Daily spending to the penny - July 2010

**cottageliving** · 07-04-2010, 03:15 PM

FVers,

I posted a request late yesterday and want to follow it up with this post. To help keep me on track and focused, I will post the total money I spent each day, and the breakdown. This will force me to be accountable.

Your help in this journey means a lot to me -- I am clearly having trouble sticking with this on my own, but it is SO important to me.

July 1, 2, and 3: no money spent.

I need to run to the store for a few things today so will update the thread this evening.

tomorrow I fly back to California for work, so that is where my REAL challenge begins. (At the airport, even before my flight).

Please feel free to post your daily spending for July in this thread as well -- it would help me, and perhaps help you as well.

Thanks in advance for your support!!
Jen

**cottageliving** · 07-04-2010, 09:37 PM

Money spent at Target earlier today for essentials: cat food, litter, TP, a bottle of Coke: $22.47

Money spent at the grocery store: $0.96 after turning in soda bottles for deposit money back for snacks to take on the plane tomorrow.

just knowing that I will post all money spent tomorrow will help keep me in check at the airport and upon arrival in California.

thanks

**Mom2-3** · 07-05-2010, 01:55 AM

Good luck! I just started doing this again. Writing down every penny that left my purse/account. I used to do better, but got lazy. The last two months have been very lazy!!

I'll keep you company here!

**HeatSeeker** · 07-05-2010, 11:06 PM

I'll join in, I need to cut back on the small charges, as I am saving for school.
July 5th
Grocery store-8.67
Dollar Tree- 3.30

**imagine** · 07-06-2010, 08:57 AM

Good Luck, you can do it.

My goal is to track ever penny for the whole year.

Six months down. Six more to go.

**porembam** · 07-06-2010, 10:36 AM

I just bought a car ( with cash ) So now I feel the need to count every penny to feel secure again - I will be watching your thread - it's easier when someone else is counting pennies with you.

**knitnmom** · 07-06-2010, 12:11 PM

I'm tracking my spending too. I just started but already I can see huge leaks in our spending!! Ugh.

**mek42** · 07-06-2010, 02:33 PM

What is helpful for me is to have a spreadsheet with a rough budget in one column and actual spending in another. I update the spreadsheet from checkbook before allowing myself to buy anything not in the budget. So, if I don't feel like updating the spreadsheet, I don't buy anything not already in the budget, since I don't know where it will be coming from.

Spending less often is also rewarding from less recordkeeping hassle.

Good luck - hope all goes well!

**cottageliving** · 07-07-2010, 11:53 AM

Monday - travel day - Spent $12.73 at the airport for drinks and food.

Tuesday - $3.00 for tip at free breakfast, $1.25 for bottle of Coke, $5.63 for lunch. Ate snacks I still had from my travel day. Did not eat dinner (since I ate all the snacks. I know, I know, you don't even have to say it).

Will get to the grocery store Wednesday evening to buy sandwich supplies.

Thanks everybody!!

**cottageliving** · 07-07-2010, 11:41 PM

Money spent on Wednesday:
$3.00 tip for free breakfast
$7.68 lunch
$2.07 dinner
$250.00 ck sent to handyman/petsitter/painter/lawn guy
$5.00 2 day UPS fee to send chk
$52.40 student loan July payment

how are the rest of you holding up? I did not make it to the grocery store tonite and will try to go tomorrow during lunch. It saves me money and allows me to have better food.

**Mom2-3** · 07-07-2010, 11:44 PM

Ugh. We have already spent too much this month. It seems like we need a lot right now. Parts to fix broken things, kids need supplies for sports and school, car needs some maintenance. Everything has a sinking fund, but this is getting crazy!

**cottageliving** · 07-07-2010, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by mek42

What is helpful for me is to have a spreadsheet with a rough budget in one column and actual spending in another. I update the spreadsheet from checkbook before allowing myself to buy anything not in the budget. So, if I don't feel like updating the spreadsheet, I don't buy anything not already in the budget, since I don't know where it will be coming from.

Spending less often is also rewarding from less recordkeeping hassle.

Good luck - hope all goes well!

This is such good advice. My problem is that I'll do this very thing for about a week then won't visit it again for over a month.

I finally figured out that I need to try something different to make me continue working my plan. Since I'm not married or in a long term relationship so don't run my finances by anyone, and finally admit I cannot stay on track on my own, I have come to all of you, My FV family for support and accountability.

I LOVE excel and build worksheets and databases all the time. I have started so many budget worksheets for myself that it is embarrassing. I have purchased manual workbooks and computer applications to help me but I don't stick with any of them for the long term. Ridiculous. That's why I decided to come clean and hold myself accountable publicly.

I REALLY appreciate all of the feedback and believe it will make a difference for me this time.

thanks!

**cottageliving** · 07-07-2010, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by Mom2-3

Ugh. We have already spent too much this month. It seems like we need a lot right now. Parts to fix broken things, kids need supplies for sports and school, car needs some maintenance. Everything has a sinking fund, but this is getting crazy!

Hang in there!! We are here for you

It does seem a bit much sometimes though, doesn't it? I'm glad you had the funds to spend and weren't stuck unable to meet real needs. Your frugal choices really made the difference for you and your family.

**Mom2-3** · 07-08-2010, 02:29 PM

I keep telling myself, that we have no new debt!! Repeat, repeat....

It's just BS3 is so hard! I read it would be, but really didn't believe it. How could it be hard paying yourself your money?! It was very easy to throw that snowball to the credit card and the car. Now, not so much. I think we put off too much while in BS2 and it's all catching up to us now.

Thanks for the cheering.

It helps knowing we aren't the only ones on this path

**qsaver704** · 07-09-2010, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Mom2-3

I keep telling myself, that we have no new debt!! Repeat, repeat....

It's just BS3 is so hard! I read it would be, but really didn't believe it. How could it be hard paying yourself your money?! It was very easy to throw that snowball to the credit card and the car. Now, not so much. I think we put off too much while in BS2 and it's all catching up to us now.

Thanks for the cheering.

It helps knowing we aren't the only ones on this path

Wow! Finally someone has said what I have been feeling for months now! All Debt gone (except house) but I am only saving $20 a week (auto draft) towards the BS#3. I keep telling myself that I will put more in when the month is over and I have some left. Well, we all know, there is none left.

I also have LOTS of sinking funds, which has never been the case in the past, so that helps, but the FFEF is growing slowly. Another new wrinkle in the plan is we are pregnant. So, anytime we do have extra money it goes to the baby fund. I guess I could look at a debt free baby as avoiding an emergency!