July 2017 started out with the best intentions. My goal was this: endure a no-spend month. The rules are simple; aside from bills, gasoline, and the absolute necessities (medicine, basic groceries, baby and school supplies) go through the entire month without spending money. It's all over Pinterest, so I figured my broke self would give it a try.
I started strong. When I grocery shopped, I used copious amounts of coupons. I sold some old stuff that made up for my forgotten and unexpected expenses of a library fine, Amazon Prime membership, and a doctor visit. I worked on a very detailed budget and it looked beautiful.
About two weeks in, I spent a little extra on some clearance shoes for Abby. Not a huge deal, but I probably could have waited. I also got Chick-fil-A after work.... Guilty pleasure. One thing lead to another, and I gave in. My No-Spend Month was a bust.
And ya know what? I'm okay with it.
Sure, I could have worked harder to avoid spending money. But at the end of the day, I realized that I can save money and still buy things that I want. Shocker, here's a list of things I figured out.
- Sleep on it. If you're not 100% sure, write it on a "want" list and give it a few days. If you still want it, go ahead.
- Use every money-saving resource you have. Coupons, ibotta, ebates, sales. Shop smart and combine deals whenever possible. (Bonus: click the links for my referral codes to earn extra money!)
- Build a budget. Try to be as detailed and honest as possible. Don't make it pretty, make it real.
- Be flexible. Your budget needs to change with the times. Look over last month and see where you can save money, but also look where you need to give yourself some more wiggle room.
Let me know what you think in the comments! Have you tried a no-spend month? What are your best money saving tips? I want to know!
xoxo, a.
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