2018 Controlled Spend/No Spend

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 21-27  

I had a fail but today I decided to return it so instead of $350, it will cost me $12.  So that is a small win over impulse buying.

Otherwise, I did well and stuck to the plan.

[TheOtherMe]

All the best in the house hunting shane.

Sorry about the car repairs, MJ.  Those always do me in.  My car is a 2012.  So far, knock on wood, it has only required maintenance.  I also don't drive it a lot.

[Blonde Granny]

I stayed home today in my snuggly Cudl Duds. Spending 0.00

[moneysquirrel]

Not sure of the numbers for this week.   Think there was only one day that no spending took place.  Ran errors and picked up needed items for the house and me.  Also attended a trade show and picked up items there.  I usually do this a few times a year and frequently spent a little there.  Got a birthday gift for DGS which I mailed off yesterday and a dress for me at $10 plus items for the home and for my beading.  All in all including lunch out with friends less than $100.  Also had a small grocery run and filled up the car.

This week will be pricey because my oven is scheduled to be fixed Tuesday.  Hopefully that will go as scheduled.  I don't use my oven a lot  lately but it is nice to be able to use one when I need to.

MJ2.0 -- Hang in there.  Repairs to the car was a need.  Hope you have an EF to deal with it.  If not start saving a little at a time to build one up for things that happen.  This is a process to help us become more aware of where our money goes.  


shanendoah -- Wishing the best for you. 

[Blonde Granny]

money squirrel said:

This is a process to help us become more aware of where our money goes.

********* How right you are MS. When I started using YNAB 4-5 years ago my DH and I had no idea how much we were spending each month, only that I always had to transfer money from savings to checking to make it to the end of the month.

As I started learning how YNAB worked and DH went along with it, there were discoveries i.e $700/mo eating out and $400/mo for groceries....egads!!!!!!!!!!! The categories of spending kept increasing since once again we didn't know what we were spending money on and then had to make a new categories as we went along.

I still use YNAB even though I'm widowed, and it helps keep my spending intact each month. I'll always be a work in progress with this but as time go by it gets easier and easier.

[moneysquirrel]

Blonde Granny -- I use Excel to track my budget.  Have been doing that for at least 13 years.  Katrina was the compelling force and shortly after my DH was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  I lost him almost 12 years ago to that dreaded disease.  Excel has kept me focus on the needed and the wants since then plus I am a little of a nerd.  I used it prior to that time but DH handled most of the monthly expenses until his illness prevented him from doing that.  It allowed me to know what was expected in an organized manner.  While he was able, I collected info as to who to call for various repairs, how much to pay lawn service, etc.  Widowhood is hard but as you know we get through it one day at a time using our skills and tricks that we learn as we work our way through the things we have to.  I was able to go back to work a few months after his death and that helped.  Now I am less that a year into retirement which has its own set of new challenges.  

[Blonde Granny]

(OT)   I have never been able to figure out how Excel works. When YNAB was on sale a few years ago for $15 I bought it. 

[shanendoah]

Blonde Granny - Pop Tart will remain where she is at least through the end of the school year. None of us want to pull her out of a school she is doing well in mid-year. What happens after that is still up in the air. The state has stopped pushing for termination of parental rights, but we do have co-primary plans of return to me or a guardianship. I would be able to agree to a guardianship with the family she is with right now with no reservations. I would likely have to pay child support (which is a non-issue), and would still have visitation with her, pretty much like any non-custodial parent. However, she has said she wanted the primary plan to be return to me (without the co-plan). We should be starting family counseling soon (I've had a session, but haven't heard that her initial, solo session, has been scheduled yet). I am hoping that she and I can use family counseling to decide together what the future of our relationship looks like.
Regardless, I won't allow her to return to the schools we're currently zoned for. There were just too many unhealthy friendships and a couple truly toxic ones, and I don't want her back in school with those kids, even at the huge high school, so I need/want to move for that reason, as well.
As for C, for neighbors being notified, that will be up to the Sheriff's department. He should be at the lowest level on the offenders list, which does not require notification, but that doesn't mean someone can't be a jerk and decide to put him at a higher level, as it is discretionary, just with guidelines.
Obviously, I cannot live with both of them. Right now the goal is to get everyone through this period of time alive and well. Once summer gets here, better long term plans can be made. But moving is pretty much a necessity, regardless.

zibazinski - Trust me, it is tempting. The problem is job/commute. I love my job. I get paid really well. I have no intentions of looking for another job for at least 3 years. But I don't want to go back to what it was like with our first house when my evening commute was 90 minutes with carpool lanes on a good day and 4+ hours on a bad day. So there's a balance there.

Iggy aka IG - Okay, I know from context you meant something else, but I saw STBX in your post and filled in "Soon to Be Ex" and panicked for you. Then I read the post and realized that everything is fine. Its just those darned abbreviations meaning different things to different people.

MJ2.0 - Car repairs happen. You do really well the rest of the time to make it possible to absorb those hits. I know it's tough, but you've got this. I have faith in you.

TheOtherMe & moneysquirrel - As always, thanks for the support.

BG - Like MS, I am an excel person. I found keeping YNAB updated (adding in all the categories, making changes to categories, etc) too much work. I've been using excel to track finances for 15 years now, and have it set up to do everything I want. But I use Excel for financial tracking in my work, too, so I am super comfortable with it.

And I did not put any earnest money down on Friday. I get that I am in a seller's market, but these folks were ridiculous. New contruction. Earnest money of about 2% of the housing price (high, but not unreasonably so), but they won't take earnest money without a full offer including financing pre-approval. If your financing pre-approval says it is contingent on you selling your current house, they require you to have your current house on the market within 7 days and sold within 30 days. But the house you are buying from them won't be ready for you to move into until 11-12 MONTHS after you sign that contract - basically requiring you to move 2 times in one year, and find a rental for 10-11 months.
Even if I could have put up with that ridiculousness, the time frame doesn't work for me. I want to be moved before the start of next school year, in case Pop Tart and I decide she should come home to me, so that we're all set for the start of freshman year.

[shanendoah]

Weekend went pretty much as planned. I did decide to take myself to Qdoba for lunch on Friday. And because I was on the south end, I did hit Valerios Tropical Bakery as part of my grocery shopping - but I staying under $100 for all groceries, so am calling that part of the plan.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Starbucks		Starbucks		Safeway Trader Joes Cash ($40) Gas		Hair
Actual	Starbucks		Starbucks		Qdoba Valerios Trader Joes Safeway Gas	Cash ($40)	Hair

[Blonde Granny]

Shane you amaze me with your composure and well thought out plans....I would be a basket case.  My prayers for all of you.

[shanendoah]

Okay, onto the new week.
I have a one year old's birthday party on Saturday. I will be getting her parents a $50 gift card (probably from Amazon) as her gift. I am totally looking forward to her 3rd birthday, when I'll go in with friends to get her a huge set of magna-tiles, but she's too young for the now, and the gift card will be much more helpful to her parents. The party is on Saturday, so I'm putting the expense on that day for the plan, but will likely actually get it some other time this week.
My writer's group might meet this Friday, as well, so I'm putting Starbucks on there as a place holder for any coffee shop, as those are the kinds of places we tend to meet.
CostCo this week will hopefully include the new BladeRunner movie (that wasn't there two weeks ago), but shouldn't be a huge trip, so under $100 including the DVD is the plan.
We might also do dinner out during the Super Bowl, as we don't really care about the teams playing, but that's still up in the air.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($100) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual

[shanendoah]

Blonde Granny - I spend plenty of time being a basket case. But planning is my coping mechanism. So I plan. It gives me an illusion of control.

[shanendoah]

Decided to get the $50 gift card while I was thinking about it. Realized that the new They Might Be Giants album is out (going to see their show in March), and decided to order that while I was on Amazon.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4		$13.29

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($100) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual	Amazon ($50) TMBG album ($13.29)

[shanendoah]

Decided not to get Starbucks yesterday.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4		$13.29	1/0

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($100) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual	Amazon ($50) TMBG album ($13.29)

[shanendoah]

I have already had my Starbucks today.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4		$13.29	2/0

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($100) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual	Amazon ($50) TMBG album ($13.29)			Starbucks

[Iggy aka IG]

Spent money today for the first time in a week:

$20 co-pay for an unexpected doc visit this AM. 
Office:  Printer paper
Home:  Club soda for tonight's cocktail hour and 18 count large eggs

Resisted buying a "Yay, you finally went to the doc!" reward for myself which would have been a $3 cute little stuffed animal.

[TheOtherMe]

The Amazon return has already been refunded to my credit card so I paid the $12 stupid tax.

Yesterday I returned the Malwarebytes freak out laptop I bought.  Didn't even open the box.  All it took was a scan and I had a receipt showing the refund.  

I'm thinking about going out for brunch tomorrow.  Have a coupon for 22% off and it's good for tomorrow only.

[shanendoah]

Cut my spending goal at CostCo today to $80, including the Blade Runner dvd, as I'm pretty certain all I need is almond milk, sliced apples, bananas, and mini babybel cheese. This gives me a little room to decide I want a big thing of greens or tomatoes for salads, or if something else looks particularly good. 

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4		$13.29	2/1

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($80) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual	Amazon ($50) TMBG album ($13.29)			Starbucks

[TheOtherMe]

Jan. 28 - Feb 3

If things go as planned tomorrow (Dairy Queen with dad), the week will be within budget except for the $12 stupid tax for the impulse purchase.  

Today has been a NSD, only one for this week.

[TheOtherMe]

Feb 2, 2018 20:44:24 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Jan. 28 - Feb 3

If things go as planned tomorrow (Dairy Queen with dad), the week will be within budget except for the $12 stupid tax for the impulse purchase.  

Today has been a NSD, only one for this week.

Saturday, Feb. 3 only Dairy Queen with dad so a good week.  No crazy spending

[moneysquirrel]

This week was a mixed bag.  Managed to get to Walmart for groceries -- still within month's budget so I'm ok with it.  Also needed to pick up RX at Wals-  also a need.  Coffee at the mall so I could visit with former students after their performance -- Spend but will do it again if I could.  Biggest expense was purchasing air tickets this morning for a trip involving family. I knew it was coming and have the $$ put aside to pay it.

I don't see any major spending this coming week.  I plan to stay close to home most of the time.  Will try to get to gym and will do my volunteer teaching but nothing else is planned.  Will stay away from people and as much illness as possible in my effort to stay healthy.  I have lots of craft projects on hand to do and I need to find some other items to get out of my house.

[Iggy aka IG]

Feb 4, 2018 12:37:50 GMT -5 moneysquirrel said:

This week was a mixed bag.  Managed to get to Walmart for groceries -- still within month's budget so I'm ok with it.  Also needed to pick up RX at Wals-  also a need.  Coffee at the mall so I could visit with former students after their performance -- Spend but will do it again if I could.  Biggest expense was purchasing air tickets this morning for a trip involving family. I knew it was coming and have the $$ put aside to pay it.

I don't see any major spending this coming week.  I plan to stay close to home most of the time.  Will try to get to gym and will do my volunteer teaching but nothing else is planned.  Will stay away from people and as much illness as possible in my effort to stay healthy.  I have lots of craft projects on hand to do and I need to find some other items to get out of my house.

A nearby (small) school district is closed for a few days due to staff and student illness. 

[shanendoah]

I got out of CostCo for less than $50!!!! Of course, that's because they still didn't have the Blade Runner DVD. At some point, I'll just have to grab that from Amazon.
No spending on Saturday, and Sunday we did not go out to dinner, but did have a Starbucks stop, and I had to swing by a store and pick up some milk. Still spent less than $10, so I'm going to call that a controlled spend 

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 1-7	N	$851	1/4
Jan 8-14	Y	$0	4/3
Jan 15-21	Y	$10.50	3/3
Jan 22-28	Y	$10.78	2/4
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	CostCo ($80) Gas Starbucks	Amazon ($50)	Dinner Out ($40)
Actual	Amazon ($50) TMBG album ($13.29)			Starbucks	CostCo ($45) Gas C&P Coffee		Starbucks Milk

[shanendoah]

This is going to be a pretty busy week, work wise, so I've decided I'm going to reward myself with pizza on Friday. (Or really, it's also going to be a fairly busy weekend, so this way I have a meal plan for Friday and Saturday nights.) I still need to figure out what my meal plan is tonight through Wednesday though. (I'll be at a friend's house for dinner on Thursday.)

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11
Feb 12-18
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	Safeway Trader Joes Gas Papa Murphy's Pizza		Pop Tart visit($40)
Actual

[shanendoah]

I had no dinner plan last night, and was just tired at the end of the day, and I walk through a McD's parking lot on the way home from the bus.... You see where this is going.
Must come up with a dinner plan for tonight. And I think I'll try skipping the Starbucks today, in order get myself an NSD.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11		$10.00
Feb 12-18
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	Safeway Trader Joes Gas Papa Murphy's Pizza		Pop Tart visit($40)
Actual	McDonalds $10.00

[shanendoah]

I made it through yesterday as an NSD, but I had to take a different bus so that I didn't walk by the Taco Bell, McDs, Heaven Sent Chicken, or Teriyaki place on the way home. Basically, I walk a bit further on campus to catch a smaller, more crowded bus, that drops me at the end of my street, instead of on the busy main commercial drag a couple of blocks from my street. It's not bad, but I do have to make the conscious decision as it's bus stop is no where near my normal bus stop.
I don't know that I'll be making it through today without Starbucks. And probably not tomorrow, either, but I think tomorrow I'll use my free drink, so it won't count here.
We're making plans to go see Black Panther opening weekend (Presidents' Day weekend), but might end up grabbing tickets this week, because we expect it to sell out.
Pop Tart wants to go see a movie this weekend, but she wants to go see Greatest Showman, so it's not one I need to grab tickets to early.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11		$10.00	1/0
Feb 12-18
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned		Starbucks		Starbucks	Safeway Trader Joes Gas Papa Murphy's Pizza		Pop Tart visit($40)
Actual	McDonalds $10.00

[Iggy aka IG]

Spent money last night for the first time since last Thursday.  Went to the grocery store for a few things and saved 36% off my entire order.  I stayed on my list for the most part, but I did buy Halo Top ice cream (low sugar, high protein) for the first time.  Haven't tried it yet.

Winners:  Got a free large box of Farm Rich mozzarella sticks via e-coupon.  I also bought 2 Crest sensitive toothpaste.  They were on sale and I had a coupon for $1 off each.

Total spent $28.37 on 15 items.

[TheOtherMe]

I have done well this week.  I've only left the house two days and the spending was all within budget, groceries, etc.  

Tomorrow I will be snowbound so I need to stay off Amazon.

I did have a fail today but it's okay.  I've never seen Paul Simon in concert and he is doing his farewell tour this summer.  I did snag a ticket for that.  Not the highest priced and not the lowest priced.  Now I can stop thinking about seeing Elton one last time.  

[Iggy aka IG]

TheOtherMe, that concert sounds like so much fun! 

Went to Starbucks today.  There was a bit left on my gift card from Christmas, so I used that and spent a little under $2 for the tip and remaining balance.  I asked, but it was too early to cash in my free birthday drink.

Planned spending:  Going to (hopefully) buy some new jeans tomorrow.

Happy weekend, everyone. 

[TheOtherMe]

Thanks, Iggy.  I wanted to see someone I have never seen before since I have concentrated by concert going so much on British musicians.

Today I ordered socks from Kohl's.  I had a 30% off coupon plus a $9 off coupon, so I got 9 pair (they come in packages of 3) for a little more than 1 set of 3 pair.  With the holes I am getting in my socks, that is a win.