[mpayne]

vkearney and I are going on a Spending Fast - meaning we will attempt to spend NO MONEY on things that we don't absolutely NEED for a set period of time. (I'm not sure what the set period is, exactly, so please remind me vk!)

I think she is starting on 7/28 - next Monday. I am starting today, but giving myself permission to do Triples at Harris Teeter this week - but that's IT! And I will only buy things that I know we will use at my house or that I can auction/trade.

This is our accountability thread. Feel free to join us - if you dare! It's harder than it seems - especially with all the great auctions here. So tempting! Must. Stay. Strong!



My own personal rules - you can make up your own depending on your situation:

• I will not buy anything I don't NEED.
• I will not eat out unless someone else is buying. This includes ordering lunch in at work.
• I will not buy anything at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc without a coupon or gift certificate that makes it FREE. ZERO OOP.
• I will not drive any more than absolutely necessary - there is plenty to do right here at home.
• I will cook dinner at home every night - no take out!
  
• I will drink water or drinks that are already here - nothing from machines or stores.
• I will not buy any clothes - even if they are on clearance! (gah! this is gonna be hard, I'd best just stay away from the stores altogether, lest I risk spotting a clearance rack of great buys)
• I will not... oh this hurts... I won't....oh I don't wanna type it....I will not.... ...bid on any auctions.
  

[linz152]

Good Luck! I'm not stockipiled enough to join you but I'll cheer you on this month!

Linz

[CM_ANGEL]

Whatever happened to our diet? That is exactly how my spending fast would end up!

[mpayne]

CM, hoping this will help me with that too. Girl, I have now officially gained 20 lbs since I stopped smoking!

Maybe the no-eating-out will help. And there's only so much chocolate in the house - and I can't buy anymore!

[BStroh]

That is a great idea, keep us posted and good luck!

[brownie16]

We did this when DH was starting his own business. You will be surprised how much $$ you can have when you don't mindlessly spend. It wasn't too bad, but those were pre-AFC days, and I was motivated because our future was so uncertain. Good luck!

[lifeworthliving]

I will go with you guys! I just spent alot of $$ on a vacation. Enjoyed every dime of it. But need to build my savings back up. So, that being said here is my rules for me. And I will be right there with you

* No eating out for 30 days if I have to pay for it.
* Only buy if free, a money maker or can be sold for a profit in Nov yard sale If I have to pay for it.
* No other rules!

I am now inspired. Thanks I needed that!

[Kmchamplin]

Great thread Mpayne! I wish you gals the best of luck!

[applerama]

good luck!

[twilson79]

Soooooo, this is a good time for me to do my first auction???? Just Kidding, I wishyou luck, money is soo tight with me right now, I have been following your rules for weeks, it is hard, but when the money is not there, it i spossible, just pretend you don't have any money in your account!!!

[vkearney]

• I will be doing HT triples this week but only because I have mystery shops already scheduled! I have a budget for those shops and will not got over it - $50! Sounds like a lot but I have 3 shops.
• I will not buy items that cost me ANYTHING OOP – this means Sunday newspapers too!

What this means…
• I will ultimately save even more money because I won’t be driving all over town to shop!


Thanks for the new thread!

[moonflower]

Question...

What if Item A is not a moneymaker , but Item B is a money maker to the point of making Item A free too?

[angnstang]

I would like to join this also but need help in what is going to be free..Will we be posting the deals here?

[mpayne]

angnstang, there are threads in every store catagory for free things w/coupon - you just have to look around. Harris Teeter has a huge thread this week for the triples sale starting Thursday. HTH

"What if Item A is not a moneymaker , but Item B is a money maker to the point of making Item A free too?"


I'm just avoiding it all right now except for preparing for Triples (I also have a budget, vkearney! I'm aiming to spend less than $30) We have enough of most everything to last us at least a month or more. I can't believe how much time I have for other things already, after just one day of not obsessing over sales flyers!

I've listed a ton of stuff on eBay and made $60, too! Good way to use some of that free time.

[vkearney]

Originally Posted by moonflower

Question...

What if Item A is not a moneymaker , but Item B is a money maker to the point of making Item A free too?

I will be avoiding shopping all together except for the mystery shops I have scheduled during triples. I know me well enough and by looking for those money makers I will end up spending something!

Originally Posted by angnstang

I would like to join this also but need help in what is going to be free..Will we be posting the deals here?

I have found that nothing is ever really free, so again no shopping for me. Even with those free items I'll have to spend gas to get there. Don't get me wrong I love a super deal and those freebies have a sweet place in my heart but I have to cut it all out atleast for a few weeks. After all I did promise DD and mpayne probally has scouts out all over the triad waiting to catch me....

[eaturpasta]

I'm with you guys. I worked all day today..was starving on the way home. Almost stopped to get a smoothie, or frappachino...BUT I DIDN'T!! I went home and made one at home instead. I too will be shopping the triples...but since I am going camping for most of the event, I think I can stick with my $30 budget.

[mpayne]

"Even with those free items I'll have to spend gas to get there."

Good point, vk! I won't be making ANY special trips "just to get frees" either. I went through all my Qs today and got out any that are for things we don't need or that won't be free w/Triples this week. I'm doing all my Triples on Thursday and Friday (so Lynda & CM_Angel will be free to shop the G'boro HT's alllll day on Saturday without me )

Welcome, eaturpasta! Camping is a good vacation for not spending too much money.

[mpayne]

I had to get dog food yesterday. So I went to Lowe's and used the $3/1 FreshPet - which is all my dogs will eat now - and got 10 rolls for $4.99. That'll feed my pups for about a month.

Best part - that's ALL I spent yesterday. Going for 0 today!

[vkearney]

I went thru all of my coupons and made envies....they are posted under FSOT!

[lah123]

After I use up my last 10 /$1 off beef or buns ex 07/31/08..And the rest of my kraft houseparty sourcream and cheddar cheese..And the rest of the Krafts frees wyb etc-that I have traded for-giving most of them away.. all these ex 08/31/08..I will be on a shopping fast...But this past week I only redeemed some of the frees and krafts wyb..at Aldi's bought rice krispies, bananas and 2 gallons of milk..Food World 10 pks. oop $9 and Winn Dixie 5 pks of ground beef oop $4.50.. then WM catfood and catlitter with coupons, ham pork chops,price matched lettuce, bellpepper and potatoes...and no coupons on Dukes mayo..so that was my groceries this week....most of the krafts freebies I got I gave away...doing better just still not spending as little as I would like. And we are stuck paying taxes on food here in Alabama..the legislature in Montgomery can't decide what to do about us paying taxes on food... tax is 9 % urgghhh. You hear this from time to time but it never happens..So even freebies aren't exactly freebies..Still better with coupons than without. After I redeem all these coupons I am fasting...I've not even bought any of the Vive coupons to redeem and that has been hard I really wanted to try that new glossing shampoo and conditioner..but I have a ton of shampoo. We are still using Sunsilk from like almost 2 years ago from the CVS freebie.

[hcsig]

I would like to try this for a couple of weeks, but it has to wait till after next week. We head out to Denver for a family vacation, so that means spending $. But on a good note, we are going to a family reunion and we have prepaid for dinner every night and are going to buy stuff for breakfast in the hotel room. That just leaves lunch to worry about...not too shabby for a week.
But after the grocery shopping for coming back from vacation I should be able to go 2 weeks without spending $$ and only going where I have to go.

[mpayne]

Total spent today: ZERO!

This is actually kinda fun. Seeing my money just sitting in my account and not thinking about what I can spend it on. I'm horrible about that, as they say "A nickel burns a hole in my pocket." But I feel myself getting better about it every hour! I forgot my drink at work when I left today (I always have one on the way home). I had brought a Tava with me to work, but left it in the fridge when I walked out. I went to my car, remembered it, thought about just stopping to get something on the way, but went back in the office to get my Tava that was already paid for (for 25¢/can at Food Lion the other day).

Baby steps....


I did make a decision to use what I am saving on needless things and do something that I NEED to do and have been putting off "because I can't afford it". I'm getting myself and my DD a membership to the YMCA again. She is 15 and wants to work out, so I want to encourage her (she plays sports and wants to keep in shape for softball), and I have gained 20 lbs since I stopped smoking 6 months ago that I have GOT to take back off. This will be something good for both of us, and well worth the $40/month I'll be spending.

[couponmom25]

Oh my you guys are so brave I hope it goes good for the both of you and who ever else does it I would do it but i just love being able to get the great deals and going out for take out food good luck Keep us posted

[scrapquick]

good on ya!

[vkearney]

Confession - I spent .11 yesterday at CVS. I know that's breaking the first rule of the spending fast but I would have lost $10 ECB. Since that's like real money I felt the .11 was justified.