This will be my six year for having the No Spend January Challenge. Why January? To me this is the perfect month to not spend any money, the weather outside is usually frightful, Christmas is over, and we need to save some money for projects or travel in the coming months.
It's important for us to have a purpose for the money we save or we lose motivation to keep us going throughout the month. So what are our plans for the money we save this year? It will be our fortieth wedding anniversary this year. I would love to go to Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina again..just the two of us. Sounds so good and warm right now! Last year we wanted to put in a new screen door with the money we saved but we decided to put a screen door that we found in Mom's garage and a new porch light. We love it! Still no side lights but we did what we could. Previous years it has helped us remodel our bedroom, go to Hawaii to visit my sister, help someone in need, and a visit to Florida.
I looked back on our rules and we will change them just a little. Here are the rules for spending after all bills are paid:
1. Eat out of the pantry -we expect to buy basic needs such as bread, some fresh fruit or vegetables, milk, meat if needed, and eggs). We only want to spend approximately $50.00 a week though on groceries.
I've put the grocery bill up higher again this year. We still want to eat a healthy/low carb diet.
2. $20 a week in spending money a piece.
3. Money for Gas as needed. So glad that the price is down right now.
4. We will eat out and buy a gift for a birthday that is in January.
We agreed that we will not:
1. Eat out at all unless it comes out of our $20 a week (probably will happen). That includes no more coffee stops at McDonald’s.
2. Buy any new clothes.
3. No Menards, Home Depot, etc. unless absolutely necessary. There is a exemption this year. We are installing a new toilet and we will need a trip to get the chalk etc.
4. No deals (Groupon, Living Social, etc)
5. No estate sales- it's just better not to go!
Little Cheats!
I will make use of gift cards received for Christmas, bottle returns, Swagbucks, Amazon credit, barter, and coupons as much as possible. I will give you a total tally of our grocery spending each week.
So we are starting now and here is what I'm cooking today!
The red kidney beans are cooking in my crock pot for chili.
I thawed out too many hamburgers on Monday so I fried up the rest of the hamburger and used it for Burrito Bowls. I still had some left over so today it's going in Chili and the red kidney beans are in the crock pot now.
What's on tomorrow's menu? Hot dog chili cheese casserole (using up the chili from today).
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