I've heard of "no-spend months" before. People on social media made them sound like the best way to get rid of bad money habits. No buying. No eating out. No extras of any kind. Only the most important things. They said it would change the way you think about money and help you save more.
But I always thought it sounded over the top, like it was just for show. I thought it was just another trendy thing that worked for people who had everything planned out perfectly. I still felt like I needed to start over in some way. I had been careless with my money. I was swiping without thinking. I made the decision to give it a shot. A whole month.
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No spending that isn't necessary. Just to see what would happen. I made the rules before the month began. Only the basics: rent, utilities, groceries, transport and the phone bill. Everything else had to wait. No ordering things online, no stopping by the coffee shop, no subscriptions and definitely no random late-night takeaway.
I also made a quick list of all the things I usually bought without thinking. That included deliveries of food, random gadgets, shopping "just because," and streaming services that I hardly ever used. I cancelled or put on hold what I could and reminded myself that this wasn't about not having enough. It was about being clear.
The first week was harder than I thought it would be. I wanted more than just things; I wanted comfort, distraction, and routine. I didn't know how often I used shopping to make myself feel better. I would open shopping apps because I was used to it, not because I needed to. I missed the little things that made me happy, like getting a treat after a long day or going out to eat when I didn't feel like cooking.
It wasn't about the things. It was about what the money helped me avoid: being bored, stressed, or stuck. But by the second week, things began to change. I realised how many choices I used to make without thinking. My days seemed calmer and more focused. I stopped looking at my bank account because I was scared.
I knew what was going to come out and what was going to stay in. Instead of making things up as I went along, I started planning my meals. I used what I already had in new ways. I even found things I had forgotten I owned, like books, clothes, tools, and ingredients that were hidden in the back of a cabinet. It was a little strange socially. I had to turn down a few invitations or suggest free options.
I was honest about the challenge, and to my surprise, no one made me feel bad about it. A few of my friends were actually interested. Some people even started their own "no spend" weeks to see how it felt. The experience changed from being about money to being about awareness.
It showed me that a lot of my spending was based on autopilot and feelings, not real needs. I had saved just over $600 by the end of the month. That part was exciting, but what really stuck with me was the change in my mind. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. I felt like I had taken control of my money and spending again.
I wasn't buying things because I was bored or stressed. I was dealing with those feelings by sitting with them and facing them. I wrote in my journal more. I made more food. I got more sleep. I felt better. And when the month was over, I didn't go back to my old ways right away. I didn't go out and spend a lot of money or open ten shopping tabs.
I still spent money, but I thought about it more before I did. Is this really necessary? Is this worth stopping my savings progress for? Is this fixing a problem or making one? A lot of people probably think that a month without spending money is a punishment.
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Like you should feel bad for ever having fun. But that's not what it did for me. It made me stop for a second. A chance to step back and think about my habits and whether or not they were helping me. Some were. A lot of them weren't. I finished that month without spending any money a few months ago.
I don't live by a strict no-spend rule now, but I still think that way. I don't buy things without thinking. I don't buy things to fill a void. And I'm much more at ease with the idea that it's okay to want things, but it's even better to want freedom.
Don't wait for the right time to do a no-spend month if you've ever thought about it. There will always be reasons for you to put it off. But you don't have to be perfect. You only need to be curious and willing to deal with the hard parts for a while.
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