Create Your Own No-Spend Challenge
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Raise your hand if your bank account is a little…tired.
I had a burst of inspiration earlier this month to create a resource that would help people plan out a no-spend challenge. I’m passionate about being open about money, and I love brainstorming ideas for how friends can save in certain areas. Something I hear over and over again is, “I know I spend too much money on [fill in the blank], but I just can’t seem to stop.”
You can, though. You can stop.
I promise it’s worth it.
Before we get to the resource, here are some questions I’ve received about no-spend challenges and a list of things that have helped me refrain from spending in the past.
Answers to your questions
What is a no-spend challenge, and how does it differ from a budget? A no-spend challenge is a choice to refrain from spending in a certain category (or multiple categories). A budget is a breakdown of your expenses (essentials and non-essentials), and you control how much you’re allowed to spend in each category. I talk about budgeting more in the next section!
What are some examples of a no-spend challenge? I’ve written about a three-month no-spend where all I could use were gift cards or cash made from selling items. I’ve also done a five-month no-spend on clothes/shoes/accessories for myself.
The space in my brain created by not shopping is like a room in a house that’s been cleared of clutter. The other things living in my mind now have more room to breathe and coexist. - me (lol), The Best Part of My No-Spend
Where will I get my little dopamine hits from? Lol, great question. I love the dopamine hit from buying/ordering something, but I don’t like breaking down the packaging and realizing I have something else to store. Doing all of my laundry and looking at all of my clothes helps me see how much I really have. I created new outfits from things I already owned during my no-spend months in 2024, and those gave me a boost! Being generous is another great way to get those dopamine hits. Put together a bag of gently worn clothes for your friend at church. Make banana bread for your coworkers. Volunteer your time. You will see just how much you really have, and you’ll feel great.
How do you get buy-in from your kids? I actually haven’t done a spending challenge that involves my spouse or my daughter! Check out Ashley’s post about her family’s no-spend month for inspiration.
How do you plan ahead and set expectations for any birthday parties, kid outings, etc.? I have a line item in our budget for these things, and I would suggest doing that, too. You might go over some months and spend less in other months.
Do you have a system to track what you “want” to see if you do, still, indeed want that thing by the time it ends? Yes! I use the Notes app on my phone to save links to items that I come across/hear about, but I’ve never still wanted them after the challenge is over!
How do I lock in what is truly ‘essential’ spending? This is tricky because everyone spends their money differently, and categories that matter to me might not matter to you. I hope my resource helps you identify this!
(Optional) Ways to make your spending challenge easier
Delete social media or set hard boundaries. (No swiping up/clicking on links. It’s honestly easier to delete the app.)
Delete shopping apps from your phone (Amazon, Target, all the apps!). If you really need something, you can buy it from your computer or in a physical store.
Unsubscribe from promotional emails as you get them and be ruthless with your delete button. Your inbox will thank you.
Tell your family/friends/coworkers about your challenge! The more you talk about it, the more you’ll normalize mindful consumerism and even inspire it in others.
Ask someone to hold you accountable!
Get creative! Borrow from friends, search your local Buy Nothing group, or use what you have in new ways.
Scarcity breeds creativity. With less mental challenges of thinking what I wanted to buy for meals, I was looking at the frig and pantry in a new way by seeing what we already had and finding creative solutions to use them. The same was true for non-food items. Instead of putting it on the shopping list, I dug through closets when I needed something. In the process, I found items we no longer used and set them in a donation pile. I moved things around, making prime closet real estate more efficient. I asked my parents if I could borrow needed item. Or, we just went without. - Ashley Shannon, A No-Spend Month Challenge
Putting this one at the end because I know it’s the one everyone hates the most: Make a monthly budget if you don’t already have one. Knowing where your money is going creates a sense of stability and freedom. If you don’t know where your money is going, you might feel ashamed, overwhelmed, and insecure, and you may spend blindly because you just don’t want to deal with the numbers or the possibility of conflict with your spouse. Friend, I have been there many times. But we are capable adults! We can do this! You don’t need an accountant or a fancy app. You can use a Google Sheet. (Let this list of categories serve as a starting point. You likely won’t need to use all of the suggested categories. Postage? Really?) Set yourself up to succeed, not fail.
Give me the PDF already!
Maybe you’re here because you’ve overspent lately and you want to get back on track. Maybe you’re hoping to set money aside for a trip or to pay off debt. Maybe you want to be more mindful about what you bring into your home or be more appreciative of what you already own. Whatever the reason, know this: you are not alone in wanting (or needing) to rein in the spending. I hope these prompts offer the opportunity to be honest with yourself and approach your spending with more intentionality.
Please try not to laugh at my very basic Canva skills. Apologies in advance for the PDFs having one extra page at the end. I can’t figure out how to fix it. If you want, you can copy the text from the PDF, paste it into a Google Doc/your Notes app, and remove the formatting.
Stay tuned for a breakdown of my upcoming no-spend challenge! Are you going to join me? Share this post by clicking the button below.
Tell me: Have you ever done a no-spend? What was the hardest part? What was the best part? Do you have any questions that I haven’t answered? Drop them in the comments! Let’s not be afraid to talk about money!
Laura, I’m in idiot but that subtitle got me good 🥴I was gutted 💀😂 Also, the dollar sign in Spend is so cute! I’m in, reluctantly so, but I’m in. Details to be decided 🙃
I am IN January 1-March 20th. Thank you for being my accountability partner. Cannot wait to unsubscribe from all these shopping emails, they were truly out of control over the holidays.