My goal for this day of the new year:

[BlueRoseMama]

I have done ok in the "not getting things I don't love" area... but the "not spending more than needed" area needs work. We got TONS of gift cards for Christmas, and that just encourages spending to me. I call it my "butthesale" syndrom. When I have a gift card for JoAnn's for $25 and spend $60 (which means $35 out of pocket) on the "butthesale" stuff.... well it is starting to feel like too much. THis happened at least twice... and it needs to stop. So here is my goal for Jan 2, 2006...

Tomorrow Cyan and I are having a girls day. We are going to the mall (*GASP*) to return a few things and get a few things. I need a couple things, like a pack of not so sexy underwear (dh got all sexy stuff... and although his mind was in the right place (ie: the gutter), I don't have any to wear when I don't feel so "sexy". lol... So need those. Plus I want to get a pair of these plazzo pants I love right now. And all of that should be covered in the skirt my D-dh (Daring-darling husband) bought me from the GAP that I have to take back. Denim jean mini skirt. Um... I haven't worn a skirt in like 2 years that wasn't past my knees... what was he thinking? Probobly bought the undies (if I dare call them that) at the same time. Cute, but I just won't wear it much... and when something so practical is sitting next door (I really really love these pants) then how can I not? (Dh said it was a long shot to get the skirt anyway, and the fact that I have worn formentioned undies for the last week softened him up a bit for the blow that I am taking the skirt back.)

Then it will be off to the book store to return the self help book my sil got me. I plan on getting a book on Pagan holidays and celebrations with it. It may be as much as $10 over what the other book cost, but it will make me happier and we have the $10 from some pants that sold yesterday in the local shop of mine. (*glee!*)

Total made: $20

As long as the total spent is under $20 out of pocket I will feel great about the day.

That is my goal. Sorry for the inane babble that you just witnessed... I am tired and cold and need to make some tea. Wish me luck!

Val

[KimberMama]

Good luck!

I am trying not to spend money on anything unnecessary in January, unless it comes off gift cards or out of my personal money. (FFS pants excepted...I had to have those! Plus the money was sitting in my Paypal account, so it was almost like not spending any real money.)

Tomorrow DH wants to go to the movies. He already has 4 movie passes that he bought at work for $6 each. We have $13.50 on a gift card to the theater, so that will cover snacks for the boys.

We'll need to go to the store for bananas, and maybe a small bottle of sake as there is a recipe I want to make. But that should be it.

[Kerri]

My goal for today is to only buy a couple of things as well. The van's gas tank is empty, and I have $20 in cash in my wallet. So that should make a dent in it at least and if Dave doesn't find out, will work. He gets so irritated when I only put in a little gas and don't fill it up. But too bad. We are also totally out of milk, and I have $4 in change for that. But the kids are also bugging me to take them to the dollar store because Cole slept in his own bed all night last night, which is a big deal and usually takes bribing. So maybe I'll end up spending $3 on that too, but I'm hoping I can get out of that one, because I'd have to use my bank card, which I'd rather not. The stores actually might be closed today, which would be a good excuse (the holiday for New Year). So we'll see.

And Val, I went shopping this past week with gift cards. I NEVER SHOP. What a rush! LOL.

Kerri

[mamabear]

Good for you! I am on a spending strike myself. But I do have some Christmas money that I'm tempted to spend, not save...just not sure on what. I have yarn for a sweater that I want to get, but I'm not sure...I want to be sure I will love it.

My goals for today are to clean this house up and declutter, and to bake muffins and cookies for the week. Unfortunately I have the energy of a slug, even after coffee, and I just want to sit on my butt and maybe take a nap. LOL!

[BlueRoseMama]

It didn't work. My brother came over and we ended up going out to eat. UGH!!!! Start over today. In my deffence, my brother can't eat fiber at all... like can't have skins of fruit or veggies, no beans, no whole grains, no salad EVER, can't even eat spaghetti sauce if made with whole tomatos... so it wasn't like I had a bunch of white flour and bad cheese in my house to feed the man. He ended up getting a burger with nothing but cheese on it. I wonder how he servives sometimes. Poor guy. But there wasn't anything in my house for him to eat... not even like white flour crackers. So I don't feel too bad about going out last night, although the $25 kicks my butt once again. I am starting over today though. The fresh squeezed oj that I made this morning with stop me from getting a Chai out today. I put it in a mason jar to take with me. I did no errands yesterday.... so everything about yesterday still applies today.

I am starting over today. And breathing deep refreshing breaths now that the kids are back in school... Who's with me on that one?????

Val

[KimberMama]

Uugghh, eating out will get you every time. It has become such a part of our culture, too. My parents always expect to go out to eat with us if it is meal time.

We did so-so. DH couldn't find the movie tickets, but still really wanted to go to the movies. We used the gift card for the boys' tickets and spent cash on ours ($15.50!). It comes out of the entertainment budget for the month ($60). Problem is, we are going camping twice this month and needed the enterainment budget for that, to celebrate DS#1's birthday. We're going to have to get creative.

The good thing is that we smuggled in snacks. I really can't let the boys eat anything from the theater, as we don't eat anything hydrogenated or with HFCS/CS. There isn't a wealth of vegan food at the theater. We took fruit leathers and home-popped popcorn for the boys, water, and then I had raw almonds and DH had almonds and an orange.

[BlueRoseMama]

Originally Posted by KimberMama

There isn't a wealth of vegan food at the theater.

We have tons of vegan foods at our theater... although it is terribly liberal to call "cheese product" and "over-processed chemically induced potatoes" food. LOL!! We don't do the theater with the kids a lot... usually it is a date night type activity... but when we do, we only get drinks and then smuggle in something or other just like you. I don't feel guilty... gosh they got $26 out of us for the movie!

It's not that my brother expects to eat out... it is that he can't eat anything that I usually eat. He is just such a high maintance eater. He has IBS and a Spastic Colon, so there are so many things he can't eat that unless we PLAN to have him over, we go out.

TODAY: Started with $20 from sale of pants.
Dropped Cyan off at Preschool.
Went to Grocery and got groceries. (doesn't count in spending)
Went to Costco and returned shirt = +$13.50
Went to GAP and returned crazy skirt bought by dh for Christmas = +$17.00
Went to Barnes & Noble and returned self help book = +$14.00
Bought Breath of Snow and Ashes, hardback = -$28 (what I really wanted from book store in the first place)

At point: +$36.5.

Went to mall... returned Undies (only two pairs out of like 10 that Don picked out... over all the guy didn't do a bad job. But I offically have a drawer full of string... lol!) +$6.50 (at point: +$43)

At the undies store they had my favorite Plazzo pants on sale for $10 a peice. Got two... with tax was $22.50

Went to pick Cyan up, with new pants and new book and came out of it all with my $20 and $.50. Not bad for 4 hours of hard shopping!

I feel great about it all. And I made fresh squeeze oj before I left so I didn't even think about getting chai.

Now if I can keep it going when Don wants to go out this evening I will feel REALLY good about the day.

Val

[KimberMama]

You did really well!

Today we hit the mainstream grocery store and TJs. Spent $39 total, but it wasn't a real trip, just a quick trip. I spent $7.37 that I didn't need to, on sake for a recipe (Mike will drink the rest, or maybe it will keep), and on a tofu dessert for the boys to try. The rest was organic OJ (2 64 oz. cartons), salsa (bought 4 jars because it was on sale), 5 lbs. grapefruit, 2.75 lbs. bananas, 1.16 lbs. tomatoes, 24 oz. frozen mango chunks (TJs) and 4 Haas avocados (TJs).

This year I am going to track groceries really carefully. I have categories for fruit, vegetables, alcohol, sweets, and general groceries.

DH wants to take the boys skating tonight. That's another $6 from the entertainment fund, more if he has to buy a snack. Sigh.