Month of No Spending: Week 3 Update

I should have had this up on Tuesday, but we've had some extended family issues the past few days.

So we are in Week 3 of my Month of No Spending and this was the week that my family finally revolted!

Part of our monthly budget is what we call "Blow Money" as well as a budget for eating out.  We don't actually go out to eat that often, but we will swing by Wendy's for Jr. Frostys for the kids or chicken nuggets.  In addition, I usually end up spending my "blow money" on things like a new toy for the kids or a board/card game.

This week the kids realized that it had been over 2 weeks since they had anything new and wanted to know why.  That was on Thursday.  Friday morning the mail came and included Valentines Day cards for the children from my mother-in-law...complete with $20 gift cards to WalMart for each of them.

SCORE!  The kids got to go pick out a new toy (and my 2-year old got her first Barbie) and I still didn't spend a dime!

As for buying needless things?  I did end up buying 6 12-packs of Diet Coke at CVS, but that was only because I opened my wallet and realized that I had $20 ECBs that expired that day and there was literally nothing else producing ECBs this week that we weren't VERY well-stocked on.

So we're getting in to the home stretch and what have I learned so far?

I've learned that even though I had cut my lifestyle drastically last year, there was still plenty more cutting that can be done without making me entirely miserable. 

I've learned that life goes on without my Tuesday morning latte (although I had to buy coffee ONCE AGAIN, since I got caught in traffic on the way to Weight Watchers and didn't have time to use my coupon for free coffee at McDonald's.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

I've learned how much money I have wasted even when I thought I was being "good".

I've learned that I can do it!

Are you taking the no-spend challenge?  How is it going for you?