What do you consider a spend day

**piney** · 12-29-2010, 11:30 AM

I don't count paying regular bill,such as rent cc,phone,internet,hospital,but i do count grocery,hba,gas for car and service jobs for car.What do you count? I may be doing mine all wrong.Thanks

**madhen** · 12-29-2010, 11:41 AM

I don't think there is a "wrong" way, as long as you are consistent and realistic.

I don't count recurring bills, such as mortgage, utilities, etc, because I could be the best non-spender in the world, get everything via barter, and I'd still have to pay those (or move to an undeveloped country).

I count pretty much everything else, though.

**Debbie-cat** · 12-29-2010, 11:43 AM

I don't count bills but everything else. I also count what DH spends since we both work from home and are together 24/7.

**rskmom** · 12-29-2010, 11:49 AM

I don't count 'regular' bills like mortgage, etc. I also do not count gas, because that's a necessity imho - no gas, no work, no money anyways, lol.

I count personal spending that is discretionary - a cold drink at the mini mart, fast food, lunch out, etc.

**dcompton** · 12-29-2010, 12:08 PM

I don't count things that are non-negotiable:
-- regular bills
-- gas for car for reason above (about once every three weeks)
-- a new prescription if if I needed it immediately
-- an emergency car repair

Everything else I count.

**imagine** · 12-29-2010, 12:16 PM

I don't count regular bills and mortgage. Most are set on automatic

I count everything else:
Send lunch money to school - count
gas in vehicle - count
pick up a soda - count
copay at doctor - count
prescription - count
any car repair -count

That is what I count That might be why I have more spend days then some

**qsaver704** · 12-29-2010, 12:41 PM

I also don't count bills.

I count the money I give DH as a bill, and therefore not a spend day. I could never keep up with his spending. He usually gets a 50 cent soda for lunch every day at work, but some days that is all he has for lunch. He works hard and spends less than $80 a month on all his stuff. If he is willing to work, and needs a candy bar, go get it (he works in a grocery store, so usually picks something up every day and brings part of it home to finish as a snack).

I also don't count gas.

I count groceries, drug store, convenience store pick ups, newspapers, fund raisers, church events other than regular tithes and offerings (money to buy children's church bells, etc)

**AmyBoz** · 12-29-2010, 12:55 PM

I, personally, don't count bills. However, anything that isn't paying a bill is up for grabs. Even that $0.85 in the vending machine, at work.

**Sassyclass** · 12-29-2010, 08:25 PM

I don't count regular bills, or what DH spends for work each night because that's bugeted along with the bills. Everything else is counted.

Cat

**frugalfranny** · 12-30-2010, 02:20 AM

I don't count bills.

I also don't count when I only use gas to do my two volunteer things that I do........if I stop anywhere else and spend money while out doing these, it is counted.

Everything else is counted.

**mopples** · 12-30-2010, 03:55 AM

I count anything that isn't a budgeted recurring expense. So lunch, groceries etc.

**piney** · 12-31-2010, 10:55 PM

thanks sounds like we all count pretty much the samething.

**calimomx2** · 01-01-2011, 01:11 AM

I don't count bills, mortgage, gas or groceries, they are all budgeted each month. Everything else is counted as spending!

**rebecca** · 01-01-2011, 05:58 AM

I don't count regular monthly bills, gas in car, mortgage, and dr. bills, groceries, and maintenance to my car.

**ladytoysdream** · 01-01-2011, 07:33 AM

I am thinking your regular monthly bills would be considered
no spend in how this challenge is set up.

And groceries. But if your budget is say $ 300 for the month, and you overspend by $ 50, then the amount overspent would be considered a spend day/s.

Gas, so much a week for your budget would be a no spend.
But if you buy extra gas, because you have to go more places, then that should be a spend day.

I think this challenge is about what one spends without a plan in place / a budget. Spending extra, because something is on sale for example, but do you really need it ?

Maybe picking up a cup of coffee when you're on the road, when you should have took along a thermos. But maybe you rationalize that money is your personal allowance and you don't have to track it.

It's going to come down to how you set up and then manage your budget. The idea would be to know where your money is going on a regular bases. And then how to control it better.