No-Spend Month: March 2013 - Week 3

No spend month is over.

We tried...and we failed...

That isn't the whole truth.  We didn't really fail...we are just...rescheduling!

We are going to try No-Spend Month in May.  We had too many things come up this month to make it really work....so we are going to give it another go in May.

This "exercise" was not at all pointless.  We did really well with our funds!  With coupons and watching what we spend, we have saved SO much and gotten A LOT.

Please don't lose faith in us...we are going to do it...just not this month!

Until next time... :)

XOXO

~Katie

No-Spend Month: March 2013 - Week 2

Week 2 is done and how did we do this week?  What did we get?

• 6 – Bounce Dryer Sheets (34 Count)
• 2 – Pampers Easy-Ups Jumbo Pack
• 2 – Neutrogena Face Bars (FREE)
• 2 – John Frieda Frizz Ease (FREE)
• 2 – Carnation Instant Breakfast (10 Pack)
• 2 – Rayovac AA Batteries (16 Pack)
• 2 – Green Envy House Wash
• 1 – Sunkist TEN 2 Liter
• 1 – Canada Dry TEN 2 Liter
• 1 – Sugar (4 Lbs)
• 1 – Simply Potato Hashbrowns
• 1 – Schick Hydro 5 Disposable Razor (3 Pack)
• 1 – Poise Feminine Wash (FREE)
• 1 – Lloyd’s BBQ Pork Twin Pack
• 1 – Huggies Wipes (64 Count)
• 1 – Gallon Milk
• 1 – FoodSaver Handheld Vacuum Sealing System (FREE)
• 1 – Edge Shave Gel
• 1 – Dozen Eggs
• 1 – Campbell’s Go Soup
• 1 – Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 – Arnold Palmer
• 1 – FL Softball Coupon Card

We ended up getting a few things for free again and most for cheap.  I also got the House Wash and Batteries for free at Menards because I had rebates to use!  What really dinged us this week was those darn softball players fundraising door-to-door.  Of course they would come during no spend month and want to sell us a $20 coupon card, right?

Well, what are we left with after Week 2?

$22.68

We spend $39.82 this week!  Granted, $20 of that was to those softball players, but still!  Two weeks left on just $22.68?  I don't know that it will happen.  We still have two birthday presents to buy, as well as Easter...  Lee and I have talked about just giving it another shot next month instead, but we haven't really decided what we are doing yet, so I will keep going at it like this :)

Starting Balance: $100

Week 1 Spending: $37.50
Week 2 Spending: $39.82

Remaining Balance: $22.68

Oi...have a great day!

XOXO

~Katie

PS Mom won't let me pay her back for birthday party groceries.  I tried...hard...multiple times...but no go.  She truly is a very great lady :)

PPS...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHASE!!!

No-Spend Month: March 2013 - Week 1

We started off the month with $100.  In the last ten days, we have spent $37.50 of that money.  What have we spent it on?  Well, Target had some really good deals on Eggo Waffles and Pop-Tarts, which are super easy for breakfast (even if they aren’t the most healthy).  For the amount we spent, here is what we got in the last week:

• 6 – Pop-Tart (12 Pack)
• 4 - Oral B Toothbrush (Free)
• 4 - Market Pantry Pasta Sauce
• 4 - Jello
• 4 - Eggo Waffle (10 Pack)
• 3 - Kraft Mac & Cheese
• 2 - Ortega Taco Seasoning
• 2 - Campbell's Go Soup
• 1 - Tidy Cat Kitty Litter
• 1 - Strainer
• 1 - L'Oreal Shampoo (Free)
• 1 - Lloyd's BBQ Pork Twin Pack
• 1 - Gallon Milk
• 1 - Duncan Hines Flavor Pouch (Free)
• 1 - Circo Crib Sheet
• 1 - Campbell's Bisque Soup
• 1 - $5 Target Gift Card (Free)

A Smattering of Items From One of My Target Trips

Now, some of it was free with coupons and I did get other Target gift cards but I used them toward purchasing some of this stuff, so I didn’t count them (especially since it reduced the money we spent!).

I will say, we did have a few bumps in the road this week.  We had to replace the ignitor on our furnace and I did end up in the ED Friday night (which should be a pretty penny…).  I told Lee that whenever we pledge to save money, that is when we have all of our emergencies!

Additionally, since I was in the ED Friday night, my saint of a mother and niece finished my grocery shopping for Bean’s birthday party, so that cost hasn’t been deducted from our money because I have no idea what I owe her!  I will check with her this week and pay her, so that will be taken care of.  So far, we have spent more than I had planned at this point, but we have gotten a lot for our money.

What We Have Left After Week 1: $62.50

  

Starting Balance: $100

Week 1 Spending: $37.50

Remaining Balance: $62.50

P.S. Quote from Lee last night: “You know, I feel like we have a lot more food now that you’ve started doing this coupon thing and we’re spending a lot less…”

True story…true story…

Have a lovely day!!!

XOXO

~Katie

March - No-Spend Month

I realize that it has been two month since this blog was started and neither of us has written anything since that tiny initial post that Lee made.  We haven't even really introduced ourselves or kept (at all!) up to date with how things have been going here in the amateur house...I promise that we will do that.  However, today is March 1st, 2013 and we are embarking on an adventure (of sorts)...

NO SPEND MONTH!

Lee and I have been working on tweaking our spending and getting even closer to finishing paying off our student loan debt (we have already paid off over half {!} since the start of 2010!!!)  After reading Carrie Rocha's (she runs the Pocket Your Dollars website and is super awesome!!!) book Pocket Your Dollars (if you want to borrow it, let me know!!!), I asked Lee to read it, as I felt it had some really good ideas.  While we have already done really well for ourselves in the past few years, I figured some extra tips and ideas couldn't hurt.  Lee really liked the ideas Carrie had and we both decided to really move forward and start fixing this stuff.  We want to get rid of this student loan debt (and our car loan...) ASAP and we are determined to do it, but we aren't going to be miserable while doing it.

I have started religiously using Pocket Your Dollars and other sites like Totally Target to find deals and coupons to reduce our grocery and household spending (PS both sites TOTALLY break it down for you.  If they know of both a store and manufactures coupon to create a great deal {free even!} they put it up there, clear as day).  We invested in a new printer (ours was pretty ancient and didn't work so well anymore), so I could print coupons and such.  I also started really focusing on not buying "stuff" we don't really need.  Additionally, we downloaded YNAB (34-day free trial!) and are using that to track our budget and spending and actually make this work for us. While we haven't been using it very long, I really think it will help us and may make the investment to actually buy it.

Getting back to the No Spend Month thing...

A while back, I pinned something on Pinterest about a family doing something called a No Spend Month.  They only spent $250 for a family of 3 for a month on things like groceries, gas, clothing, eating out, yada yada (aside from mortgage, bills, etc).  The other night, I asked Lee what he thought, but with my own tweaks and he agreed to do it!  So...for the month of March, this amateur household is having our own version of No Spend Month!  Here are our "rules":

• We are starting with $100
• I pulled this out in cash money, so we have more of a visual of where we are
• What is included in the $100?
• Lilly's Birthday Party (!)
• Chase's (our nephew...my Godson) Birthday Present
• Groceries
• Other household needs
• Entertainment/Fun
• What are we not including in the $100?
• Mortgage, Utilities, Insurance
• Student Loans
• Car Payment, Insurance
• Typical Monthly Bills
• Gas
• This decision wasn't easy, but with me still trying to get into my new work routine, we didn't know how to "budget" this
• Can we do it?
• YES!

Starting With THIS $100

I am going to try to keep this up to date, as best I can, with how we are doing each week.  I will let you know what how much money we have left!  Let's do this!!!

XOXO

~Katie

Amateurs and Proud of It

Amateur. It's a word that might have a negative meaning for some. But really, at it's most basic, it just means someone who isn't a professional; Someone who lacks experience. Well, I can't think of a better way to describe us, for better or for worse. We just bought our first house (!) and are slowly working our way around to make it our own.  We're just like everyone else, working our way through, doing the best we can. You know, just a bunch of amateurs...