Let’s face it–we all get off track sometimes when it comes to budgeting and managing our money wisely! Whether it be overspending on a vacation or little bad habits that add up over time, sometimes we just need to hit the reset button! If you’ve ever made it to the end of the month and wondered where all your money actually went, a month of no-spending might just be the perfect way to reset your spending habits.
Of course, going it alone can seem downright scary.
Luckily you don’t have to. Over the past four years, more than 100,000 LWSL readers have taken our 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge (many of them more than once), with incredible results.
Here are just a few of the amazing results our readers have shared:
Thank you so much for this challenge!! We didn’t do every activity because we work full time. However, we did save $2000.00! We also sold some things that we had wanted to sell and cleaned our garage which is huge for us. My husband and I used to eat out almost every night. In addition to eating out we still always bought groceries as well. It seems like we always intend to eat at home, but then never do. We plan to continue using what we have until it’s gone. In addition to saving so much money we both feel better in general. We had already planned a trip to New Orleans to celebrate our friends birthday, but thanks to the challenge we paid cash for the entire trip!! You have been such an inspiration to us. I look forward to future challenges!!” – Becky P.
I wanted to send you a quick message to say how fantastic your 31 day zero spending challenge was. By cooking at home everyday, resisting the urge to shop and only buying essentials at the grocery store (using coupons of course) I saved over $1200. I have been wanting to save money to help with my wedding and honeymoon next year. This past month actually enabled me to buy my wedding dress with cash. Its a relief to say I won’t be seeing a dent in my bank account after the purchase of a wedding dress! Your writing style kept me engaged and inspired! I have recommended this to so many people, and look forward to the next spending zero challenge. I have inspired friends and co-workers to spend less or zero and truly feel I have some great tips on moving forward to continue saving. Thank you! Great challenge!” -Kayley S.
Prior to this challenge, my husband I had lived paycheck to paycheck, spending 100% of our income and I was unsure of how I was ever going to tackle this debt I had placed on our family. That’s where you come in. I was skeptical and I figured I would do it… next time. But, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed about our financial situation, I decided to commit. It was interesting that once I committed and was accountable, I didn’t feel restricted or deprived. Actually, I felt liberated and set free. I did realize though, throughout this challenge, that I mindlessly spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars monthly. I would catch myself having a reflex thought of “let me just buy a drink here because I forgot my water bottle”, or “I’ll just grab something to eat out because it’s easier and I don’t want to take the time to make anything”. So many times, that reflex kicked in through this month and I couldn’t believe how many times I spend unnecessary money either for convenience, laziness or just because of my feelings. Because of your challenge, I was able to pay off ALL of my credit card debt. ALL!!!!!!! I cannot believe that! I am amazed at what one month can do! I feel like a weight has been lifted and my sanity has been restored. I feel that I was able to regain my peace, in my spirit and in my mind. I feel like I can breathe again and stop hanging my head in shame. I feel like I won the battle of using material things to soothe the issues of life. I feel whole!” -LaShanna
Still not sure? Here’s what you have to gain from taking this challenge:
Believe me, I know all too well how stressful it can be to feel like your budget is spinning out of control, and I’ve learned that sometimes hitting the reset button through a month of no-spending is the only way to get a handle on things once again. Over the course of thirty-one simple but powerful daily assignments, this 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge will empower and inspire you to get your finances back on track.
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Ruth - thanks for this article!
Totally agree, a no spend month is a great way to reset your financial habits and get back on track. It isn't sustainable long-term since we all need to reward ourselves for hard work and treat ourselves, but as you mention, it's a good way take control of your budget.
It's interesting how if we focus on spending less, we can direct our attention to creating other positive habits, like decluttering. The no spend month really has a domino effect on other aspects of our lives. Once we build good habits with our finances, we'll be inspired to improve and keep getting better!
If someone is brand new to this challenge and they only want to pick one habit to focus on such as decluttering or making more home cooked meals more often, which one should they focus on and why?
- Jani, Frugal Fun Finance
frugalfunfinance.com
I am very sad because we began the 31 day challenge in January with the free content and a few days in it was no longer available and now you have to buy the book to finish. Well it is NO SPEND JANUARY so how can I buy the book. I am very disappointed.
I am on day 3 of no spending. There are so many reasons I need to save money. My goal with saving this month is to pay off my credit card at the end of the month and my wedding dress. I went from being a teacher's assistant to finally getting a teaching position in August. I thought with the increased income, I would finally be putting money into savings, paying credit card bills off (these racked up while bringing home $600 per month as a teacher's assistant), saving for my upcoming wedding, and for a new car that I know I'll need in the next couple years. However, having more money just ending up meaning there was more money to spend. I went from a job 20mins from my house to one that's a 55min drive one way. That tripled my gas budget. Plus, I'm a giver, I love buying gifts for other people and for the first time I was able to buy everyone something for Christmas. I don't regret buying the gifts that I did, I do regret not managing my money to do it. So, here it is January 2016 and I have nothing in my savings account, still about $1600 in credit card debit, no money saved for a car and nothing really saved for my wedding. I'm praying this 31 day challenge puts be in a place to pay off those credit card bills, so that I can start applying that money towards other bills, savings, and more necessary things.
I started the spending challenge today. Well it's grocery shopping day my weekly budget for a family of 6 is $250 a week for food and anything else we need ( dog food, guinea pig supplies). I made my menu for the week taking into account my pantry and freezer. I spent $84.82! For the whole week!!!! Needless to say I was ecstatic about it. Next week will be a different story but I save a lot of money this week! Woohoo!
Ditto Andrea's comment. The link in my email didn't work. :(
Can I find the prep guide somewhere else? The email version didn't work for me.. :(
Thanks!
You will need to download the file (which happens automatically when you click on the link) Then once it is downloaded, find the location it downloaded to.
I just started reading your book and am so looking forward to using this as I read through the book. Thank you so much.
A great idea! I'll definitely try it, although I'm pretty sure to fail the first week completely, because I'm on a business trip abroad - if it doesn't work out at all, I'll just do an additional week in november :)
I am excited to try this for the first time and signed up. However, October is when our anniversary is and we have a couple family celebratory events (birthdays, etc.) Is it okay to freeze as much spending as possible with the plan but still accommodate the events already on the calendar?
I'm so in! I feel like my husband and I have the same conversation about downsizing and contentment on a regular basis. He says, "Great let's do it!" and I'm like OK but then nothing changes. I think this challenge will definitely help and may be a bit revealing as I might also be a shopaholic! Just wanted to add that I've been poking around your site a bit and I just read your initial post about taking your kids' toys away. I love IT! I recently went through my boys' toys and put away a cabinet full and then some. I left out puzzles, tools, books, cars, trains, and dress-up (superhero costumes, of course!). I thought they would pitch a fit but really they barely noticed. Who woulda thunk?! I also just read your contentment post, which resonated so deeply with me! Thanks for being honest and putting yourself out there. I'm actually excited to spend ZERO and see how it affects our budget, and how much we'll be able to save. ;-D
Do you do this at another time? I would love to give this a try, but we have a two week scheduled vacation and that makes not spending impossible!
Hi Pat,
You can do the spending freeze at any time. You can order the book on Amazon and have all the information at once. I hope that helps. Enjoy your vacation. :)