Oh man yesterday was rough! Getting back into the every day grind of work and normal schedules is tough! We’re starting some organizing around the house that I’ll share with you next week. It feels so good to just get rid of junk and clutter and just…..stuff!
Right before the new year, Huebie and I reviewed our finances and discussed where we could make changes to save over the next 6+ months. One thing I thought would be good for us to do is a no spend month. After the holidays we are tapped out, so getting our finances in check is really important to me in the new year. Welcome to no spend January!
Now, no spend doesn’t mean we don’t spend on anything, but we’re limiting our budget to:
– Food (including limited dinners out)
– Gas
– Bills
And that is all. No money will be spent on the home, clothing, hair cuts (even though I am desperate for one), etc. I really want us to focus on what we have, not what we want. Ever since we started talking about the holidays and Christmas and gift giving, Little A has been obsessed with getting things. Every time we go anywhere she “needs” this toy, or that stuffed animal. I really want her to understand that we don’t always need to buy “things” every time we go anywhere. So that will also mean no trips to Target for me this month. 🙁 Major sad face right there. But we’re already 6 days in so I think it’s pretty doable.
Also, after spending these next few weeks de-cluttering the house, I really don’t want to bring anything else back in. It will just be nice to really take stock of what we have and what we really don’t need.
With the money left over we will be able to pay down a few bills we have by a good amount. And, if we’re successful this month, I plan to have us do this at least once or twice again this year.
Question of the day: Have you ever done a no spend month? Was it easy? Hard? Am I going to totally regret this?
I think it’s a great idea! I’ve been feeling the need to declutter my house as well. We have way too many things that we don’t need or use. Good luck! 🙂
The owl :-p Great idea!! I need to do that too…especially after Christmas!
We do a no spend month every year! It’s a great way to save money and reevaluate what you bring home. 🙂 Good luck girl!
Yes, I have done them before 🙂 I just did one last June or July I believe. It usually goes fast, just hang in there, it’s worth it!
January is definitely a good no-spend month! I can’t wait to hear how it goes for you! We’re trying to figure out a way to plan/budget for eating out because that’s the one thing that always gets us every month no matter how hard we try and avoid it!
Good luck! I have never tried this, but I probably should. We eat out way too much.
Thanks Amber! There are a few challenges that may stand in our way (like the need to go skiing, ha!), but hopefully we can do it. 🙂
I think you will rock this!! I’ve never done one before, but I do no spend weeks which has worked for me! I can imagine how hard it is going to the store with a little one, because i remember being that little one and “needing” new markers and stuff lol!
I think this is an amazing idea, even if just for the whole fact of focusing on what you HAVE rather than what you want. Yadiel is in the same pattern right now, thinking that he constantly needs toys because of all the stuff he got during Christmas. He’s going through them like tissues! I’m like no, stop. Good luck and you can do it!! It will be so nice to feel refilled a little bit after being stretched thin during and after the holidays.
I have wanted to do a no-spend January but have never done one before. Such a good time to do it too because usually finances are tapped out at the beginning of the year.
You’ll have to tell us how it goes!
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
Love your no spend month! You’ll be just fine 🙂 I sometimes try to have a no spend month because I’d like to save some money 🙂 It can be hard sometimes because if I see things I really want, usually I buy them. But that can wait a month, right? And it’s a good idea too to wait a month before buying something because if you don’t want to buy it anymore after that month, it means you don’t need it 😉
So yes, you’ll be alright 🙂
I also think it’s great that you want to learn Little A that you don’t always need to buy things everytime you go somewhere 🙂 Love to hear those parents still exist 🙂
My toddler son is doing the same thing with wanting more toys. My son & little A are the same age, so I guess they are still feeling the magical excitement! ha! So, how is Target!? lol KIDDING!!!! My son asked to go there today! 🙂
We’re doing almost the same thing! My husband came up with a series of six-week-long “fasts” to help us figure out what we really do and don’t need in our lives and the first one is spending money. We’re fasting from spending money on ourselves- things for the kids (within reason), things that benefit the family are fine, just nothing for us that we don’t need. It’s been really eye opening so far.
We’re also going to fast from meat, television, alcohol, internet, and sugar. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
Good luck with your No Spend January!
Amber at OurCharmedLife.net
That’s awesome Amber! I’ll have to tell my hubby about some of those. We’ve done the alcohol and sugar and now money, but never TV or the internet. Although we “fast” from TV every time we go to our cabin b/c it’s in the middle of nowhere. 🙂
Thanks for the good thoughts!