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Today marks day 23 of my "no spend" month. This is a trend featured on podcasts and blogs to achieve a variety of different aims, depending on the goal-setter's needs. I've done this at least once before, but it's been a while. I wanted to share my reasons and experience with undertaking my "no spend" month.
Caveats
I set a few caveats to my "no spend" month. I have an event right at the end of April that I needed new shoes and accessories for. (Need is a strong word, I realize.) I made this exception so that I didn't rush to buy something I didn't love just because March was ending. I also didn't force this on anyone else in my family. If my kids asked for something reasonable, I didn't make them wait until May. And I didn't eliminate essentials like food, toiletries and basic household items. I also purchased gifts for others as needed.
Reason
Now, for my reasoning. I enjoy shopping. My husband can attest to this! But I don't have a shopping problem. I mostly like to browse, and I'm pretty selective about clothing, shoes, home decor, etc. So, while I don't purchase a lot, I'm often "shopping." I find it pretty relaxing, actually, and it often takes my mind off of more complicated thoughts.
However, I realize that there are far more productive ways of spending my downtime. Reading, for one. Watching The Morning Show. Writing posts for AndSheWrites! Exercising. Baking. I can keep going on and on. So, one of my initial goals was to capture that time back. Have I been successful? Mostly, yes. I still check my Poshmark app on occasion, but it doesn't have the same draw because I know I won't jump at any "great" finds.
Results
There are a handful of things I've accomplished this month that I might not have without this focus:
I'm working on a really hard puzzle. I find it almost as relaxing as online shopping!
I finished one of my kid's school-year books. More on that here.
I dusted and decluttered our master bathroom.
I completed a crocheted blanket.
All that, and I still have a week left. Not too bad!
I haven't found it to be a major sacrifice, so I will probably revisit this again in the future. It likely wasn't much of a money saving endeavor for me, but I do think it reframed how I value my time. I hope to maintain this mindset into the rest of the year!