2018 Controlled Spend/No Spend

[Blonde Granny]

I haven't spent anything Since Tuesday when I bought gas because of the incoming bad weather. Now, today, I gave an appt. with a CPA to do my taxes. I was way over my head yesterday with Turbo Tax and Foreign income, so it's likely going to be a large bill I had not planned for this year. Good thing my personal escrow account has a cushion built in.

Don't plan on spending anything on Saturday either. Bad weather chance of ice will keep me home.

[MJ2.0]

I spent $38 unplanned dollars this week.  I did much better last week and I'll have to spend pretty much $0 additional next week.

[Iggy aka IG]

Unplanned spending over the lunch hour:  Bought myself a cute top for an upcoming trip.  I'd never been inside this particular new store, so I was expecting a price tag of $50+.  When I saw $15, I was sold, literally.     And, it is a baby-doll cut with cut out shoulders, so it will remain relevant as I continue to lose lbs and throughout different seasons. 

[moneysquirrel]

No unplanned spending this week until today -- needed a few items from the dollar store.  Other than that only a monthly bill that is planned.

I did receive notice today that the oven could not be repaired and will need to be replaced.  However I have a double oven and the  smaller one still works so I am not in a hurry to spend time and money on it.  I can deal with what I have for a while as I only have myself to feed most of the time.  That way I can rebuilt the house budget to save for this expense.  I had recent expenses (repair of patio cover and of garage door springs) that depleted that budget to the tune of over $3000.  Need to rebuild that a little prior to getting a new oven as much as possible especially since I still have a working oven, crock pot, microwave, etc.  I would starve.

I also have an upcoming out of town plans that I have budgeted for. As I am traveling with others on at least one of these, I know that some of expenses and/or activities I will have limited influence over.  

It is a good thing that I am naturally frugal and my day to day needs are minimal.  I have enough craft material to keep me busy for quite a while.  Any cash that I make selling my items will pay for the replenishing of those materials.  I have finally reached the point that I usually break even on a annual basis. 

[Blonde Granny]

Today is another day of no spending. This will make 4 in a row. Weather is crummy so decided last night I will dust the floors and the rest of my house. Basketball game on at 3PM. That will take care of most of my day. I'm beginning to get into this non-spending idea and my checkbook balance shows it works.

Happy weekend everyone.

[moneysquirrel]

Feb 10, 2018 9:14:54 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I 'm beginning to get into this non-spending idea and my checkbook balance shows it works.

I agree with this.  Of course, I am adjusting to retired life (with a much reduced income) and life keeps sending me Murphys to deal with.  Hopefully I will be finished with him soon so I can see additional growth in my checkbook.  I do put some money aside each month but not as much as I was used to.  House repairs have taken a toll on me but I was able to cash flow them from money put aside while I was working. The usual monthly expenses are manageable with  what I am receiving from my husband's pension and social security.  I hope to delay taking mine until I reach 70 in a few years.

 I do know that I have two big expenses coming up in the future.  I will need to replace my car -- it is currently 14 years old and of course the oven will need to be replaced as well.  Currently thinking that I will try to wait under the end of the year sales for the car.  No idea about when the oven will be replaced.

[shanendoah]

Things we learned this last week - I need to have a dinner plan for the week by Sunday evening. Going into Monday without a plan is a recipe for unplanned spending and eating. 
For the record, the cash on Friday should have been in the plan, but I'd forgotten about it. And maybe I could count dinner out Thursday as in plan since I didn't pay for dinner out on Friday, but I'm not going to. There have to be consequences for my actions. 

But yeah, no dinner plan last week led to eating out 4 weeknights - McDs on Monday, Panda Express on Wednesday, Sabi Bistro on Thursday (after other Thursday plans were cancelled), and Saffron on Friday (though friends paid for that as a belated birthday dinner). I will expect to gain weight when I go into Weight Watchers this coming week.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
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		Starbucks Panda Express $10	Sabi Bistro $20	Safeway Cash $40	Gas	Pop Tart visit $22

[shanendoah]

For the most part, being more mindful in my planning, including setting spending limits on groceries, has been really good. I can see the difference in my account balance as I plan March bills vs what February was like.
I do have a dinner plan for this week (1 night leftovers from Friday's dinner out, 2 nights leftovers from Sunday dinner, Thursday make a pasta dish that will last through Saturday). 

I have some grocery shopping I do through Amazon that I plan to do today. I'm actually really low on the fish oil supplement for the dogs. Plus I'm nearly out of my deodorant (which I buy in multi-packs via Amazon), so need to get those purchased.
I'm allowing $75 at CostCo on the chance they have BladeRunner. Saturday morning we're going to see Black Panther. A friend has already bought the tickets. I'm in charge of paying for the snacks.
Hopefully I can stay on track this week.

I need to start planning for getting myself a new pair of walking shoes and a new pair of insoles. The insoles are around $75 on their own (and move around between my shoes). The current pair I have are starting to wear down, but also having a second pair will be nice. In addition, I have two pair of walking shoes, but the "tennis shoes" let water in through the toes (not the best in the PNW winters), and the Clarks, which are waterproof, have been deformed by the way I walk, which exacerbates the problem (I tend to carry more weight than I should on the insides of my feet. It eventually warps the soles of shoes.) Since the plan is for Disneyland at the end of April (I am attending a professional conference at the Disneyland Hotel, and will stay an extra day for the park), I would like new shoes and insoles before then- so thinking next month.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual

[TheOtherMe]

The cold weather has been keeping me indoors and I have not been spending money.  The only unplanned spending last week was for the Paul Simon ticket.

I did decide to clean my house myself.  I finally did my monthly budget and it wasn't good.  That will save some money even though the house will suffer.  

Sunday I took dad to Dairy Queen, so I spent money on that.  

[Blonde Granny]

Today is day 5 of no spending. As usual i took my lunch to my volunteer job, and im having the last of the stew for dinner tonight.  I plan on staying home tomorrow so likely another day of no spending.  If we have choir practice it will be out to dinner after practice.

[shanendoah]

Yesterday went well. I did my Amazon shopping, and the fish oil supplement for the dogs should arrive on Thursday, which is good, because we're running really low. I had my leftovers for dinner, and then went to bed early because I felt like crud.
I have my office tea this morning, and should be able to avoid Starbucks with no problems. 

MJ2.0 - I hope this week is going better for you

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18			0/1
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual	Amazon Groceries

[MJ2.0]

I spent a lot today, but it was work-related so I can expense it.

[Blonde Granny]

Didn't spend anything again yesterday the 13th and stayed home all day. So.....yesterday was day 6. If choir practice happens this afternoon and we go out to eat after as usual, my streak will end. Even if it does, I can't believe I've actually gone this long without spending for at least something.

[shanendoah]

Having a dinner plan for the week makes everything better.
Looking at my meal plan for today makes me think I won't be getting Starbucks.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18			1/1
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual	Amazon Groceries

[shanendoah]

Moved the Starbucks from yesterday to today. When making my spending plan, I need to keep the Starbucks trips aligned with my eating plan, and yesterday was a day when, once I thought about it, I knew I'd be eating extra calories in the office (Valentine's Day, faculty meeting = bagels, Tea Time), so needed to not drink any extra in the morning. Today, there's room in my calorie budget for Starbucks.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18			2/1
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual	Amazon Groceries			Starbucks

[TheOtherMe]

I've done well this week.  2 NSDs   All others so far have been controlled spend days.  Depending on the weather tomorrow, I need to get the salt washed off my car.  I did it yesterday but the car wash where I went did such a poor job that it needs to be done again.  Will not go there again.

[MJ2.0]

yesterday in celebration of V-Day, I bought myself a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate and Tic Tacs... just under $5. Worth it.

Tomorrow I'll have to get whole wheat large pasta shells for dinner, but that is really a planned expense.

[moneysquirrel]

Except for groceries I have not spent on anything since my last post.  Was completely out of some basic items ergo a grocery run. 

[TheOtherMe]

I take my dad for groceries every Thursday, so I stock up then.  I do get some things sent from Amazon.  One of those will be arriving today.  Due to a gift certificate and points, it cost me 50% of the listed price.

[shanendoah]

On track so far, but today might throw it off.
I'm at work until Noon. Will run to CostCo, then come home and get the dogs to the park for a bit. Real estate agent (seller's agent) coming to see the house at 3p. Then I'm heading off to see some friends. Realized I'll be there over dinner time, and they often like to go out for dinner, so that might get thrown on to today. It will be okay.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18			2/1
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual	Amazon Groceries			Starbucks

[shanendoah]

This post is a follow up on a conversation that started on the Savers thread with azucena, NastyWoman, and Blonde Granny, but really belongs over here.


Please note that for me, the No Spend/Controlled Spend idea is almost exactly like being on a diet. The immediate goal is to get out of debt/lose weight, but the long term goal is to create new habits, new ways of thinking that keep you from going back into debt/gaining weight. Please note, I've failed at both, in more ways than one, more times than I'll take the time to count. But each time, I come back a little stronger, a little better. I make more progress and recover faster. But if you see me using terms for this that you associate with dieting, that is why.

When I started NS/CS way back when I first joined WIR (it was the only board besides Racers I was on at the start), I had the same issue NastyWoman mentioned - the binge and purge. I didn't necessarily go for a good streak of No Spend and then just have a day where I purchased EVERYTHING, but generally what happened was that the moment something came along that turned a day into an unplanned spend, I'd decide that day was lost anyway and go off and buy whatever things I thought I wanted. C even noticed this and would mention to me when he thought I was doing it.
What I really remember from this time, though, was one of our other members (and maybe moneysquirrel will remember better than me who it was) saying - We all fall of the wagon sometimes, that's why the rest of us circle back around all the time.
It was a reminder that none of us were perfect at this, and that we all needed support.
Eventually I got a bit better. At the time, we had a thread for each month, and at the start of the month, we'd plan our goals. I'd go through and count days where I figured we'd grocery shop, get gas, go to the movies, etc. This was before Pop Tart and planning spending a full month in advance wasn't too hard, though it could still lead to some frustration when things popped up. But that's why I always planned for a couple Spend Days in there, but still.

Then, things got better financially. I got a substantial raise. MIL passed, and we used the inheritance to pay off debt. We refinanced the house to a much lower mortgage payment, etc. And I stopped really doing NS/CS because I didn't need to track my spending anymore, because I had the money.

And life happened. And here I am, savings gone, back in debt, on a really tight monthly budget to be able to pay down all the debt before the 0% APR promotions run out. So, back to watching my spending.
For the record, I tried YNAB. I like the concept, but in the end, the interface, especially the way it works with credit cards, didn't work for me. Because none of my monthly spending comes out of my checking account (unless I need cash). The checking account spending is planned out (at this point) mostly to the end of the year, as best as I can. Daily spending only happens on credit cards.

One of the things I learned about myself years ago was that I am someone who needs a plan. I simply function better with a plan. And yes, I have long term plans. But I have also learned that for both my eating and my spending, trying to look too far out frustrates me when something half unexpected comes up. But, I still need a plan.
So, I do my best to meal plan (as I noted last week, a week where I didn't have a meal plan exploded both into unexpected eating but also unexpected spending, as I ate out 4 weeknights of 5.

I've gone through a few variations of how this planning would work for me since I've come back, trying to combine the idea of caring more about staying in plan than simply gathering No Spend Days, with the reward feeling I get for having a No Spend Day. Recognizing both - that the most important thing is staying in plan, but that I do get a feeling of satisfaction for not spending on a given day - has been important to me to figure out a way to succeed and to keep my spending in check.

On some level, it should be easier to spend less right now, as daily expenses are just me and the dogs. No C. No Pop Tart. At least not on a daily basis. But that also means no check on me. This fall, I walked into Target for a $10 floor lamp and spent over $100 on new Star Wars sheets and blanket. I might have done that anyway. I might not have. But at the same time, the big expenses - car repairs, house repairs, car insurance, etc don't care whether there's one person or three in my house. The dogs eat the same amount of food, need the same vet care, etc.
And, the legal bills were substantial, and the resulting debt is substantial, even more so with my aggressive pay off plan.

In order to meet my goals, I need to think about what I am going to spend. Bills are bills and get paid no matter what, so they don't come into this. I have stopped planning more than a week ahead because life has been so unpredictable in the last 20 months that it doesn't feel like I can have a plan that will hold up over 4 weeks. So, I make a weekly plan. A week I can foresee (mostly). A week I can feel in control of (and that feeling of control is very likely more important to my mental health than it is mentally healthy for it to be, but that's what it is, and that's what I'm working with).
On Sunday afternoons (though sometimes Monday mornings as I do my post), I think about the week ahead. I make my meal plan. I make my spending plan. I verify it on Monday mornings with both my work and personal calendars open, to make sure I'm taking into account everything going on. This is what I need this week. This is what I want/am allowing myself this week. And looking at my schedule, this is when it is most likely to happen.

While my current planning has spending planned out by day, I don't actually hold myself to the actual day. If I get Starbucks on Thursday instead of Wednesday it is no big deal, as long as I don't get Starbucks on Wednesday and Thursday and Sunday, if I only planned on getting Starbucks 2x in the week.
I am now also trying to give myself reasonable limits for some of the standard shopping. If all I need at CostCo is fruit and almond milk, I should not be walking out of there with a $200 bill because I bought some cute new clothes and calling it a controlled spend simply because I planned to go to CostCo.

And by having my weeks go Monday through Sunday, it helps cut down on one of my biggest challenges - instant gratification. Often, once I decide I need/want something bad enough to pay for it, I want it now, or at least the first opportunity I have to get it. Which means that if I've been vaguely thinking about new shoes, on Saturday, when I have some time, I'd just go and get my new shoes. But now, they aren't in the plan for the week - so I have to think about how much do I really want them NOW. Do I need them NOW so badly that I am willing to go off plan? Can I wait at least one week to get them, so that they are in the plan? (This may seem silly, but really, it is why I am currently able to say that I think March is when I will go get myself a new pair of walking shoes and orthotic inserts. I know I will need them soon, but I don't need them just yet, and they aren't in the plan for this week, so I can sit back and actually plan. Tricks we play on ourselves, I recognize, but it's working for me for now.)

What I do is what works for me. I recognize that it will not work for everybody. In fact, it may not work for anybody that isn't me. And that's okay. I have adapted this system in a way that works for me and encourage others to do so in a way that works for them. I seem to remember from the early days people who called it a No Spend Day as long as they didn't spend OUTSIDE of their plan. If they went to the grocery store that day and stayed within their budget, it was a No Spend Day. Controlled Spend Days were days when they spent out of plan, but not more than $10. From the beginning, people on this board have set their own definitions for No Spend, Controlled Spend, and Spend Days, just as we have set our own goals, and have always only judged ourselves by our progress on our own goals, not as a comparison to other people.

azucena - I suggested the NS/CS thread to you because you mentioned the one thing your family still needed to get under control was daily spending, and spending on credit cards. And I get it. It can be hard because of the delay between the time of the spend and when the money for the spend actually comes out of your account. This is why I track the day I spend the money, not the day I pay the bill.
It might be helpful (or it might not), to try and sit down with your husband on a Sunday night and just look at the week ahead (and hey, start just with the work week, if that helps), and make a plan. This is what we need to buy this week. I want to buy lunch 3 times this week. I want $10 to spend on snacks during the week, etc.
Like I said, I don't know if your husband would be open to that, but it's a thought.

[azucena]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's quite helpful to have another perspective.  Our life doesn't lend itself to planning that closely right now - seems like something is always coming up for one kid or the other or even all the work obligations. One thing that has helped is giving DH a separate account with a certain amount of money that I don't even pay attention to so I don't have to be aware of how his trivial spending happens. We do better concentrating on the big picture and I think having specific reasons to save like to pay for Destin will help both of us.

Dealing with sick kids this week so will have to schedule time to talk with him after we've recovered a bit. I'm just ready for this week to be over.

[Blonde Granny]

Thanks for sharing that Shane! My out of control spending happened after DH passed away. About a year later, it was suddenly "all about me". I wanted it, I could afford it, it was only me now, so why not get it. New cars? Yep had a number of them....on and on it went.

Finally I had the realization that I couldn't go on that way....even using YNAB all the spending on clothes didn't get included in my monthly $100/mo I just transferred money and didn't enter it into YNAB. On and on that went.

Today, all spending that comes out of the checking account is accounted for. I've gotten it all under control and was grinning on the way home from the VA just now, I'm off Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues....and wondering if I was going to make it staying home for 4 days and no spending. Time will tell.

What I love about being here is the encouragement of others to make this all work for us. Between WIR and SS, this is a blessing.

BG

[NastyWoman]

I 100% agree with you shanendoah. I strongly believe that succesful saving depends on knowing yourself and you know yourself well. The precise daily budgeting you use provides you with control of your money. I can chose between either failing or becoming extremely anxious with this method.  I am more of a big picture person. This means I wil never save as much as I possibly could, but since I miss the shopping gene (I don't get any rush from buying things) my method works for me.

This thread and the WIRS one are interesting to me since I pick up new ideas all the time, so I do thank you and the others who share their experiences.

[TheOtherMe]

No impulse purchases this week so it was a good week.  Only spent for budgeted items and had several NSDs.

[Blonde Granny]

Lunch after church today was $18. Will be home Monday and Tuesday and I plan on being home both days due to bad weather with no spending.

[moneysquirrel]

To follow up to shanendoah post I also plan out my week.  I think of this thread as a way to keep me focus on the important stuff.  Like Blonde Granny I am also a widow.  That in itself was a major change in my life and I was responsible for everything that my DH took care of.  We knew a few months prior to his death that his illness was terminal.  I started collecting data about bills, repairmen info, etc.  At that time I also started putting everything into excel.  It was my way of coping and planning for the future.  Also this was less than  six months after Katrina so everything in the area was also in survivor mode.  Thanks to the support of my friends I made it through. 

Shortly after DH passed I discovered the old MSN boards. It helped me pass the time at night. I lurked for several months prior to joining.  This was the thread that I noticed the most since the members were supporting each other.  You were encouraged to get back on the wagon (I think it was SES who mentioned that it would circle back to pick you up.)  

Prior to the move to this format there were enough members that several of us met in real life one weekend.  That meeting went quite well and the following year we met for a vacation.  We also exchanged secret santa gifts.  Only Shane and I are left of that original group and she didn't make those trips. Most of the group did not move over to this thread, some came over but did not stay.

This keeps me accountable to remain focused on the big picture.  Now that I have retired, my disposable income has been severely diminished so remaining focused is even more important.  I don't have a lot of wants, am trying to downsize what I do have and to live in the moment. 

[shanendoah]

Under $50 at CostCo, definitely calling that a win. But, I did make a decision that led to extra spending. I chose not to buy a CostCo size bag of russet potatoes (which I needed for Sunday night's dinner), because I knew that most of them would go bad. So I ran to Safeway on Saturday evening to buy some russets, and ended up with a few more things I wanted but didn't really need. Still, I kept it under $50 unplanned spending for the week, so consider it staying in plan.
My friends paid for dinner on Friday night, and other friends bought my Starbucks on Sunday morning.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18	Y	$45.00	3/3
Feb 19-25
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Amazon Groceries		Starbucks		CostCo ($75) Gas	Movies Snacks	Starbucks
Actual	Amazon Groceries			Starbucks	CostCo ($50) Gas	Movie Snacks Safeway ($45)

[shanendoah]

No grocery shopping this weekend, as I will be in Hawaii most of next week for a professional conference. I fly out early next Monday morning and come back on the red eye Thursday night. Since it will be a work trip, most things will be expensed (food will be on a per diem). If I go do something fun in the evenings, that will be on me.
Pop Tart visit will be a bit more expensive than normal because we're going to get mani/pedis.

WEEK	IN PLAN?	UNPLANNED SPENDING $	NS/CS DAYS
Jan 29-Feb 4	Y	$13.29	3/3
Feb 5-11	N	$80.00	1/2
Feb 12-18	Y	$45.00	3/3
Feb 19-25			0/1
Feb 26-Mar 4

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Planned	Gas	Massage	Starbucks		Cash ($40)		Pop Tart Visit ($75)
Actual

[TheOtherMe]

Feb 20, 2018 10:31:53 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

Under $50 at CostCo, definitely calling that a win. But, I did make a decision that led to extra spending. I chose not to buy a CostCo size bag of russet potatoes (which I needed for Sunday night's dinner), because I knew that most of them would go bad. So I ran to Safeway on Saturday evening to buy some russets, and ended up with a few more things I wanted but didn't really need. Still, I kept it under $50 unplanned spending for the week, so consider it staying in plan.

If the potatoes would have gone bad, no need to buy them, correct?

Enjoy Hawaii and the mani-pedi with Pop Tart.