No spend or budget spend January

[sarenu]

Any interest?

I'm not going no spend, but I'm definately setting a budget this month.

I'd also like to use up the odds and ends in my pantry this month and next.

Thoughts?

[charlotte]

There’s a budget spreadsheet I used halfheartedly for the first quarter of last year. I’d like to try again with it this year and follow through more.

[Speedy]

We're going to kind of be doing this anyways. Things got a bit behind while DH was on parental leave so we're playing catch up. We'll actually be more or less caught up by the middle of next month, but it means being super stingy this month

[sarenu]

I need a new pair of strictly indoor workout shoes and some new sports bras (pretty sure 2 of mine were purchased when C was 2 or younger 🤔).

And E has a birthday on the 11th that I promised a virtual sleepover event. So probably popcorn, cupcake or cookie, and a craft or game idea.

I did breakdown and order 3 pairs of pajamas for E. She was barely fitting into them.

I also cleaned out the cupboards and did an inventory of items. I want to use up canned goods, rice, quinoa, ramen noodles, couscous, and chai seeds that are taking up space. I still need to inventory my downstairs pantry and the freezers.

My long term plan is to save as much as possible for a remodel or purchasing a new home this next year. We have been looking at the market, but pricing is stupid. Like 200k more than our current house for an outdated home with little yard or no privacy.

[violajack]

Yes, I should do this.

[mc13]

Jan 2, 2021 11:29:43 GMT -6 violajack said:

Yes, I should do this.

Same here. Definitely in on this.

[sarenu]

Bought my 2 sports bras. Went with the 1 pattern that was on sale (I honestly dont care, no one really sees them). Avoided buying any other bras since I don't really go out of the house.

I really need to sit down and work on a budget and set up Every Dollar on my phone.

[Speedy]

Getting a plant for free today. I really desperately wanted a pothos so I made a request on my local plant swap and a lady is giving me a cutting and throwing in a Christmas cactus. I know it's not a lot but it's saving me from buying one lol.
I'm also putting a good chunk on my credit card today to start getting it paid down.

[sarenu]

Bought snacks and drinks for the virtual party. I need to email a bakery on pricing for the cakes and fine 1 gluten free option.

Then I need to find some origami paper. We will be doing that for our craft.

Still looking for a good set of shoes.

[violajack]

Okay, so far I bought a car seat using Amazon rewards. Fingers crossed that *this* will be the last one I have to buy, because the previous seat was supposed to be the last one, but here we are.

I'm going to try to use emeals and grocery pick up to manage our meal planning/grocery budget better. But then I also ordered a subscription smoothie box, since we made a smoothie from an emeals recipie this morning and the kids actually liked it and I need to do a better job of eating breakfast. I don't know if that counts as spending since it's an attempt to corral our grocery budget, but it feels indulgent.

[sarenu]

Jan 5, 2021 10:38:58 GMT -6 violajack said:

Okay, so far I bought a car seat using Amazon rewards. Fingers crossed that *this* will be the last one I have to buy, because the previous seat was supposed to be the last one, but here we are.

I'm going to try to use emeals and grocery pick up to manage our meal planning/grocery budget better. But then I also ordered a subscription smoothie box, since we made a smoothie from an emeals recipie this morning and the kids actually liked it and I need to do a better job of eating breakfast. I don't know if that counts as spending since it's an attempt to corral our grocery budget, but it feels indulgent.

If you eat it, I count it as necessary groceries.

[sarenu]

Went to Costco and bought way too many things.

But the reality is I go once every 3 to 4 months now. I used to go every 2 to 3 weeks. So if I compare 6 trips to the 1 I did last night, it's not as bad.

I did stick to my list and only bought 1 thing not on it (eggs).

[sarenu]

Loaded my spend into my budget tracker for January.

It's a start.

[charlotte]

Jan 12, 2021 11:23:08 GMT -6 sarenu said:

Loaded my spend into my budget tracker for January.

It's a start.

I really need to do this. Thank you for the motivation!

[Speedy]

I wound up having to go to the nursery today because some guy asked me if I wanted a bunch of plants, which, duh, and turns out they were all rooted already lol. BUT my spending is very focused and kept to a minimum (I could have spent 2 or 3 times what I did very easily) so I'm calling that a win.

[sarenu]

Broke down and ordered an air purifier.

I'm desperate and I think some of our allergy issues are due to dust and just 4 people being in the house 24 hours a day.

[sarenu]

Well we are in no danger of buying a tower anytime soon.

We are on the list for around March.


Edit: Rowing machine. Thanks auto correct

[Speedy]

Sitting on my hands to not buy anything lol. I so desperately want to buy the light for my seed starts but money to debts is more important right now. Or that's what I keep trying to tell myself. Urgh, the long game is so much less exciting than immediate gratification.

[tj]

Llol sarenu. I was like, well, I am most certainly not buying a tower any time soon either. And I’m. It even trying to no-spend this month. But like what even kind of tower?

Then I was like, well, she *was* talking about home reno. Maybe like a princess tower stairwell to her second floor loft??

[charlotte]

I want a tower with a pull-up ladder so my family can’t follow me.

[tj]

Jan 20, 2021 15:33:18 GMT -6 charlotte said:

I want a tower with a pull-up ladder so my family can’t follow me.

She-house tree-house?

[sarenu]

Jan 20, 2021 15:37:58 GMT -6 tj said:

Jan 20, 2021 15:33:18 GMT -6 charlotte said:

I want a tower with a pull-up ladder so my family can’t follow me.

She-house tree-house?

This is a trend I can get behind (or hide in).

[mc13]

I’m still hanging in here. I even ran through Target for cat food and ONLY bought cat food. 😅 We did put a deposit down for a deck/screened porch (we’ve been saving for that already). It won’t go in until the end of April/early May so trying to be no spend on unnecessary things until then.

[sarenu]

Reminder, update your spending on your budget.

[violajack]

Uh, yeah, so, I failed miserably this month. I'll try again next month.

[sarenu]

I came out positive this last month. Moved the money to savings.

Time to work on my food spending and clean out my freezers in February and March.

[violajack]

I ended January by paying our massively increased property tax bill. Thanks 6 year appraisals for catching us up on the previously very undervalued assessment of our house.

I'm going to try to no spend through February. I also need to figure out the grocery spending around here. I think it may have something to do with MH taking over a lot of the grocery shopping.

[Speedy]

Literally the only thing that I bought this past month that wasn't a "necessity" was the trip to the nursery for soil/pots