Spending $60 a week excluding fixed expenses

[Milizard]

I read this article the other day:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/after-living-on-dollar60-a-week-for-a-month-here-are-my-7-best-money-saving-tips/ar-AAmk5oV

I don't live in an expensive area like NYC, but I do have 2 kids (and a husband, but he can spend his own money as he wishes).  I thought I'd give this a try.  Anybody else want to give it a go?



I already spent nearly half of my weekly allotment at Aldi's yesterday.  We'll see how this goes!

[kfire20]

I tried $50.00 a week just for fun this month and failed due to lack of willpower the last 6 days. I'll give 60.00 a try for next month.

[Milizard]

I tried $50.00 a week just for fun this month and failed due to lack of willpower the last 6 days. I'll give 60.00 a try for next month.

Cool!  Since you are able to save the excess that you don't spend for spending later on, this one might come easily to you.  Me, so far, not so much.  I just donated $5 and bought something for $6.  Now I've got $24 left for the week, and my eye on something on sale for $30 on Amazon. 

[monstermonster]

I think I can be in for February! This doesn't seem like too much of a stretch for me compared to my normal numbers, but might keep me accountable. Groceries + household goods might be the hard one.

Fixed expenses now run $1008 for me (unfortunately) and include: Health Insurance ($241), Rent ($615), Utilities ($85), Renter's Insurance ($11 sinking fund), Gym ($40), Bikeshare ($6) and a (just because I'm too lazy to cancel for the month) recurring charity contribution ($10).

I've adjusted all my discretionary budget categories to reflect a budget of $240 for the month of Feb. I'm not obeying this "no using existing food" nonsense because the woman who wrote it considers Olive Oil an "essential" so, whatever, that seems arbitrary and not keeping with my frugal spirit of not wasting. We don't store much food anyway.

[boarder42]

it was a single person so this should be adjusted.  I'll go for 120 a week with my wife and I.  I think this is doable in Feb. 

[recklesslysober]

Going to follow along. Last month I spent about $65/week.

[Milizard]

Sure--feel free to modify it to fit your own family and goals!  I didn't catch not using previously purchased food.  That's asinine. I'm not letting food go bad just to prove a point.

Spent $18 yesterday on gas.  Saw that it was jumping up at one gas station, so topped off about 1/2 tank at another station down the road.  Around $6 left for the week.

[monstermonster]

Well, I failed for this week unfortunately, because we ran out of dishwasher liquid, dish soap, my deodorant (buy four times a year), and razor blades (only buy twice a year) all in the same week and decided to get a house cleaner for the first time in a year.

My total for the week on non-fixed expenses is $63.18:

• $24.10 groceries
• $17.33 household goods
• $2.75 Coffee
• $19 (half of) house cleaner

[PerpetualWanderlust]

I'm in for February.

[Milizard]

It was tougher than I expected (with my particular situation, that is), but managed week 1 OK.  I still have to figure out how to deal with paying for my kids stuff.

Aldi $25.33
Jump rope for heart donation $5
Amazon purchase $5.59
Gas $18
Pizza slice for younger son in daycare $2
McD's $2.75. (Don't judge, it was a terrible day and needed something fast)

Total : $58.67

Start week 2 with $61.33

[recklesslysober]

This week I was way over.. $237.92 (about $180 USD). It was my birthday so I bought snacks and invited friends over, bought some alcohol, and stocked up on groceries since we mostly went through the freezer and pantry last month. I also got a massage and had to pay the deductible for that.

The rest of the month I plan on being on or under budget though.

[boarder42]

I'm a failure.  but knew that would probably happen. 

we're having a baby in august.  so last week we bought a crib and a nursery glider.  got them for a steal.  but that was 380 bucks.

[Milizard]

Start week 2 with $61.33

Week 2 spending:

McD's $14.81 
Groceries  $24.71
pizza lunch for kid at school  $2
coffee with friends: $3.70

total:  $45.22

start week 3 with:  $76.11

I feel I should explain the McD's.  I try not to go there that often, but my mom went into the hospital, and needs me there a lot to translate for her.  A couple times, I just really needed a quick lunch on the run.  Another time, a friend invited me kids to get together with her kids at the playland there.  I was really torn about the playland, but relented.  Now my younger son is sick again (big surprise).

As for taking advantage of deals when you find them, I delayed a purchase on Amazon and now it's gone and I regret it.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted or needed, but it seemed like a good deal that could work fairly well as nothing else I found seemed perfect either.  Damn.

Good luck with Valentine's Day!  We're already planning a low-key one, so it shouldn't be too pricey for me.