Kicking off our 30 Days
Here we are at the start of the month! If you are planning on doing the 30 Days of Nothing in any way, shape or form, sign in so that we can all visit each other. Remember, it’s OK to do this in a way that seems workable for your family. You decide the rules. As long as you are being more mindful about your purchases during the month of September, you are doing it right.
If you are new here, welcome! Please comment and tell me where you heard about the challenge. And if you need more details, click on the related posts, below Mr. Linky. I am looking forward to seeing what your family does with this month. How much will you save? It’s up to you!
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Related posts
$200 at the grocery store all month? I may be crazy
Ten kids from three countries. 
74 comments
Oh my, I’ve never been the first one to comment here that I recall!
I’ve very interested to see what happens this month.
Thanks,
Heidi
I don’t have a blog to link with yours, but we’re taking a deep breath and plunging in to our 30 days of nothing. [:-)
Rachel
Looking forward to this challenge!
We’re in for the challenge. Thanks!
I am looking forward to this! I am raring to go, and am looking forward to following your progress!
raring? is that a word?
I’m ready. I can already tell this is going to be really hard for me though. I hope I can last at least a few weeks.
Main Entry: raring
Function: adjective
Text: showing urgent desire or interest — see EAGER
Therefore, yes, raring is a word.
I’m glad that I signed on with this! Since I’ve done my monthly shopping and budget, I’ve already been more mindful of my spending. Thank you!!!
Allie
Learningtobefrugal.com
We are joining you on this journey. We have 10 kids (5 MEGA eaters) and an extra kid staying with us for a while. So it will be a challenge to feed 11 kids on less than our normal budget. Well “normal” doesn’t really describe our food budget. It saddens me that our grocery bill is more than our mortgage payment!!
I did this already for the month of August. But it was so successful that we are going to adopt it as a more permanent thing.
I saved almost 100.00 just by not buying things we didn’t need.
i’m in! (i read about this over at butterfly mama.) we’re finally going on our summer vacation in two weeks, and i know we’ll eat out some then, but we will still commit to disciplining our spending as best as we can this month. thanks for the challenge–you already saved me from an aimless trip to the mall today.
I’d love to do this with all of you!
Thank you for doing this! I tried to copy the banner to use on my blog, but the image quality wasn’t very good. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
My goal is to cut my grocery budget in half this month. I have been inspired by owlhaven and my sister at http://smalltownsaver.blogspot.com/. Good luck everyone!
My goal is to cut my grocery bill in half this month. I have been inspired by owlhaven and my sister at http://smalltownsaver.blogspot.com/
Good luck everyone!
My committment to doing this was solidified yesterday when we got our credit card statement–the amount that we spent on things we really didn’t need was WAY more than I’d realized. Being more mindful will be very helpful to us.
I am in. My regular blog is private so I have started a new one for this challenge. I am looking forward to it. Day one has already been challenging.
Would everyone be up for sharing their top 5 “cheap food” choices? Not “junk”, still having food quality …. but maybe the brainstorming would help those of us trying to get our food budget lowered!
We just came off of this type of living for about 3 months, still going …. but I’m really working now to lower our food budget.
okay, i dont know how we’ll do but i am taking the challenge….Bring it on …lol
We will be doing this this month…I’ll update my blog tomorrow with our first thoughts on it all!
Thanks for the great idea! I am facilitating a “September Savings Challenge” for members of my Small Group/Community in order to raise money for a family in our community fighting cancer. Thanks for the awesome inspiration. We all hope to learn new ways that we can permanently cut down on our spending as well.
We’re in, too! We already had our first dilemma. Read all about it on my blog.
Blessings,
Sandwich
I’m in. I don’t anticipate this being very easy, but I plan to put my faith in the Lord and hope that I can resist the various temptations to spend! happy Saving to us all!! Oh and I linked your challenge to my own blog
I am doing the challenge but my personal blog is private so I will just say how I did at the end on your blog.
We are in! My details are up. I heard about this from you and am so glad. We are excited to take on the challenge.
Angie
I am new here. I heard about this from fawn & Cassandra and NEED to do this challenge. I already follow a strick natural diet at home (which means, we make everything homemade), but I need to cut back on lots of other things.
can’t wait to see how it goes!
Hello. Just popping in to say I’m inspired to do the 30 days. As you said in your original post, it’s different for everyone, and I love that. I will be focusing on less consumerism and more creativity and resourcefulness. Groceries and saving every last dime is less of a focus for me. Thanks so much for hosting the challenge!
I not only convinced my sister to participate (we’re roommates) but also my (large) family! We’ll see what happens - I’m excited about the possibilities!
I’m in! Thanks for providing this opportunity to reflect as I save money.
Eeeek!!! I can’t believe I’m doing this!! I guess it is about time to be a grown up with my $$! Thanks for doing this it’s a really great idea
I’m not sure how I’ll do with this as I have no willpower and I procrastinate at Olympic level BUT..I’m going to try and at least make changes and be more aware of what I’m doing.
Hi, I’m excited to be joining in with this. I seem to keep browsing online and finding things that I “need” I am really going to focus on what I already “have” and what I can achieve with that instead!
I found you at http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2008/08/sadness.html (laurel at happy at home)
I think this will be fun! Thanks
A college friend directed me to your blog a couple months ago (she has 3 adopted children from Ethiopia) and I’ve been very impressed with the 30 days of nothing idea, so I’m joining in!
Hey! Anything I can do to save money and get the last of our debt paid of is something I want to do!!! Thanks for the idea!!
I’m signing in late, but started on time! We just have 11 at home now and for awile..till new little ones from Ethiopia come home. The one cool thing about Sept. is it’s harvest season. Lots of fresh produce to feast on. Our plum tree is loaded and they are so good! I still have a huge box of peaches too that are devine. The tomatoes and cukes will keep coming on strong till it freezes
Julee
I heard about this from Laura on the list. We can do it!
One day late, but rarin’ to go!
I am going to give it a try. I do not have a big garden to live of this month but I will watch my grocery bill and not extras
We shall see.
thanks, Lenka
Ok, I’m late jumping in, but jump in, I will!
We are going to be pretty poor this month with mortgage bills, and extra escrow stuf going on, I’ll have to be cheap in other areas.
So paying all the regular bills doesn’t count right? Just all the extras. This will be a good lesson for me. Here goes!!
Here because of my friend MaryLu; we are up for it. Now I’ll have to think of ways we can save … we do a lot already, but I KNOW there are more ways we can cut costs.
Thanks for the idea - I know I’ll learn something.
In Christ,
Joanne
Heard about this through the Life in a Shoe blog.
It’s been a tough 11 days but I’m excited and up for the challenge! I even have chickens coming to provide my own eggs! I’ve canned, frozen and dried the veges from my garden with help from Mary!
Thanks for inspiring us!
[...] 11, 2008 by Mary Owlhaven I’ve been busy doing 30 Days of Nothing over at my new blog, but wanted to write here about a product I was able to review recently. The [...]
30 days? It seems like we’ve been doing this for years.
We home school, so that can be pretty cheap-making, as long as you don’t go overboard on expensive curriculum. I am currently researching Aldi vs Walmart Superstore with coupons..heh heh heh. We have 2 editions of the Tightwad Gazette and I compulsively follow the authors instructions on how to tighten up that grocery budget. We organic garden. I’ll have to think more about this… it just seems like we’ve always been trying to eek more out of our money and live on the cheap. Great goals guys!
I hope it’s not too late for me to join in! I found your website through Money Saving Mom. Great stuff, I look forward to reading more of your posts!
Thanks for doing this! It’s perfect timing for me and my family since we are trying to decrease our grocery expenses.
I look forward to reading more of your good insight!
[...] be spending a little less. In our quest to find ways to spend less and save more I have joined Owlhaven’s 30 Days of Nothing Challenge. Everyone who joins provides a link to their blog or website to facilitate the sharing of ideas, so [...]
I’ve been kicking around the idea of this..and with my husband spending the week in the hospital after emergency surgery..I’ve decided I need to get more serious about spending less…Thanks for getting me kickstarted
Thanks for the encouragement to do what I had already told my kids we need to do!
Hi, I clicked on your website through biblicalwomanhood. I am intrigued by this challenge. I’ve been a stay at home for 26 years, and have only worked outside of the home for 4and 1/2 months. (this past spring and summer) I am so motivated now to save my husbands hard earned money. So is the challenge to pay only the bills, and the buy the least amount of food as possible? We still have 3 kids at home, and although 30 days doesn’t sound that long, it’s amazing how everyday something seems to come up that we just have to have.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hello…..I heard about your challenge from Money Saving Mom. Very interested in getting more details.
Hi there, I’m a French-American person living in France. Working mother of 3. I find the concept of the 30 day of nothing and will be experimenting it as of tomorrow. Yeap here also we need to watch where our money goes.
Finally taking the plunge. A little late, but better late than never. I’m fairly new to your blog and I’ve really been enjoying it. Thanks.
Hi! I found you through the BlogHer link. Your 30 days of nothing has inspired me to work on cutting my grocery spending and think more carefully about all of our other spending. Your post could not have come at a better time for me.
[...] 30 Days of Nothing has been a nice addition to our working on a tight budget. I broke down and had fast food yesterday. Joy had a free meal coupon for Chick-fil-a. The BK’s were gone. Dad was at work. So, Joy and I ran around the corner to grab a bite to eat. It was a nice treat and I tried not to feel too guilty. We’ve done well on our 30 days. I need to get my numbers together and see how well we have stayed within budget. [...]
[...] a list of others who are doing the 30 Day challenge along with me, see this post.) Share and [...]
I’m in. Late, but that’s better than not at all. We have eight in our family and one on the way so my “nothing” is “nothing extraneous”. We’re only getting what we absolutely have to have (food counts though that’s going to change a bit as well).
Forgot to mention that I heard about this through Biblical Womanhood.
http://biblicalwomanhoodblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/frugal-friday-life-of-less.html
I’m getting in on this late as well. My “rule” so-to-speak, is to try a “use-what-you-have” month that shops from my closetful of craft and scrapbook items instead of looking for something else to entertain me. I’ll post the creative ideas I come up with. I’m not sure it will save money, but it shouldn’t cost any, and will hopefully give me more space and beauty in the end.
[...] Owlhaven has an interesting challenge this month; titled 30 Days of Nothing. This challenge is encouraging families to spend less and save more. She is attempting to feed her family of 12 for $200 this month! [...]
[...] Click here to see who’s participating with Mary of Owlhaven in her 30 Days of Nothing. [...]
I just now found this — but I’m pretty much doing this already. My dh and I both work in the schools, so September is generally a lean month for us (after having worked less during the summer). I’ve been keeping to a strict budget, using a spreadsheet from Dave Ramsey’s site, and we really don’t have anything to spare this month, so we’re making do on one tank of gas, buying dry beans, etc. I’m also on the lookout for spare cash opportunities — cashed in for $14.25 from Greenfield Online surveys, and saving MyPoints to get a gas card.
Found this at Biblical Womanhood today and truly beleive the Lord led me here. I seriously have a shopping addiction and my children’s closets are popping full of clothing….I see something I want and I buy it. Today I purpose that for the month of October - I will buy only our needs. This goes for all areas of spending including the grocery store. I’m browsing through your blog and find it encouraging.
Thanks for posting this challenge (I know I’m a month late but hey - had I found it last month I may not have been ready. It was today when I looked at my statement that it REALLY HIT ME!
Thanks
Jenn
I am a month late, but we are going to try this for Oct. I am looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!
[...] by adecoratedlife I have been following along in earnest with Mary at Owlhaven challenge of 30 Days of Nothing. I also followed Kim’s progress as she jumped in too. I was inspired by Mary’s [...]
[...] like I always giving you challenges? Well, here’s one that is waaaaaaay easier than doing 30 Days of Nothing or writing out your Love Story. I was challenged by Sara at A Shower of Roses to go to the [...]
[...] bill and donate the savings. I’ve decided to do this in November, feel free to join me!! Mary cut her grocery bill for a month to $200 for a family of 12 (I don’t know if the point was to [...]
I ran across this 30 day challenge thing and I am really interested in knowing the details. I know it is October but I am always looking for new ideas. We are in the middle Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and I would really like to show my husband this 30 day challenge. Can you email me all the details?
[...] right here at The 36-Hour Day on Wednesdays. Inspired by Mary O. at Owlhaven, I tried to do 30 Days of Nothing, but I failed. So far, I’m cutting expenses by packing lunches, cooking from my pantry, and [...]
I am doing 30 days of nothing for the month of Oct. (so actually 31 days)
I posted a little bit about it already on my blog, but at the end of the month I will post again with a break down week by week of how it went.
I love this idea and plan to carry what I have learned this month into all the months that follow.
Thanks
[...] hosted 30 Days of Nothing: Spend Less, Save More in September. I saw the same concept here at “30 Days of Nothing” (a blogspot blog by [...]
Thanks for taking time to comment! I love hearing from you.