The one week and beyond no-spend thread!

[Kris10Leigh]

I just had to get a new thread going on this!!! I was going stir crazy!

I am starting a TWO week no-spend challenge starting tomorrow after I go to the grocery store. I'm putting $100 on my gas card which is our budgeted amount and then I'm pulling out $200 for groceries for a two week period. The good news is, I am hoping to spend only 1/4 of the grocery budget and I didn't use all of my gas money las pay period, so my goal is to have a lot left over at the end of the challenge.

So who's in?

[Broken Arrow]

Two weeks? Good for you!

I'm continuing my analysis (boy, that sounds so... professional and serious doesn't it) of my last challenge, and I do believe that I can get onto a weekly schedule, which would work best for me.

So, that's what I am setting my sights on, to continue the weekly format and see if I can't ingrain it into my lifestyle.

However, I'm not against anyone else taking up on a challenge longer than that! So, you go, gang!

[Ima saver]

I don't think I could go two weeks, but I may start what I did last time. I started on Monday after I got the check cashed and got gas and ended on sunday night. I allowed myself to go out to eat cause my husband loves it, but I did eat at home more than usual. You really like this, don't you kris?

I don't know that I could even go one week-our family of seven goes through so much milk that I don't think I could fit a week's worth in the fridge. But I'm going to see how long I CAN go. I'll let you know!
Shannon

[boefixepa]

Well I'll go, but I have to start on Monday. I'll hit off my three month no grocery shopping and top it off with no other spending too for the first two weeks....I'm really going to miss going out to eat....

[jodi]

Sorry I can't join...tonight starts off the beginning of a whirlwind weekend (bachelor party, pool party, rehearsal dinner, brother's wedding), during which I am sure money will be spent
I'll be back to the challenge in late August or September after our week-long camping trip. Have fun everyone - I'll be checking in!

[Ima saver]

Debtfree, maybe you should buy a car!!

[DivaJen]

I don't know if I have even strung together two no-spend days, let alone a week or more.

How many of you here have partners/spouses involved? Does their spending count? Or are they joining you?

[Kris10Leigh]

Ima, I do enjoy this.

Jen, I have a spouse and two children. My spouse is on board, the children are not. LOL! But what Mama says goes. And for the most part, it does not affect them. Their needs are always met as usual.

Now for me, we just decided to start giving our little first grader $10 at the beginning of the week for school lunches. It his choice to spend it or pack his lunch and keep the money. So I will need to spend money on him, but I suppose that is really more like a bill.

Boe, I can't believe you are going to do the three month challenge! I will definitely be watching that one!

Broken Arrow, I am going to try to analyze my savings this time. I think every time I have the urge to buy something I will write it down. Or if I run out of something I would normally just run out and buy, I'll mark that down too. We'll see how it goes!

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by DivaJen

How many of you here have partners/spouses involved? Does their spending count? Or are they joining you?

I am single, so yes, the challenge was a bit easier on me. However, I commend anyone who had to do this with an ornery husband and screaming kids who wants the closest thing they can point their fingers to in the toy/candy aisles.

[getforfree]

Originally Posted by Kris10Leigh

I just had to get a new thread going on this!!! I was going stir crazy!

I am starting a TWO week no-spend challenge starting tomorrow after I go to the grocery store. I'm putting $100 on my gas card which is our budgeted amount and then I'm pulling out $200 for groceries for a two week period. The good news is, I am hoping to spend only 1/4 of the grocery budget and I didn't use all of my gas money las pay period, so my goal is to have a lot left over at the end of the challenge.

So who's in?

Are you saying, you usually spend $200 for 2 weeks groceries? It's kinda too much. You have 4 people in you family, right? Yea, it is too much.

[Kris10Leigh]

Actually, $200 is a far cry from what we were doing. But it includes anything I would buy at the grocery store, including toiletries and paper products. Right now I only shop at Aldi's and for the two week period I actually spend around $120. The excess money is saved and used for eating out. We JUST started this plan last pay period and so far it seems to be working.

[Bookie]

Kris, you're tempting me, and that's not nice.

I'll probably join you, but I need to go over my schedule for the next two weeks to see what kind of conditions I will need to set up. I know I have a couple of meetings that will require I drive, and I know of one social obligation that will require flowers.

And, yeah, I miss the Challenge thread as well.

[Kris10Leigh]

I've been thinking about this...is $100/wk for a family of 4 really too much? I picked that dollar amount because it fit within the budget and it was less than we were doing before. I didn't want to go to bare bones because I figured we'd never stick with it. Plus, what happens during the holidays? Or when we have a big dinner or friends over, which we enjoy doing? Just things I've been thinking about.

[Kris10Leigh]

Bookie, Ooooooh, a social obligation requiring flowers? Do tell! (Please tell me it isn't a funeral. I'll feel like a heel!)

I say write in the ocassions as part of your rules. I will spend no money except.....

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by Kris10Leigh

I've been thinking about this...is $100/wk for a family of 4 really too much? I picked that dollar amount because it fit within the budget and it was less than we were doing before. I didn't want to go to bare bones because I figured we'd never stick with it.

Our family of three shoots for $300/month. I don't think it's up to any of us to say definitively what is too much for anyone else. We all have our budgets, we all have our goals. If $100/week feels good for you and fits your budget, go with it. And when that works and you want to try to trim things, you can go to $95/week, and so on...

[Dido]

Here are some comparison standards: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/...104627,00.html

$400/month for a family of 4 doesn't seem out of line to me. I often enough spend that for just myself (not being frugal; food is my biggest challenge category).

I'll come in to the challenge in some form--maybe like you, buying the prepaid gift cards. What I know is that it would be really good for me to limit my spending to 25 more on gas and 165 more on food/household supplies for the month, and no other spending. (Well, dinner at Musikfest one night, but I have the cash for that in my wallet).

[PrincessPerky]

if 400 is a cut back, go with it for a couple months before dropping lower. At one point in trying to pay off the CC I had ours to about 50 a week..for 4 people (we are now 5) and we now spend about 100 I am trying to remind myself that a house and EF is just as important as paying off the CC..but it is a bit harder.

I tried to get DH on board last time, but it wasn't happening. I am trying to stretch our shopping from weekly to once every 10 days, right now I would settle for once every 8 days.

[Kris10Leigh]

Princess, that is a good goal! I like that idea! It's so simple! Kind of like buy7, get 3 free! Over a months time, you'd save money. Am I making sense? I budget for a 7 week period, but if I shop every 10 days, I'd get 3 "free" days. Interesting. Maybe I should think about this.

Dido, I like the gift cards. I need to check at Aldi's today to see if they have any. It's the same as using cash envelopes, but there is no temptation to spend the money elsewhere, because you can't! And I get a kick out of seeing what last time's leftover amount is and watching it grow.

[Dido]

Originally Posted by Kris10Leigh

Dido, I like the gift cards. I need to check at Aldi's today to see if they have any. It's the same as using cash envelopes, but there is no temptation to spend the money elsewhere, because you can't! And I get a kick out of seeing what last time's leftover amount is and watching it grow.

I'm going out now to get one for gas and one for groceries and see if I can survive on those for the rest of the month!