What to do in a no spend month

Now I think regular readers of this blog and those who know me in real life will know that I love to spend my money. I literally live by the Carrier Bradshaw quote of ‘I think my money right where I can see it… hanging in my wardrobe’. But every now and then I need to do a reset. Especially if it’s been a particularly spendy couple of months. Which is why I’m a fan of doing spending challenges or the ultimate challenge of doing a no spend month. So if you’re up for it, here is what to do in a no spend month.

Now the premise is simple. The goal is to not spend any money on things that aren’t necessities. So you can obviously spend money on food. Although in no spend months I do try and meal plan to cut down on my spending in that area. And obviously you pay for all your planned expenses. In my case the goal is to cut right back on the unplanned impulsive purchases.

TAKE AWAY YOUR TRIGGERS

For me, I know that one of my triggers for my unplanned purchases is when I’m home alone on an evening and bored. I’ll be watching Netflix but also scrolling through my favourite shopping sites and adding things to my basket and checking out almost without noticing what I’m doing. Only to find a parcel arriving a couple of days later and struggling to remember exactly what it is I’ve ordered.

One way I combat this is to have things planned for the evening. Obviously going out to eat every night or drinks with friends doesn’t fit into a no spend month. Which is why I’ll invite them to mine and I’ll cook. Or I’ll have a pamper self care evening of face masks and hair masks. I’ve even been known to put my phone away in another room and read a book instead of watching TV. If I have plans for what I’m going to do, then I don’t succumb to the mindless scrolling and online shopping.

UNSUBSCRIBE TO MARKETING EMAILS

I’m a sucker for a marketing email announcing a sale or a discount. I convince myself that I need that item, because it’s on sale. Even if I don’t really need it. It’s very clever marketing and I’m a sucker for it. Which is why before a no spend month, I’ll go through my emails and unsubscribe from all the retail ones. And you’ll be surprised at how many you receive! it really is the case of out of sight out of mind when it comes to my online shopping.

LIMIT YOUR TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Like the marketing emails I receive. Going on social media is another platform I need to control what I’m exposed to. That’s because I’m forever being influenced by people and brands into buying something that I don’t need but absolutely want. I must buy at least one thing every week from an Instagram ad or from a content creator. Honestly, I’m a marketers dream. And this is from someone who works in marketing! So for a no spend I’d recommend muting some of your trigger accounts. You can always unmute once the challenge is over.

HIDE YOUR CREDIT CARDS

Another easy way to help in a no spend month is to just use cash. If you don’t have the money on you to buy something unplanned, then you can’t. It might also be worth doing your food shop online, so you’re only getting exactly what you need. I also find it helps to clear the saved data you might have on your devices so you can’t easily checkout with saved credit card details. Another useful tip is to actually move money out of your everyday account into a savings account. So even if you do have your cards, you won’t have the cash in your account to pay for an unplanned purchase.

So there you have it, my top tips on what to do in a no spend month. Let me know if you have any other tips on how to