Just how do we resist the desire to buy? We all like nice things. We all want nice things. But do we really need all those nice things? Let me just say that there is nothing wrong with wanting nice stuff, but sometimes we need to draw the line and say enough. I have gone through quite the learning curve in the last couple of years and I have found some things that always seem to help quench my thirst for more:
Smart Ways to Resist the Desire to Buy
What are your Financial Goals?
I think this is the most important thing to consider. If you’re trying to get out of debt, a new $2000 couch will not be helping you. If you’re saving up for a vacation, a new bathing suit (when you have 10 others already) will not help you. Will buying a particular item help you meet the financial goals you have put in place? Or will it hinder it?
Don’t tempt yourself
I rarely think about buying something if I haven’t seen it first. Stay out of the stores if you can and do away with catalogues! Unsubscribe from all those emails to your favourite stores. (Even the Simply Frugal emails, if you must! ;))
Reconsider your need
Do you really need it or is it a want? If it’s a definite need then there is no way you should feel guilty about your purchase.
Wait on it
I’ve found many times I can do without something if I simply walk away. For some reason, the item might not seem as appealing days later.
How many hours will you or your spouse have to work to pay for it? Will you have to fix it, clean it, store it, insure it?
Declutter your Home
Having a thorough decluttering session is a surefire way in my books to stop needless spending. I find once I finish decluttering my home, I am so satisfied with what I had let go of and all the space I cleared up, I really don’t want to clutter it back up!
Buy Quality the first time
If you carefully consider a purchase and buy something that will last, you won’t feel that constant desire to upgrade. There’s always a time and a place to buy temporary, but generally buying quality will save you money and time in the long run!
What are some techniques that you use to help you resist the desire to buy?
I told you all yesterday that I’d be back with my list of No Spend Month Meals! The list is nothing earth shattering, but perhaps you’ll find a new recipe or two that your family might enjoy! I wrote it all down in a free monthly planner my mom picked up for me from a local realtor. đ
So according to our favourite meals and what we already have on hand in the pantry and fridge/freezers, here’s what we will be eating this month:
Snack party (fruit, vegetables, cheese crackers, pickles, deli meat…whatever I can find in the fridge!)
All dinners are served with vegetables and/or fruit and/or salad. Some meals will get made more than once. I will be working from the pantry as much as I can, but will be buying any ingredients that we need as well as fresh produce/dairy/meat.
I’m planning on freezing some of the soups so that I can take them out all month long for easy lunches.
My youngest if really starting to get into finger foods so I want to make a batch or two of Cottage Cheese pancakes and Falafels so I can freeze some.
I’d love it if you left a comment listing at least one meal idea from the list you just made! Don’t forget to check back to see the ideas that others have left!
Ready, set, go! The No Spend Challenge is officially underway! So far, we’re off to a great start! đ
Truthfully, I’m winging this challenge. đ In the morning of December 29, I had fully intended on doing a month of organizing here on Simply Frugal for January. But come the afternoon of December 29, I realized that that would be silly of me to do personally because I should be packing up to move instead of organizing things! So, the No Spend Challenge just made more sense since we could really do with a lot less spending.
Before we get started with today’s post, I thought it would be important to think about why you are taking the No Spend Challenge and what you hope to achieve. It’s important to always keep your reason(s) in mind as the challenge goes along because this month isnât just about saving money, itâs about changing your mentality as it relates to shopping, your needs, and what a good life is all about.
Throughout the next 28 days I’ll be touching on some of the most common ways we like to spend money and suggesting some solutions or ideas to help us all start to think differently about how we spend money on those things. There won’t be daily posts, but I will provide the occasional task to complete. Not only to help get your mind off the fact that you’re not spending money, but also to help you get into the habit of using what you have, rather than buying more. Another perk to the No Spend Challenge is to realize and appreciate all that we do have. đ
Today, we’re going to spend some time thinking about our menu for the month. (Or start with a week and go from there.) Food can be a huge area of the budget. Especially if we’re used to eating out regularly. Let’s see if we can learn to use what we have and cook more often at home by planning some meals.
First of all, start by making a list of all your favourite recipes and your family’s favourite meals. Feel free to ask them for input! Don’t worry about the ingredients, it’s important to just write as many ideas as possible. Here’s a free meal ideas printable to help you out:
Next, take a quick inventory of what you have on hand already by taking a look in your pantry and fridge/freezer. Here are some handy freezer and pantry inventory checklists for you to print:
Now, take a look at your pantry and freezer inventory lists and think of one meal that corresponds with each ingredient. For example, if tomato sauce is on your list, you could write spaghetti, sloppy joes or lasagna.
Finally, find more ideas by getting inspired by taking a look though cookbooks, magazines or browsing the web! Pinterest is a great way to find recipes as well.
Try to have at least 28 meals on your list. One for each day of the challenge. More if you need to plan breakfasts and lunches. (I tend to rotate through the same few meals for these, but I think it’s still important to write down.)
I’ll be back tomorrow with my list of No Spend Month Meals.
I’d love it if you left a comment listing at least one meal idea from the list you just made!Â
As you may know, I did a month-long No Spend Challenge in 2008 (before Simply Frugal began) which impacted my spending habits to this day. I obviously found it quite helpful financially in the long term.
Still, I struggled with the idea of leading a No Spend Challenge because in reality, the way to a solid financial foundation is not to stop spending, but to learn to spend responsibly.
As we move forward in preparation for the 28 Day challenge in January, I thought it was important to share my heart and ideas behind the challenge.
First of all, keep in mind that I don’t think spending on the things you want is bad but, a No Spend Challenge may be just what you need, to realize your desire for stuff is just that, a want, not a necessity. While it may not eliminate any debt you have, it could possibly be the reality check you need, to turn your spending habits around. (I definitely found this true during my experience!)
My hopes of what you’ll get out of the challenge:
You’ll learn to occupy your time with things other than shopping
You’ll be encouraged to be more creative and productive with your time
You’ll learn to distinguish the difference between a want and a need
You’ll begin to appreciate what you already own
Throughout the month, as the name suggests, you’ll have to cut out or limit unnecessary spending and learn how to say no to the things you want.
On that note, we might as well get into the No Spend “Rules”:
For any sort of challenge there needs to be a set of rules or guidelines in place, right? Â For this 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. 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, cheese and fruit & vegetables. We will also most likely have some expenses to do with the purchase of our new home. (Think lawyer fees and other exciting stuff :P)
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
Hobbiesâcrafts, sports, classes, etc.
Alcohol and other vices
Home dĂŠcor
What do you think is going to be the hardest thing to let go of?
Are you on board?
Since this guided No Spend Challenge is over, I have the perfect planner for you if you are interested in doing your own No Spend Challenge! It will allow you to start your No Spend Challenge whenever you want.
It’s a 45 page planner that guides you through the details of what a No Spend Challenge is and how to do one. It’s full of helpful printables and ideas that will help you plan your challenge, so you don’t fail. Upon your successful completion of the challenge, you will see lasting changes to your financial future.
Normally in January, I like to spend the whole month decluttering and organizing. Many of you join me every year. (Thank you!) But this year feels different and my desire is to blog authentically which means I’m going to write according to what’s going on in my life.
I’ve mentioned a couple of times that we’ve recently purchased a new home and will be moving our family at the beginning of March. This is so so exciting for us as we’ve outgrown our current place and have run out of ways to make it work for us. It’s time to move on.
Since I should be packing rather than doing a big organizing overhaul, I’m doing something different in January.
I like to think that we were able to purchase our new home (and put more than 50% down on it) thanks to the choices our family makes every day as well as using the lessons we learned many years ago after a No Spend Month. Because of that first No Spend Challenge we choose to live our life, well, Simply Frugal(ly). We just don’t spend a lot of money. However, when we do spend, it’s important to us (a family vacation for example) and we always get a deal on whatever it is we are purchasing, of course đ
I’m sure that there are many of you that are nodding your heads and thinking that you live the same way. On the other hand, there may be others of you that desire to live that way but need to change some habits to make it happen.
Buying a house, paying off debt, taking a family vacation, whatever your motivator may be, a No Spend Challenge is a fantastic way to get you to take a good hard look at your spending habits.
In our case, it’s just really good to revisit our spending habits using a No Spend Challenge every once in a while. After all, life has a way of making me a bit careless with my spending…especially if the four year old is being persistent and my willpower to put my foot down is just not there that day. đ
All this to say, I will being doing a No Spend Challenge here at Simply Frugal. I’d like to call it: 28 Days to Being Simply Frugal.
I’d love for you to join me!
My hope for this challenge is that you and I will come out of it with:
A tidier house (yes, I have to incorporate some organizing! :))
A better handle on cooking healthy meals at home
New ideas for frugal fun
More money in the bank
Since this guided No Spend Challenge is over, I have the perfect planner for you if you are interested in doing your own No Spend Challenge! It will allow you to start your No Spend Challenge whenever you want.
It’s a 45 page planner that guides you through the details of what a No Spend Challenge is and how to do one. It’s full of helpful printables and ideas that will help you plan your challenge, so you don’t fail. Upon your successful completion of the challenge, you will see lasting changes to your financial future.
You might be wondering, whatâs the point of depriving ourselves? Shouldn’t we be able to enjoy the money we earn?
When I did my first No Spend challenge in 2008, I learned to appreciate what I had. The restaurant and take out dinners became a special treat, I found clothes at the back of my closet that I loved, and I used the piles of fabric I already owned to complete sewing projects. I stopped taking things for granted. (And letâs not forget all the money saved from not eating out or making impulse buys!)
Technically, I wasn’t depriving myself since all my basic needs were being met. I had shelter, I had food, and I had clothing. And really, I had so many things in my home I didn’t miss spending my money on expensive, useless stuff! My husband and I found alternatives to the movie theatres and dinner dates.
What I realized after my month of No Spending in 2008, is that I was able to find Joy and Happiness in making do without and finding creative alternatives to the expensive things. I’m talking about finding joy in the little things again.
I no longer feel like I have to spend tons of money to find the best things in life for me. I find quite a bit more happiness in finding ways to do things that arenât wasteful, in terms of money, time and other resources. Don’t get me wrong, I feel the freedom today to spend larger amounts of money if I want. Take for example, the trip my husband and I took to Mexico to see his only sister get married. That was important and in no way were we not going to go. Sometimes you just have to to spend money to experience life to the fullest and in turn not disappoint what’s really important in life, family and friends!
