Have you ever tried ‘no spend days?’ It’s a deliberate pause from all non-essential spending. No eating out, no online shopping sprees, no splurging on entertainment. By stepping back from spending for even one day, you gain the opportunity to reset your financial habits and build discipline. Start with one day and then try two or three. It adds up quick. Thoughts?
I do enjoy my no spend days. However, they are unavoidable as an expense is just pushed to another day. Knowing if I’m over or under my total monthly allocation is my main enjoyment.
I tell people to use a daily allocation as a guideline. Take your income in a pay period and minus the expenses. The remainder is your discretionary spending. Make sure to identify all expenses in that cycle: rent, food, gas, savings, car, etc. Then take that remaining balance and divide by the number of days until the next pay period. That’s your daily allocation. Stick to that and you will see your goals start being met.
One year I did a no spend week once a month. I still allowed myself to purchase things like gas, groceries, and pay bills. It was fine. I feel like I’m pretty disciplined when it comes to spending money, so I don’t know if it really had a huge impact on me. It was fun to do, but I didn’t do it again. I guess ultimately it resulted in a cooling off period for any purchase I did want to make. After a week, was I still thinking about the thing I wanted? Probably not. But that was also something I already practiced.
@Haru
That’s a great story. The no spend day is generally for non-essentials, so cool. I call it a money fast similar to a diet fast. Restrictions to give you a bump and maybe create some better behaviors. Thanks for commenting.
I do this too—but I do it a month at a time and call it ‘no non-necessities.’ Running errands is usually quicker since I’m just grabbing ‘needs,’ lol. For me, it’s more about discipline—either I’m saving for something specific or I want to feel that boost next time I check my budget. By the end of the month, I either forget the thing I wanted or know for sure I still want it because I’ve had time to think it over. It’s like gamifying budgeting.
@BrianPaul2
Great comment! I tell people, get excited about ‘numbers’ growing, not stuff. And I like the word gamifying. Thanks for your input.
Hard with a pregnant wife right now.
Alden said:
Hard with a pregnant wife right now.
Well put. Thanks.
No spend days work. Simple as that. You stop wasting on small stuff and see how much you really don’t need. Start with one day then two or three. It forces you to think about what’s essential. Helps you save without all the extra noise. No shit just results.
I made a list of things I’m likely to impulse purchase and that’s my blacklist for no buys. I find that helps me a bit more than designating specific days since necessities come up.
At the end of the day everyone, it’s about creating a healthy relationship with your money. My daily bucket idea is one way, not the gospel. Whatever works for you. Keep going!