#spendingfreeze

[undergroundusa]

"I think that the $50 million spent on condoms for Palestinians in Gaza or free benefits for people who have broken the law to be here in the first place, could be better spent on Americans in need right here in the US. But hey, I’m not an appointed spendthrift, so what do I know…"

READ & LISTEN NOW: https://www.undergroundusa.com/p/taxpayer-dollars-cant-be-considered

[tapmora]

The ‘Buy Nothing Weekends’ That Changed My Spending Habits

Let me start with a confession: weekends used to be my wallet’s worst enemy.

Between brunches, impulse buys, “treat yourself” snacks, and endless scrolling through tempting sales, I could easily drop $100–$200 before Sunday night without realizing it. I’d tell myself, “It’s fine, I’ll be better next week,” but I rarely was.

Then I heard about something called Buy Nothing Weekends.

It wasn’t about deprivation, it was about intention.

What Is a Buy Nothing Weekend?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: for 48 hours, you intentionally spend zero money. No food delivery, no shopping carts (online or offline), no paid entertainment. You use what you already have, get creative, and let your brain chill from constant consumption.

It sounded extreme at first, but I was curious… so I tried it.

My First Buy Nothing Weekend

That Saturday morning, I made coffee at home instead of grabbing one from my usual spot. I made pancakes with stuff I already had. I cleaned out a cabinet. I finished a book. I even re-watched a movie I already owned (shocker, I know).

And I felt something weird: relief.

I wasn’t checking my phone for sales. I wasn’t debating a late-night snack run. I felt… unplugged from consumer pressure.

The Surprising Benefits

I saved over $150 in just two weekends

I became more aware of my spending triggers (boredom, mostly)

I started using up the food in my fridge instead of letting it go to waste

I learned to enjoy existing instead of constantly buying

It wasn’t about being frugal for the sake of it. It was about creating space, financially, mentally, emotionally.

My Rules (That Make It Easy)

Plan ahead. I grocery shop on Friday and make sure I’m stocked up.

Tell friends. It helps to let people know what you’re doing so they don’t tempt you.

Make a weekend bucket list. Reading, walking, organizing, meal-prepping, or doing nothing counts.

I now aim for two Buy Nothing Weekends a month, and honestly? They’re my favorite. It’s like giving my brain and bank account a mini detox.

If you’ve been feeling spend-y, stuck, or just curious, give it a try. One weekend. Zero dollars. Big reset.

[oystraining]

New video up on our channel ohhh ya this is happening like and subscribe! OYS Training on YouTube #youtube #oystraining🇨🇦 #mealprepvideos #videos #spendingfreeze #fridgetour (at OYS Training) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7xZ0YOAJE4/?igshid=rauw0314h91d

[oystraining]

Dinner leftovers we are still on our week spending freeze so today was using up romaine lettuce, with ranch and garlic some frozen edamame beans I had and some salmon i meal prepped with a bit of honey garlic sauce baked on top. We are clearing out our pantry and freezer using up all the food we have the only things we will need next week is veggies and fruit and a few staples! #spendingfreeze #savemoney #eatathome #budget #usewhatyouhave #oystraining🇨🇦 (at OYS Training) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7xCQqOATI5/?igshid=1f75mw4qysgsv

[itsasunnygirlinbuffalo]

January Spending Freeze Results

I can’t believe we are already past the midpoint of February. In January, I set out to do a spending freeze as a way to regain some control on my spending and finances. Now it is time to recap the month. I am really happy with how it turned out.

One of my goals was to stop spending so much money on lunches. As a result of making more meals at home and boxing up the leftovers, I was successful at achieving this goal and only bought lunch on-the-go twice over the month.

 Another goal was to reduce my overall shopping. As predicted, I was able to avoid purchasing any clothing. I was able to forgo buying any makeup or bath products, except for a bottle shampoo and a bag of bath salts (I was out of both items), so overall I was pleased with my progress in this area.

There were a few other unanticipated purchases, however. I went to Home Depot to get a much-needed lamp for my work office. It was a steal at $12, however, one the way out I came across the Simple Human garbage can, on sale for $20 off. I already own one that I really enjoy. It is so sleek-looking, well-made and easy to clean. I had been thinking of getting a second can for recyclable items and I simply could not pass it up. I have to say, I have not regretted the purchase and my kitchen has been much less cluttered as a result (before the new can, recyclable items tended to accumulate on the counter, just waiting to be thrown out).

Another unexpected purchase – a treadmill. For a long time, I have been trying to establish a sustainable fitness routine with not much progress. I have wasted so much money on gym memberships that I never utilized. More recently, I had free access to a gym through work, but I found it so difficult to make myself drive there after an arduous day at the office. The few times I was able to get my butt to the gym, I really liked running on the treadmill. When my fiance suggested we buy one for the home, at first I was hesitant to spend the money. We did go through with it and I am so happy with the decision. We have both been exercising much more consistently and are feeling great. Though it was a large purchase, I think in the long run it will pay off, in terms of both finances and health.

I planned to not try to decrease spending in the restaurant/bar categories, as I worried about setting myself up for failure if I tried to take on too many things. Interestingly, in an effort to be more healthy, I experimented with having a “dry January” which meant cutting down on my alcohol intake. The results are awesome – I am feeling healthier AND saving cash on drinks during nights out!

Efforts to engage in intentional spending have been so rewarding – even more so that I anticipated. I do believe that practicing one good habit leads to another. Being intentional in how I spend money has not just been good for my bank account; it has also encouraged me to be more intentional in other parts of my life – like exercising and making healthier lifestyle decisions. I hope to continue down this path of more intentional living.

[itsasunnygirlinbuffalo]

Photo credit: Craig Whitehead on Unsplash.com

[itsasunnygirlinbuffalo]

Time for a Reset: A Post-holiday Spending Freeze

The holidays have come and gone. After settling down from the hustle and bustle of the season, I am more aware of the amount of money I spent on gifts and holiday preparations. I am also acutely aware of the sheer amount of stuff I have accumulated, not just through gifts but in general over the past year. I feel the urge to pursue a financial reset of sorts and to buy things with more intention, rather than aimlessly engage in shopping and the accumulation of things. The start of the New Year seems as good a time as any to make some changes! While decluttering is important and useful, I am choosing for now to focus on limiting how much new stuff is entering my home and my life.

To that end, I will be experimenting with employing a “spending freeze”, or at least a partial one during the month of January. Certain financial expenditures are unavoidable, including mortgage payments, car payments, utilities, groceries, basic toiletries and student loan payments. But for all the other stuff, it is time to take a hard look at my spending to see where my money is really going.

I have tracked already been my spending in recent times (”Mint” is a great app fir this!). Potential areas for me to decrease or even eliminate wasteful spending are on buying coffee or lunches during work days. Also, trips to the pharmacy for something necessary, like toilet paper, often leads to unexpected purchases of beauty/bath supplies and snacks. Other expenses include dining out for dinner and buying drinks at the bar. These are all examples of things I spend my money on that are not adding much value to my life.

A potential downfall to a complete spending freeze is that is difficult to sustain. Much like going on a very strict diet, there is potential for the dieter to feel deprived, have a “slip,” feel like a failure, and then over-indulge. To prevent such a scenario, it can be helpful to freeze spending in only a few, or even one area at a time, i.e. no purchasing makeup for one month. Once one area of meaningless spending it mastered, then you can move on to another area.

My goal for January is to cut several areas of unnecessary spending, including the following categories:

-       Makeup, beauty and non-essential toiletries

-       All clothing

-       Coffee from coffee shops

-       Fast-food lunches

I may be biting off more than I can chew by having multiple categories, but I will be patient with myself and see how I do. If it proves to be too much, I will be more specific with my spending freeze strategy come February.

Lunches will likely be the most difficult for me. During a hectic work day, I enjoy stepping out and grabbing a quick and yummy lunch. I suspect that avoiding clothes-shopping will be the easiest one for me to bear, since I tend to spend less in this category in general. Notably, I am not attempting to freeze my spending on dinners or drinks out at this point, in an effort to not set myself up for failure.

Strategies for cutting back on spending I have devised so far include:

1)    Avoiding unnecessary trips to malls, retail stores and pharmacies to decrease temptation.

2)    Refraining from browsing on online stores and Amazon

3)    Unsubscribing from mailing lists that promote shopping/spending (also a great way to decrease digital clutter!)

4)    Making an effort to use makeup/beauty products I already own. Making a weekly makeup capsule collection (more on this in a future post)

5)    Brewing coffee at home before work and using a travel mug

6)    Packing lunches for work (also way healthier than eating out all the time!)

Perhaps the most crucial strategy for avoiding unnecessary spending involves fully examining the reasons you wish to do so and visualizing all the benefits of achieving your goals. Maybe you are saving up for something special like a trip or a down payment on a home. Maybe you want to pad your savings and breathe a little easier. Perhaps you are envisioning a clutter-free home where you can cultivate an environment of peace and calm. Do whatever you have to do to remember these reasons when it counts, i.e. when you are faced with the decision to purchase somethings. Write out a list of reasons and carry it with you. Put post-its messages on your bathroom mirror or on your dashboard to remind you of your goals. Participate in an imaginal exercise where you visualize what it looks and feels like to achieve your goals. In moments of stress it easy to slip into emotional spending. When your brain is coming up with justifications for spending (such as “you deserve this, you’ve had a hard day”, or “this one little purchase doesn’t matter”) you will need to have your reasons and goals ingrained in your brain and readily accessible to combat these urges.

After January is over, I will reflect on my month of intentional spending. I will reflect on what strategies worked well and which ones were less helpful. I will take note of any unanticipated challenges that popped up.  Above all I will try to keep in mind that true abundance has nothing to do with having lots of things, but with feeling calm, free and at peace.

If you are reading this and have some changes yo want to make, I wish you well on your journey!