If you followed along with my post last month, you know that I embarked on a “no spend” January. Let me tell you, I ended up getting a lot more out of it than I thought I would! I really ended up sticking to only making purchases that were necessary (i.e. food and toiletries). I even managed a target trip and only bought things on my list and a second one where I walked out with nothing…yes that’s right, I walked out of Target with NO purchase made. Now that is what I consider a success.
The Secret to Success:
- Make a wishlist. I am an active bullet journaler—that is for another post. Within my journal I created a spread where I kept track of unnecessary things that I probably would have impulsively purchased had I not been in my “no spend” month. This gave me a place to park things that I might have wanted but didn’t need. After looking at this list towards the end of the month, there were definitely a few things that I really don’t think I need at all.
- Get others involved. This was truly accidental, but as word got around that I was going the no spend route, a few people quickly jumped on board. It was so nice having support from friends that I could bounce ideas off of or have no spend Target dates.
- Save the big purchases. There are a couple bigger ticket items currently on my wishlist—defined as over $100 in my book. By adding these to the wish list it has really given me a change to think about what I actually want. I have gotten a chance to research and really go for quality, rather than just what is right in front of me.
- Get inspired. Another accidental, but pleasant, surprise. Because I wasn’t spending on new things, I really got to know what I have. I even found an old set of water colors that really inspired me to get back into things that really bring me joy. Now I don’t know if this is for sure because I wasn’t spending or if this would have happened anyway. But I am super excited about it and really feeling encouraged to get back to me. Not to mention introducing my babies to my favorite way to be creative.
The Outcome:
So, down to the nitty-gritty. Over all, by not spending extra money this month, I saved a grand total of $682 compared to January 2018. What in the actual?! How did I actually save that much in a month without making any effort? If that’s not a kick in the gut, and bank account, I am not sure what is.
This whole thing really made me feel good; it made me feel successful and it really made me happy. It gave me something really positive to focus on. My plan is to do this every other month to start and work from there. Who is with me?
