My Tips For A Successful No Spend Month

Finance || Tags: Money, No Spend Challenge ||

With February already 2 weeks behind us, I thought I should reflect a bit on how our no spend month went, and share my tips for a successful no spend month.

I thought the month would feel long and difficult but it wasn’t too bad. I definitely learned a lot about how to avoid my triggers. After the month was over we were able to put $1200 directly onto our debt, plus our regular payment of $780. That felt SO good. It’s also encouraging to know that for some reason if our income declined by a bit, we’d be okay financially without dipping into our emergency fund.

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Here are my best tips for a successful No Spend Month!

Unsubscribe from emails. The last thing you want when you’re trying to stop shopping is an email about a sale at your fav store. Seriously just unsubscribe; chances are you don’t even need what they are selling anyway.
Don’t go window shopping – online or in person. If you can stop the habit of browsing when you are bored, it will cut down on impulse purchases.
Take inventory of what you already have. You might think you need toothpaste or something like that, but you may already have some just lost in your medicine cabinet or linen closet.
In order to save money on groceries you need to meal plan. This was a huge struggle for me. I had meal planned for all our suppers but totally didn’t plan anything for breakfasts and lunches. You don’t have to plan out exactly what you’ll have everyday but it’s helpful to have a list of options. It will also help with my other struggle, which is grabbing lunch on my way to work.
Be grateful for what you already have. Instead of focusing on things you want, enjoy the things you have already!
Remember why you are doing this – you have a goal in mind and this is the way to get there!

Related: What To Do During A No Spend Month