April Wallet Watch - How'd I Do?

the spending freeze is over.  if you remember, i marked april as a no-spend month.  you can read my initial rules about it here but essentially, there was to be absolutely no spending this month outside of basic groceries and 4 pre-planned events.  this post is where i recap exactly how i did in my projected spending for my planned events and groceries as well as where i failed in my spending on all the unnecessary things.

(not listed: monthly bills - rent, health insurance, electric, etc.)

april 2 - small fail: i had to get hawkeye groomed.  she hadn't been in forever because after the vet stuff i just wanted to give her a break.  but her nails and fur on her paws (which bugs her) grew fast and we really couldn't put it off until may.  this is impossible to do myself and just a part of the cost of pet ownership, so it's an essential.  i don't count this as a fail.  i forgot to budget it, but it was not a 'want' nor frivolous. -$80 (yes, i pay $80 to get my dog groomed every two months.  worth it.)

april 6 - budgeted outing with natalie.  to talk blog and eat things, the usual.  i budgeted $40.  spent $11. +$29

april 7 - i won my march madness bracket by a landslide.  +$200

april 9 - john's brother gave me all the change out of his coat pockets.  it was over $7 and i totally bought a raspberry latte with dimes and pennies.  no shame when it's spending freeze month.  nothing to do with my total, but it's funny.

april 10 - movie date night, thanks to a $25 amc gift card.  $0 spent.

april 14 - stayed in with john watching dexter, decided at 8 pm to get ice cream.  i literally snuck across to the grocery while he was in the shower.  that's how much i wanted ice cream, and how much i knew he'd be all 'no, spending freeze!'  -$10

april 16 - impromptu lunch with katie when she started her new job across the street from my office.  i couldn't resist!  -$12

april 17 - john's and my anniversary.  aww so cute.  his gift was charged to my credit card back in march and i already had a card and champagne.  but i budgeted for anything cutesy i might add and to possibly pay for dinner/cab rides but who was i kidding with that, he never lets me pay.  budgeted $100.  paid for one cab, $10.  +$90

april 19 - bunny rock 5k race my mother registered us all for.  my dad pays me $100 if i beat him in races, yes still at age 29 as he did at age 9.  is it fair to still beat him when he's 74?  whatever, we're a competitive family.  +$100

april 19 - budgeted outing for betsy's birthday.  she ended up not feeling well, so money saved for when she's up for it.  $0

april 25 - picked up last minute taco bell taco meat and cheese to make a birthday cake for hawkeye.  -$5

april 26 - hawkeye's birthday party!  judge away.  the hotel got charged to my card way back in february and i knew they had free happy hour, so i just budgeted getting room service for hawkeye, myself, john, and john's pug thor, dinner and breakfast, at $100.  only got dinner, we had stuff early on sunday and had to leave.  spent $60.  +$40

total in cabs: -$40.  see below.

all in all, a few fails, but definitely came out ahead.  so my goal in all of this was to pay off my credit card and therefore finally be debt free.  accomplished!  i'm totally debt free for the first time since moving out of my parents house 10 years ago.  crazy.

struggles: i pass 4 chipotles on my way home from the office.  4.  pure torture.  and a taco bell.  and a billion other great chicago places, so it takes a lot of focus and a lot of leaving my money at home.  it was also damn near impossible not to take cabs when it was sideways raining, but i settled for the train on those days.  my cta pass is already loaded and i never use it so it has enough money for 5 more spending freeze months.  i hate the cta.

things that saved me: (1) gift cards.  i had one to amc theaters, a restaurant, and starbucks.  (2) john.  even though i kept the outings to a minimum, he paid for a couple date night cabs and wrestlemania, and the food we ordered during wrestlemania.  that's probably cheating, but it's not like i would have done those things without him! (3) my mom.  i had budgeted for groceries, those were to be a planned expense.  she bought my groceries and cooked all my meals for me every sunday this month.  best mommy ever!  this meant that i brought all my lunches to work for the whole week, and thus took cabs monday mornings when i carried everything in.  but one $10 cab a week is cheaper than groceries or buying lunch every day!

i think it was a wildly successful no spend month, especially since i didn't go out and buy anything the minute it was over.  all my money is even budgeted for may with ynab, i made $100 in 20 days with swagbucks (all of which will go to christmas gifts, more on that tomorrow), and i read approximately 472 frugal living blogs, like my always favorite michelle and my new favorite shannyn, so i think it kicked off a nice slow down in spending lifestyle change.  we shall see!