failed attempts and no spend month

So it's been a while since I've written...mostly due to the fact that my mind has been elsewhere, which is honestly a very very good thing. The unfortunate side is that I killed my original sourdough starter and my garden has all but failed.

After a long trip back to Cali for some family time and wedding venue hunting, and a little more soul searching, I am back.

The newest thing on my list is something I've been wanting to do, in one way or another, but it was actually J that brought it up. He found a blog, amidst the many he reads, called Small Notebook and now we both keep up with it. In her blog Rachel writes about raising her kids, de-cluttering her small apartment and budgeting. She and her husband started this challenge for themselves in order to change the way they view and spend money: The No Spend Month.
This afternoon J showed me Rachel's latest post about No Spend Month. He simply said: "I want to do that". What a shocker! My fiancé wants to not spend money? I never thought the day would come. It was perfect timing because I had been wanting to ask him about doing a budget this month, as my birthday present (that's how much I enjoy not spending).

So here we are.
Not spending money.
Day 1 and we might have already broken the rules.

J went to mail a package and wanted to count the almost $10 in shipping costs in our budget. I said that it wasn't fair because he was inevitably going to get paid much more than the shipping costs for the item. I finally talked him out of adding it to our budget. That's fair right?

As Rachel on Small Notebook states, it isn't so much about sticking within the budget but about curbing your spending habits and learning that you don't always need things. I know that I don't need much help in the realm of not purchasing things, but J is very used to getting what he wants right then and there. Granted it's his money, however I think it's a great lesson to learn that you can actually live without. I'm curious to see how he does!

I, on the other hand, will be using this month to hone my couponing skills so we can really get the best bang for our buck...as well as getting creative with meals and making sure I pack J a lunch everyday (lord knows that eating lunch out won't fit into the budget!).

The facts
Budget: $250
Dates: July 1-31st
Included:
Groceries, Gas, Eating Out, Household Necessities and Entertainment
Not Included:
Rent, Insurance, Bills, Health expenses, Work expenses, Savings.

And here we go...