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:
Nov 27 | Household Tips, Holidays, Organization
Here we are, week five of the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series. That means there are only 28 days left until Christmas! Hopefully you’re feeling a bit more organized than usual because you’ve been following along with the series?
We have a “rule” in our house. One that I actually grew up with so it sort of just stayed in place now that I have a home of my own. Christmas decorating (and Christmas music listening) doesn’t begin until December 1st. Maybe you have that same “rule” in your home? Either way, December 1st happens to be this week. Thursday to be exact. So that puts the focus of this 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas post on Christmas decorating! (I’m going to add in Christmas baking planning too since it’s nice to have a plan for all those parties and gifting opportunities.)
It’s easy to get carried away with Christmas decorating. After all, the stores are really good at displaying Christmas decorations juuuust right, so you want to buy them all.
This year, focus on decorating simply. Bring out only your favourite decorations. If you must buy something new, limit yourself to one or two things thing. Find contentment with what you already own. (Ahem, something I’m telling myself…)
Here are a few ways to decorate frugally for Christmas:
Buy Secondhand
Head to your local thrift stores to see if you can snag any good deals on Christmas decor, Christmas linens or even objects you can transform into holiday decorations!
Get your Craft on
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get the whole family involved in creating some cute homemade decorations. Pinterest is full of family friendly craft ideas to help make your home more festive.
Shop the sales
Even before Christmas you can find some great sales on Christmas decor. There seems to always be some sort of Christmas light sale going on, especially at hardware stores. You might even find some clearance deals on last years stock!
How do you save on Christmas decorations?
Now for the baking. Start making a list of everything you want to make this year. At some point this week, purchase all your baking supplies so you’re good to go whenever you have a spare moment. When you start baking, make the items that can be frozen, first.
Here are some ideas from Simply Frugal to get you started:
Here is a free Baking List printable for you to download that should come in handy!
What will be on your Christmas baking list this year?
Nov 20 | Household Tips, Holidays, Organization
It’s about this time of year when I really start to get excited about the Christmas season. I get a bit of an urge to turn on the Christmas carols and swap out my fall decor for some winter decorations. Also, have you seen Pinterest lately? This is the time of year when amazing Christmas stuff gets pinned!
Alas, it’s so easy to get carried away dreaming about all the projects you want to do. Adding too many crafts, baking and activities can be overwhelming!
Every year I struggle with wanting to make all sorts of neat things to feature on Simply Frugal. But the reality is, I have limited time with two very busy little girls underfoot and other responsibilities to deal with. So any project I do accomplish has to be simple and quick. Preferably something I can do in about an hour, including picture taking!
All this to say, you don’t have to pack your schedule full of Christmas activities, baking, crafting and shopping in order to have a festive and memorable season.
This is why I’m breaking down the steps to an organized Christmas by one task a week. It’s good to have direction and a plan in place! I know without a plan, I become quite scatterbrained! 😛 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas is about creating a more relaxed Christmas season with just the right amount of extra projects and activities.
Here’s this week’s task:
Order Christmas Cards
Now, I realize that many of you are not likely to order custom Christmas cards but for those of you that do, now is a great time to do so! Custom Christmas cards can take a while to arrive in the mail and if you want them to be sent out to friends & family in a timely fashion, I’d get on it this week. 🙂
Here are a few designs I love, along with some deals!
Vistaprint Canada has a great selection and currently offering their Christmas cards for up to 50% off for a limited time.
Shutterfly usually has some great coupon codes going that should save you a bundle on high quality cards!
Pink dot Design has a wonderful selection of Christmas cards!
Etsy also has a ton of shop owners who create beautiful custom cards and templates!
If you aren’t the type to order custom cards you can of course buy a set of boxed cards and add a photo and a letter if you wish! That’s what I’ll be doing this year. I bought a box of cards last year on clearance so I’ll be sticking in our family photo and hand delivering to friends and mailing to out of town family.
This week along with ordering/buying Christmas cards, take care of these tasks as well:
- buy stamps, envelopes, if necessary
- write Christmas letter, if desired
- put family photos inside, if desired
Do you send out Christmas cards each year?
Here are the posts in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series so far:
Nov 13 | Household Tips, Holidays, Organization
**This year is going to look different for all of us. So while we may not be doing all the parties and events, there is still plenty to do!**
There are so many fun things to do throughout the Christmas season. Gingerbread house making, caroling, Christmas plays, cookie exchanges, dinner parties, Christmas light looking, craft making and even holiday movie watching. There is so much to do, there may not be enough time to do it all!
Why won’t you be able to do everything you want to do? Well, because there’s grocery shopping, laundry, dinner making and everyday life stuff that still has to happen!
This is where planning comes in really handy. After all, life is busy, and it’ll be hard to get the fun things on the schedule if you don’t plan ahead.
Here are the steps to take if you want to do a lot of fun holiday things this year:
Grab your Calendar
First of all, grab your calendar and mark down all the things you know will be happening regardless of the holidays. Doctor’s appointments, school activities, office parties…etc.
Talk as a Family
Next, you’ll want to gather the family to discuss all the activities each of you want to do. Sledding? Cookie decorating party? Christmas play watching? Brainstorm to your heart’s content. Make sure to write down all the Christmas movies you want to watch and even the crafts you want to do. (I have a cool Holiday Bucket List included in the Holiday Planner (only $1!) that’s available in the Simply Frugal store that should come in handy!)
Prioritize
Since there are likely more ideas than time, take a look over the calendar again and plan for the activities you can realistically accomplish. Even with the regular everyday life stuff added in.
Back to the Budget
Before you get carried away with grandiose plans, go back to your budget. What did you allot for fun? The case may be that you’ll have to save some activities for future years.
Fill in your Calendar
Now fill in your calendar with all the activities that you can set in stone. Buy those concert tickets and finalize plans with friends, then put them on the calendar. Make sure to allow for some quiet nights/days at home!
Holiday activities are supposed to be fun so don’t stress about doing everything. Just make a point of doing the things you want to do instead of wishing they would happen. Planning in advance will make the season more relaxing.
I’d love to know, what’s one thing you’ll be adding to your calendar this year?
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”.
Here are the posts in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series so far:
