Summer is almost in the books, my friends! Which means we are now officially three-quarters of the through our my 2018 No-Spend Challenge Year. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t believe it in a good way. Because let’s face it, not spending can be as tough as overspending! With that said, let’s dig into my last sixty days of this challenge.
July:
Costs and expenses:
During the month of July, there were several large-ticket purchases that had to be made for the month. From certification fees for my husband to several small car repairs, our family accrued nearly $700.00 in costs.
We also needed to fix three small outdoor home repairs which cost approximately $200.00. While we used savings to pay these expenses, these funds are on the books to be refunded this season.
And in terms of groceries, I spent a total of $212.14 on groceries and zero-waste toiletries.
How I saved:
- $46.00 on requesting interlibrary loan books.
- Used earned Amazon gift cards to purchase $100.00 in household goods
- Sold unused household items on Facebook local groups and made $125.00.
- Utilized free Hulu with our family Spring plan and saved $7.99.
- Donated unused household items to charity for tax receipts in deductions totaling $175.00 in appraised value.
- Ate from our pantry and freezer for one week (mostly deep freezer veggie dishes) saving $40.00.
- Cut my husband’s hair at home. Saved $25.00.
- Sold used books on eBay. Earned $64.01 after seller and PayPal fees and shipping labels.
Total saved: $583.00
Total Spent: $2,002.18
August:
This month there were fewer expenses at home. We decided to take on several DIY building projects. We sourced free, heat-treated palette wood but did need to purchase wood screw, glue, and sanding materials which totaled $21.00.
And in terms of groceries, I spent a total of $162.14 on groceries and zero-waste toiletries. The remaining $97.86 was used to pay for the above-mentioned expenses.
How we saved:
- We saved $54.00 on requesting interlibrary loan books.
- Sold unused small appliances on Facebook local groups and made $50.00.
- Utilized free Hulu with our family Spring plan and saved $7.99.
- Donated unused household items to charity and received tax receipts for those deductions totaling $60.00 in appraised value.
- We ate from our pantry and freezer for one week saving $25.00.
- Cut my husband’s hair at home. Saved $25.00.
- Sold used books on eBay. Earned $78.81 after seller and PayPal fees and shipping labels.
- Burning candles we already had on hand at home; $21.00 savings in total.
Total saved: $321.80
Total Spent: $253.12
Net gain: 63.82
So, friends, I want to ask, did you participate in our no-spend challenge or your own frugal spending freeze? Be sure to leave your comments about what you learned! If you didn’t participate, I’d still love to hear how and where you saved the most this month! Share your stories below!