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 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!
Are you ready to start theNo 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.)
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 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!
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.
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!
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:
charities
volunteering
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”.
When it comes to budgeting, the common excuse I hear from people is that they don't have the extra money to set aside to grow their savings account. Once they get paid, and take care of all of their important bills, there is simply nothing left for them to put into savings. Does this sound like you?
If so, I have a few suggestions for you that will teach you how to save money in no time.
Tip #1 - Always pay yourself first
What do you consider to be an "important bill"? Your mortgage/rent? Your car payment? Insurance? Of course, these are all bills that absolutely must be paid each and every month, but what about the bill of YOU? Aren't you important?
Growing your savings is so very important for your financial future and you need to make this a priority. Do so by treating your savings as one of those "important bills" that absolutely must be paid each month. Ideally, it should be the very first "bill" you pay so that your brain knows that this bill is important. To make it easy on yourself, set up an automatic withdrawal from your chequing account each month (or week), so that a pre-determined amount of cash goes into your savings account without you having to lift a finger.
Tip #2 - It doesn't matter how much you save (in the beginning)
The hardest part about saving money is simply getting started. How much should you save will depend greatly on your life goals, but also, on your current financial situation. If you are only working part time, or you are a one-income family, you may not have very much money to save each month. Don't get discouraged and whatever you do, do NOT say you will "start saving when I make more money". Save money right now, regardless of how much you make.
Even if you are only saving $5 each week, that's still $240 a year that normally would have just slipped through your fingers. As you start to bring in more money, you can increase your savings amount, but in the beginning, start small if you have to. Don't dismiss saving money just because you have a low income.
Tip #3 - Eliminate all unnecessary expenses
This is obvious, but I feel I should mention it anyway, because I know so many people who complain about having no money to save, yet they go out to the movies every weekend, buy new clothes with each paycheck and have a $300 monthly cable bill when they rarely even watch television.
Stop paying for things that are not necessary and save that money instead. Don't buy new clothes if you already have a closet that is bursting at the seams. You don't need to completely eliminate cable (unless you want to), but at least scale back on the cable package that you have - why pay for something you're not using? As for entertainment, stop over-spending. Consider frugal entertainment ideas instead (or in combination), or commit to only going out once or twice per month.
Tip #4 - Make more money
Again, this is obvious, but if you really want to start saving money, you need to seriously consider if it's worth it for you to start bringing more money home. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to take on a second job (although that will help, of course).
There are many ways that you can make extra money. If you're looking for a few ideas, check out this article that I wrote recently: 7 Ways to Earn More Money.
Just because you don't have a lot of money, doesn't mean that savings is something you should ignore. You need to start saving money as soon as you start earning it (however young that may be when you start working!). The golden rule is to save a minimum of 10% of your gross income every month, but like I said in tip #2, you don't have to start saving this much initially.
Start saving whatever you can and gradually increase the amount. The key is to never give up. Never stop saving, no matter what your circumstances may be. That, is how to save money.
Are you looking for ways to save on baby stuff? If you're like most parents, it's likely that you are!
Here are 3 easy ways to save money on items for your new baby:
Buy Used
Purchase used for as many baby items as you can.
You can find fantastic bargains on clothing, toys and even strollers and play pens at yard sales and thrift stores. Facebook marketplace is another great resource for used goods and the way I find most of my used purchases.
The only items you may not want to buy used are a car seat and crib. Those are things you want to invest some money in, since they will be used heavily and safety is a priority.
Borrow
Do you know someone with kids? If so, there's a good chance they have baby items that they no longer need! Ask if you can borrow those items until your child(ren) no longer need them.
Great items to borrow include play mats, change tables, bassinet, bouncy seat and crib mobile.
Be sure to pay it forward the next time a friend or family member needs baby items!
Buy in Bulk
When it comes to things like diapers, wipes and formula, a great way to save is to purchase these items in bulk.
Consider shopping at a wholesale store, such as Costco, to pick up these items.
In addition, watch the sales at your regular grocery and drug stores. There are always coupons available for baby items and when matched with a sale, you can often get these necessities inexpensively.
These are 3 simple ways that you can save money on baby items.
Don't believe the myth that babies cost you thousands of dollars every year. By being frugal with your purchases, you can easily save quite a bit of cash on the things you need to buy for your child.
I'd love to hear your tips for saving on baby stuff! Let us know in the comments below.
