No Spend Periods are a great way to save money and start getting creative with what you have. But how do you do it? These tips for How to Not Spend Money for a month will have you breezing right through your No Spend Month!
Everything from how to not spend money on food to how to make or find a little extra money. We’ll help you get creative with what you have and look at the way you spend your money differently.
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You all know by now I’m a huge fan of No Spend Periods. In fact, I wrote about our journey in March with weeks one, two, and three.
In full disclosure, I’ve never made it a full month. I know, I know… We usually make it three weeks and then something comes up where I break it off just before the one month point.
However, I have done it enough times now that I have plenty of tips for those of you who want to give it a try.
All of these tips for how to not spend money should get you through a no spend month without a problem!
Also read: How to Prepare for a No Spend Period
The biggest fear that most people have is how to handle the food for a month.
True, you could be running low on things by the end of the month, but that should be forcing you to get more creative and use the things that have been sitting in the freezer or pantry for way too long.
How about fresh food?
When I go to the store for our family now, it is typically for fresh fruits and veggies, milk, and eggs. When I get to the checkout, my cart is full of many other things.
We have two freezers and a pantry full of frozen veggies and cans of fruit and vegetables. I forget them all. the. time.
When we do a No Spend Period I realize how many bags of vegetables are in the bottom of the freezer, and how many cans of fruits and veggies we have weighing down the shelves of our pantry.
This is a great time to get creative with your meals and use your canned and frozen vegetables. It’s also a good time to let the kiddos have those canned mandarin oranges instead of steering them to the fresh fruit only to let the cans get closer and closer to the expiration date.
Also read: Save Money on Entertaining
Make from scratch
I will admit that I’m not fantastic in the kitchen. It intimidates me a bit. However –when pushed –I realize I can do way more than I give myself credit for.
Making things from scratch is kind of a lost art. That’s why these exercises are so good for us!
Out of stock? You can make your own with kitchen scraps.
No pancake mix? It’s a piece of pancake to make!
Out of mayo? You probably have everything to make it in your house right now!
Google and Pinterest are your best friend and you will find it’s so much easier – and healthier – to make thing from scratch than you ever imagined!
Pantry Challenge
This is where we make the most progress during a no spend period. We finally start to realize how much has been in our pantry or freezer for way too long!
If you’re not completely ready for a no spend month, a pantry challenge is the way to go.
Take stock of everything you have way back in the pantry or freezer and start getting creative.
I will typically use this time to make a list of everything we have – throwing out the things that are expired or freezer burnt. Then, I’ll take to Pinterestand google to search for certain ingredients until I find a recipe that works.
We actually have some of our best meals during these times because they are creative and different than our typical go-tos.
Also read: 50 of the Best Money Saving Tips
See if you can find cash you have forgotten about around the house. Collect change. Search your online accounts – Paypal, survey sites, etc.
This exercise will get you to open your mind to where you may find extra money when needed.
It will also help reveal where you’re forgetting about money in the form of gift cards, loose change, online rewards, cash you forgot you had, etc…
Also read: Teaching Kids about Money
Instead of spending money, you can take the time to look for ways to make a little extra money.
Selling what you don’t need, finding some services you can offer, or using some of the easy apps to save will all help show you what you can do in a pinch.
Depending on how you want to go about your no spend period, you can allow yourself to use this extra money or save even more.
- Sell things you no longer need. I’m partial to selling on Facebook, but I also list on Craigslist.
- Cut lawns
- Walk Dogs
- House Sit
- Babysit
- Join a site like Clickworker that pays you for completing micro jobs
- Join Swagbucks and get paid for easy surveys, watching videos, and even searching
- Sell things you’ve made on etsy
When we are brainstorming how not to spend money, we have to think about what we can do with what we have.
The next time you think about adding something to your shopping list, think about what you already have and if you can make it work. Did anyone else hear the voice of Tim Gunn?
Use this as a time to get creative!
- Use an old bottle for a vase
- Make a cereal box into a filing box
- Turn trivets into a message board
- Make girls skirts and dresses out of boys shorts or adult t-shirts
- Give kids craft supplies straight out of the recycling bin
- Use rags instead of paper towels
With these tips you should be able to make it through an entire month without spending money! #money #savingmoney
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With these tips for how to not spend money, you should be able to breeze through your no spend month!
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