No Spend March (for real this time)

[arakboss]

After reading the Costco thread, I decided to add up my spending for the month of February. Back of the envelope (literally) calculations indicate that, I have spent $606 so far this month on groceries, fuel, household and personal care items. I will probably drop close to another hundred this morning on trips to Walmart, Winco, Grocery Outlet and Freddy's. That will put the total at about $700.

To compare I spent $883 on guns and ammo just over this last weekend. Obviously the guns and ammo spending is way out of control compared to my other spending. I have about $1160 of firearm spending commitments to make in March. Besides those commitments, fuel cost and fixed expenses and I not going to spend any other money for the entire month of March.

This may not seem like much of an effort to you disciplined folks but for me, it will be difficult. I have plenty of food and supplies at home but will pick up some last minute items this morning.
I may be looking to barter for some items later in March.

Transactions from Feb 1 through 28th rounded up to nearest dollar.





Edit: I have some extra motivations to do the no spend in March:

March is a three payday month from my primary job. That will exaggerate the savings.

I have my first range trip of the year planned for the last week of March. I need to spend time digging threw my hoard rather than adding a bunch more to it.

My wife is going on a cruise at the end of March and wants the freezers emptied so she can buy her son a bunch of easy to prepare junk food.

I have tax bill coming up in April.

I want to get some reloading done before April trip to cabin property.

Lastly I told my wife I would get the rest of my gun crap moved to my safe space before she got back.

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[Knobgoblin]

I have noticed over my 3 decades of paychecks that the months with an " extra " check are not any different. In fact, we have usually been more broke when the 3 check month starts.

 

[arakboss]

I have noticed over my 3 decades of paychecks that the months with an " extra " check are not any different. In fact, we have usually been more broke when the 3 check month starts.

That was always the case for me too until I consolidated most of my fixed expenses to be paid on the first of the month. It used to drive me and my coworkers nuts. The extra money is there. You just have to pay bills once a month to see the big payoff. Otherwise you just have a little extra here and there.

 

[Knobgoblin]

That was always the case for me too until I consolidated most of my fixed expenses to be paid on the first of the month. It used to drive me and my coworkers nuts. The extra money is there. You just have to pay bills once a month to see the big payoff. Otherwise you just have a little extra here and there.

Oh .
I thought it was my crack habit all this time.

Lol

 

[TTSX]

No guys really, for really realsies this time I pinky promise!

I can quit any time I want. In fact, I quit 3 times last week alone

 

[monkeybutler]

No guys really, for really realsies this time I pinky promise!

I can quit any time I want. In fact, I quit 3 times last week alone

HAH.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Some things to consider here....

Just what are you spending or saving for...?
Is what you are spending causing a hardship...?
A general goal is just that ...general....Specific needs justify specific goals.

Save or spend...is up to you.
Sometimes you have to spend...and sometimes it is best to save.
With that said....it is important here to know and understand the differences between :
Needs...Wants....and desires.
Andy

 

[Val1884]

I gave up on moderation.i just work more hours to compensate.

 

[Jay Walk]

Your spending $1,160 on gun items. Is this thread for March 2025?

 

[64MercurysRule]

I have the need to want more desires .

Or better said : I got a Fever and the only prescription is .......More COWBELL

 

[TTSX]

 

[arakboss]

Your spending $1,160 on gun items. Is this thread for March 2025?

I already made the commitments in February, some of that spending may not occur if offers are ultimately turned down.

 

[arakboss]

I have watched a good number of no spend videos and most all of them still allow for spending on food. I spent another $148 on food yesterday morning. Since grocery shopping is my second biggest spending addiction, I figured it's best to cut that spending out of my no spend month. I tend to collect food like guns but the unused food ends up getting tossed out. It's best for me to take a break from my multiple times a week trips to Grocery Outlet (they had some killer deals again yesterday).

I have more food than I need for March.

 

[arakboss]

I gave up on moderation.i just work more hours to compensate.

I tried that and as more money came in, more money got spent. My ultimate constraint is storage. Thankfully I don't live in a big house with a shop or I would be in real trouble.

I was hitting the Craigslist and clearance stuff at building supply stores for awhile and hauling all that crap down to my cabin property. The thieves pretty well cleared me out and taught me not to leave anything down there again. No more building supply shopping for me.

 

[arakboss]

Updated spending tally to include Feb 29 spending.

 

[oremike]

The 3rd pay check of the month really isn't extra money particularly if you pay your bills on the first. It's just the first payday of the next month a day or so early. The first payday of the next month could be as late as the 14th making bills due on the first late. Basically there is no free money here.

 

[arakboss]

Over half way update:

My No Spend month has not turned out very well.

The good news is I haven't spent any money on groceries so far and I should be able to make it through the remainder of the month without doing so. I did buy some Papa Murphys one night and picked up a large two topping from Domino's for $6.99 on another night.

I have barely made a dent in the freezer meat and other food storage so I may extend the grocery store avoidance through the end of April.

The bad news is I have spent all of the grocery savings plus some with NWFA members, snapping up some great deals. It will probably be about a dozen new to me firearms added to the collection by the end of the month. I got some great deals on some really cool items.

They say you can't eat guns and bullets but I feel a lot better about the guns and ammo purchases I have made, instead of buying more junk from Grocery Outlet.

 

[Camelfilter]

Over half way update:

My No Spend month has not turned out very well...

 

[Jay Walk]

Over half way update:

My No Spend month has not turned out very well.


Under no circumstances could we have predicted this

 

[orygun]

Needs...Wants....and desires.
Andy

When my last job ended and I started my own shop, the "needs" became very obvious. The rest of it really didn't matter.