Smart Spending Motivation

[coffeegrl]

Thanks to all for the continued tricks and comments! We're now a little over half-way through the month and I'm still doing pretty good for spending. I haven't stepped foot into my local Target (though I'll have to next week to pick up my monthly scripts) and hopefully I'll be able to stay the course and get ONLY what is on my list of household & personal items. (And I have several coupons to use on those!)

I'm even more determined now to have a Smart Spending Year, as I work for the state of Missouri in higher education and our new governor just slashed our budget by A LOT. I already know raises are going to be non-existent this year and there may even be a hiring freeze, meaning the 3 slots from people retiring in my department may go unfilled and their duties just doled out to the rest of us, with no compensation to match. But I digress.

Anyway, I'm still going strong and I hope everyone else is off to a good start with your spending and saving goals for 2017!

[zibazinski]

I did well until I had company. All my discretionary money is spent and I have one dollar to last me until Wednesday. I don't need anything so I'm good with it but I was so pleased to have that extra cash and now it's gone. Oh, well, February is a new month.

[Blonde Granny]

I did really well. I had trouble with YNAB when I started clicking on the things and finally had to clear out all the transactions for the month of January. But I have transferred $830 from checking to "just money" account.

However, I did break down and ordered the QVC special value and bought a Dyson cordless battery operated hand held vacuum. Using the QVC easy pay I can easily afford $53 a month for 6 months to pay for it. Reason to buy: I was tired of the in between getting the stuff of my tiles floor with a dust mop. And yes, I do clean a little in-between the monthly cleaning ladies.

And Zib is right, it's a new month tomorrow.

[zibazinski]

I found that I had $15 left over not $1!!! I'm rich!

[Blonde Granny]

Dig through some pockets and handbags, you might find more.......

[zibazinski]

So my LL wants her rent sent directly to her bank account. No problem except my bank is very haphazard about when they send it. They aren't supposed to take it out until the 1st but don't seem to be able to function like that. So it was taken out yesterday and fortunately the other check I wrote did not clear. Today I'll stop in again and get it straightened out-again.

[coffeegrl]

Well, January is over. Thank God! And February is a shorter month, so it makes the budgeting and smart spending not as rough on the psyche. 

I ended up going over budget for January by more than I wanted, but not as much as I had feared would happen. The big thing was the stocking up at Target that I did on personal and household items. But I should be good on many of those items for several months, so hopefully I won't have another Target run like that again in February. And I had $15 worth of coupons when I made my Target purchase, so that's something, right?

Here's to February being a Smart Spending month! (For those of us who need it. For those with more money, spend away for the rest of us! LOL)

[zibazinski]

I switched an appointment from this week to next week so I only had one expenditure both weeks! It's easier to maintain the spending that way.

[Blonde Granny]

Yea Zib!!!!!!!!!

[Blonde Granny]

WV Girl, I just saw the picture you posted.....the dress is beautiful!!! and so are you .

[coffeegrl]

Well, I feel like February is going to be a rough month. I've already eaten out twice, when I told myself I was only going to allow myself to eat out once all month. And then I stopped at the store and bought expensive ice cream on my way home from work yesterday. That was 'pity' ice cream, as I logged into my Facebook to discover 2 baby and 1 engagement announcements. And here I am, 34 and single, with no guy or babies anywhere in the near future. 

*sigh* I have a feeling February is going to be tough.

[countrygirl2]

I hate washers, never had problems before and now these high efficiency pieces of crap are giving me fits.

The new one I bought last year is going to go, I hate, hate, hate it. I wash sheets and the middle will be spread

over the washer and that part is dry. Hubby or my clothes come out with detergent streaks on them. I sometimes

wash them a couple of times and use the socalled high water option, doesn't help, I use liquid or the pods and put

them in the washer.  The efficiency standards have went

Went back to my only 3 year old one that was screaming, husband tried to check it out and cleaned it good it runs

but doesn't spin dry enough. Tech came and bearings are going out and drum is bent?? Decided the drum got

bent when we put it in the garage and the water in it froze, couldn't figure another reason but the bearings were

still going out.  Would cost over $600 to fix it.

So I'm on a search and not happy with reviews.  If you haven't bought one in the last year or two good luck.

Think they raised the standards again.  Bad thing with front loaders is bearings going out, had one in Texas same

issue, it was a Kenmore, actual brand unknown.  This new one was a top loader Kenmore, the front loader a Samsung,

all the dryers are ok.

So I am looking at a Speed Queen, this one does not meet ADA or HE standards, 3.2 drum, has an agitator and says

fills with water.  Sounds small, reviews were 4.9 out of 5, but one said it was rather noisy.  I'm not sure, its $900, awfully

high, don't mind if its worth it.  It's actually American made and they said this one even had almost a cult following.  LOL

Anyone got one of these?  I'm sick of buying worthless washers, one tenant was complaining too, we can't afford to replace

all our washers, we now have 2 of these worthless one, one from  his mom and mine.  Hers is a different brand, not sure

what.

[zibazinski]

After the state of Oregon had sent me at least a half dozen letters saying I owe THEM money, they sent me a refund. Sigh.

[zibazinski]

Feb 9, 2017 9:52:26 GMT -5 coffeegrl said:

Well, I feel like February is going to be a rough month. I've already eaten out twice, when I told myself I was only going to allow myself to eat out once all month. And then I stopped at the store and bought expensive ice cream on my way home from work yesterday. That was 'pity' ice cream, as I logged into my Facebook to discover 2 baby and 1 engagement announcements. And here I am, 34 and single, with no guy or babies anywhere in the near future. 

*sigh* I have a feeling February is going to be tough.

Hugs. It'll happen when you least expect it. A friend of mine met her now husband sky diving and they have a daughter on the way!

[NancysSummerSip]

A friend of mine met her now husband sky diving and they have a daughter on the way!

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH MY. I am trying to picture how it happened while they were sky diving. Quite a flexible twosome, aren't they?

As for the post question...I have been unemployed, so I understand motivation pretty well when it comes to savings. I am seriously contemplating starting my state pension early, leaving my full time job and working part time. There will have to be some sacrifices for me to do that.

[zibazinski]

Well, I may have phrased that a bit poorly. 

[dee27]

Pat, do you have hard water?

[zibazinski]

After numerous phone calls, I found someone to clean my love seat for $40!  That's half of what others were asking and I can pay for it out of what I allot myself weekly!

[coffeegrl]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am SO GLAD that February is almost over. This has been a rough month! I plan on just starting over with a clean slate in March, in terms of my spending and budgeting. Hopefully things are better next month.

[zibazinski]

Yup, I've overspent as well. I'll do better next week.

[Blonde Granny]

I've just blown a hole in my spending plan, and it now looks like it was hit with a double barreled 12 ga. shotgun.  New iPhone 7,  new iPad Air 2, 2 new watches, wonderful new ring, and some things too small to mention.......and did I have fun doing it.

I guess it's back to reality now, so spending the rest of the month needs to stop.

[zibazinski]

I've borrowed into next weeks allowance and probably will use it all today! That's okay as I have my leftover cash I can use. It's a goal not a hill to die on.

[countrygirl2]

We are spending to much again. We bought a pontoon boat, its old but nicely redone, $2700. We had

the motor checked out and they said it was in good condition, started easy, runs well. Still it needed service,

oil changed, lower impeller replaced, $215. Ordered a new canopy so DD won't get sunburned with a little

screened area so DD can use a portapotty, $300, then registration about $200 for it and the trailer. Need

a new fishfinder, $100. Hasn't even been in the water yet.

Now of all things in a 13 year old house, we apparently have termites.  We saw some in the living room

not many but still there.  Couldn't figure out where these things came from, I picked a few up to save

for the exterminator to look at.  I saw what looked like 3 spots of dirt on the wall, well surprise not dirt

very small holes, we figured out where they came from, sigh.  So called an exterminator for an estimate,

at least $1000 we are pretty sure, getting a second one. We think they are between the slab of the back

porch and the house proper.

But I am way overspending and need to stop again.  I do good then drift into it again.

[Blonde Granny]

The end of the month was a bright spot for me again. I transferred $ 863 into my "just money" account. This was money leftover in my checking account....yea!!!!!!

The Just Money account has no purpose than to collect money that isn't marked for any spending goals.....it just sits there and makes me happy every time I can add more to it. My real goal is to get my car paid off in April and I'm making progress toward that goal.

I just hope that April is as kind to me as March was.

[grits]

This morning, I used digital coupons, and sales to cut $42.68 off my grocery bill. It was 26%.  Then, I went out and bought 21 gallons of gas for a savings of $6.30. I think I deserve to put the money in a plastic surgery fund.  One day, my moobs will be in my waist band, and I'll have to get a lift. 
I delivered a Christmas gift to the person who cuts my hair, and will soon deliver one to a friend. It is getting crazy at work.  If I don't do it now, it'll be March before I can get it rolling. 
It can get hard to be motivated but if you can get it started, and find a way to get a buzz from saving, it becomes second nature. I wish you well.  It's the only way I got to go to Scotland twice, and travel the US for years. I'm still on the hunt to save money.