My annual No Spend Challenge is about to begin and I am looking forward to it with enthusiasm that ought to be reserved for the release of a favorite author’s new book or a hot shower after a long day. 

This will be my sixth January challenge and it has become such an important part of my annual routine I can’t imagine not doing it. 

Here’s what happens: 

I don’t spend money on anything unless I have to. It’s that simple. Yet, it’s not that simple because it’s not really about the money. It’s about realigning behaviors and expectations. It’s about helping myself to lean into this delightful season of hibernation and of hygge. It’s about socking away money for adventures later in the year. It’s about exercising my creative muscle to problem solve without spending money and about using what I already own to focus on a life of plenty. 

It’s about proving that my value is more than just being a consumer in a society where consumption is king. 

After months of adventure, months of scouring antique malls, months of doing as I please out in the world, it feels amazing to come home and stay here. After a holiday season of excess, it seems important to take a step back – to put together a puzzle, read a book, go for a hike and dig around in the freezer to make something fabulous with ingredients I have on hand. 

January is one of my favorite months, partly because of this challenge. 

Lots of people do these challenges throughout the year. Some wait until February because it’s a short month.  It’s my challenge so I make my own rules and try to stretch it through January and February. Here are my rules:

• Bills are paid. 
• I buy things I need. This includes gas for the car, toiletries, cat food and groceries.
• This is not a time to shop for entertainment. No browsing antique malls and thrift stores or stopping at the dollar store to see if they have anything new. No online browsing either. 
• I shop my pantry and freezer first and buy what’s needed to piece together healthy meals. My grocery spending is mostly fresh produce and eggs because I keep everything else well stocked. This is my chance to use that can of pears that’s been languishing in the pantry for two years. 
• Self care is important. That means meals still need to be healthy, doctor visits, dental care and chiropractic tune-ups still happen when needed. 
• Habit awareness is important too. I know some things about myself that I need to look out for and prepare to avoid. One is that I either carry my reusable water bottle everywhere or take it nowhere. A drink on the road is just a few bucks but it’s unnecessary and it’s avoidable if I have my bottle. Also, every trip to the grocery store costs a baseline amount of money so I like to limit my exposure by going to the store less. This means being conscious of the things that keep me running to the store. I can’t run out of toothpaste, cat food, deodorant or eggs. A quick trip into the grocery for a dozen eggs will cost much more than just the eggs. 
• An urge or a belief it’s necessary to buy something is an opportunity to explore motivation and creative possibilities. Do I really need the thing? Can I delay the purchase  to give it more thought? Will my interest wane if I wait a week? Can I borrow what l think I need from someone else? If I lose my good gloves, can I shop my closet for another pair? If I really don’t have anything that works, I can go buy what I need but am not permitted to shop for other fun stuff.
• Having fun is important. That’s why I always sit down and make a list of things I can do that don’t require spending money. Hiking is a favorite activity and there’s no admission. Staying in and reading a book or taking a bubble bath feels luxurious. Free events and resources can be found at your local library. Consider the things you value and look for free ways to enjoy them.
• There may be exceptions. I want to meet a friend for lunch one day soon and will need to pay for my meal. I will absolutely allow for this. If I have a work meeting and need to eat with my coworkers, buying lunch and leaving a good tip is still allowed. If I’m just hungry and too lazy to go home and cook, this isn’t a reason to make an exception. 

There are a number of ways to stay focused on the challenge. One is to track how much money you’re saving by writing down how much you didn’t spend every time you feel the urge to buy. This is shocking the first time you do it. Transferring extra money to savings is fun too! 

Decluttering is a terrific way to stay on track and to improve your home. After all, nothing makes you want to not drag home more stuff than studying how much stuff you already own and letting go of what you don’t need.  

I want to take a delivery of decluttered items to the new thrift store in Athens that I wrote about last week. While there, I will likely give myself a small budget to either donate or maybe nose around and see if there’s something truly special that I need. Honestly, anytime I do this, I find the budget is unnecessary and leave empty handed. My mindset has changed.

A couple of things to note:

• This challenge isn’t about deprivation. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It’s about living a life of plenty by retraining your brain to find a solution other than buying more stuff or thinking that entertainment must cost money. 
• A lot of people reward themselves when they’re done by saying they can buy a treat or even go on a shopping trip to celebrate their successful challenge. Say no to this. Instead, reward yourself along the way with free things you enjoy. This could be a walk with a friend, baking cookies for a movie marathon with your family or taking time to sit and practice a favorite hobby. If you keep a running list of all the things you don’t buy during your challenge and then go buy them when you’re done, you have accomplished nothing. You have only delayed the inevitable. 
• This challenge is designed to change mindset and behaviors so you have to put in the work to do just that. It really isn’t about the money. It’s about learning to manage your time and live your priorities without believing that it takes money to do those things. 

Of course, if you’re experiencing money trouble or trapped in a paycheck to paycheck cycle, it IS about the money. Everything I have said to you here still applies but a No Spend Challenge could revolutionize your money habits. 

There are extra steps you can take during this challenge that could bring long lasting change. When you stay home more, you have more time to focus on frugal choices and activities like cooking real food instead of eating convenience food. Not a good cook? Now is the time to learn some basics like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, roasted meat, spaghetti, vegetable soup and brownies (even if they come from a box mix). 

Contact your insurance agent and ask them to shop your car and homeowners insurance. It’s a good idea to do this every year and there’s no time like the present. Look for ways to trim your expenses or to make some extra bucks. 

I read an article last week that flat out said that a no spend month is a waste of time and more or less called the act damaging. But the author clearly thinks of it as a means to deprive happiness and to just delay the random buying for another day. 

If this is what you think, I’m here to tell you that anyone who does it this way is doing it wrong. View this as an opportunity to lean into the season, to use your own smarts to be creative, and to change your mindset about collecting stuff and spending mindlessly. Learn about yourself and your habits and about how your family views money.

This should not be drudgery. It should be an enriching experience that leads to at least some permanent change in your mindset and your routines. You are more than a spender and a consumer.

Think you can’t last a month? Try a week or two and see how it goes!