How To Do A Reasonable No Spend November

It’s almost November, and I’ve decided to try a No Spend Challenge for the first time. November may seem like a bad month to try to cut back on spending with the Holiday season in full swing, but it’s actually kind of perfect. It’s not actually Christmas yet, so any holiday activities and extras can wait until next month. Also, it’s the perfect time to cut back on spending to prepare for buying gifts.

With a few modifications, I plan to make this No Spend November more reasonable and hopefully even fun.

What is a No Spend Challenge?

The no spend challenge is something that’s been a trend online for many years. The concept is that you cut all excess spending for a month in order to prioritize saving for financial goals, fund a larger purchase or trip, or just to kick a shopping habit.

Rules

The rules are very simple: only spend on necessities. This includes housing, food, insurance, etc. The goal is to cut out unnecessary expenses like eating out, Amazon orders, decor, and other random things.

My Reservations

As a Stay At Home Mom, saving money is always a priority. I feel like my spending is already very low, so I’ve always been a little skeptical of these challenges. I view it kind of like a crash diet where you might be able to commit for a short time, but you’ll probably go back to your old habits once you’re done.

I’m also skeptical about eliminating the only spending that I do for myself. A lot of the time it’s a coffee outing or a new book and those things bring me joy. However, there are plenty of other ways to create joy, and maybe that’s part of what this challenge is about: creating joy outside of spending.

I am also worried about creating a scarcity mindset with money which could lead to excess stress. For these reasons, I’m going to make some modifications that will hopefully make it more fun and less strict.

How to Make It More Reasonable

1. Gifts are Allowed

Since it’s the month before Christmas and we are celebrating Birthdays this month, Gifts are on the table. While gifts aren’t technically needs, I don’t think it’s reasonable to cut them out for the sake of a challenge.

2. Budget for Treats

I went back and forth on this one, but at the end of the day I know I can’t make it a month without a coffee run. Sometimes it’s all I have left, and it’s often my go to back up plan if the day is going sideways.

Instead, I’m going to take $40 out of the bank and use that cash for coffee for the month. I already prefer to use cash for coffee, and this sets a clear and visual limit.

You can use this method for whatever “treat” you need as a pick me up.

3. Don’t Get Too Caught Up in The Numbers

This is going to be a hard one for me because isn’t that the whole point? To save money and see how much you can cut out? But I also know that if I spend all month pinching pennies and counting every cent saved I’m going to drive myself crazy.

Instead, I’m going to focus on my goals and spend intentionally. To me, this is about changing your mindset on what you really need vs what you want. I’m hoping to come out of this feeling good financially, not defeated.

4. Have a clear Goal

Going off of the previous thought, you might need to adjust your expectations on how much you will save. There are a lot of different ways you can use this challenge, and you should decide why you’re doing it before you start.

For me, it’s going to be an expensive month with Holidays and annual expenses like vehicle registration. My goal then, is not to save money but to make sure we can cover all of the extra expenses that come around this time of year.

5. Challenge Yourself

I want to focus on finding ways that I can make what I already have work. For example, I spend a lot on books, but I also have a lot that I haven’t read yet or would like to read again. For that reason, I can actually go a full month without buying any.

Another area I plan to challenge myself in is groceries. While groceries are a necessity and are not technically a part of the challenge, there is still room to cut back. I want to really try to stick to a budget and be more mindful about using things in the fridge before they go bad.

This is a challenge that I hope will put my spending in perspective while allowing for some grace. I think the biggest challenge will be maintaining a positive mindset while cutting out spending. I will be leaning on other ways to take care of myself in the coming month and I am excited to see how it goes. I will update this post after the month has passed to share how it went. Leave a comment if you have tried or plan to try this as well!