Jan 11 | Frugal Living, Household Tips, Money Saving Tips, Organization
How was your weekend? Did you work on decluttering? I took my big box of donations in, but that’s it! What sort of No spend activities did you do? We had a quiet weekend. But did make a quick trip to the city over to go to Costco and make some Christmas returns.
Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.
Day 4 Declutter Task:
In our home, I have a few cupboards and shelves devoted to pantry stuff. No official pantry, but it works for me! However, after a while, things start to get messy in those places because I tend to get a bit careless when I’m putting things away. (Mainly because I’m trying to hurry, since putting things away is not one of my favourite things to do.)
I think I can do so much better with getting like items with like items. So that’s what today’s decluttering task is going to be. Decluttering and organizing our pantry areas.
In case you’re looking for some inspiration on how to organize your pantry, here’s a post I did that has a bunch of links to pantry organization ideas.
Day 4 No Spend Task:
Once again, we’re going to try our hardest to not spend money! But also today, since we’re organizing our pantries, we’re going to take inventory of what we have found. This is going to help us with our No Spend task tomorrow.
For your convenience, I have a printable pantry inventory list here.
What is the weirdest thing you found in your pantry?
I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Jan 8 | Frugal Living, Household Tips, Money Saving Tips, Organization
Here we are, at Day 3 of the No Spend Declutter Challenge! How is it going so far? Have you seen a little bit of progress in your mind and in your house?
Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.
Day 3 Declutter Task:
Today’s task for the Declutter portion is one that is definitely needing some attention in our home. Toys. We’re going to work on organizing and decluttering the toy situation! If your home isn’t overrun with toys, then you could concentrate on sporting goods and pet items if either of those apply.
I’m going to try to involve the kids. Especially my oldest, but she tends to get attached to everything. I will give her some guidance and encourage her to really choose the toys she actually plays with and loves. Even if we only discuss the possibility of one day donating an item, I find that she can part with the item when she’s had time to think about it. I also think I will be decluttering some, but storing others so I can rotate them.
Do you have any toy storage tips? Share your ideas in the comments!
Day 3 No Spend Task:
Before I did my very first No Spend Challenge way back in 2008, one of the reasons why I would spend impulsively was because I was bored. I’d find myself at the mall wandering around and getting caught up in the sales I would find.
So, with boredom in mind, today we are going to talk about fun! After all, I think a key aspect to a successful No Spend Challenge is learning how to have fun for free! We don’t have to spend a lot of money, or any money at all to have fun.
Since it’s Friday and the weekend starts tomorrow I’m going to list a whole bunch of ideas for a No spend weekend. Of course, these ideas will work any day of the week, but typically the weekend is when most of us have more time for fun! These ideas should also work with our current world situation. 🙂
No Spend Weekend Ideas:
- Make a time capsule
- Have a game night with board games and cards
- Movie night – grab a movie off the shelf that you haven’t watched in a while and make some homemade microwave popcorn!
- Read books
- Try Minute to Win It games (ideas found all over google)
- Do a puzzle
- Learn a new skill
- Have a theme night/day – Mexican, Italian, pirate…the list goes on. Plan dinners and activities around your theme!
- Go for a hike
- Build a snowman
- Have a craft night – paint, sew, draw…etc!
- Go sledding
- Visit the library
- Go sit by the water with a hot drink
- Play on a playground
- Try a science experiment
- Make homemade pizza
- Make something from old magazines
- Bake a cake
- Start a home project
- Try geocaching
- Look through old photos
- Go bird watching – see how many different types of birds you can spot. Maybe bring along a bird book from the library.
- Go for a walk around the neighborhood
- Do some summer planning
- Take a nap
- Prepare a meal for a friend (drop it off outside)
- Have a picnic, inside or outside depending on the weather
- Shovel a neighbors driveway
I’d love to hear your ideas for free weekend activities in the comments below!
I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Jan 7 | Frugal Living, Household Tips, Money Saving Tips, Organization
Here we are, Day 2 of the No Spend Declutter challenge! Since yesterday’s task may have been a doozy, today’s task is quite a bit simpler. Yahoo!
Day 2 Declutter Task:
Today, we’re going to evaluate our cleaning supplies. Yes, we’re going to assess our supplies. Haha! Pull out all of your cleaners and tools and make a note of items you need to replenish. This is important to do because we’re going to clean as we go along each day. It’s no fun realizing you’re out of something halfway through the task!
This is also a perfect opportunity to put everything together in one easily accessible spot.
Simply Frugal has a few homemade cleaner recipes that may interest you! Here they are:
I’d love to know what your favourite cleaners and tools are in the comments below!
Day 2 No Spend Task:
Before we get too far in to the No Spend Challenge, I thought today would be a great day to go over some ways we can set ourselves up for success. After all, it’s one thing to tell ourselves we won’t be spending money on all the things we normally do, and actually following through. Here are two steps to your No spend success:
Step 1: Write down your goal
It’s time to get clear on what your goal is with the no-spend challenge. Is it to pay off debt? Save for a new home? A trip? (when we can travel again…) A more positive relationship with money? Great! Write down your goal on a piece of paper! Put that piece of paper somewhere where you will see it every day. It will help you stay motivated and keep you moving forward.
Step 2: Think about your obstacles
You will definitely want to consider the obstacles you will face throughout the No spend Challenge. For example, I anticipate the obstacles that I may encounter are my family members (kids) and meal time fatigue. (I just want to get takeout!)
In order to overcome these particular obstacles, I will have to have a conversation with my kids about what we are doing and why. Get them on board and remind them it’s not forever. Also make sure they know necessities will still be allowed. As for my meal time fatigue, I could have a list of super easy meals that everyone likes on hand for those tired days. Or, I could perhaps, allow myself one night of take out and support a local business.
You may need to unsubscribe from store emails if you are tempted by sales. Or maybe you need to avoid certain places (the mall, craft stores, home décor stores) in order to eliminate your obstacles.
Regardless, it’s important that you know what your obstacles will be so you can be successful at reaching your goal.
What is your goal with the No Spend Challenge? What are some of your obstacles? Let us know in the comments below!
I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Jan 6 | Frugal Living, Household Tips, Money Saving Tips, Organization
Are you ready to start the No Spend Declutter Challenge? (Read all about the challenge here.) I know I sure am! Have you started to prepare your mind for some changes? Do you have empty boxes set aside for all that stuff you’re going to get rid of? Even plastic bags will do! Let’s get right to it!
Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.
Day 1 Declutter Task:
The first task of the challenge is to do a Whole House Quick Declutter. This is where you will run around the house and clear all the surfaces including the floors and counters. It meant to be done fast. Try to fill three bags or boxes with stuff that will leave your house. (Either donate or give to friends & family that will appreciate it.)
To help you out, I created a list of 38 things that you can quickly toss or donate. You’ll also love the Clutter Checklist I created to help you track your progress!
Now, I think this can go either way. It can be a quick task or a more time consuming task. My suggestion is to not think too hard about each object. If it’s staying in your home put it away in it’s place. If an item annoys you, consumes too much of your time or doesn’t get used, time to get it out of the house.
What do you think? Can you do it? Tell me about your results in the comments below!
Day 1 No Spend Task
Obviously, each day from now until January 31, the task or goal is to not spend money.
However, it’s not so black and white as to just not spend money. So today, I thought I’d go over the rules for the No Spend portion of the challenge. For the January 2021 No Spend Challenge, I’ve got one rule:
No spending on anything that isn’t absolutely essential.
Of course, the challenge is a No Spend Challenge, but it’s impossible to cut out all your spending. Bills still need to be paid and mouths still have to be fed! But in January, we’re going to be trying our hardest to live well, while using what we already have and being creative with our time and resources!
For our family, that means paying our regular bills, as well as purchasing some groceries and gas. These are essentials for us, but we will be more mindful when we do spend money on those things. For example, we have quite a few things in our pantry and freezer so we’ll most likely get away with buying only fresh products like milk, eggs and fruit & vegetables for the month.
No spending on anything that isn’t essential will look different to each family. Here are a few examples of expenses you can cut out for the month:
- Eating out (at restaurants)
- Coffee from coffee shops
- Clothing
- Entertainment
- Toys
- Cosmetics
- Hobbies—crafts, sports, classes, etc.
- Alcohol and other vices
- Home décor
- Apps for your electronic devices
What do you think is going to be the hardest thing to let go of?
I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Jan 3 | Frugal Living, Household Tips, Money Saving Tips, Organization
If you have been visiting Simply Frugal for some time, you will know that every January we embark on some sort of decluttering challenge. This year is no different! However, this year, there are going to be a few additions.
After my recent reader survey, it was very apparent that the majority of you would love to combine a No Spend Challenge with a Decluttering Challenge! To be honest, this never crossed my mind, but it makes total sense to combine the two! After all, I am a firm believer that being organized is one of the keys to saving money. Decluttering only emphasizes the need to cut waaaaay back on impulse spending.
Why do a Declutter Challenge?
If you choose to join us this month, we will be completing 21 decluttering tasks together. When all is said and done, you will have a home that is much lighter, peaceful and clean.
Decluttering not only frees your home of excess, it has a huge impact on your mental well-being. It is way easier to make decisions, handle stress and feel less anxious and despair in a home that serves us with the items we have thoughtfully chosen to keep. Decluttering may also help you feel better about yourself, because it is an accomplishment!
Clutter-free living also allows us to complete daily tasks more efficiently. It allows us the space to be on time for appointments, cook at home more often, and even complete cleaning tasks in less time. It also allows us guilt-free time of enjoying our hobbies!
Why do a No Spend Challenge?
A No Spend Challenge is a great way to reset our spending habits. The end goal for me personally, is not to deprive myself, but to reframe how I spend money. Completing a No Spend Challenge helps me to make more intentional purchases that align more with my true goals.
Speaking of goals, a No spend Challenge is also a great way to kickstart your financial goals. Once you reset or reframe your spending habits to serve you, you will be well on your way to completing those goals you never thought possible!
Why combine two challenges?
As I mentioned above, I believe being organized and feeling content with your home, is a key aspect in saving money. Decluttering is something we can control. As we learned from 2020, there are financial aspects we cannot control, like job loss. However, we can control how we spend the money we do receive. That can require some rewiring of our habits. Challenges like a decluttering challenge will help us discover that we already have plenty, thus the desire to spend can be greatly diminished. A No spend Challenge will help break the habit of impulse spending by allowing us a peek into our spending triggers.
How are we going to do this?
Quite honestly, I’m flying by the seat of my pants on this idea! With that in mind, we will be starting The No Spend Decluttering Challenge on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
- I will provide you with a decluttering task each weekday, Monday – Friday until the end of January.
- I will also give you a No Spend task on many of those days too.
- Each decluttering and No Spend task will vary in effort required, but they will still be very achievable.
- Print this checklist and gather empty boxes and bags
- If the idea of combining these two challenges is not appealing to you, by all means, pick just one challenge. It will be easy to separate the two.
Where are we doing this?
Who wants to join? 🙂 We start January 6!
Here are the posts to far in the challenge:
Oct 30 | Money Saving Tips, Budgeting, Frugal Living, Holidays, Organization
Are you excited to work your way to a more organized Christmas? Today marks the first day and task in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series that I hope will be super helpful to you!
Before we get started, I have a whole bunch of printables and checklists for you to print out to help you along:
Alright, on to the first task, an important one. 🙂 This week, if you haven’t already, sit down with a hot cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate… and create your holiday budget. This is what you think your holiday season will cost and will allow you to put limits on your holiday spending to keep you from shopping regrets if a credit card bill comes your way!
Related: How to Have a Merry Christmas Without Spending a Dime
Here is an extensive list of things you should keep in mind when you create your holiday budget:
Gifts:
- spouse
- kids
- parents
- siblings
- nieces/nephews
- grandparents
- neighbors
- coworkers
- friends
- secret Santa gift exchanges
Activities/Events/Parties:
- tickets
- dining out
- clothing
Food (not including regular groceries):
- baking ingredients
- dessert ingredients
- Christmas eve
- Christmas dinner/brunch
- Boxing day
- parties
Cards:
- stamps
- cards/envelopes
- stationary for family newsletter
- photos
Clothing:
- outfits for photos
- parties
- Christmas day outfit
Decorations:
- tree
- lights
- ornaments/candles/wreath/etc.
- craft supplies
Giving:
Now, these suggestions are just a guideline. Every family is different and has different needs. My intent is to bring to mind every possible thing that could incur an expense during the holiday season. I’m sure many of you won’t even spend money on half of these things this year. Also, in my mind, the more planning you do, the more money you will save and the saner you will feel. 🙂
As for my family, we only buy gifts for immediate family and a couple of close friends. My husband and I only exchange stockings. I make some homemade gifts as well as collect credits throughout the year so I can do some online shopping for “free”. Of course, I search for deals too. I will probably buy a few inexpensive Christmas decorations this year. This year, I’m toying with the idea of having a cookie decorating party with the girls’ friends. I think that would be fun! As for any party that we are invited to, I like to bring some baking along.
But enough about us. 🙂
If after writing down your expenses, you’re scared of the number you see, you have two options: Decrease your expenses or increase your income.
Decrease your expenses
To make a happy holiday season, you really don’t need to spend a lot of money. In fact, I’m daring to say, that being extravagant in your spending can be overwhelming not only to you, but the recipient as well. When I was a child, one set of grandparents used to be quite extreme in their gift giving. It was SO exciting, but I remember being quite overwhelmed with all the gifts once Christmas was over.
Gift giving is probably the easiest expense to cut back on. If you have a large extended family, consider drawing names so each member is only responsible for one gift. Or do what our family does and only give gifts to the children. My parents have also started to set a $20 limit on each other in recent years. Jesse and I exchange stockings.
Setting a price limit on each gift will allow you to shop within that budget. If your limit on sister Sue is $30, then that $50 purse is off limits.
It’s possible to decrease your food budget too by shopping the sales and limiting the baking and Christmas dishes you prepare.
When it comes to decorations, why not create some memories by making some homemade decorations? (I’ll be featuring some ideas in a few weeks) Or read my Fond, Frugal Christmas Memory post for a fun Christmas tree idea.
Increase your Income
If decreasing your holiday expenses is not an option, then consider increasing your income. Many retailers hire for the holiday season (and may offer an employee discount!).
A couple of other ideas are to:
- Sell extra baking to those that may not have much time to create their own.
- Sell unwanted household items for cash (make room for new stuff too!)
What are your tips for staying on budget at Christmas time?
Sign up for the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas newsletter to receive a FREE Christmas Dinner Checklist! This checklist is quite detailed and will help you remember all the details needed for a memory filled dinner with family and friends. You’ll also receive a weekly email with each week’s “task”.
