no money for a week...voluntarily???

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by Gruntina

Okay this is an extreme example... but what if something was to happen to me and I had to go a week without the ability to spend anything. I am thinking more of losing an ATM card rather than the money in my account.

What about keeping a small amount of emergency cash, in an envelope, hidden in the house or locked up in a safe?

[PrincessPerky]

It is very cool to read your reports, I am afraid mine would be rather boring...lessee we are going on day 5 of no spending..but DH is only on day umm...1, he is having a bad week....

Anyway keep up the good work all of you, I am impressed at the little things that seem to crop up but due to the challenge are reconsidreed. (like skipping BC)

[boefixepa]

Okay, yesterday was a little rough....not so much because of the challenge...I just ate left over for lunch....and it was a little too left over....bad...very bad. Needless to say I just went home and lounged on the sofa, no spending!

I tuffed it out without the AC, but I'm really worried about Saturday....Not only am I home all day and can't take advantage of the AC at work, but it's forcast to be between 103-105!!!!!! I'm going to do though! I shall overcome! After that a front comes through and it rains Sunday and then next week is forcast at 90 for most days, so I'll be fine after that.

Day three finished and day four started....so far, so goood. No money spent.

[kashi]

I'm starting my week-long challenge today. SO says he's in, too...we'll see!

A friend wanted to reschedule our movie date for tomorrow, so I had to tell her about the challenge. It will have to wait until next weekend! I also desperately want to get my hair cut, but it will wait!

We will:
- run the air conditioner
- buy a Sunday paper for coupons (and mail the coupon train if it comes)
- go to his family reunion on Sunday (but bring a homemade dish)
- pay regular bills (mine are already pre-scheduled)
- take transportation to work (bus for me, car for him)
- ride our bikes anywhere else we'd like to go
- make all our food at home
- NOT SHOP

It should be interesting!

[Broken Arrow]

Hey Boe, please don't end up with heat exhaustion just for the sake of this challenge. Turn your AC on if you have to, or at least keep wiping yourself with a cool, moist towel or something. Oh, and don't forget to keep yourself hydrated!

[jodi]

Oh, I'm so embarrassed, having started this challenge and now about to make the announcement that I AM GOING TO CHEAT. I have been going back and forth over this now for two days - but there is no way around it, I am going to spend some money tomorrow and I am going to have FUN dong it.
You see...what I had forgotten to consider....every year, the last weekend in July, there is a 50-mile long garage sale which starts ONE MILE from my house. And every year, without fail, I go. I usually make it about 15 or so miles, depending on how early I start. I thought about missing it for the challenge, but I just can't. So I am making an exception for myself tomorrow. Since my original goal was to not spend money from the checking account, I will limit myself to the money I found yesterday - $26 - plus the cash DH threw into the pot today - another $11. I seriously doubt I will come even close to spending that - probably more like $10 or $15.
But as soon as I return from the sales, that's it - no more money spent!
I hope no one thinks less of me BTW, anyone in central NY, come on over to the sales!! They run from Montezuma to Homer on Route 90.

[boefixepa]

Grrrr....temptation and just a shake for lunch...I caved and went with the two girls from the office to olive garden......and I was doing so well......I made them promise me they won't even temp me next week! They agreed so hopefully it will be easier and I told myself to make sure and cook this weekend (plenty of food already at the house for that) so I can stock the work freezer with real food to choose from!!!

PS No plans to kills myself at the house with the no AC thing, I'm thinking of a cool shower and crashing in front of the fan if things get bad, but I'm hoping to stay busy so I won't care. Get up early and get the yard work and cleaning done and then crashing in front of the fan and reading. I'll wait until Sunday after the rain comes in to cook.

[Kris10Leigh]

I can't help it! I enjoy a good "I told you so!" I'm not saying that those of you who are already cheating said it was going to be easy, but many did indeed say it was going to be easy! Things really do pop up! Garage sales, forgotten lunches, visiting relatives, and lunches with friends. It's hard! And that is exactly where our money goes! I admit, I did not make it last week when I came on here and said that due to circumstances I was going to attempt to spend $0. I had $30 cash in my wallet and hoped not to spend it, but all of it is gone! It is really, really hard! Can it be done? Oh, yes, I'm sure it can. But it is really, really hard!

Come on folks! At least one of us can do this! I start tomorrow. DH is on board. We just got paid and I need to replenish supplies from having done this last week. I'm spending $200 on groceries for TWO weeks and nothing more. (hopefully less) The kids are getting haircuts (3 weeks overdue by my standards) and the car is getting a full tank. After that, I should be ready.

[sweeps]

I'm loving this thread... This is like The Biggest Loser: Personal Finance Edition

[Ima saver]

Ya'll are doing great!!

[cashqueen]

Originally Posted by jodi_m

every year, the last weekend in July, there is a 50-mile long garage sale which starts ONE MILE from my house.

a 50-MILE garage sale......salivating.......I'm SOOOOO jealous. There's no way I could pass that up either.

[Dido]

I put gas in the tank so I can get to work next week, stopped at the grocery for perishables (milk, yogurt, turkey, fruit), replenished the nearly empty dog food store and begin the challenge now.

I will, however, run the A/C and keep the furnace servicing appointment I have for tomorrow.

[jaksilee]

Ok so yesterdays total was......

Total saved so far $ 26.16

Today I made a return that I most likely wouldn't have made if I hadn't been doing this challange thus giving me back $15.00. But I did realize that I was out of cat litter and I desperately, in this heat, need to change the box in my unairconditioned apartment! So I will be taking the $15 I got back and buying some cat litter. Unforutnately I have a very picky old cat that will only use one litter, so I have to get it or I will be paying more to have carpets cleaned. (I am hunting for a coupon though)

I did not go get my normal tea again today so that is a little more.

So for today :
Begining total $26.16
7/28 no tea $1.08
7/28 return $15.00
Total saved so far $42.24

(I will subtract what I have to spend on the cat litter tommorow. )

[veronak]

I say let's get the party started I am going to stock up today. I say I am not spending any money on discretionary goods for example: gas, movies, food etc

[Bookie]

Day Three: Oops! Encountered the first of the gotchas this afternoon. How could I have forgotten about -- Laundry?

My apartment complex has a laundry room for each residential block. Easy, convenient, and coin-op. Uh oh. Well, it's not the first time I've washed and dried my socks in the bathroom. Soldier on.

Like Broken Arrow, I seem to be haunted by a lot of things I need to/mean to/want to buy. Nothing of any significance, and maybe I think this way all the time, but the Challenge really highlights it.

Laundry savings - $1.50

[jodi]

Yeah! No spend day #2. I normally would have rode along with my mother to a local store where they have fantastic Pennsylvania peaches, not to mention any kind of bulk item you could ever want, but I decided to stay home due to the challenge. So I am going to chalk up a modest $5 savings here (is it cheating to eat the peaches that my mom bought? )
DH and I didn't leave the house today, so no chance to spend any money. Tomorrow, though, I am postponing the challenge for a day (cheating, I know, but I will add an extra day on the end) so that I can hit the 50 mile garage sale near my house. I am limiting myself to the cash I have on hand - no trips to the ATM. Darn my bad timing!
Total savings: $7

[Kris10Leigh]

I've hit my first snag and I hadn't even intended to start until tomorrow! I went grocery shopping as planned and was quite proud of myself! I budgeted $200 for two weeks and I walked out of Aldi having spent $122 feeling as though I have plenty for the next two weeks. I was bragging about my success to my DH when he said that he had volunteered me to make a cherry-chip cake for his mother's birthday. I didn't exactly have those ingredients on my list!! I'm going to have to get very creative with that one.

I have $100 budgeted for gas for two weeks. I spent $49 today which will get me through the challenge.
The kids got hair cuts.
I spent $122 on groceries.

I'm ready to go!

[Kris10Leigh]

I forgot to mention one thing. We had a big dinner tonight, welcoming DH home from his extended work trip. We had a pork roast, mashed potatoes, broccoli, beer bread and corn on the cob. I have enough pork roast for one more meal and enough potatoes for two more meals. So I put them in the freezer. With this addition to my freezer I now have three "covenience meals" ready for any day that I may not feel like cooking. This means I have a meal plan to get me through every day of the next two weeks AND three meals in the freezer besides. I'm feeling confident!

[getforfree]

Originally Posted by jaksilee

Ok so yesterdays total was......


Today I made a return that I most likely wouldn't have made if I hadn't been doing this challange thus giving me back $15.00. But I did realize that I was out of cat litter and I desperately, in this heat, need to change the box in my unairconditioned apartment! So I will be taking the $15 I got back and buying some cat litter. Unforutnately I have a very picky old cat that will only use one litter, so I have to get it or I will be paying more to have carpets cleaned. (I am hunting for a coupon though)

I did not go get my normal tea again today so that is a little more.

So for today :
Begining total $26.16
7/28 no tea $1.08
7/28 return $15.00
Total saved so far $42.24

(I will subtract what I have to spend on the cat litter tommorow. )

We have a kitten, and we are using plain sand/dirt from our backyard. I put it in a rectangular plastic bowl. The cat likes it. I change it every evening. I would never spend money on cat litter.

[getforfree]

Day #5 update (going for 14 days):

Today I bought 2 gall of milk, spent $3.99, I cheated and bought 2% one, hope Dh won't be that mad. So now I have $9.82 in my milk budget left. Hope, it will last until monday. This week I bought 4 fall total + 1and half leftower from last week. So this week we stretched less than 6 gall instead of normal 7-8. I hope to survive on 4-5 gall next week.

I didn't cook anything today. We are finishing up yesterdays leftovers. I still have soup, lentiles, meatballs and pasta in the fridge. I will cook something new tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorow early morning me and Dh are planning to go fishing, hopefully we will get som free fish and berries. But will spend about $4-5 on gas. Wish me luck.