2024 Controlled and No Spend thread

[Iggy aka IG]

Apr 18, 2024 9:03:44 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Aww Iggy, that's a shame about your Dollar Tree store.  I was hoping the rumors were just that...rumors.  Now I'm wondering if our Dollar Tree is in danger of closing.  How much farther will you have to drive to the Family Dollar?  In our area of the country the price of gas makes every mile count.  

Thank you for asking, catsareme.  It is 7 miles to the next town.  Which doesn't sound like a lot, but I did the math.  My vehicle gets 16-18 MPG, so that's about gallon of gas plus wear and tear.  So, I'm not sure it would be worth the drive to save a few dollars on paper products, etc.  A fellow business owner suggested I buy in bulk from Amazon, but the budget doesn't always allow for large quantity purchases.  Currently things are so volatile in my industry (insurance) I want to hang on to every penny possible.

[startsmart]

I have 17 NSD and even if I don’t spend any more I’ll max out at 22 this month which is decent. I do have a haircut on Tuesday so that’s my next spend day if all goes to plan.

[moneysquirrel]

I have no idea what my numbers are this month.  I was traveling for ten days and lost track of ns days.  I did stay under budget and did not purchase any major items.  I pre-paid most of my monthly bills and since I estimated those I currently have small credit balances on them.  I did pay for an upcoming craft show and still have one to pay for but will do that one in May.

May should be a little more normal.

[startsmart]

21 NSD in April, which isn’t the best but not too bad. My haircut today got cancelled which was really annoying.

For May I want to go for 25 NSD and see how close I get.

[catsareme]

Cancelled haircut?  The worst!!  I wait until I really need a haircut so a cancellation would amount to a calamity.   

Startsmart you already lead the pack in NSD. 👍   25 out of 31 for May is a really ambitious goal.  Good luck!

I'm glad to see April in my rearview mirror.  It was a very expensive month and I'm still working on getting the slush funds refilled.  Pinch a penny here, pinch a penny there...  

Our home/car insurances are going up yet again; an additional $35+ per month starting in May.      I over-estimate my fixed budget categories (i.e., insurance) so I'm still in the black but ouch.

[Iggy aka IG]

Apr 30, 2024 18:53:21 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Cancelled haircut?  The worst!!  I wait until I really need a haircut so a cancellation would amount to a calamity.   

Startsmart you already lead the pack in NSD. 👍   25 out of 31 for May is a really ambitious goal.  Good luck!

I'm glad to see April in my rearview mirror.  It was a very expensive month and I'm still working on getting the slush funds refilled.  Pinch a penny here, pinch a penny there...  

Our home/car insurances are going up yet again; an additional $35+ per month starting in May.      I over-estimate my fixed budget categories (i.e., insurance) so I'm still in the black but ouch.

Thank goodness for tax refunds.  That's all I'm going to say.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

May 1, 2024 12:01:36 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Apr 30, 2024 18:53:21 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Cancelled haircut?  The worst!!  I wait until I really need a haircut so a cancellation would amount to a calamity.   

Startsmart you already lead the pack in NSD. 👍   25 out of 31 for May is a really ambitious goal.  Good luck!

I'm glad to see April in my rearview mirror.  It was a very expensive month and I'm still working on getting the slush funds refilled.  Pinch a penny here, pinch a penny there...  

Our home/car insurances are going up yet again; an additional $35+ per month starting in May.      I over-estimate my fixed budget categories (i.e., insurance) so I'm still in the black but ouch.

Thank goodness for tax refunds.  That's all I'm going to say.  

[startsmart]

I haven’t had a hair cut in a year and it’s so badly needed 😫

Today should be a NSD, I don’t have any plans to go out until Friday to the opening of the farmers market. Volunteering on Thursday and Friday but both are local.

[Iggy aka IG]

Yesterday I had a list of things to do in the big city.  Though I did bring a beef and cheese stick, I realized mid-afternoon it would be hours before I'd get home for supper or snack.  So, I stopped somewhere and bought a small order of chicken tenders, (not the meal), and asked for a cup of ice for the water I'd brought.  I ate half the tenders and warmed up the remaining two in the air fryer to add to last night's supper.   

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We are 34.61% of the way through the year. 

In 2023, DH and I spent $7,434.55 on restaurants.
Our 2024 goal is to reduce that by 25% to $5,575.91 for the year.

As of March 31, we've spent $1,913.68 which is 25.74% of the total amount we want to spend. As January - March is 25% of the year, I'm really proud of us!


In 2023, DH and I spent $2636.17 on stuff for the house. These were mostly unnecessary purchases.
Our 2024 goal is to reduce that by 20% to $2108.94

As of May 7th, we've spent $1277.96 which is 60.6% of the goal. We had an unexpected food processor purchase. 

In 2023, we spent $3,397.39  on clothing of which 25% was DH's and 75% mine.
For 2024, I want to limit my clothing spending to $1200.

As of May 7, I have spent $$578.32 on clothing for myself which is 48.19% of the goal. This puts me behind on percentage spent compared to percentage of the year. I bought a new jacket in April for $168.

[startsmart]

Update for May: 8 NSD so far, last week the Farmer's Market opened in town so I make a weekly stop there for groceries. I'll go again today for my second spend day but otherwise no spending! I am low on a few groceries so I'll do that today as well. 

[Iggy aka IG]

I received a bonus for 2023 sales.  It was about 20% of what I received last year, but considering this industry these days, I am grateful.  I did my usual spend 10% on me and will put the rest towards bills.  This year I bought the chaise lounge for my home office/fort/reading room I'd been eyeing for the past several months.  It was 41% off and they offered free shipping.  it should be here next Tuesday.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I have to alter my clothing goal.
None of the summer clothes I bought last year when my former summer clothes stopped fitting fit this summer. 😣

[Iggy aka IG]

Ouch Knee Deep in Water Chloe.  

[startsmart]

18 NSD so far, just need to get through the next week to hit my goal! I will pick up groceries tomorrow and then I’m hoping to have enough groceries for the rest of May.

Yesterday was going to be a no spend but I took a friend out for dinner as she’s been helping me with a job I applied for.

[Iggy aka IG]

How kind of you, startsmart !

I took it old school today, aka when I was very broke, and prepared a tiny grocery list for the $15 and some change in cash I had.  The total came out to $14.36.  Raspberries, portobello mushrooms, baby carrots, one large potato, an avocado, and 18 count eggs for the win.

Happy weekend, everyone. 

[jerseygirl]

Here in Nj we’re going to be hit with higher bills. Electric companies received approval to raise rates about 8%. NJ already has highest property taxes of all states. When Christie was governor he instituted yearly property taxes could only increase 2%/year unless state gave permission. Permission was predicated on demonstrating increases in health care, school population increase.
Gov Murphy just signed that increases can go up to 9.9% increase
We already pay about $17500/year
Government NEVER has enough money just spend and spend

[Iggy aka IG]

Holy crap, jerseygirl!  I am so sorry.  How infuriating.  And yes, I agree about them overspending and I see no end in sight.  

[jerseygirl]

We were very grateful to gov Christie for helping control our NJ property taxes. Now Gov Murphy does this when he isn’t running for governor again
YDS lives in westchester county NY his property taxes are $26000
We live in nice communities but not fabulous
Lots of resentment here for state government

[TheOtherMe]

Since this has turned to politics, Iowa is busy cutting all of the taxes and defunding the important to me things like education.  Because of my age, I pay no taxes on retirement income.  My interest income isn't high enough to pay anything in income tax.  However, state government needs money because it does have a state to operate.  Short term cuts will back fire.  

Iowa has some of the highest property taxes in the country, unless you are a farmer.  All comes down to who has the best lobbyists.  

I would be very happy to pay more taxes if the state government would fund public education like it used to.  I would probably donate some money to the state earmarked for education.  However, our governor is determined to destroy public education.

When I first moved here, I was paying almost as much in real estate taxes as I had paid on my big house in Boulder.  Now Colorado has had to change their tune and assess taxes on market value like is done here.  

[jerseygirl]

Lot of the resentment about state taxes is corruption and ineffective but well funded failing schools

[TheOtherMe]

In Iowa, it's the private schools who are corrupt.  The reason public schools are failing here is they are not being funded.  There isn't a public school district in the state that isn't laying off teachers.  If the schools here fail, they fail because Kim Reynolds wants them to fail.  

She has also cut funding for special needs children and private schools do not accept special needs kids.  Public schools have no choice.  

[startsmart]

Today should be a spend day so I’m going to call May with 24 NSD (2 of which were under $5 cash days). Next month is a big unknown, I am hoping to get a job offer today and that would involve some travel for training. For June I’ll aim for 20 NSD and more if I don’t have this job 😂

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

May 31st! 
I've made it through the month without buying myself any clothes!

[Iggy aka IG]

Fingers crosssed, startsmart!

Knee Deep in Water Chloe 

[moneysquirrel]

Haven't posted in a while. 

In May I had 17 NS days.  I also had a several expected expenses -- Quarterly taxes, craft show registration, insurance premiums and some of the kits for my Craft retreat.  Unexpected expenses included having to replace my car battery and a shopping trip for a few pieces of summer clothing.

June Projections:Most of these espenses will be funded by sinking funds.  But I hate taking money from them.  Today was the first NS day of this month.

*Hotel expenses for Retreat --
*Other kits and supplies from retreat
*Car annual maintence appointment
*Car Insurance 
 

[Iggy aka IG]

Super laser focused on retirement:

-Discussed the ins and outs of Medicare and its supplements with an older client and jotted down some of his tips.
-Asked a home office representative for details of our buy-out agreement to confirm I am doing the math correctly.
-Put a shout out on social media offering an office share.  Someone in a local group posted she was looking, and three of my friends tagged me.  I reached out to her.  We'll see.
-I've been staying the heck away from my credit cards.
-Now that I unburied its box in my cluttered home office/fort, I need to revisit the selling of a brand-named tote and accessory to someone who offered to buy it last year.
-I've been kicking butt here at the office selling new and retaining current clients.
-I've been using up leftovers from the freezer.
-May grocery/HBA purchases were the lowest YTD at $329.57.
-I input a calendar reminder to review semi-annual expenditures next month.

I'm open to other suggestions. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We are 44.23% of the way through the year.

In 2023, DH and I spent $7,434.55 on restaurants.
Our 2024 goal is to reduce that by 25% to $5,575.91 for the year.

As of June 7, we've spent $2,165.09 which is 38.82% of the total amount we want to spend. 

---

In 2023, DH and I spent $2636.17 on stuff for the house. These were mostly unnecessary purchases.
Our 2024 goal is to reduce that by 20% to $2108.94

As of June 7, we've spent $1590.49 which is 75.41% of the goal. This is not going well!

---

In 2023, we spent $3,397.39 on clothing of which 25% was DH's and 75% mine.
For 2024, I want to limit my clothing spending to $1200.

As of June 5, I have spent $640.28 on clothing for myself which is 53.35% of the goal. While still spending more per percentage of the year, I've narrowed the gap. 

[catsareme]

I plan and the deities laugh.  I ended May with a healthy chunk of funds.  Part of the money went to fill the slush funds and the rest was paid on the HELOC loan...and then June came along.  

June expenses (planned and otherwise) to date:

$450 to take care of the squirrel (s?) that have somehow gotten into the crawl space of the roof. 

DH lost a dental crown on Tuesday.  Tooth fairy appointment today.  Cost after insurance? 

Semi-annual dental cleanings scheduled at the end of the month.  Covered by insurance.  

Completing the upgraded electrical portion of the office/guest house renovation.  Funds were set aside for this earlier this year and I padded my estimate.  Fingers crossed there are no major cost overruns.

Annual checks for the chimney/woodstove and the septic system this month.  Covered by designated slush fund monies. 


 

[Iggy aka IG]

Knee Deep in Water Chloe I always love your calculations!

catsareme sorry about those expenses.  This whole adulting thing is expensive!

An update on my possible office sharing:  The person and I arranged for her to come look at my office next week.  She's in the same industry as I but specializes in a product that I am licensed in; I just don't sell a lot of.  We already agreed this is happening for a reason.  To be continued.