Do you use zero days on purpose?

M

Muskrat

Senior Member
Location
Mainly arizona
I keep this mental tally of my upcoming large expenses. As they approach I incorporate “zero” days into my mental calendar. Zero days have no spending. Just stay at home and hunker down. Of course I hear the air conditioner …but do not shop. Property taxes are coming in october. Zero days are here now.
 

Muskrat said:
Property taxes are coming in october. Zero days are here now.
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I try to budget and save toward the big cost days, but this year I decided I didn't like the looming property tax payments, so instead of paying half and watching the other half loom closer and closer, I just went ahead and paid the whole amount as soon as I got the bill. (but I do regret the interest I could have earned on the money if I waited)
 
Do you use zero days on purpose?
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In this thread is the first time I've heard of "zero days", but to answer the query- no, I don't use zero days on purpose, they just happen when they happen. That said, due to raising prices I may forego purchase of certain grocery items, beef being one glaring example. When / if the price returns to an acceptable level, I would resume such purchase.
 
I have lots of days when I spend nothing. I don't like to shop online and I only go to the supermarket on Fridays so you'd think i would be pretty safe from spending, just sitting here playing on the Senior Forum. But no. Three months ago I opened the door to some roofers.

Today, after much shopping around, talking with sales people and dealing with insurance, we wrote a check for a new roof.
$36,000 dollars, gone, without ever leaving the house.
 
Thanks to my wife's thinking/planning when we were in our 40's we have no intentional zero days, no budget & don't track spending. No mortgage, no car payments, no major appliances are needed, home maintenance has been ongoing so there is no expense there. Closest high expense is in July when property tax is due & that has no impact on our finances.

I do look for sales in food but that began when we were struggling & is an ingrained habit. Kind of like Warren Buffet, just because you can afford doesn't mean spending to impress is the wise thing to do.
 
I've never heard the term "zero days" but get the concept, though probably would never practice it. If budgeting money for expensive purchases or expensive billing months is the goal I think controlling overall spending will better serve in the end. Skipping a day of spending isn't likely to cover your property taxes, but spending less all year can let you save a reserve of cash to cover those large expanses. Best to play the long game in my opinion.
 
My property taxes are about 6500$ per year…so no…I did not mean to give the impression that I could resolve that by tightening my purse for a week. I use zero days as needed thruout the years of financing my life. The loose concept has allowed me to live within my means.
 
Zero days would not add anything to savings, since my monthly expenses already exceed income even if I was careful.

The years when I saved money were before retirement. These are the years when I draw from savings. I started out with a certain amount of money in the checking account, and when the checking account dips below a level that is comfortable, I move a lump sum from savings back to checking to continue operating for the next few months. I don't move money from savings to cover each expense (such as property taxes) individually.
 
I have plenty of days where I don’t spend any money, but that’s because I really don’t need anything. I’m still saving money because I still do some consulting work which I really enjoy and then I bank the money. Luckily the other income that I bring in easily covers all my expenses with some left over.
 

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