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I made it: an entire month with no personal spending (almost). At the beginning of the month I decided to spend money only on living expenses and the necessities for a full-month spending ban. There are many reasons why someone may decide to have a no-spend month; to save some extra cash, pay off a debt, get ahead on savings, practice self-control, break a shopping addiction, or to buy something special. For me, it was a mix of paying off some unexpected bills for vehicle maintenance and my cat’s vet bill, as well as saving up some extra dough for my upcoming wedding. Now that my month is over, I feel the need to expand it. It worked out pretty great in many ways so I would like to continue using the benefits of the ban to my advantage.
Here is how I succeeded: I like to look at my successes before my failures. I feel that it is a kinder approach to self reflection. For my month of no-spending I avoided my temptations like the book store. I was also able to pay off my cat’s expensive (but oh so necessary) vet bill. This goal for the month also kept me from buying unnecessary treats at the grocery store and as a result, my meals this month have been much healthier.
Here is where I need some work: When it comes to spending for my honeymoon, I was such a goner. Of course, the Airbnb rooms had to be booked (the best ones go fast!) but I could have waited several more weeks to buy the red dress I ordered on Amazon for my honeymoon. I also spent money on a cute Valentine’s Day gift for my fiance. There was also a breakfast out that I bought during a meeting with a fellow blogger. Overall, I was able to keep myself away from most temptations. I learned that I probably do spend more than I should if I have to talk myself out of shopping this much. That actually surprised me because I usually believe myself to be a very frugal and practical person.
In Conclusion: I liked the results and I feel that I still have much to gain from continuing my personal spending ban. With the upcoming wedding, I have a lot of saving (and paying) to do so I believe that this spending ban is a good way to help keep money woes from becoming stressful. However, I am going to relax the rules for a few things: honeymoon spending being one of them. I still need a few items for the honeymoon such as a couple clothing items, comfortable walking shoes, and some camera accessories for our trip. For now, I am going to keep from buying any more books or magazines, clothing that is not needed for my honeymoon, additional camera gear that is not honeymoon related, and unnecessary treats like chai tea lattes.
If you have participated in a spending ban or a no-spend month I would love to hear your personal stories in the comments.
