl panties on and deal with it!

[sheilaincali]

Update: 2/20 NSD, 2/25 NEO

Today will be a spend and an eat out. Meeting a friend from HS for lunch today. We run into each other from time to time to say "hi" but haven't sat down and talked in nearly 17 years (egads I am getting old!) So that will be nice.

SES: I was telling DH about your challenge and it made him want to be all proactive and strict with our grocery budget. He planned the meals for all of next week and went out to the store to get groceries last night. Came home minus bread and said "it was way to expensive at the grocery store for bread, going to go to the discount bread store tomorrow to buy it" I nearly did a happy dance I was so excited

nuttin: You made the first big step- recognizing your debt and coming up with a plan. I have complete faith in you that you will be successful in your quest.

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2011 13:40:12 GMT -5 @gin1984 said:

Feb 1, 2011 10:55:36 GMT -5 @gin1984 said:

I'm in this month, I need to get some MOANs in so 8 MOANS and lets say 5 CSD and 21 NSD.

I am at 1/5CSD, 1/21NSD and 0/8 MOANs.

[dakota4600]

I'm at 2/20 NS & NEO. Easy to do when you are snowed in. Kind of glad to be out in the world today. Though DH had to go to work and mini-D's school was closed. Luckily my DOD is watching my niece and nephew so he is taking mini-D too. Mini-d is excited that he gets to play with Bebo today!

Nuttin- Good luck and we are all rooting for you! Feel free to talk through your ideas and frustrations with us.

Shelia- I caught up with a friend I hadn't seen since High School and it was a lot of fun, it had been almost 21 years since we caught up. She is moving to North Carolina in 6 weeks, so we may try and get together once more before she leaves.

Muttley- I hope you make it out of the house soon! I think if we would have been in today things would have started to get tense. As much as I love my boys, it is nice to be at work too.

[ses]

Sheila--FYI, the monthly average per participant in your state is $114 (I think per household). You are SOOOO lucky to have a bread outlet near you. My closest is over 100 miles away. I'm off to Safeway with my remaining $32.58 to get milk and dairy for the month. More later.

[shanendoah]

I also posted this at the end of the January thread

January Final Numbers

Name	Goal	Total
3catslady	-	23 ;D
Angel 33/ImaAngel	15	11
azmomx3	15	11
cdarrow/Constanz22	-	11
cheerleadingmama7	-	16
dakota4600	20	20 ;D
dianartemis	15	12
Gin1984	26	4
GirlGreen	-	2
Honeylioness	-	26
lumberlady	24	18
Mittenkitten	-	20 ;D
moneysquirrel	15	27
mrslynch	25	14
munjoyhill	15	10
NotAllWhoWander	31	7
Nuttinhoney7	-	11
pt_in_ny/pointy	-	24 ;D
RED RUBY	-	9
red_wagon	15	10
reeneejune	-	5
sapphire12	-	13
SES_Books	-	21 ;D
shanendoah	12	12
Sheila in Cali	25	21 ;D
SingleMom-KY	20	17
sparalach	15	3
spruby	25	16
Startsmart	-	2
vnot	15	10

5 CS/NS Days
10 CS/NS Days
15 CS/NS Days
;D 20 CS/NS Days
25 CS/NS Days
Reached their goal


If you're not on the list, its because we didn't have any numbers to report. If we just missed them, let me know and I will add you.

[singlemomky]

I think I forgot to post a goal - so I'm going to shoot for 18 this month since it is a short month. Hopefully things will go well!

[singlemomky]

Shan & MK - thanks so much for keeping track of us!

3Cats, MK & Moneysquirrel - thanks for the update on teh mom

[shanendoah]

Update: 1 of 11 NSD, 0 of 8 MOAN
The next NSD won't come until Monday at the earliest. I have a dentist appt today, we're going out to dinner for a freind's birthday tomorrow, and Saturday will be grocery shopping. On Sunday, we're going to a SuperBowl party that will drive us past our preferred bio-diesel station, so even though I spent almost $100 on gas this last weekend (filling up the jerry cans), we'll get gas again then.
DH is tired of ground meat (because that's about the only protein I've been able to eat) so doesn't want to make meatballs or his savory cheesecake for the SuperBowl party, so now I've got to come up with an idea. I can bake all sorts of things I can eat, but I'd like to make sure there's at least one non-sweet dish for me, too. Maybe I'll get good news at the dentist today and the bite plate can come out, but that's a big maybe.

Question (with some background): We have friends where the wife is very status conscious, so whenever they plan things, it is with that in mind. We have no problem turning down "invitations" due to budget reasons (to the point where we're not even on the invitation list for some activities at all any more), but really do like the husband and have a good time whenever we do spend time with them. (And she's not a bad person, just not someone who ever would have been friends with us if she hadn't married him.) So it's his birthday this weekend, and the restaurant we're going to is Italian with the traditional antipasti ($10), primi ($15), secondi ($20) menu. We will only be ordering primi (all I can eat, anyway), but I know the restaurant was chosen based on its prestige and its prices auto-selected the people who can come to dinner. We're choosing to go in this instance because we can fit it in the budget, and besides the birthday boy, there are other friends going who we rarely have a chance to connect with.
But (and here's the question) I'm wondering if any of you have friends (kind of) like this, and how you balance the desire to spend time with people you honestly like and the fact that at least one of them deliberately ignores the economic realities of many of their friends?

[Deleted]

Shanendoah, I would invite the husband over to your house, of course the wife can come if she wants but I would make it clear that you two miss him and would like to visit. Maybe this will get you some time with him without much expense.

[shanendoah]

gin: Only problem with your idea is that he has a fear of dogs. Not debilitating, but being at our house is not a relaxing evening for him

[dianartemis]

Update: 2/15 NSD, 2/15 NEO

I didn't make it to Zumba, work got in the way.

Sammycat made it behind the recliner in the livingroom this morning! Yay! She got brave. The night before last, she was peering around the corner at Topaz and her head kept getting lower to the ground. I think she was gonna pounce on Topaz! I decided to stop that, and called Topaz over for a treat and gave one to Sammy as well.

[gldnluvly]

Hello ladies!!! Sorry I kind of flaked out at the end of January. Glad everyone is doing okay on the EC despite the snow. It keeps missing us and giving us ice. Oh well.

3-cats-Did your package arrive safely?

mrsl-Woo-hoo!!!! I'm glad that you are enjoying your job. I decided that it's not that I'm unhappy here I just need to maximize my time. I have a lot of freedom and I need to use it wisely. I've been loving the blog posts.

azmom-Having someone clean for me was great when I was sick. When I had my surgery, a friend of mine let me and my DH stay with her for a few days so that I wouldn't have to climb any stairs. And I didn't have to do much of anything. It was so nice.

[redwagon]

diana - I'm trying to tell myself I'm going to go to zumba tonight but I really like the thought of vegging. Last night I did Dance Kinect but that doesn't burn nearly as many calories. We'll see how I'm feeling after dinner.