Long before starting this blog, I was practicing being frugal and saving as much money as possible. Back then I was already radical. In November 2018, I did a no spend month.
There are ways to improve in areas that will stick. I am one of the radical approaches, but sometimes you need to take it easy and start with the small steps.
I didn’t buy any food at work. This was the hardest thing actually since sometimes I didn’t have enough food for the day (mentally, of course, my body is fine) and I really had to stop myself from buying something.
You have to actively control your impulses when you are going somewhere and seeing something you like. Whether it’s food or material things, it doesn’t really matter.
The no-spend month was really good for my self-control. Before, things are adding up without noticing it. I kept track of my general spending with categories, but not tracking where every single penny went.
When I’m doing groceries, the supermarket I usually go to is in a tiny shopping mall. When I’m doing groceries and I’m in the mall before the shops close, I was just wandering around and looking at things that I might like.
A no–spend month will lead you to save more money towards your emergency funds, paying off your debt, or other things that put you ahead financially.
You still budget for food, but you have to do with less than you normally would. That’s where it gets fun and your creativity gets tested.
As always, it’s all about the habit. When you break the habit of spending money every day, your savings automatically go up by A LOT!