View Full Version : May No-Spend Days
I am challenging myself to 16 No-Spend days in May. Surely I can manage not to spend anything on 16 days of the month! We will see how much self-restraint I can show!
Anyone else want to join me?
Off to a good start.
May 1 - $0 spent.
May 1 - no $ spent today but I am having the installation of the remaining windows that need to be replaced, very badly needed and expensive. I will save energy and increase the value of the house so not a totally negative result.
May 1 - no $ spent today but I am having the installation of the remaining windows that need to be replaced, very badly needed and expensive. I will save energy and increase the value of the house so not a totally negative result.
That's what I consider an investment!
So far I have 2 out of 3. :)
How are we defining no-spend days? I ask because to me it might be meaningful to track or challenge myself to days with no discretionary spending, but paying bills or paying the roofer who is working on our house, or even groceries seems pretty necessary, so I don't feel like I would get a lot of personal value out of keeping tabs on or trying to limit these. I don't mean to speak for anyone else, just for myself.
So by the Rosa accounting method, I haven't done any spending yet this month :)
Today was grocery shopping and fill up with gas. Tomorrow should be a no spend.
Sat., May 6 was a no spend day. So a total of 2 no spend days out of 6. Not exactly record setting.
I have been doing horribly this month. So far, my only no spend day was Friday, May 3. Today (May 4) was awful in terms of spending! I am hopeful that tomorrow can be a no-spend day.
Sunday, May 5: Ate lunch out and stopped at JoAnn's on the way home. Tomorrow will be a spend day but Tuesday and Wednesday should be spending-free. Not a good record last week. :(
Yesterday was a no spend/no drive day. DH wanted to go get lunch AND get Blizzards at Dairy Queen for a treat, but I talked him out of both of those things. So I am 2 out of 5 for the month. Not great! I was hopeful today would be another no spend day, but it is looking like I might have to take my cat to the vet yet again for urinary track problems. So we'll see!
Yesterday ended up being a no-spend day. The drywaller is here this week, and the cats went into hiding. I looked EVERYWHERE but could not find them! So my little Charlie was spared a trip to the vet. I did see him using the litterbox without crying yesterday, so I will be keeping a close eye on him. If I need to, I will bring him to the emergency after hours vet after the drywaller leaves for the day and he creeps out of hiding. I want him to get the care he needs even if it costs a little more. But for now, the vet said it is fine to just watch him.
I did actually do a little shopping yesterday to buy bobbins and a heavy-duty needle. They cost $2.61, but I am counting it as no-spend since I also returned a belt for $5.35. I am still $2.74 ahead. ;-) We also went out to dinner, but my FIL paid for that, so...I guess I am up to 3 out of 6 for the month. I know I have a spend day coming up, though, since I do need to get diapers.
Day three and a half, as I am going to go grocery shopping later today.
May 1-Ordered a watch and a wooden spoon (to replace broken ones)
May 2-$0
May 3-$0
May 4-$0
May 5-filled the truck with diesel/bought groceries/two Mother's Day cards/gift card/Arby's for dinner
May 6-$0
May 7-$0
Finally, a no spend day and tomorrow should be a no spend day too. So, I am 3/16 of the way to my goal for May.
Yesterday was another no-spend day. So 4 out of 7 for the month. That is a little better! :-) I think today will be a spend day, though, as we need to pick up some diapers and diaper rash cream. Good thing I have some awesome coupons to pair with sale items! :-)
No spend Day #4!! 4/16 of the way to my goal.
Yesterday was a spend day since, as I mentioned, I needed to get some baby supplies. Today should be no-spend, though. I do have to drive to the doctor's office, but this visit does not require a co-pay. So as long as I do not need a prescription filled, I should be sitting at 5/9 for the month. Not too horrible (but I think I can do better! :-) )
May 8-$0
May 9-$0
7 No Spend Days so far this month
Wow, mnmlz! You are rockin' it this month! :)
Yesterday was a no spend day. That brings me up to 3. I knew this was going to be a difficult month with getting Mom settled, dental work, and unplanned prescription costs. I am hoping for 8 days, but at least I am more aware of impulse expenses.
This month is tough for us, too, LilyB! We are in the midst of a home improvement project, and it seems like DH has to run to Home Depot all the time!
Yesterday was a no-spend day, but today will not be. I have to pay our drywaller for the second half of the work he has done and pick up some milk and fruit to get us through until our next big shopping day. The latter should cost around $10. While I am out, I am also planning to go to Kohl's to use up a $10 off $10 coupon. I can usually get something for close to free this way but typically do spend a little bit (less than $1) for tax and such.
Tomorrow may be a spend day, too, since we will be painting the baby's room this weekend. I am thinking DH will be too tired to go to Home Depot tonight and will instead go tomorrow. So all the supplies he needs will probably be bought then (and maybe Sunday, too, since he usually forgets stuff and has to make a million little runs).
We are sitting at 5/10 for the month!
Well, this month is not going as smoothly as I had hoped!! Yesterday turned into a spend day and we are buying groceries this evening so today is out too. Hoping Saturday and Sunday will be no spend.
I started this challenge on May 7
My goal is to only spend on necessities
or gifts/ cards for others.
So far 4 days of no indiscretionary spending
I'm doing this to break myself of contantly buying stuff I don't need online.
Tussiemussies
5-10-13, 8:16pm
Right now we are going out about once a week to eat out and I am spending nothing on myself, but with the kitchen being refurbished, which should be finished soon, we have spent a lot of money. DH just picked up the backsplash tiles and found them at a different store and saved $32.00. Right now we are house poor so there is no other spending except DH eating out his lunches. He works two jobs and doing the kitchen on the weekends I think he deserves a little something for himself! :)
It's been a spendy few days!
May 11--spent money at Home Depot for home improvement supplies
May 12--spent money on Mother's Day breakfast out
May 13--no spend
May 14--spent money at Home Depot
May 15--spent money on groceries/DH will spend money to get his tire fixed
This home improvement project is killing us. Maybe in the future, I will only count my no spend days and not DH's. He is somewhat disorganized and so ends up spending a little bit every day instead of just making a list and getting everything he needs at once.
6/15 for the month
11 out of 15 so far no spend.
To help me out with this I created a row per day of the whole year in my budget spreadsheet and labelled every one of them a no-spend day. Then when I do spend, I fill in that day with what I bought and the amount.
No spend yesterday and today. That makes 6 no spend days toward my goal of 16 no spend days in May. This is not looking good...:(
I am not doing so hot, either, Florence! There are still two weeks left in the month, though. Maybe we can turn things around yet! If not...well, at least this challenge helps us to be mindful of our spending.
Today will not be a no-spend day. We have to pay the contractor installing the floor and buy some trim for the room, too.
6/16 Boo!
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