No Spend April: Mid-month Check In

Well we're almost half way through April! Time really does go by quickly once you have little kids. I feel like it should still be Christmas time, although I'm loving the warm weather...and I'm not missing the hectic holiday season right now.

Anyway. Friday will be the 15th and that means I'll have made it to the half way mark without spending any money! Well, not spending any money on non-essential items. And it's been hard. The first several days I just had to stay out of the stores completely. We didn't even leave the house that much. This past week however we've been getting out every day, going to parks, the library and stores. I'm such a creature of habit because the moment I started getting the girls ready to leave the house my mind went straight to Starbucks!

"Let's see, we're going to the library, there isn't a drive through on the way there, but if I back track a little bit I can do the drive through Starbucks and not need to haul the kids in and out of their car seats. Or maybe I can just get a coffee at the library. The girls will likely want a snack there anyway...." That's about the time my mind came to a screeching halt when I remembered I wasn't spending any money. (Insert sad face here)

Today I bravely went to Target, Walmart and the Children's place to return items I've had laying around for months just waiting to be returned. I was in and out of those stores so quick it was a record! And nothing extra was purchased! Yay me! I took everything I had not to walk over to Michaels "just to take a look around". Then of course Krispy Kreme was funneling out their delicious aroma of freshly baked donuts...one of my biggest weaknesses. I was trying to hard to ignore it when my 3 year old says "mmmmmm mommy what's that yummy smell".

So for a check in;

As of today I've spent a total of $59.34, all at Walmart on groceries, and that was over 3 different trips. Yesterday I utilized their grocery pick up service so I didn't even have to go IN the store! It was great. Today I went in to return and exchange some things, and used some of that exchange to get almond butter and jelly for Alivia. I was trying to make it the month without restocking those two things but I'm running out of ideas for lunches for the girls using only what I have at home lol And she was really missing her sandwiches.

So far I've sold $114.52 worth of things around the house, from toys to clothes to washi tape. I was planning on having a garage sale this Sunday but our wacky weather here is once again,...well...wacky. It's 70* right now (Wednesday) and Saturday and Sunday it'll be snowing.
So I'll be waiting until next weekend to sell some clothes. This is actually a blessing in disguise because this will give me more time and I'll be able to go through the girls clothing as well and add them to the sale. (I'm working through the KonMari method, you can check out my first purge on my YouTube channel Purging closet)

I think at the end of the month I'll go through our April bank statement to see exactly how well we did. My husband hasn't been doing all that great but better than usual!

I hope everyone else is hanging in there!

No Spend April: Day 4

I can officially say I've made it 4 days without spending money! Yes, this is surprising for me. No coffee runs, no Krispy Kreme stops, no "I need to stop at Michael's real quick to see if they have new washi" runs.

Friday the 1st I was nanny'ing and usually I always stop at Krispy Kreme and grab a doughnut (or 3...) and a coffee and then on the way home it's not terribly unheard of for me to stop at Target/Sprouts/Dollar Tree/Michaels, Krispy Kreme (again, I TOLD you it was a problem!). Then yesterday the 3rd I went out to Orchard shopping center to try and sell some of my clothes at a consignment shop (didn't go well...I'll explain another day) on the way there are a ton of shops that I love to browse through, even when I'm not looking for something to buy I just feel like I need to go in and look around. It's ridiculous. I made it all the way there, looked around the store while they looked at my clothes, and all the way back home and I didn't buy anything! That's progress people! And I came home with $2.75 more than I had on my way there.

I really wanted to buy this dress, plus about 3 others I saw there but I refrained. I took a picture instead to remind myself that I do have willpower lol. The dress was just above knee length and had pockets!

I also sold $60 worth of items from my home that we no longer use or need. I sold some extra washi tape I had and though I really didn't make any money off of it (I just charged the person what I had to pay plus shipping and PayPal fees) it was still nice getting that money back in my account.

Today we drove to the library to return books and then headed over to a park that's on the way home. It's amazing how often I've been stopping at stores or fast food places. Just seeing the Kohls sign made me want to stop by as well as Good Times. Not only do I not need or even want anything from Kohls but I also wasn't hungry so there was no reason for me to stop at Good Times. And let me tell ya...had I stopped there I would have got the strawberry cheesecake addiction spoon bender. I'm not supposed to eat dairy and yet I still have no issue stopping and getting that. Will power! I feel it coming back!

I can't say my husband is as on board with this whole thing. He doesn't want to feel "deprived" (excuse my intense eye roll here). So yesterday he stopped at the liquor store and bought beer. SMH.
He did also pick up some ground beef for burritos we were making and some bars for his drive to work. That's fine. The beer...irritating but I'm trying to "Let it Go".
                                                                          

I still haven't unfollowed my groups on Facebook that make me want to spend money and today was REALLY difficult and I was thisclose to texting my mom and asking her to buy something for me and I'd pay her back next month. I didn't, and I'm proud of myself, because the girls  really really really really  don't need anymore clothes. No matter how incredibly cute it is!

I'm in a Facebook group that sells children's clothes that are so incredibly cute.

So I'd say so far so good. I'm combating my coffee cravings with tea. I have an abundance of tea in my house that I never drink, it goes bad before I even get around to drinking it. And though I've been feeling really tired lately I don't think it's the tea but rather the 15 month old who still insists on waking me up all night long.

26 Days to Go!
Anyone else still hanging in there with me?! I'd love to hear about it.

No Spend April: Getting Ready

The point behind "no spend month", for me at least, is to save money, get out of the habit of buying on a whim and to appreciate what I already have at home. 

So it won't do any good if I go crazy today buying things and "stocking up" and stuff I otherwise wouldn't need. I don't want to go spend $300 on food/clothes/toys in "preparation" for not spending money in April. 

So how am I prepping? I'm doing the usual grocery shopping I always do to begin with though I won't be making as many trips as is typical, I'm setting up a grocery pickup for the restocking of fruits and vegetables I know I'll need, I'm unfollowing groups on Facebook that sell anything, as well as "planner" groups because seeing all the stuff purchased by other people won't help me at all. 

Today I will fill my car up with gas becasje  10 miles away from empty! And I'll be attempting to not fill up again until May1st. Unless D needs to take my car to work I think I can make it all month. 

I will obviously be paying bills...I'm pretty sure my landlord, credit card companies and power company won't be on board with my "no spend April". (Wouldn't that be nice!?)

I'm also hoping this will help me break my terrible sugar habit because I won't be stopping for any treats. 

...and I did stop this morning for a treat...like I do many times a week...

So here's to not spending money, giving up coffee and losing sugar from my diet!

...wish my family luck...

Anyone else crazy enough to do this with me? I'll be looking for encouraging comments throughout the month to help me! 😉

No Spend April

I recently joined a new Facebook group and while reading through the comments I saw someone mention their "no spend month" and how they didn't make it because they had to buy new materials. The materials, by the way, were for scrap booking. So "had" to buy was more like "wanted" to buy. Her comment brought out more people talking about their own "no spend month" and I got to thinking...what in the world is that?


Now...I know what you're thinking, it's not rocket science. Obviously it means that you don't spend any money for the month. But it's something I've never heard of doing before, or wanted to do before for that matter. I mean...shopping. Do I even need to say anything else? How can one go an ENTIRE MONTH and not buy anything?! It's not possible. Right?

Well I like a challenge. Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you if I have the option between "easy" and "hard"...I end up picking the hard. It doesn't even matter the topic. Cake; Boxed or From Scratch? Nope...There's a 3rd option people! It's the one where you have to buy special organic whole wheat flower that was cultivated in the forest of Never Never Land and the only way there is by a special unicorn. But to get the unicorn there you have to make them a treat. There are two options for the treat...easy or hard...nope there's a 3rd option for that too................

Do you see where I'm going here. I don't.

Anyway. I'm up for a challenge and this is coming at a really good time too. With D just getting back into a new job (and actually may be leaving that now too but that's another day's post) and the months on end we went without an income, we have a LOT Of catching up to do. So not spending any money for a whole month can and will do us a world of good!

Did I mention that the Facebook group I joined is for planners....planners...this stupid planner is now costing me an arm and a leg. An arm and a leg that I can't afford to give up. And not only because I have 2 young children that require me to have 6 arms and 6 legs but I'm really fond of my appendages. Or is it limbs? both? Wait...we're talking about money.

Between wanting all the Tulas, LuLaRoe, Happy Planner stuff, washi tape (yes...it's a thing, don't ask) and donuts (I have a problem) I'm spending WAY TOO MUCH MONEY!!!!!

So here's my plan;

Don't. Spend. Any. Money.

For April. At least. I Googled this concept and really it's not that crazy but when you have a shopping habit, and not the money to support it, it's a problem. Not to mention it's not needed. The things I've bought in the last 2 months could ALLLLL be returned to the store and I wouldn't be all that affected by it. It's just a habit.

Tomorrow I'll lay out the details of what I plan on doing but for tonight I'm going to sort through my ridiculous stash of washi and find a way to organize it...that won't cost me any more money.

What's on your mind?

Sometimes I walk into a room to get something. And can't remember what it was. 

I know why. Because I usually have about 8 things on my mind at once. Apparently it's more than one. 

Spring cleaning

Purging

Bills

Blogging

YouTube

Money

Playing

Date night

Sleep training

Planning

SPRING

Debt

Moving

Education

Exercise 

Nursing

Sugar

10k training

Video editing

Safety

Yard space

Babies/kids

Family

Donations

Running

Minimizing

Clutter

Joining rooms 

Laundry

Clothes too small too big 

Organizing 

Shopping 

Friends

😯