Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (I think that's how many days I need to update on.)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were easy. It was getting much easier as I went. By the end of my work-day Friday I'd only used a half a tank of gas, which for me is amazing! I did this by rolling my windows down and not running my air conditioner. I also used my car to only go to work and home (with a pit-stop both ways to the babysitter to drop-off/pick-up Walter of course).
On Friday my work had a retreat up in a canyon. It cost $3.00 to get into the canyon. I jumped on the opportunity to carpool with a girl who has an annual pass. My cost to get into the canyon: $0.00! I'm a Super Saver!
Then. . . Friday night. . . It got complicated. Josh decided to come home from working out of state for the weekend, and I needed to go pick him up in Draper, 30 miles away. There went my gas! Now I'm at less than 1/4 of a tank, and I still need to drop him back off in Draper this evening so he can catch a ride back to Las Vegas to work. There goes the rest of my gas. Totally worth it to have him home though!!! Until he decided to come home I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have to get gas until I got paid again next Friday.
On the plus side, Josh gave me most of his paycheck, and we FINALLY got a check from Paypal for a disputed item over a year ago! Josh won the dispute and they mailed us a check for $184.00! Josh's paycheck and the Paypal money all went directly into SAVINGS because I had plenty of money in checking!
So here's where I "bent" the rules. Before Josh gave me his paycheck money we went to lunch (spending $20.00) and got a few essentials at Wal-Mart: milk, windshield washer fluid (I was completely out in my car), baby wipes, and baby bum paste ($15). I made sure Josh is keeping $200 for himself to use while out of town. He uses it to buy groceries and pay co-workers gas money because he doesn't have a car down there.
So did I break my rule of not spending a penny until Tuesday (10 days)? Probably. And even if I technically didn't I'm going to have to break my rule on Monday to buy gas. One day early.
But I know I'm going to continue this experiment through the rest of the month. I think I'll set aside days to buy essential items, like gas and groceries. Then the rest of the month I won't spend any money (besides bills I have to pay of course).
Hopefully soon I will be able to accomplish my goal of not spending any money for 10 whole days.
ThreEwells down to Two Ewells. Therapist, social worker, book-lover, aspiring author and aspiring bookstore owner, avid indie book store visitor and mom of one perfect child who owns my heart.
Showing posts with label Budgeting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budgeting. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Spending Fast, Day 1, 2 and 3
I read an article on Yahoo.com last week that jarred me. A woman didn't spend any money for 10 days. TEN DAYS! . . . In a row.. . . On PURPOSE! And the crazy thing is that she tries to do this on a monthly basis!
Which got me thinking that I seem to spend money on a daily basis. Mostly for things I really don't need. A soda at the gas station. Going out to eat instead of packing a lunch for work because "I deserve it don't'cha know?" Buying things at the grocery store I REALLY don't need, like Disney movies, or candy. Or pants for Walter at Wal-Mart because they are on clearance for $1.00, even though he has a million pants in that size.
So I thought I'd take on this woman's challenge. I decided not to spend any money for 10 whole, long, excruciating 10 days.
Pre-Day One, Friday, June 3, 2011:
Paid my phone bill (automatically comes out of my checking $33.00 for a track phone from Wal-Mart)
Filled my gas tank to full, $30.00
Paid the babysitter for the past two weeks.
Mailed my tithing so I could count it as being paid today.
I got paid (good thing because I was close to $0.00 in my checking account).
Stocked up on groceries at Cost-co.*
*disclaimer: I had a goal to only spend $20 on groceries for the next ten days. But because I went to Cost-co with my parents instead of going somewhere I wouldn't have to purchase items in bulk I spent $100 on groceries. "Great! I'm already over my budget and spending money to save money is not what I had in mind." Bonus was I bought a lot of food storage for Walter's lunches that I pack for the babysitter: apple sauce, Chef Boyardee pasta, mac n' cheese, fruit cups, etc.
Pre-paid for the next two Mondays at Weight Watchers: $18.00.
Okay! I was ready!
Day 1: Saturday, June 4, 2011.
Walter and I walked down with my parents to the ward breakfast - cost $0.00 Free breakfast.
9:30 - Used some of the salad stuff I bought at Cost-co to make a salad for the family re-union.
11:30 - caught a ride with my parents to said family re-union. Walter received a free Bulls Eye horse (from Toy Story 2 & 3) from the fish pond. We had a great time.
Ate dinner at home.
Total money spent for the day: $0.00 - Easy peasy!
Day 2: Sunday, June 5, 2011.
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Caught ride with my parents to Stake Conference
12:30 p.m. - ate lunch at home, left-overs.
6:00 p.m. - Sunday Family Dinner.
Total money spend for the day $0.00 - This is no sweat so far!
Day 3: Monday, June
7:00 - packed all kinds of salad stuff to make a salad while at work. Packed Walter's lunch for the babysitter's.
8:10 - ate breakfast at work: English muffin, Weight Watcher's yogurt and blue berries. Cost - $0.00
9:30 a.m. - drove someone to a doctor's appointment. Passed multiple restaurants on the way. I started to feel jealous of my old self, who could stop and eat there later today if I wasn't doing this stupid challenge.
9:35 a.m. Reminded myself why I'm doing this challenge in the first place is because I seem to spend all my extra money on this exact type of thing and then I wonder why I never have any money.
12:30 p.m. - Went to Weight Watchers. Only gained 2/10ths of a pound after not going for three weeks and not tracking what I've been eating for 10 days! (I guess you can do anything for 10 days, good, or bad!) I'd pre-paid so it cost me nothing today.
1:30 p.m. - Made my salad at work. Realized I didn't have salad dressing (actually realized this on the way to work, and had tried to get some by stopping at a Subway on the way to my Weight Watcher's meeting, but they didn't have any out for the public to take. They used to have it right by the straws! I had to raid the fridge at work, and found some salad dressing. I'll definately pack some tomorrow though). Cost - $0.00
Packed a soda and drank it.
2:00 p.m. - filled my soda can with water because I'm trying to drink more water.
2:45 p.m. realize my soda can is still completely full of water. I can drink a 12 ounce soda in 45 minutes, but struggle to drink a few sips of ice water in 45 minutes. What is wrong with me? I used to guzzle water and now I'm so bad at drinking it!
That has been my experience so far today. Weekdays are MUCH harder for me than weekends. Being out of the house on weekdays, driving by a 7-11, or a restaurant that I know serves yummy sandwhiches. . . today that was difficult.
I think this challenge will be very good for me. I plan to put what money I don't spend in my savings account. I'm excited to see how much I get to "bank" when my 10 days are over.
Which got me thinking that I seem to spend money on a daily basis. Mostly for things I really don't need. A soda at the gas station. Going out to eat instead of packing a lunch for work because "I deserve it don't'cha know?" Buying things at the grocery store I REALLY don't need, like Disney movies, or candy. Or pants for Walter at Wal-Mart because they are on clearance for $1.00, even though he has a million pants in that size.
So I thought I'd take on this woman's challenge. I decided not to spend any money for 10 whole, long, excruciating 10 days.
Pre-Day One, Friday, June 3, 2011:
Paid my phone bill (automatically comes out of my checking $33.00 for a track phone from Wal-Mart)
Filled my gas tank to full, $30.00
Paid the babysitter for the past two weeks.
Mailed my tithing so I could count it as being paid today.
I got paid (good thing because I was close to $0.00 in my checking account).
Stocked up on groceries at Cost-co.*
*disclaimer: I had a goal to only spend $20 on groceries for the next ten days. But because I went to Cost-co with my parents instead of going somewhere I wouldn't have to purchase items in bulk I spent $100 on groceries. "Great! I'm already over my budget and spending money to save money is not what I had in mind." Bonus was I bought a lot of food storage for Walter's lunches that I pack for the babysitter: apple sauce, Chef Boyardee pasta, mac n' cheese, fruit cups, etc.
Pre-paid for the next two Mondays at Weight Watchers: $18.00.
Okay! I was ready!
Day 1: Saturday, June 4, 2011.
Walter and I walked down with my parents to the ward breakfast - cost $0.00 Free breakfast.
9:30 - Used some of the salad stuff I bought at Cost-co to make a salad for the family re-union.
11:30 - caught a ride with my parents to said family re-union. Walter received a free Bulls Eye horse (from Toy Story 2 & 3) from the fish pond. We had a great time.
Ate dinner at home.
Total money spent for the day: $0.00 - Easy peasy!
Day 2: Sunday, June 5, 2011.
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Caught ride with my parents to Stake Conference
12:30 p.m. - ate lunch at home, left-overs.
6:00 p.m. - Sunday Family Dinner.
Total money spend for the day $0.00 - This is no sweat so far!
Day 3: Monday, June
7:00 - packed all kinds of salad stuff to make a salad while at work. Packed Walter's lunch for the babysitter's.
8:10 - ate breakfast at work: English muffin, Weight Watcher's yogurt and blue berries. Cost - $0.00
9:30 a.m. - drove someone to a doctor's appointment. Passed multiple restaurants on the way. I started to feel jealous of my old self, who could stop and eat there later today if I wasn't doing this stupid challenge.
9:35 a.m. Reminded myself why I'm doing this challenge in the first place is because I seem to spend all my extra money on this exact type of thing and then I wonder why I never have any money.
12:30 p.m. - Went to Weight Watchers. Only gained 2/10ths of a pound after not going for three weeks and not tracking what I've been eating for 10 days! (I guess you can do anything for 10 days, good, or bad!) I'd pre-paid so it cost me nothing today.
1:30 p.m. - Made my salad at work. Realized I didn't have salad dressing (actually realized this on the way to work, and had tried to get some by stopping at a Subway on the way to my Weight Watcher's meeting, but they didn't have any out for the public to take. They used to have it right by the straws! I had to raid the fridge at work, and found some salad dressing. I'll definately pack some tomorrow though). Cost - $0.00
Packed a soda and drank it.
2:00 p.m. - filled my soda can with water because I'm trying to drink more water.
2:45 p.m. realize my soda can is still completely full of water. I can drink a 12 ounce soda in 45 minutes, but struggle to drink a few sips of ice water in 45 minutes. What is wrong with me? I used to guzzle water and now I'm so bad at drinking it!
That has been my experience so far today. Weekdays are MUCH harder for me than weekends. Being out of the house on weekdays, driving by a 7-11, or a restaurant that I know serves yummy sandwhiches. . . today that was difficult.
I think this challenge will be very good for me. I plan to put what money I don't spend in my savings account. I'm excited to see how much I get to "bank" when my 10 days are over.
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