March Madness Controlled/No Spend Thread

[dividend]

So I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods today. I am trying to spend no more than $100/week for DBF and I in an actual, honest attempt to stick to the grocery budget. I spent $100.46. I think I'll call that a success. What killed me was the cheese for the lasagna, and the pesto I bought at DBF's request. This summer, I have GOT to make and freeze more pesto when basil is $1 for a bush sized bunch. Last summer's stash ran out a month or so ago, and it's stupid expensive to buy prepared, and almost as bad to buy the stuff to make it myself. I know this grocery budget looks extravagant, especially compared to the food stamp challenge idea. But so far this month, we've eaten dinner at home every night, and not gone out to lunch either. These are improvements.

Momof5 - I have a suggestion about your husband's spending. When DBF asked me for help with his finances a couple years ago, I went through his bank statements for the previous 6 months and categorized every single transaction. Turns out, he was spending close to $600/month on crap at the gas station - drinks, snacks, candy, etc. He had no idea it added up like that. Seeing that shockingly high total really got him interested in keeping better track of his money, and not wasting it without thinking about it. Maybe you could figure a total amount that your husband's little purchases are costing per month, and that would be more concrete for him. Because, in DBF's case, he was able to see a much better use for that $600, whereas he was never going to notice it or think of it that way when he only had a ground level view, one transaction at a time. Just a thought.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 3 NS Days 2 CS Days

Managed to stick to the list and only got the bare essentials. Managed to get everything done errand wise and got home before the storm hit. I lost power for at least an hour (not quite sure how long because I decided that it was a perfect time for a nap).

I think we have a few days of predicted storms this week so I have to try to plan indoor declutter projects for those days. Need to remove some of the winter wear from the closet and pack some of the more well-worn items for donation or trash. I do keep a bag for items as I run across the worst of the items and have managed to donate a box of clothing when I donated the old living room set.

I also have a craft show coming up and need to get a few new pieces made before then. Need to include a few more springtime colors into my inventory.

I am hoping to get some additional meals cooked and frozen this week while I am home for the Mardi Gras break. I have been depending too much on the frozen food section of the grocery store while includes a little more sodium than I like but it is better then the drive thru.

[mizbear]

Today is the dreaded laundry day. That usually means I get nothing one but laundry. But it also usually means a NS. I use the laundry facilities at DGM/DM because it is free.

[InsertCoolName]

Thanks for the tips. Breathing is a good one!

My husband isn't spending a lot of money...I doubt it's even $10 a month. It's just when he comes from his mom's house to our house and stops to get a drink when he is on his way home where he has drinks that bother me. It's like why?!?! We aren't rich nor are we poor but come on already?!?! And no his mom's to our house isn't but maybe 5 minutes. He CAN wait. He just won't. And I really do feel bad for saying you can't spend any money. Just wish it wasn't on something we already have. If he wanted a candy bar then maybe I wouldn't be so omg about it. It's not like I keep candy bars in the house. And everyone wants junk every once in a while. I guess I am maybe just being too up tight about it. <Shrugs>

So this weekend was at least 2 no spends. I'm having so much pain and discomfort with this baby I sure as heck will not go out unless I just have to.

Spreadsheets and excel: We don't use anything like that. We are old school and use a budget book. lol I like numbers so it doesn't bother me to write down everything. I just never thought to write down everything. Even the stupid pop/soda he buys!

Chores and the kids. Yeah that is a work in progress. Teens/pre-teens can be.....well let's just say not always fun. They are the ones who actually do the dishes....it's just not an easy task to get them to do it. Momma has to get "mean mom" status before they do. Laundry, honestly, I would rather it be me doing that...right now it's just a bit impossible for me to do much.

Speaking of which...I need to fold a bunch. And what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon?

[mizbear]

mom- My grandmother used to purchase packs of my grandfather's fave snacks for him on grocery day with the understanding that he had to stretch them out between grocery shops or go into his "allowance" for extras. She paid his gas money, etc out of the budget and then gave him $20 a pay for things like lottery tix or whatever he wanted.
On the chores end, I can't help there. I started doing laundry when I was 8 or 9, but never had to do dishes until my parents divorced. My brother never did laundry or dishes when we were kids, but I never had to worry about if I wanted to do something or go somewhere within reason because I did that stuff. I just hate vacuuming.
My mom also prefers a regular paper budget book to excel or other spreadsheets. I personally have no preference, as I have done my budget both ways.
Decided with horrible weather here to stay home and do laundry tomorrow. Just had sding fly off my apartment and smack my sliding glass door. Poor maintenance guys have been waiting for the weather to clear so they could fix it.

[ses]

Momof5-- I had to chuckle, I do both a paper budget and Excel! I'm glad I do. I have had to use both of them the past three days. I was balancing my checkbook and was going nuts trying to figure why things were not matching--I found a transposed number but I was still off by 7 cents. I have been obsessing about this since last Friday!! I finally realized I had not added in the 7 cents I got in interest. Duh! Finally sucessful.
Mizbear--stay tucked up safe and warm. Our bad weather is just starting. Possible blizzards, warnings until Tuesday afternoon. Thankfully, I have been saving 2 unread books just for days like this and I am well stocked on popcorn! If it gets too bad, I will make a pot of stew to simmer for hours or bake some cinnamon rolls to distract myself.

[mizbear]

ses- I have no danger of blizzard here, just getting wet (or maybe picked up by these wicked winds LOL, yeah, I wish). You be careful in that nasty weather. Let me know when that stew is ready. I can't wait to get my veggie box so I can make a pot roast one day and corned beef with cabbage and potatoes another.

[muttleynfelix]

momof5 - I advocate for the allowance system for everyone. That way if your DH wants to stop off and get a soda or a candy bar, then that comes out of his cash and he can spend that money as he pleases. You should have your own to do what you please as well. It doesn't have to be much. We do $20 a week each so that we can go out to eat from time to time.

[dakota4600]

Momof5- I agree with what others have said spend a month getting a feel of what you are spending and then look back over it. We do the cash allowance. We take out $200 at a time and I get $80, he gets $120. It is supposed to last a month, but I find it actually is closer to 2 months. (The difference is because I am so bad with cash I fritter it away and DH doesn't, it was my choice to take the lesser amount.) I have moved pulled up to the wants instead of needs categories. My DS is almost 3 and potty trained, but we have him in pullups at night, because it is easier for us. He hasn't had an accident at night in 2 months. So next week when DH is on spring break, we are going with big boy pants at nights and see what happens. My goal is to curb unnecessary spending, so I don't count monthly bills, gas or groceries. The last two have to be within the budgeted amount for the month. I do count other budget categories as spends (eating out, clothes, etc) even if they are a need.

Update on DB- He is still in pain, but his wife says he'll be discharged tomorrow and go see the surgeon as well. Hopefully he'll have the operation either Monday or Tuesday. It isn't life threatening, but he is really uncomfortable now. He should be up and around in a week or so. The good thing is that the second surgery will be at a hospital close to home. This other procedure was on the eastern edge of the city and we all live west of downtown, so it is a 30+ min drive.

I'm sick again. I got the crud mini-D had so I went to minuteclinic today and got some antibiotics. I slept most of the day, of course now I'm wide awake. I'll take some Nyquil soon and crash again.

[shanendoah]

February Final Numbers

Name	Goal	Total
3catslady	25	24 ;D
Angel 33/ImaAngel	18	0
cathysmom	28	8
cdarrow/Constanz22	27	8
cheerleadingmama7	20	1
dakota4600	20	12
dianartemis	15	6
Gin1984	21	6
Honeylioness	25	21 ;D
ilovedolphins	20	0
kcgaloz	20	6
mizbear	28	2
moneysquirrel	15	24 ;D
munjoyhill	14	12
Nuttinhoney7	15	11
oklady920	15	0
pt_in_ny/pointy	21	23 ;D
sapphire12		28
ses	28	25
shanendoah	11	11
Sheila in Cali	20	16
SingleMom-KY	18	13
spruby	28	25

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 we missed you or got your numbers wrong, let me know and I'll make the change.

[shanendoah]

Update: 2 of 12 NSD

Friday we hit CostCo, then Saturday we went to Safeway and took groceries to the MIL. We also took Smokey over to see her, which he enjoyed, but might have been a bit too much for him. Sunday, we barely got dressed, just enough to be presentable when a good friend came over to visit and hang out with Smokey for a while. He's a former roommate of ours and our regular dog sitter, so luckily didn't expect much from our attire.
DH has finals this week, and there's a part of me that wants to take him out to celebrate his successful return to school, but at the same time, we're both loathe to leave the house when we don't have to right now.
We'll be switching vets when this is over. It has nothing to do with the care we've recieved. The place has been wonderful, but losing 2 dogs in 18 months- emotionally, just too many bad memories. So I need to start researching that.

[dianartemis]

Update: 1/15 NSD, 2/15 NEO, 1/15 MOAN, 0/4 Qus.
My goal this week is to be more focussed on my goals and to get as many accomplished as possible. This means I have a to-do list a mile long. Maybe this will help eliminate mindless eating. ;D

[mizbear]

So far I am 1CS/1S/5NS. I treated myself to a $10 celebrating homes bingo ticket for next month. My MOAN days so far are coming in the form of tryin to get things moved and stored and cleaned up. I have a housing inspection coming- the big yearly one.

[sapphire12]

moneysquirrel -- stay safe and dry. I saw the rain in the French Quarter; the devastation from the Tornado in Rayne. Whew.

dakota -- hugs and prayers for your DB. Sorry the job is not what you expected. Yeah for the positive feedback to your resume.

stupid tax -- I paid $10 on Friday. I'm more perturbed with why it happened as opposed to paying it. ARGHHHH!!!!!!!! Oh well, life goes on.

moaning -- I only did pilates for 2 of 3 days last week. I resumed yesterday so hopefully I reach my goal this month.

SES -- .07 and other small amounts led me to give up balancing my checkbook many years ago. Amazingly, I can track better in my head.

shan -- hugs to you and enjoy your time with smokey.

sheila -- glad your ankle is feeling better. Steps have not always been my friend.

[MittenKitten]

Tomorrow we leave for mini vaca! So excited. We will be back sometime Friday. If we want to leave early we can if we want to leave at bedtime we can do that also. With everything that has been going on I am looking forward to getting away.

Dakota: glad your Dbro is going to be close to you. Must have been quite the scare!

[pointy]

Update: 5/23 NS and 6/28 No QVC...

[Deleted]

ReeneeJune is amazing ;D She made me a veil for my wedding.

[mizbear]

gin & reneejune- That is amazing!

[muttleynfelix]

gin - Too cool.

Reenee - You are too talanted.

So, I analyzed spending for Feb and on the surface the numbers look fantastic, but it was a short month, and we were snowbound for most of the first half of the month, plus I put some stuff off until March (on accident). So, I give us a B on spending. We still spend too much in groceries, but that was the only place we really needed work.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 4 NS Days 3 CS Days

sapphire -- I always try to be indoors during the heavy weather systems. Another one is expected late tomorrow/early Wednesday. I will not be going out to any of the Mardi Gras parades/activities as the pollen count is extremely high right now and I do not like to be in major crowds. It would be nice for all the visitors if the bad weather would wait until after the major activities were over.

ses -- Glad you located your error. I look for crazy even if I am off a penny. I want to be precise.

[startsmart]

2 years ago my grandma died of Alzheimer's disease - so it's been one of "those" days.

I went to New York City, a museum, through the park, apple store, times square, rockefeller plaza... worked about 5 hours. yeah, didn't help forget. also the 17 year old I mentor went to her uncle's funeral today so there was a lot on my mind.

Just wrapped up a client call even though it's midnight here, now I need to write emails and get through about 100 emails to respond before going to bed. Oh and the kids are going to wake me up at 6 to say goodbye. and demand pictures. joys.

Anywho, I'm just having a "pity me!" party but I'm going to kick my own ass and get my work done so I can pack then sleep.

[sapphire12]

Morning ladies -- today is a scheduled pilates day; let's hope I do it tonight.

MK -- enjoy your well deserved vacation.

reenee -- what awesome talent!

gin -- what a wonderful gift!

start -- Hugs

[mizbear]

start-

We are having one of our pest inspections today. My apartment is a mess because I am trying to throw things out since I have so much stuff coming from DGMs. Not looking forward to this.
But I am considering asking the pest guy if he knows of any good brother repellants....

[Honeylioness]

Good morning ladies - in recognition of today being the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day I wanted to share a few things with you.



HONOUR ROLL


The first women to win some of the world’s most prestigious awards;

* Nobel Peace Prize (1905) – Bertha Von Suttner for her work in pacifism.

* Nobel Prize in Literature (1909) – Selma Lagerlof for her “lofty idealism and vivid imagination”.

* Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) – Marie Curie for her study into radiation.

* Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1921) – Edith Wharton for The Age of Innocence.

* Miles Franklin Literary Award (1960) – Elizabeth O’Connor for the Irishman.

* Academy Award for Best Actress (1927) – Janet Gaynor for Seventh Heaven.


QUOTES [/b]

“The woman warrior armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory” ~ Maya Angelou, Poet

Women belong in the house... and the Senate. ~Author Unknown

Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels. ~Faith Whittlesey

Never let the hand you hold, hold you down. ~Author Unknown

Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their opressors. ~Evelyn Cunningham

Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy. ~Henry Kissinger

You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman. ~Jane Galvin Lewis

There are very few jobs that actually require a peni$ or v@gina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. ~Florynce Kennedy

Instead of getting hard ourselves and trying to compete, women should try and give their best qualities to men - bring them softness, teach them how to cry. ~Joan Baez, "Sexism Seen but not Heard," Los Angeles Times, 1974

Women's chains have been forged by men, not by anatomy. ~Estelle R. Ramey

The only jobs for which no man is qualified are human incubators and wet nurse. Likewise, the only job for which no woman is or can be qualified is sperm donor. ~Wilma Scott Heide

It's wonderful to watch a pretty woman with character grow beautiful. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Scratch most feminists and underneath there is a woman who longs to be a sex object. The difference is that is not all she wants to be. ~Betty Rollin

Easy is an adjective used to describe a woman who has the sexual morals of a man. ~Nancy Linn-Desmond

Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-dressed, well-groomed, and unaggressive. ~Marya Mannes

It starts when you sink in his arms and ends with your arms in his sink. ~Author Unknown

And the crazy part of it was even if you were clever, even if you spent your adolescence reading John Donne and Shaw, even if you studied history or zoology or physics and hoped to spend your life pursuing some difficult and challenging career, you still had a mind full of all the soupy longings that every high-school girl was awash in... underneath it, all you longed to be was annihilated by love, to be swept off your feet, soapsuds, silk and satins and, of course, money. ~Erica Jong

A woman is like a tea bag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is. ~Attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg

You don't have to signal a social conscience by looking like a frump. Lace knickers won't hasten the holocaust, you can ban the bomb in a feather boa just as well as without, and a mild interest in the length of hemlines doesn't necessarily disqualify you from reading Das Kapital and agreeing with every word. ~Elizabeth Bibesco

The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, leader of Burma's democracy movement

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt, activist

“The question isn’t ‘who’s going to let me?’, it’s ‘who is going to stop me?’” Ayn Rand Philosopher

Woman is a miracle of divine contradictions. ~ Jules Michelet, French Historian

[WholeLottaNothin]

Start - Hugs to you. I am going through that right now. My grandmother is dying from Alzheimer's. I spent yesterday with my mom down at the nursing home so I could see her before she passes. She is already unresponsive, the only indicator that she is still alive is you can see her breathing. She hasn't eaten or drank anything in 5 days so it is just a matter of time.

Momof5- Congratulations on your upcoming bundle of joy! I am due in June with my first (a boy) and am very excited My mom can't wait for garage sale season to start up around here to see what she can find (she just retired in September so she has some free time for stuff now), but seeing as how we just had yet another snow storm yesterday, she may have to wait awhile lol.

Update - 3NSD

[dakota4600]

Update: 4 NS, 5 NEO

Today with be a spend and EO. Going to dinner with the girls tonight. Still not feeling great. We are supposed to have a romantic night out of town at a B&B on Friday and I have to decide tomorrow whether to reschedule or not. I don't want to go if I'm up half the night coughing and my snoring is keeping DH up. I think I'm sleeping better at night, but today I feel like I can't breathe out of my nose at all.

Start- Hugs to you

Honey- Love those quotes!

[singlemomky]

Planning on today being a NS as we are having a Mardi Gras party at the office - lots of food, so no reason to go anywhere during lunch and will be too full to eat anything tonight

[mizbear]

Update- 1S/1CS/6NS.
I will not be spending today since I am cleaning and doing laundry that I didn't do the other day. Tomorow will also be a NS because I am chaffeuring DM to her dentist.

[dianartemis]

Update: 2/15 NSD, 3/15 NEO, 2/15 MOAN, 0/4 QUs.

start: aren't you on a vacation? Condolences and sympathies regarding your g'ma.

reenee & gin: awesome, just awesome!

This past weekend:

I look around the corner. Nothing. I stealthily creep out a few steps. I look around the end table. No one there. Sneak, sneak, sneak. I look around the back of the chair. My toes are itchy, my goal is just in front of me. No one's around. Creep, creep, creep. I look around the far side of my goal. Still no one.

I attack the scratching post. Scratch, scratch, scratch, scrabble, scratch. I dash up the stairs before the Evil One can get me. I hear the nice lady laughing, but I am safe for now. It's dinner time and the Evil One won't interrupt her feeding.

Both Topaz and I were left in the kitchen looking at each other, after Sammy's antics. Topaz (the Evil One) didn't even give chase. Yay for progress!

[Deleted]

Mar 8, 2011 8:54:14 GMT -5 Honeylioness said:

Good morning ladies - in recognition of today being the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day I wanted to share a few things with you.



HONOUR ROLL


The first women to win some of the world’s most prestigious awards;

* Nobel Peace Prize (1905) – Bertha Von Suttner for her work in pacifism.

* Nobel Prize in Literature (1909) – Selma Lagerlof for her “lofty idealism and vivid imagination”.

* Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) – Marie Curie for her study into radiation.

* Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1921) – Edith Wharton for The Age of Innocence.

* Miles Franklin Literary Award (1960) – Elizabeth O’Connor for the Irishman.

* Academy Award for Best Actress (1927) – Janet Gaynor for Seventh Heaven.


QUOTES

[/b]

“The woman warrior armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory” ~ Maya Angelou, Poet

Women belong in the house... and the Senate. ~Author Unknown

Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels. ~Faith Whittlesey

Never let the hand you hold, hold you down. ~Author Unknown

Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their opressors. ~Evelyn Cunningham

Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy. ~Henry Kissinger

You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman. ~Jane Galvin Lewis

There are very few jobs that actually require a peni$ or v@gina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. ~Florynce Kennedy

Instead of getting hard ourselves and trying to compete, women should try and give their best qualities to men - bring them softness, teach them how to cry. ~Joan Baez, "Sexism Seen but not Heard," Los Angeles Times, 1974

Women's chains have been forged by men, not by anatomy. ~Estelle R. Ramey

The only jobs for which no man is qualified are human incubators and wet nurse. Likewise, the only job for which no woman is or can be qualified is sperm donor. ~Wilma Scott Heide

It's wonderful to watch a pretty woman with character grow beautiful. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Scratch most feminists and underneath there is a woman who longs to be a sex object. The difference is that is not all she wants to be. ~Betty Rollin

Easy is an adjective used to describe a woman who has the sexual morals of a man. ~Nancy Linn-Desmond

Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-dressed, well-groomed, and unaggressive. ~Marya Mannes

It starts when you sink in his arms and ends with your arms in his sink. ~Author Unknown

And the crazy part of it was even if you were clever, even if you spent your adolescence reading John Donne and Shaw, even if you studied history or zoology or physics and hoped to spend your life pursuing some difficult and challenging career, you still had a mind full of all the soupy longings that every high-school girl was awash in... underneath it, all you longed to be was annihilated by love, to be swept off your feet, soapsuds, silk and satins and, of course, money. ~Erica Jong

A woman is like a tea bag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is. ~Attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg

You don't have to signal a social conscience by looking like a frump. Lace knickers won't hasten the holocaust, you can ban the bomb in a feather boa just as well as without, and a mild interest in the length of hemlines doesn't necessarily disqualify you from reading Das Kapital and agreeing with every word. ~Elizabeth Bibesco

The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, leader of Burma's democracy movement

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt, activist

“The question isn’t ‘who’s going to let me?’, it’s ‘who is going to stop me?’” Ayn Rand Philosopher

Woman is a miracle of divine contradictions. ~ Jules Michelet, French Historian [/quote]
I love them, honey.