Author Topic: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?  (Read 18565 times)

LindseyC

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2018, 12:36:11 PM »
I had to rethink my entire monthly plan. I had the chance to purchase groceries for a big discount so I decided for the first time ever I would do a massive shop once and only buy a few fresh items once a week for the rest of the month. Normally I shop every 2nd-3rd day.

So I spent my entire normal grocery budget $207 in one shop. But I also now have $120 in grocery points. I am going to limit myself to $40 in points for the whole month for fresh foods. Which means March I will have $80 in points. So March has now become my no grocery spend month, eat up all the leftovers.

Day one: No spend / Earned extra $40
Day two: No spend
Day three: $26 for a spur of the moment haircut. I decided that starting to get my health back after 4 years required a new look and just went for it without thinking too long about it!

deek

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #51 on: February 03, 2018, 01:23:08 PM »
I told the girl about my goals this month and she's all for it. We went out last night and she bought me drinks. What a woman, I know.

I bought us ice cream to share after - just over $5. And we grabbed a bite at my favorite breakfast place this morning and split the bill and she bought me coffee - $12.

It's a rare weekend - just needed to get out and be carefree for a night, but for $17 it was a great night. Back to the grind today.

CrustyBadger

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2018, 02:02:56 PM »
Ug, car repairs. My condolences. We need to get tires, but I'm putting it off until March. No good reason, just because I hate dealing with car stuff like looking for the best deal on tires.

I had a very good experience with tirerack if you are looking for recommendations?  I got the tired delivered to a local trustworthy repair shop and they were happy to mount the tires for me.  I felt like a real "car person" doing it this way instead of going to a tire store.  (I'm not a real "car person" LOL)

Jenny Wren

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #53 on: February 03, 2018, 02:56:06 PM »
Ug, car repairs. My condolences. We need to get tires, but I'm putting it off until March. No good reason, just because I hate dealing with car stuff like looking for the best deal on tires.

I had a very good experience with tirerack if you are looking for recommendations?  I got the tired delivered to a local trustworthy repair shop and they were happy to mount the tires for me.  I felt like a real "car person" doing it this way instead of going to a tire store.  (I'm not a real "car person" LOL)

Thanks for the recommendation, Crustybadger! Just checked out the site and I am intrigued!

westtoeast

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #54 on: February 04, 2018, 11:26:02 AM »
Goal Update 2/4

1) Food Low Spend
- I decided to do the Whole 30 this month (except I'm doing my own version... Whole 25, because I'm starting Monday and ending in time for my birthday on the last day of the month)
- This makes it a bit harder to eat cheap... grains and beans are cheap staples
- However, MMM eats a close to Paleo type diet and seems to do OK with the spending
- Basically, my goal here is to do Whole 30 without completely blowing my budget
- $300 is my max, and $250 would be amazing
- Spent $82 so far, but this included a gluten-free/dairy free pizza AND coconut ice cream as my "final day of grains and sugars" treats
- This spend will get me through about a week, so I'll need to be careful
- I should research how to do Whole 30 on a budget.... ideas I have so far include using potatoes, eggs and squash to bulk things up and looking for coupons/sales for meat products (I try to only buy organic/grassfeed/free range which is pricier)
2) Being Reflective on Non-Necessary Spending
- $10 on glass of wine out with coworkers (this was the cheapest drink) [I didn't need this, but when "let's get drinks" is the premise for socializing I have trouble getting absolutely nothing. I'm also really sick this weekend, so I'm not spending any other money. I'm giving myself an "eh" rating for this one.]
-$6 on Hulu subscription [I don't need this, but I do really enjoy winding down with a show after a stressful workday. Grey's Anatomy and Bob's Burgers are some guilty pleasures. I think I'm OK with this spending.
- I'd like to purchase no clothing and no books this month (I have plenty of both in the house). So far so good.
3) Stop Uber/Lyft Hedonistic Adaptation
- Bought a bus pass, so now whenever I take an Uber I will feel like I'm not just spending money but wasting the money I spent on pass
- Did take Uber to and from tutoring client, but I take that out of my earnings

krmit

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #55 on: February 04, 2018, 11:54:35 AM »
Spent $11.80 on vegetable seeds for the garden.
Did some window shopping online this weekend - I think my usual shopping urges are sated at the grocery store (impulse buying fruits and veggies, how exciting!) so I'm fighting against the temptation to fill some EXTREMELY non-urgent wants. Going to wait at least 3 days and re-assess.

newgirl

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #56 on: February 04, 2018, 01:08:04 PM »
Goal Update 2/4

1) Food Low Spend
- I decided to do the Whole 30 this month (except I'm doing my own version... Whole 25, because I'm starting Monday and ending in time for my birthday on the last day of the month)
- This makes it a bit harder to eat cheap... grains and beans are cheap staples
- However, MMM eats a close to Paleo type diet and seems to do OK with the spending
- Basically, my goal here is to do Whole 30 without completely blowing my budget
- $300 is my max, and $250 would be amazing
- Spent $82 so far, but this included a gluten-free/dairy free pizza AND coconut ice cream as my "final day of grains and sugars" treats
- This spend will get me through about a week, so I'll need to be careful
- I should research how to do Whole 30 on a budget.... ideas I have so far include using potatoes, eggs and squash to bulk things up and looking for coupons/sales for meat products (I try to only buy organic/grassfeed/free range which is pricier)
2) Being Reflective on Non-Necessary Spending
- $10 on glass of wine out with coworkers (this was the cheapest drink) [I didn't need this, but when "let's get drinks" is the premise for socializing I have trouble getting absolutely nothing. I'm also really sick this weekend, so I'm not spending any other money. I'm giving myself an "eh" rating for this one.]
-$6 on Hulu subscription [I don't need this, but I do really enjoy winding down with a show after a stressful workday. Grey's Anatomy and Bob's Burgers are some guilty pleasures. I think I'm OK with this spending.
- I'd like to purchase no clothing and no books this month (I have plenty of both in the house). So far so good.
3) Stop Uber/Lyft Hedonistic Adaptation
- Bought a bus pass, so now whenever I take an Uber I will feel like I'm not just spending money but wasting the money I spent on pass
- Did take Uber to and from tutoring client, but I take that out of my earnings

I quit drinking when we were trying to get pregnant, and between that, the actual pregnancy, nursing, etc I ended up not having a drink for 2+ years. It's easier socially when you have THAT as an excuse, but I've found that now I've been off alcohol for so long I really don't like it anymore. When I go out to happy hour I get club soda with lime if I want it to at least visually look like I'm drinking, or just iced tea if I'm in DGAF mode. Nobody from my office cares or makes any comments. I've actually had a few nights that ended up being hilariously fun because I was the only sober person amongst a group of increasingly sloshy co-workers, and I was the only one who could actually remember all the details of the evening the next day :) Depending on how much you actually like drinking, cutting out the expense of going out may be more or less painful for you, but I've always found that as long as I just own my decision - "I don't feel like drinking tonight but I still wanted to hang out with you guys" - people don't care.

Megs193

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #57 on: February 04, 2018, 01:08:54 PM »
I’m new to MMM and would love to join for some extra motivation. This is our first month tracking expenses so I don’t know what I spend yet but I definitely want to eat out less, get coffee out less and stop shopping without a purpose.

Spending so far:
2/1
Sushi $12 (I made plans with a friend I don’t see often 2 weeks ago and I felt bad canceling)
School Fundraiser -$25

2/2
BJ’s (groceries) $58
Amazon (2 books for my kids) $15.69

2/3
Husband’s hair cut $18

2/4
Target (toiletries) $23.55
Ice Skating with DS - $15
Trader Joe’s (groceries) - $26.62

Definitely not as good as everyone else but big progress for me with no coffee out and not eating out with my family over the weekend!

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #58 on: February 04, 2018, 03:02:58 PM »
Here's our spending to date this month:

2/1 - no spend day

2/2 - $32.97 at In & Out. Came home from an international work trip. Jet lagged, house had no power. Bought my family + the three power guys burgers. No regrets.

2/3- poor planning led to a $13.67 Uber charge to go deal with an issue at the shop where our car is being repaired. $300 in Home Depot gift cards (generated a $45 Starbucks reward). We are remodeling our house, so these will definitely get used. $7.17 at one grocery store, and $4.62 at Trader Joes.

2/4 - $20 for the kids to go BMX bike racing. My parents sent them each $20 for this purpose, so technically "free". My parents are their sponsors. ;-)

Other than the Uber charge, the rest is planned for & budgeted. The In & Out wasn't planned for, but we will make it work within our dining out budget for February.

alewpanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #59 on: February 04, 2018, 03:45:43 PM »
Frugal February is off to a rough start for me :(

Realized on day 1 that DH had used up all the printer ink for his current studying binge for his certification.  I expected the certification cost for tomorrow, not the 40.00 in printer ink...but its fine...lol

Picked up a few groceries last night...35.00 spent.

Ended up in the walk in clinic Friday for what I thought might have been an infection.  No infection, just a reaction that some benedril and tlc can take care of.  I was offered a prescription that might have made these last couple days a little more comfortable, but the discomfort wasn't terrible and I didn't fill the prescription.  So I'm annoyingly out the 91.00 for the walk in fee...but no money for meds/treatment. 

Shifted around the budget to cover the walk in expense and to adjust for high electric bills from a very cold January....budget categories just got tightened!

Had order shampoo bars last night because I unknowingly was out of my supply.  I order them in bulk, so they are cheaper per bar, but the expense takes a chunk out of my grocery spending that I wasn't anticipating.  Just more of a 'challenge' that way I guess.

druth

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #60 on: February 04, 2018, 10:46:54 PM »
2/1$45 groceriesneed more rasperies tomorrow, but otherwise done w/ groceries for the week
$7 restaurantweekly friends night, this was planned in advance
$25 gasbeep beep!
2/2$19 Home Depotcleaning suplies and light bulbs, nothing fun.  Also, an employee gave our dog lots of treats :)
2/3no spend
2/4no spend

So far all good! Thanks for the motivation all. :)

Serendip

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #61 on: February 04, 2018, 11:36:36 PM »
I'm in.

Will try to keep Feb costs well under January which was hugely pricey (did a course which cost + supplies) as well as an overnight ski trip. Aiming for 12-15 no spend days and using up food from cupboard/freezer when my SO is out of town for work.

01/02: No spend
02/02: Return from wilderness trip--$23 for beer & pizza
03/02: No spend
04/02: No spend

Nancy

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #62 on: February 05, 2018, 06:28:58 AM »
Still at $0. I'm making African Peanut Stew from Budget Bytes for dinner/lunches this week.

flyAway

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #63 on: February 05, 2018, 07:25:40 AM »
Nancy: let us know how the peanut stew was, I love budgetbytes but have not tried that one.

krmit: I'm very excited that it is time to start thinking of growing/warmer weather!  Do you grow specific stuff or a large variety?

Crusty Badger: Interesting idea on tires!

Update:
Total spend: $1323.27/$3100 (mortgage/taxes make up the bulk of that)
Grocery: $108.23/$500
No Spend days: 1/9 (yesterday, finally!)

*edited to add my gas receipt
« Last Edit: February 05, 2018, 07:28:42 AM by flyAway »

LindseyC

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #64 on: February 05, 2018, 07:33:31 AM »
Well the 4th was a spendy day for me.

$15 on a huge second hand metal wall art piece - something I have been trying to find for about two years now. I want to permanently hang it on my front porch to add some interest to a stretch of boring brick. Increasing my curb appeal has been an ongoing project the last few years and anything I put outside has to be theft proof. This will look cool because it holds tea light candles (I will use LED ones) and will look very nice during the day and at night when I have guests coming.

$30 on breakfast/lunch for me and my SO. He drove me around collecting Kijiji items in a crazy snow storm so he deserved a meal! First time I have eaten out since the holidays.

$85 on a second hand original Knechtel dresser that is mint! This is an expense, but I am going to flip it and I am hoping to profit at least $200.

So definitely a spendy day, but when I sell the dresser it should more then cover the extras!

horsepoor

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #65 on: February 05, 2018, 08:21:39 AM »
The first four days of February have been the opposite of frugal:

Couldn't find 72-cell seed starting trays locally; bought higher quality ones with domes from Amazon for almost $90.  They should last several years though, so cheaper than the Jiffy pots in the long run.  I did talk myself out of buying an additional grow light fixture, so that's something?

Friday I did the 200-mile round trip to the horse trainer's and grabbed a snack going there and back, about $7 total.

Spent $107 at Sierra Trading Post yesterday.  I popped in to see if I could find sunglasses since I literally broke my fancy Maui Jims in half a few weeks ago.  They had a cheaper brand in almost the exact design for $25.  I should have grabbed them and gotten out of there, but no.  I also bought some desert gaiters, which I've wanted for a long time to keep cheatgrass out of my socks when I'm doing field work for another $25, a long sleeve technical shirt for $20 (an actual deficit in my embarrassingly large wardrobe), and a pure baby alpaca sweater on clearance for $29 (totally didn't need, but hey, alpaca).

$90 for a dinner & drinks on Saturday night before going to Book of Mormon (which we bought tickets for months ago).  We don't go out much, and I'm always shocked at how quickly things add up. No more dinners out this month!

$35 at Trader Joe's, and another $55 at WinCo.   Being a short month, I'm shooting for < $150 on groceries for the rest of the month.

$28 for gas

$36 for a camera tripod - planned to buy at some point, but decided to buy sooner after a very crooked and wobbily video with my camera attached to a fence this weekend (I video tape my rides for self-critique and training purposes).

I suck and need to get it together for the remaining 24 days of February.  Yikes.

westtoeast

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #66 on: February 05, 2018, 10:09:44 AM »
Goal Update 2/4

1) Food Low Spend
- I decided to do the Whole 30 this month (except I'm doing my own version... Whole 25, because I'm starting Monday and ending in time for my birthday on the last day of the month)
- This makes it a bit harder to eat cheap... grains and beans are cheap staples
- However, MMM eats a close to Paleo type diet and seems to do OK with the spending
- Basically, my goal here is to do Whole 30 without completely blowing my budget
- $300 is my max, and $250 would be amazing
- Spent $82 so far, but this included a gluten-free/dairy free pizza AND coconut ice cream as my "final day of grains and sugars" treats
- This spend will get me through about a week, so I'll need to be careful
- I should research how to do Whole 30 on a budget.... ideas I have so far include using potatoes, eggs and squash to bulk things up and looking for coupons/sales for meat products (I try to only buy organic/grassfeed/free range which is pricier)
2) Being Reflective on Non-Necessary Spending
- $10 on glass of wine out with coworkers (this was the cheapest drink) [I didn't need this, but when "let's get drinks" is the premise for socializing I have trouble getting absolutely nothing. I'm also really sick this weekend, so I'm not spending any other money. I'm giving myself an "eh" rating for this one.]
-$6 on Hulu subscription [I don't need this, but I do really enjoy winding down with a show after a stressful workday. Grey's Anatomy and Bob's Burgers are some guilty pleasures. I think I'm OK with this spending.
- I'd like to purchase no clothing and no books this month (I have plenty of both in the house). So far so good.
3) Stop Uber/Lyft Hedonistic Adaptation
- Bought a bus pass, so now whenever I take an Uber I will feel like I'm not just spending money but wasting the money I spent on pass
- Did take Uber to and from tutoring client, but I take that out of my earnings

I quit drinking when we were trying to get pregnant, and between that, the actual pregnancy, nursing, etc I ended up not having a drink for 2+ years. It's easier socially when you have THAT as an excuse, but I've found that now I've been off alcohol for so long I really don't like it anymore. When I go out to happy hour I get club soda with lime if I want it to at least visually look like I'm drinking, or just iced tea if I'm in DGAF mode. Nobody from my office cares or makes any comments. I've actually had a few nights that ended up being hilariously fun because I was the only sober person amongst a group of increasingly sloshy co-workers, and I was the only one who could actually remember all the details of the evening the next day :) Depending on how much you actually like drinking, cutting out the expense of going out may be more or less painful for you, but I've always found that as long as I just own my decision - "I don't feel like drinking tonight but I still wanted to hang out with you guys" - people don't care.

Good ideas here! I especially like the club soda one because you can avoid explaining.

Unfortunately I’m a wine person and I love a nice glass of red. But doing Whole 30 starting today gives me a built in excuse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nancy

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #67 on: February 05, 2018, 11:43:18 AM »
Nancy: let us know how the peanut stew was, I love budgetbytes but have not tried that one.

Happy to report that it was delicious and incredibly easy! I substituted baby spinach for collard greens because I needed to use up the spinach I had on hand. I also added 2 cups of broccoli, which I think was necessary because the greens disappear once cooked. Plus I love broccoli. Budgetbytes is awesome.

Nice work on your budget so far!

krmit

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #68 on: February 05, 2018, 01:20:31 PM »
flyAway, this is only my second year getting into gardening. I've already started some lettuce and rhubarb and am planning on mostly zucchini, tomatoes, kale, and herbs (and maybe fall cabbages and winter squash). Last year I totally overplanted for the space I had and am almost certain I'm going to do that again this year.

I'm based in Portland and totally rely on Erica at nwedible.com to tell me what to do :D

Spent $18 on dinner out yesterday with a friend between work and a meeting.

Tig_

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #69 on: February 05, 2018, 02:54:57 PM »
To date I've spent $95 on groceries.  This included 20lb of cat litter (on sale - will be removed from grocery category once I locate the receipt) and $10 of shrimp (ended up to be not a great recipe).  It did include a buy 1 get 1 pack of thin chicken breasts and bags of shells-removed pistachios (critical for quick salads, especially on Whole30).

I did not make it to any yoga this weekend, meaning that I have even less time to use up all my passes before they expire.  I WILL go tomorrow!

alewpanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #70 on: February 05, 2018, 07:47:21 PM »
Sunday was low key.  Stayed indoors after church and ate leftovers around the house because of the pretty fluffy snow falling from the sky :)

Today was pretty good.  Was on E, so I spent about 28.00 on gas.  I'm going to see if I can stretch that tank till the end of the month (not usually able to...but its a short month, and I'm going to concentrate on batching errands better.)   After grabbing gas I deposited my check, plus 0.50 of rolled pennies.  I mailed some letters with stamps already on hand and slipped into goodwill for a few moments to look for a new spatula (ours busted).  Spent only 50 cents on the spatula (winning!), and 3.00 for a new board game that will be gifted in a couple months.  Then I went straight home.


Tomorrow will be spendy...but a planned spendy.  Dogs have to go in for attention, I will be at the office for part of the day, and then I hope to swing through and grab specific groceries before the snow hits.  Heartworm meds are on the docket to be bought too....but then I should be good and shouldn't need to spend anything for the rest of the week...

Morning Glory

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #71 on: February 06, 2018, 06:25:07 AM »
I personally haven't spent anything yet this month:-)

My DH does the majority of the grocery shopping, so I thought it would be fun to actually track it for a month.  Also I feel kinda bad for face punching other people for their grocery spends when I don't even know what mine is, I just give him $500 every 2 weeks and this covers groceries, gas, vehicle maintenance, his phone, hobbies, etc. and he invests some of what he has left over. So this month I decided to drill down and figure out what the grocery spend actually is. I didn't look at his other spending, just the receipts for groceries that he brought home. I did include shared nonfood items like sandwich bags and ibuprofen.

I had to do this manually because we use ibotta and other apps frequently. It was difficult to get him on board but I have a week worth of spending: 124.08 for groceries, alcohol, and household, after subtracting rebates. $40 of this was for 2 bottles of rum that he likes that were on sale, $16 was 3 bottles of wine for me, and the remaining $68 got us a lot of food. This is for a family of 2 adults, one toddler, and one baby that isn't on solid food yet.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #72 on: February 06, 2018, 06:36:52 AM »
Soon I need to fill petrol into one of the cars. But the petrol price was so high today, that I decided to drive some more days on the remainder, awaiting lower prices. It can often drive quite long while the tank shows empty on the display. As far as I know the fuel light is working and it is not on yet.

I can also walk to work tomorrow (7,5 km 1 way).

Carrie

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #73 on: February 06, 2018, 08:20:08 AM »
I'm in for a frugal month. I want to build savings so I can do a few things around the house (yard/garden and kitchen countertops) in April & May.
- no eating out at all (should be easy) so far so good
- no clothes or haircuts (this is for our whole family of 5) bought socks for growing boy, it was desperate.
- homemade valentine's for three classrooms 28 of 90 made
- groceries under $600 on track - 200 spent so far, good for another week
- no alcohol spending none at all so far

We have no large bills in February,  so it could be a very cheap month.

I've transferred  $700 to savings from the first pay period so far. This doesn't include any retirement or college savings, those are automated.

Megs193

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #74 on: February 06, 2018, 10:51:10 AM »
2/5 - No spend day for me.  This meant turning down an invite to grab lunch with a friend but I was excited to have a no spend day.

2/6 - Today will be a little spendy but all necessary things.
$46.67 on gas for the car.  This should last me 2 weeks
$12 - shoe repair for my husbands work shoes
$56 - Dry Cleaning (ouch!  But DH has to wear suits when he travels and he has been traveling a lot)
And I’m taking my oldest to the dentist today but that will get charged to the HSA card

AmandaPanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #75 on: February 06, 2018, 11:21:27 AM »
I was not very frugal last night. I went to trivia with new friends and got 3 glasses of wine.  It was more than I intended to spend, so I looked ahead to the end of the month to see where I can make up the difference.  I basically spent three times what I usually spend on a weeknight out.

deek

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #76 on: February 06, 2018, 12:06:56 PM »
I was not very frugal last night. I went to trivia with new friends and got 3 glasses of wine.  It was more than I intended to spend, so I looked ahead to the end of the month to see where I can make up the difference.  I basically spent three times what I usually spend on a weeknight out.

Don't beat yourself up. Plenty of time to make up for it.

The weekend was pretty good for me. Only expenses were gas (about $20), and lunch at a diner back home after a funeral yesterday ($9).
My buddy's mom made dinner for the super bowl. Today I anticipate spending about $30-40 on groceries and will be doing real well if I don't go out to eat this week.

Also need to deposit $150 cash from Christmas. Procrastinating at it's finest.

Serendip

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #77 on: February 06, 2018, 04:42:05 PM »
01/02: $0

02/02: Return from wilderness trip--$23 for beer & pizza

03/02: $0

04/02: $0

05/02: Hit with a $445 bill from the plumber...eegads but at least the dishwasher is installed and hot water tank is to code,       hopefully no more big spends this month
           $83  groceries (online to see if I could get some better deals and found quite a few..organic broccoli & cauliflower half price)

06/02: $0

Nancy

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #78 on: February 07, 2018, 08:58:58 AM »
I found a new recipe I wanted to try and started making a grocery list before I remembered this thread and realized I should find recipes to use up what I already have (of course!). So for my next two acts, I'll be making curried lentils and Mexican tomato rice and beans.

LindseyC

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #79 on: February 07, 2018, 09:55:18 AM »
Day 1: No spend / Earned $40 extra
Day 2: No spend
Day 3: $26 haircut
Day 4: $15 wall art, $30 Eating out for two, $85 furniture to flip
Day 5: No spend
Day 6: No spend
Day 7: No spend

I am hoping to sell my vintage dresser I am flipping this weekend. Can't wait to post not only a no spend day but, also an earned extra day! Which are now my favourite types of days. :)

LWYRUP

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #80 on: February 07, 2018, 09:59:00 AM »

Check in on my simple goal:  So far, no eating out!

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #81 on: February 07, 2018, 10:06:28 AM »
We're doing well. On track across all budget categories. We have some spendy stuff coming up this weekend/next week (two birthdays), so I'm expecting things to get tighter. I've also made $180ish on eBay sales + someone paying me back.

deek

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #82 on: February 07, 2018, 10:32:17 AM »
Groceries yesterday for $13, going to try to stretch what I have through the weekend without getting more groceries. May have to go back and get a couple chicken breasts Saturday or Sunday, we'll see (normal weekly budget is $40).

This morning I treated myself to breakfast at my favorite diner for $12. It's been about 3 weeks since I've gone out for breakfast (one of my favorite hobbies).

alewpanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #83 on: February 07, 2018, 02:15:47 PM »
Went to the vet for a visit and bought heartworm meds.  150.00 between the two categories, but planned, needed, and nothing extra spent on it.

Bought my groceries yesterday at 80.00 for a large, stock-up style visit.  I have tons of food now and should be great for a couple weeks, outside of some fruit and milk at some point. 

Other than the vet trip, I stayed home and cleaned.  No going anywhere or spending later.

Office tomorrow and then straight home is the rule.  No spending.

Friday I will meet a friend for lunch...but it was planned a while ago, so it will come out of my small budget for personal fun.

Nancy

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #84 on: February 09, 2018, 05:59:43 AM »
I like to see that people are succeeding here while still enjoying their lives. I just reserved a free museum pass through the library, so I can visit a local museum for the first time. I also saved a bit of money by remembering that I can make my own vegetable broth instead of buying it. I feel pretty foolish about that one, but my excuses are that I'm new to cooking and I don't know anything. :)

Megs193

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #85 on: February 09, 2018, 07:10:39 AM »
- My kids and I have been eating from the pantry all week and my husband is on a work trip so also eating for free.  We went to the grocery store yesterday and I only spent $32.
- I have gone out to eat twice total in February.  Both were just me with a friend so I've spent $19 total. This is a massive decrease for us.  Last month we spent $500 at restaraunts so I am definitely on track to be well below that!
- I went to a warehouse sale to get my kids more clothes for next year.  My friend drove so no gas and I spent $65 for 7 under armour and Nike items for my boys.
- I paid my cleaning person $100 to clean my house yesterday.  I know this is probably something I could do without but it makes me so happy to come home to a clean house.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2018, 07:12:48 AM by Megs193 »

deek

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #86 on: February 09, 2018, 08:55:52 AM »
I like to see that people are succeeding here while still enjoying their lives. I just reserved a free museum pass through the library, so I can visit a local museum for the first time. I also saved a bit of money by remembering that I can make my own vegetable broth instead of buying it. I feel pretty foolish about that one, but my excuses are that I'm new to cooking and I don't know anything. :)

I've noticed that it doesn't take a whole lot to save money. When you're used to eating out with friends 1 or 2 nights a week (and paying for a significant other), you don't think about how much it's costing over time. Simple things I've done over the past couple months to save a pretty decent chunk....

- $5 movie at the theater on Tuesday nights
- Sharing an appetizer/entree when going out (makes the 1 or 2 beers more affordable)
- Meal prep (so simple once you get a couple recipes down)... I haven't eaten out for lunch in about 3 weeks which is crazy for me
- Redeeming gym points for a free shake card (5 uses).. as opposed to the $5 per recovery shake
- Buying only the essentials when grocery shopping (chicken, eggs, milk, carrots, celery, apples, sweet potatoes, onions, bread, triscuits)

And I'm still having fun!!

Now if I could just increase my income this whole student debt/IRA thing would be SO much easier...

Tig_

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #87 on: February 09, 2018, 12:28:21 PM »
Awesome progress all!

I've been doing mostly ok.  I was planning on getting a work friend a baby shower gift of a $20 gift card to Target.  Alas, a co-worker chipped in $20 and then they only had $25 and $50 options, and they were all the Visa prepaid kind that have a $5 charge to activate!  That is what I get for waiting until the last minute to buy her a gift.  Womp.

Other than that, I've made it to TWO of my remaining yoga classes on this pass.  Which I think means I have four more to use before the 20th, and I'll only be home 6 of those days (two of those days I'll be at my parents and may be able to borrow a car).  The great thing about this is I'm really trying out what it would mean to have an actual yoga practice which I envision I would have if I FIREd.  The most often I've regularly gone is once a week, and while that's great for meditation purposes, it's not super for the physical benefits.  It's a lot of work to go regularly, but I think it would be worth it.  Have a mental note to submit the workstudy paperwork by the end of the month.

I also spent an additional $7 on groceries (eggs, apples, and on sale tuna).

Serendip

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #88 on: February 09, 2018, 12:44:16 PM »
Yesterday spent $2.70 on a matcha latte (after a beautiful walk...I actually got this drink half-price so normally it would be $5.40, eegads)
Today, went to the art museum ( my SO renewed our yearly membership as a C-mas gift so it's an inspiring way to spend a bit of time) but also had to send a parcel $14.70
Also wanted an espresso came home & am making coffee here while cooking.

Doing very good by comparison to last month and about to batch cook black beans in the slow cooker, and roast a heap of veggies, make oat milk, etc. Usually it's the food that adds up-- the more I prep the less last minute pricey decisions we are tempted to make.

LindseyC

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #89 on: February 09, 2018, 04:29:06 PM »
Day 1: No spend / Earned $40 extra
Day 2: No spend
Day 3: $26 haircut
Day 4: $15 wall art, $30 Eating out for two, $85 furniture to flip
Day 5: No spend
Day 6: No spend
Day 7: No spend
Day 8: No spend
Day 9: No spend

Saturday I am buying a $120 dresser, not to flip but to keep for my office. However, I have another larger dresser I bought months ago for that purpose and I have decided it is too large and I will be selling that one. It's actually worth more, so hoping I can sell it for $300. I bought it for $25 because the person selling had no idea what they had.

westtoeast

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #90 on: February 10, 2018, 09:10:48 AM »
Time for "Update #2."

Successes:
- Groceries are on track at $130/$300 and will last me about 7 more days (normally this wouldn't be amazing, but for Whole 30 I'm happy with it)
- Side hustles this month are going really well... got some new freelancing work and did a few focus groups!
- I've spent $60/$200 for my Misc budget, which is a nice spot for halfway through the month


Challenges:
- I've only got $10 left in my transportation budget
- Spent $17 at a lunch out with co-workers... I tried to be semi-frugal by ordering a few things from the sides menu, but I think I was overcharged and didn't realize it! I was distracted so I signed the receipt and didn't keep my copy. 
- Visiting a friend in a different town tonight... there will be a dinner out
- I have some upcoming travel and needed a few things. I paid for these items from my travel fund, not out of my monthly budget. I tried to be intentional. I purchased: two dresses for $10 each from Amazon (they are black swing dresses with pockets that pack up tiny-- I can wear them over and over with a different scarf, necklace or cardigan to vary my look), a theft-proof day bag which I LOVE (its very roomy with places for water bottles and will keep all my stuff safe), and some backpack buckle straps (I have a rolling bag that converts to a backpack, but I wanted to sew on chest buckles to make it easier to wear).
- I spent $20 on fancy grain free baking flours

alewpanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #91 on: February 10, 2018, 02:45:10 PM »
Friday felt spendy to me...even though I'm technically within my limited budget.  I spent 14.00 on fancy italian with leftovers that came home.  I ALSO spent 5.00 at the coffee shop *facepunch*   I slipped in after the lunch to buy a 10.00 gift certificate, and I was weak :(   I do have the gift certificate though....which was a planned gift and the last of my 'gift' spending for the month, putting me under budget.  And while I killed half of my 40.00 personal spending budget in one day, my next meetup with a friend is happening at my house instead.  Yay! 

Today is being spent inside, away from the deceptively slippery roads and any spending outside of possible tax preparation fees.  (turbo tax)  The hilarity that ensued when I went the quarter mile for the mail this afternoon has proven that while it LOOKS pretty clear, the roads are SLICK! 


Mezzie

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #92 on: February 10, 2018, 03:32:39 PM »
I'm in for the second half! I just bought my LAST (I swear!) gift for my sister who's about to have her first child. Now I need to stop spending like a madwoman.

Carrie

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #93 on: February 10, 2018, 04:13:39 PM »
We're having a successful frugal month so far! I've even lost a smidgen of weight, which is frugal because I need to fit into my spring/ summer clothes (can't wear leggings & sweaters all year).

I am challenging myself to eat from the freezer/ pantry as much as possible to keep the remainder of the month below $200 on groceries. We have a lot of staples, but will need fresh veg & dairy. Still no eating out, and have enough gasoline to last. Overbought on the valentine candy (to include candy with the homemade cards for school), but that will stretch to be kid-desserts for a couple months.

Nancy

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #94 on: February 10, 2018, 05:02:13 PM »
Well done, Carrie!

Spent my first $ of the month today: $15 at the grocery store on almond milk, fresh veg, fruit, and herbs. Felt like a sweet treat, but instead of buying something at the store, I came home and baked some vegan chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies with stuff I had on hand. Yum!

LWYRUP

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #95 on: February 10, 2018, 05:47:39 PM »
Well done, Carrie!

Spent my first $ of the month today: $15 at the grocery store on almond milk, fresh veg, fruit, and herbs. Felt like a sweet treat, but instead of buying something at the store, I came home and baked some vegan chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies with stuff I had on hand. Yum!

Wow!   Great job so far!

My wife bought me a $1 home-made doughnut at our preschooler fundraiser.  So that's my eating out cheat I guess but it was for a good cause.  We're doing pretty good in other categories as well but not quite zero spend. 

alewpanda

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #96 on: February 11, 2018, 02:32:48 PM »
Yesterday and today are quiet, stay-home-cuz-of-ice days.  No spending and no eating out.  We were thinking of a take out pizza later tonight as the roads start to clear, but we were already hungry, so chicken and rice are in the oven ;)  no need for the pizza or the expense.


MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #97 on: February 11, 2018, 04:49:04 PM »
This weekend was pricier, as expected, as it contained a birthday. Next week is my son's birthday, and we're having a party as well. This are planned expenses, but a higher week than I like. I also booked a 12 day residential summer camp for my son, which was pricey, but by far the most reasonable of any of the options.

We'll continue to price & book summer camps. However, we scored a super inexpensive option for spring break. A typical spring break camp is around $350x2 kids. My parents are free & the kids begged to see if we could get my parents to help out. I got a great deal on flights ($242), and will give my parents $100 of spending money (to take the kids to lunch, etc) when they are here. Everyone is thrilled. (sidenote: my parents are on a fixed retirement budget, so I try to help them out by paying for flights when they are coming to cover breaks, etc).

flyAway

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #98 on: February 12, 2018, 07:12:41 AM »
As of the 11th
No spend days: 3/9 
Grocery: $257.31/$500
Total Spend: $2058.92/$3100  Quarterly water bill was paid, and I also made our car payment (I know, I know) early because I was stoked to see it drop below $1k.  Soon it will be gone. 

It seems like everyone's efforts are showing.  Good job! 

Megs193

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Re: Who wants to join me for Frugal February?
« Reply #99 on: February 12, 2018, 07:30:19 AM »
I spent more this weekend than I planned but my husband is gone again and I have made a menu based on what we have in the house so I only need milk and some vegetables and we are good for the week.

2/9 - Home Goods - $60.79 (we moved into our house 7 months ago. I keep a list of things we "need" and only buy what's in my list when I find it for a good price)
Fruits and Veggies - $12.26

2/10
Target - $78 (Household supplies, Valentine's cards, and a shirt for my oldest)
Baseball Cleats - $27
Birthday gift - $25 Xbox gift card

2/11
Thai food - $16.30

We have had much worse weekends so I'm fairly happy with our spending.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!