No Spend Challenge

 Hello everyone!

I hope you're having a fabulous morning. I am caffeinated and ready to rock and roll. It is the last day of 2021. Thankful it is over. It's been an interesting year, some highs, some lows, mostly boring as we are still in pandemic mode over here. 

Anyways, let me tell you about a no-spend challenge. You pick a period of time where you do not spend money (I chose 3 months, but you can pick a no-spend day, week, or month). But the rules are up to you. It will help with impulse purchases and be an eye-opening experience. Since I already track my spending, I know approximately how much I will save. If you don't budget yet, you definitely need to track your spending to see where all your hard-earned money goes. My rules are as follows:

• Allowed to buy 

• Groceries & basic kitchen supplies
• Toiletries & cosmetics (when I run out)
• Cleaning products
• Stuff on the approved shopping list 

•  Approved shopping list 

• Clothes and shoes for Remy
• Work clothes and shoes (trust me, my sneakers for work are ruined quickly)
• Anything that must be replaced, but the original item must be thrown out
• Date nights and family days 

•  Not allowed to buy

• Take out or coffee that is not made from home
• Everyday clothing, shoes and accessories
• Electronics
• Notebooks (my heart)
• Books (whelp, I have a fascination of keeping my books that I read, but I will be making several trips to the library for my book a month)
• Organizational stuff and home decor (it is only 3 months, it is only 3 months) 

This is not going to be easy, but nothing that is worth it ever is. As mentioned, it is going to stop impulse purchases. In preparation for this challenge, I uninstalled those apps that are tempting to shop at (so long Indigo and Amazon) and unsubscribed from any shopping emails. 

Mark and I take turns on who pays for date nights. We have every other month to pay for. I start the year off in January, so I will have to pay for 2 date nights in the no spend challenge. But it is a priority for me to spend time with him, just us. The family days I have planned for February and March are less than $40 a month. As long as the world doesn't shut down again, I will be taking Remy tubing in February and indoor rock climbing for children under the age of 8 in March. He will have fun and it will be a memory to hang on to. 

Well guys, I am off to prepare our appetizer feast for the evening. Wishing you lots of health, wealth, and happiness in 2022. If you have any questions about the no spend challenge, feel free to leave a comment and I will reply.

Lots of love,

Mandee