2022 Controlled Spend and No Spend

[Iggy aka IG]

Thank you for the new thread.  I've participated the last two years and would like to do so again.  And, after looking over this month's budget vs. commissions, I'm extra motivated.  As I mentioned in the '21 thread, '21 non-essential spending was up vs the prior year.  This year's goal will be to move it in the other direction.

YTD non-essential spending:  $26.60 at the liquor store, and $757 for airline tickets = $783.60.  My upcoming trip will include savings such as free lodging at a family member's condo and utilizing Lyft instead of renting a car.  I just looked and last July's rental car cost $1,038!    That is twice as much as the prior year for just one extra day.  And I'll do my usual grocery shop instead of going out to restaurants.

[catsareme]

Checked the Wednesday grocery ads, no temptation there.  I should be able to mark today as a NSD but I usually wait until first thing in the AM in case I get a late-in-the-day shopping urge.  I paid an extra $500 on the mortgage yesterday.  Having a lower checking account balance available will hopefully keep me from temptation at the store.

[laterbloomer]

Jan 12, 2022 11:47:52 GMT -5 catsareme said:

5 out of 31.  Decluttering is helping to remind me I do not need to go shopping!!

Ain't it the truth! I have so many things I bought for a variety of projects that I forgot I had!
8/31, $41 NES (Non Essential Spending)

[moneysquirrel]

Jan 11, 2022 12:49:54 GMT -5 moneysquirrel said:

7/31 No Spend Days
2 days of bills only (not included in my 7)
1 day of spending on items not needed.

I think I will have a few more bill paying days this week and at least 1 day of errands.  Ususlly my errand days are my spending days.  Frequently there is some overlap.  I am really trying to keep spending as low as possible this month. 

Upcoming spending/bills that I think will hit this week:

Electric bill
Mobile bill
Natural Gas bill
Home Insurance
Grocery run -- running low on a few items
Sporting good store -- need a few items that I can't get elsewhere locally  -They didn't have what I needed.  Ordered from Amazon using a GC

 

I need to recount so I will update my numbers at a later date.  Still have the two bills listed above to pay nut have not received tham yet, another monthly one should come in tomorrow and then ther will be at least one other later in the month.

Today I rean errands as well and picked up several items00 some needed but a few were wants. 

[laterbloomer]

9/31 $41
I'm grocery shopping tonight but I only count non essential spending.

[catsareme]

7/31 as of this morning.  I'm behind most, if not all, of you in NSD/CSD but your numbers inspire me to keep on keeping on.  

Meals from the freezer and pantry today.  

[vetswife]

Haven't done too well so far; 5 no spend days but having cedar fever keeps me needing allergy meds and decongestants.  I have plenty of food in the pantry so am going to be making meals based on what's in there for the next week or so.  I'm trying to hold the line the rest of the month.

[catsareme]

vetswife - I hear you about cedar fever.  Suffered for years myself along with an allergy to ragweed.  YUK!!  

My feeling is any no spend/controlled spend days are a plus!!  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Good morning!
It's the 15th, and DH has definitely been respecting my request for a non-essential spending freeze month. I'm definitely appreciative; he generally assumes that I'm just being dramatic when I say we're out of money. 

The only non-essentials still are the clothing items from last week--belts and socks for DH.
He doesn't view those as non-essentials because his belts had gotten too big (he's been ill and lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks). 
Those purchases totaled $54. 
The remainder of spending has all been expected groceries. 
This weekend is DD#2's birthday celebration. That will include a coffee shop trip, dinner out, and manis/pedis. While planned, still not technically essential. Basically, that means I'm going for no impulse purchases this weekend. I know we're doing the three expenditures for DD, but I need to stay out of the stores otherwise.

 
12/14 days of no unnecessary expenditures. $54 of unnecessary spending.

[laterbloomer]

11/31, $41 NES I must admit -30 C temps are helping the cause.

[moneysquirrel]

9/31 No Spend Days

4 days of bills only (not included in my 7)

2 day of spending on items not needed.  ($21.39 on non-essential items, Also picked up some N95 masks as I didn't have any at home but I am counting those as essential.)

Still waiting for 3 of the monthly bills to come in.  Also paid 2 of the annual premiums and one medical bill.  

Keep up the great work, all of you.

[catsareme]

8/31 - Spent the day decluttering and now I'm too tired to even think of shopping (in store or on-line).

Good work all!!

[laterbloomer]

12/31, $41 NES. So far I'm doing pretty good not spending but I have this ongoing list in my head. I'm reminding myself of an old saying, you don't really know how strong temptation is until you resist it.

[catsareme]

Jan 16, 2022 19:01:48 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

12/31, $41 NES. So far I'm doing pretty good not spending but I have this ongoing list in my head. I'm reminding myself of an old saying, you don't really know how strong temptation is until you resist it.

9/31 so far this month but the temptation of shopping the clearance sales is really testing my willpower.    

[laterbloomer]

Jan 17, 2022 18:40:43 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Jan 16, 2022 19:01:48 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

12/31, $41 NES. So far I'm doing pretty good not spending but I have this ongoing list in my head. I'm reminding myself of an old saying, you don't really know how strong temptation is until you resist it.

9/31 so far this month but the temptation of shopping the clearance sales is really testing my willpower.    

I know right!!! If I was smart I'd stop looking. Online window shopping is too big a part of my entertainment. I've done enough wasteful spending that I'm trying to "shop my house" right now. I have so many things I bought to do different little projects that I haven't done yet.
13/31, $41 NES

[catsareme]

Oh laterbloomer we could be twins in the on-line shopping department.  I've unsubscribed to several sites but the ones remaining still pluck at my pursestrings.  I just need to stop looking!

10/31   6 more NSD/CSD days to make my goal this month.

[vetswife]

catsareme-thanks for the positive affirmation.  One thing about it, with the cedar fever I haven't felt like doing anything so have 3 more no spend days to add!

[catsareme]

Jan 18, 2022 15:22:12 GMT -5 vetswife said:

catsareme-thanks for the positive affirmation.  One thing about it, with the cedar fever I haven't felt like doing anything so have 3 more no spend days to add!

Woohoo!!  Way to go on the NSD!!

Cedar fever....

[Iggy aka IG]

Good job, everyone!  Knee Deep in Water Chloe , sorry to hear about your DH's illness.

I just processed monthly personal and business bills which included truck insurance and HOA dues.  Let's just say it was unpleasant as I mentioned last week.  But then, January has always been a tight month.  CC usage has creeped up the past few months, so I'll reel that in.

I spent the weekend away with family to take niece2 back to university.  This was my first time seeing her life there, and I appreciated the opportunity.  The rest of the family shared hotel rooms, and I paid for my own in order to relish me time at the end of the day.  Expenses were the two-night hotel stay, three meals (including lunch for mom and me) and tickets to an art installation.  My offer to help pay for fuel was politely refused, and I brought snacks and water from home.  I did splurge a bit at the university bookstore.  

This month's grocery order total was 1/3 less than usual, primarily because we have a lot on hand from the holidays.

Total non-essential spending $1,724.60.

ETA:  Part of this month's essential spending was jumper cables for my truck.  If you don't have any, I highly recommend you do.  Let's just say it added to the upcoming full moon drama Saturday evening.     Oh, and if you have a newer vehicle, store them somewhere accessible, as some trunks/hatches don't open when the battery dies.

[laterbloomer]

14/31, $41 NES
Yesterday was my father's birthday. His belated gift is going to be pants hemmed to his inseam. That will be about $30 for the pants. Then I have to ship them to him. I will admit I'm really putting it off to do well with my no spending, but it's not really no spending, it's just delayed spending.

[catsareme]

I put money away every 2 weeks into my Christmas/Gift fund as a CSD budget category for gifts on birthdays, holidays, etc.  The money still comes out of the budget but not as a NES if that makes any sense.  

[moneysquirrel]

Had few spending for essential items this week.  My car battery had to be replaced this weekend and I had a medical expense the following day.  Both were needed but neither one was wanted. Will do a number update later this week I think.  Not sure what the rest of the week will bring.  Both expenses will be covered with my sinking funds. I have one for the car as well as a medical one.

[catsareme]

DH had a dental appointment today.  Sinking funds will cover the co-pay.

Tomorrow is grocery shopping and I'm hoping to keep to my list.  The grocery loss leaders have been pitiful of late.  I made a couple of small purchases at our local meat market while we were out and about.  Supporting our local economy.

Holding at 10/31

[startsmart]

10 NSD so far this month. Staying home a lot and a couple days spending for my dog’s vet visit and the chiropractor.

[laterbloomer]

I bought gas yesterday but that is budgeted essential spending. I track non essential, non budgeted spending. I'm doing the best on that I have in a long time. But it is amazing to me how often I think "I need to go buy that fairly inexpensive thing" Today it's pants, the ones I'm wearing are loose because of weight loss. I'm going to take them in this weekend.

Long story short; 16/31 $41

[moneysquirrel]

Decided to check in with my total thus far for the month.

13/31 totally no spend days (no money left the accounts for any reason)
8/31 Bill paying days -- including new battery for car and medical appointment payment
2/31 spending days -- $93.88 (including N95 masks and GC  -- these two came to $72.49)

On the whole doing well this month.  May have one more utility bill this month (but it may be early next month -- comes @ every 2 months and last paid early December so timing is iffy)  

Not too bad considering the unexpected additional medical expense and the replacement of the dead battery. 

For the rest of the month:

Still have quite a bit of food on hand but will need to pick up a few items later this month as I will need to get a few perishables.  Trying to eat out of the freezer/pantry as much as possible this month.  May also need to get gas later this month as well.  I can't think of any other things that I might spend on this month. 

Trying to do any of my craft projects using materials from my stash.  Pretty sure that I can get at least the next three I have currently in mind done that way.

All of you are doing well.  Keep up the good work all!

[laterbloomer]

Ok, groceries today but no NES. I've spent my groceries budget for the month. We have lots of food to finish the month but I will need ISO's cooperation. I think I need to work on a meal plan.
18/31 $41 NES

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Good morning! 
We've reached the latter third of January. 
Last weekend was more expensive than I planned. DD#2 and I had manicures and pedicures for her birthday. We also had a coffee & snacks homework session at a coffee shop we like. Then, we had her birthday dinner. I'd planned for those, but they're clearly not essential. There's also the cost of staying at the RV park near where DD goes to college. Adding all of that up--which actually annoyed DH more than I anticipated--totals $880. 

Saturday, January 22 was a bit costly. We spent $38 on breakfast for four of us (DH, DS#2, DD#2, and myself) plus an unplanned tank of diesel for $77.01. Yesterday was DH's brother-in-law's funeral Mass, so it's hard to plan for something like that. It's also difficult to determine if that's non-essential spending. I'd say the breakfast was non-essential. I could have/should have brought food we already had in the house. 


So, counting all of it, that's at least $170 in unnecessary spending this month. I am pretty sure I have all of DH's receipts, but I'm not 100% sure. 
I haven't purchased any clothing for myself this month, and that's really good. I actually need a new pair of black ballet flats and want a new pair of black pumps. I'd forgotten about the black pumps until I was getting prepared for the funeral Mass. Anyhoo, I didn't cave and just wore a pair of Dansko Mary Janes that I normally only wear to work. It helped that Nordstrom Rack wasn't open at 8:30 yesterday morning 
 
January: 15/22 non-essential spending days; $1049 in non-essential spending. 

[moneysquirrel]

Knee Deep in Water Chloe -- In my opinion, time with family is essential.  

[catsareme]

Blew through the remaining food budget money for January.  The pantry and freezers are well stocked.  I'm hoping to do a very frugal February and right now DH agrees with me; we'll see as how he feels as the month progresses.  

Filled up the car with gas (saved .70/gal with grocery reward points).  Fuel for the vehicles is a budgeted necessary expense.

January still holding at 10/31