Welcome To The No Spender Bender

[The Shirt]

Totally in for March. I am not allowed to buy any home decoration or clothing items for myself this month. My bday is in early April - so I can wait until then for the frivoulous. I am however allowed to spend money on items I deem necessary to fix the house in order to put it up for sale this spring/summer. No spending allowed on Credit at all.

This will be fun!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

No spending!! I don't have much leftover after I pay all my life expenses so I am kinda confused as to how I accumulated as much stuff as I have, but it ADDS UP FAST.

I don't have a credit card so I'm all good there

My weaknesses:

SUSHI - I buy it way too often and when there is perfectly good food at home.

DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE - It's like crack. And a crack your $$$ will fall into. Today is day 1 without it and I've got a headache coming on!

PATTERNS - I have over 100 and not even half are made up yet. I think I have enough for now.

FABRIC - I have enough for now!

VINTAGE EPHEMERA - My biggest weakness. It's so easy to go to ebay and buy magazines and yearbooks (my obsessions.) They are so cheap sometimes, too. Temptation!

MAKEUP - Unless I need it -- like eyebrow pencil. No more lipsticks or eye shadows for now. I have PLENTY!

 

[The Shirt]

A little trick that I do when I start something off like this is to clean up the area of said items. For example - I cleaned out my closets last week - I found a few items I had totally forgotten about and will work back into rotation. This makes me feel like I have something new and gives me my fix. I do this with make up a lot. Clean out my purses and find lipsticks i had forgotten. I will organize my make-up drawer and find eyeshadows and such (though I throw away whatever has gotten gross too). I go thru all my shoes. I seriously don't know how I have so many and only wear about 3 of them with any regularity.

I am tracking my food for other weight loss reasons. Now I can clearly see how often I go out. I am going to try and keep it to once a week (unless of course someone else is footing the bill!)

 

[Deleted member 12480]

A little trick that I do when I start something off like this is to clean up the area of said items. For example - I cleaned out my closets last week - I found a few items I had totally forgotten about and will work back into rotation. This makes me feel like I have something new and gives me my fix. I do this with make up a lot. Clean out my purses and find lipsticks i had forgotten. I will organize my make-up drawer and find eyeshadows and such (though I throw away whatever has gotten gross too). I go thru all my shoes. I seriously don't know how I have so many and only wear about 3 of them with any regularity.

I am tracking my food for other weight loss reasons. Now I can clearly see how often I go out. I am going to try and keep it to once a week (unless of course someone else is footing the bill!)

Ahaha i totally just did that!!
over the weekend i was like WOW i forgot i had this, now how do i make it look 40s?

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

I am on a sort of NSB as of late. Not grabbing dinner out during the week (Mon-Thurs), and not buying frivolities. I'm sticking with the basics of groceries and gas. Yesterday though, I had to make a "fun purchase" of some dance shoes (Aris Allen black velvet oxfords) that I need.

Then it's another couple of weeks of watching the funds, and then I get to play a little with some money coming in. (Wisely though, I swear ).

 

[kamikat]

Well, we just got hit with a $4,400 bill for my husband's car and $2,000 tax bill, so it's even more important to keep to my NSB goal now.

 

[Inky]

Well, we just got hit with a $4,400 bill for my husband's car and $2,000 tax bill, so it's even more important to keep to my NSB goal now.

Amen to that NSB Sister - we just did our taxes $2,083 bucks so all my sell to buy is turning into sell to pay.

sigh.

 

[Audrey Horne]

I'm in for March

-Absolutely no purchases that I don't need, especially clothes! New seasons always make me weak with all of the pretty things everywhere.
-Grocery budget
-Eat out once a week

I haven't spent any money today...

 

[Deleted member 12480]

ouch. xx

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE - It's like crack. And a crack your $$$ will fall into. Today is day 1 without it and I've got a headache coming on!

MAKEUP - Unless I need it -- like eyebrow pencil. No more lipsticks or eye shadows for now. I have PLENTY!

AmyJ,

I used to buy DD or Starbucks ground to use at home. I switched to Foldgers Columbian. It's a darker brew so it comes out a little richer than regular Foldgers and isn't terrible. I've gotten used to it AND it goes on sale sometimes. We have a single cup Keurig machine and I fill the insert with my own grounds instead of those Keurig Cup things. My huge mug takes 2 brews on the Keurig to fill. I actually tried reusing the grounds for the 2nd run and it isn't terrible. It cuts my consumption in half but I still get the same # of cups!

I know what you mean about the makeup. I need to pick up concealor and mascara tomorrow and I'm just going to have to wear blinders around all the other stuff!

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

Well, we just got hit with a $4,400 bill for my husband's car and $2,000 tax bill, so it's even more important to keep to my NSB goal now.

Oh Snap! That sucks, Kamikat.

I know you and Inky are gonna ROCK NSB!!!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Amen to that NSB Sister - we just did our taxes $2,083 bucks so all my sell to buy is turning into sell to pay.

sigh.

Don't tell me you OWE that much

I thought it was bad when we usually end up having to pay $150-$250!!!

 

[Inky]

Don't tell me you OWE that much

I thought it was bad when we usually end up having to pay $150-$250!!!

Yep, we do. just a bunch of changes we didn't plan for appropriately. At least we'll be ahead of the curve in 2010.

And Hubby wants to go to michigan in June for his h.s. reunion - so there's another expense - i'll be NSB'ing for the duration!!

 

[The Shirt]

Kamikat and Inky -
UGHHH for you. I totally know how it feels. I ended up with a $1500 vet bill last month. For a tooth abcess. In my next life I'm going to be a dog dentist cause I'm sure then I wouldn't have these last minute surprise bills to worry about since I'd be rolling in the dough. I suppose you just call it great motivation/inspiration for the NSB.

 

[kamikat]

Don't tell me you OWE that much

I thought it was bad when we usually end up having to pay $150-$250!!!

In our case, it's state tax. Not only did our state change it's allowable deductions, but raised the rates, too.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

AmyJ,

I used to buy DD or Starbucks ground to use at home. I switched to Foldgers Columbian. It's a darker brew so it comes out a little richer than regular Foldgers and isn't terrible. I've gotten used to it AND it goes on sale sometimes. We have a single cup Keurig machine and I fill the insert with my own grounds instead of those Keurig Cup things. My huge mug takes 2 brews on the Keurig to fill. I actually tried reusing the grounds for the 2nd run and it isn't terrible. It cuts my consumption in half but I still get the same # of cups!

Wow -- I didn't even think to buy DD homebrew. Really. I was buying it every morning before work. I like the Coconut coffee (Mmmmmmm!) At $1.72 a pop, I was spending about $35 a month on COFFEE

 

[Lenore]

I wish I could get my hubby on this plan...

I spend nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch. And when I do, its on my daughter, or if it's on me, I feel terribly guilty.

Hubby has a problem not saying no to whatever he wants, whether its a new TV (Boy, did I get angry about that one) or a quick run to the corner store for a soda (Which is sadly where most our money goes) He knows that he shouldn't do it, but to stop just doesn't seem to be clicking.

In the meantime, I will only purchase things for myself if I can wear them to the new job, for which I actually DO need new work clothes.

ETA: While typing this, my husband just bought 3 vintage posters off of eBay. [huh]

Apparently, I've got him to agree to "only home decoration things and clothing for my new job." We'll see if he shows up to pick me up with a soda and some beef jerky.

 

[Tango Yankee]

So far, so good!

Had to take my car in for repairs (wheel bearing) that cost a tad over $200, plus the cost of a rental car for a day. Fortunately, the cost of the rental will be covered by the mileage I'll be paid by my company.

Having a hard time with not bidding on ebay. I might have to make one exception for the month! And it's time for me to get around to doing taxes. We usually end up paying more. :eusa_doh:

On the plus side, I'll be starting my masters degree program in a few weeks for zero money out of pocket thanks to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon program! :eusa_clap Of course, there goes most of my free time for the next two years. Still, you can't beat free education!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[LizzieMaine]

Well, I've got a dental emergency to deal with, so there goes at least a couple of hundred that I hadn't counted on spending this month. I do have a couple of additional writing projects in the pipeline at $250 each, though, so hopefully they'll both come thru in the next few weeks -- at the very least I'd like to maintain a one-step-forward-one-step-back pace. It's when you start in with the two-steps-back that it starts to hurt...

I also broke my can opener today trying to drill into a 79-cent can of spaghetti for supper. Serves me right, but I won't replace it right away. I've got a can opener blade on my Girl Scout knife that will see me thru.

 

[Aureliano]

So far, so good!

Had to take my car in for repairs (wheel bearing) that cost a tad over $200, plus the cost of a rental car for a day. Fortunately, the cost of the rental will be covered by the mileage I'll be paid by my company.

Having a hard time with not bidding on ebay. I might have to make one exception for the month! And it's time for me to get around to doing taxes. We usually end up paying more. :eusa_doh:

On the plus side, I'll be starting my masters degree program in a few weeks for zero money out of pocket thanks to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon program! :eusa_clap Of course, there goes most of my free time for the next two years. Still, you can't beat free education!

Cheers,
Tom

Congrats on your return to school, Tom. I'm about to start the process to get my masters, myself... soooo much money!