Another No Spend Month - December edition

Welcome back, friends! In a previous post, I vented about a lot of things but I don't remember if I vented about money. Every once in a while, when Craig and I have a lot of crap going on, we take our finances by the reigns and do a no spend month. December will be no exception.

Two of our best friends are marrying each other in early-January which means bachelorette/bachelor parties and whatnot in December. The parties will be rather expensive and will definitely weigh on our budget.

Here's what we have going on in December and this will definitely impact our budget:

• Christmas/Hanukkah
• Bachelorette Party
• Bachelor Party
• My cousin is visiting

Officially, I have another 8-10 weeks to go before I'm ready to pop but we're trying to plan, plan, plan. Part of the planning is getting our finances in order. We're actually not buying baby stuff right now - we bought a crib and just need to replace a wheel but no major expenditure there.

Understand this: Craig and I are not bad with money - we're just a little lax sometimes. Since we have parties and wedding gifts to pay for, we're really tightening our wallets. Think of this as a preventative move. We're trying to prevent being broke.

As I've said, we've done the no spend month before but we're doing it a little differently this time...

We're taking 1,100 shekels ($290) and using it towards:

• Groceries/Eating out
• Entertainment (movies, concerts...etc.)

What we're NOT buying/spending money on:

• Clothing
• Household accessories (unless it's baby related)
• Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, facial soap, deoderant ...etc. (We have LOADS of this stuff)
• Hair cuts/Hair color (I can do this stuff myself)

Credit cards will be used for the following ONLY:

• To pay for stuff needed for the parties
• Emergencies
• Wedding gift
• Bills

For the bachelor party or any extras, we're going to have a cushioning of 500 shekels ($132). This is to be used only if we need it.

We don't pay for gas but here's what we do pay for:
Rent: 3,100 shekels ($820)
Car: 2,900 shekels ($766)
Cell Phones: 500 shekels combined ($132)
Other utilities...

Since my cousin is coming for a few days, we want to show her a good time but we also have family to see - which will cut down on our spending.

Here's what kills us every month: groceries. Food here is expensive - even simple things that used to cost almost nothing (like lentils) are now super expensive (10 shekels a kilo - which may not seem like a lot but consider that I paid 6 shekels just a few months ago). We'll be back to menu planning starting December 1st! Thankfully, I can pre-cut veggies and whatnot to put into soup and stick it in the freezer. I made a giant batch of sweet potato soup last night (and dropped half of it on the floor), so that's already in the freezer!

Here's what we already have in the freezer/pantry:
- 3 servings of sweet potato soup
- 2 individual frozen pizzas
- Dough
- French Fries
- Frozen salmon
- Frozen chicken fingers
- A box of Mac and Cheese
- LOTS of Quinoa
- LOTS of rice
... a lot of other random foods...

Stay up to date with our No Spend Month!

C.O. Bigelow - Review + Coupon Codes

Waaaaay back when I was younger, I worked at Bath and Body Works. This should surprise no one since I love girly bath stuff. C.O. Bigelow had come on to the commercial market in a big way and I fell in LOVE with their products. BigelowChemists.com is the home of the full collection of stuff I LOVE! Given that it's the holiday season, I thought I'd give you a run-down of my favorite products from C.O. Bigelow. You'll even find a few coupon codes at the bottom in case I sway you into believing that they really are amazing!

Favorite Lip Balm

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint - Magenta Mint No. 1641
Yummy! It has an amazingly minty taste, which keeps your breath fresh, but what I really love is the fact that it adds a little bit of color to my somewhat pale lips. Here's the thing: I hate lipstick. It makes my lips look weird and lip gloss just makes my lips look shiny. This lip tint adds a nice berry hue and it isn't sticky. Craig loves it (probably because it tastes like peppermint) and I'm not worried that if my hair gets caught in it, it'll leave weird color streaks on my face. (Price: $7.50)

Favorite Skin Cream

C.O. Bigelow Acai Repair Night Cream No. 1676

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this stuff! Israel dries the crap out of my skin during the winter and pregnancy doesn't help. We all know I've been doing to the oil control method for my face but sometimes I need a little extra help - this not only repairs my skin, it helps heal it and my face is a lot less red than it normally is. (Price: $24.00)

Favorite Anti-Itch Cream

C.O. Bigelow Lotio Mentholus No. 002
Being pregnant sucks sometimes and as my belly expands, so does the itch factor. I take a pea-sized amount of this lotion, rub it on my Buddha belly and it feels SO much better. The itching stops for DAYS and this stuff may be the reason why I have no stretch marks. Additionally, the cold air is making my skin DRY, which makes it itchy - this stuff helps! I bought this waaaay back in 2005 and I've been using it ever since.


Here's the most amazing thing about BigelowChemists.com - they don't just sell their own stuff, they are a full-stop apothecary and they have a ton of homeopathy solutions. So, all my green friends - this is the best place to buy your homeopathic stuff from.

Discounts:
FREE SHIPPING from Bigelow Chemists when you purchase $75 or more!
20% OFF All Orders of $100 or More from BigelowChemists.com! Use Promo Code: BIG20
$5 OFF Purchases of $50 or More at BigelowChemists.com! Use Promo Code: BIG5 


They also have amazing gift baskets available, so check those out.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!

Disclosure: Review may contain affiliate links but the opinions are 100% mine and I was not compensated in any way, shape, or form for my review.