Category Archives: No spend challenge

A New Year

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It’s January 1, 2026. New Year’s Day. That statement means different things to some people and certainly something different to me than most. 

It’s a grand celebration for many and a more introspective time for others. Personally, I was in bed with a book before nine last night and asleep before midnight. This has never been a big day for me but I am glad for those of you who celebrate. 

The decision to read in bed and get some rest was an intentional head start to how I want my winter to be. As I age, I become more convinced that seasonal change is good for the human body and spirit. Even summer, which I despise, has a purpose in the rhythm of life even if many modern humans think it exists solely for their entertainment. 

Spring is a period of rebirth and a revival of beauty. Summer gives us longer days for productivity and growing while fall is a season of harvest and preparation for the harsher days ahead. 

And here we are in those harsher days where it’s cold and brown, where pine trees and lingering autumn leaves provide most of the color. The ground here is hard and blanketed in snow. Everywhere you look, trees and flowers are dormant. Animals have disappeared, choosing hibernation over struggle. Those left like the deer, birds, opossums, and squirrels do struggle so I make the trek outside each day to leave them a little something – not enough for them to become dependent but enough to help them out. 

As a modern American with a job and responsibilities, I cannot completely hibernate but I do my best to take advantage of the season. Where there’s darkness, I shine soft lights of a Christmas tree and strategically placed lamps. I make things cozy, welcoming and calm. This year I added a string of lights around the inside of my bedroom windows, making that room feel a little like a Scandinavian retreat.  

January has long been a No Spend Challenge Month for me, a perfect time to choose the quiet of home rather than adventure in the outside world. I will relive some adventures by telling you about them in stories this winter. I may even plan some trips for later this year. But I’m more likely to pass the month quietly here in my home on the ridge. I will do some home organization and maybe a little redecorating with things I already own. Feathering my nest is one of my favorite things to do.

I recently heard an interior designer say that minimalism and grey are out and that antiques and color are back. Homes that feel curated over time are back in fashion over those that look like they were carried in all at once. 

Essentially, I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life!

I developed a bedtime ritual last year but, as life became busier and more tiring, I notice myself rushing or skipping steps in favor of just getting to sleep. Mealtime is something thrown together. For the last couple of weeks, meals have been comprised of whatever leftover pasta, veggies, potatoes, cheese, and fudge I happened to find available. Bedtime has been later and later. For weeks, running errands and doing things I really didn’t want to do replaced intention and calm. 

I don’t exactly have New Year’s Resolutions but I do believe that this month is the right time for me to reset my intentions. To think more about nourishing meals, to choose water over Diet Coke, to choose rest over whatever nonsense the outside world has to offer, to read more, to relax with a puzzle, to try a new recipe, to feather my nest, to soothe my own nervous system – these are the things I resolve to do more. 

So, the blog for the next several weeks will be sort of a hodgepodge of adventure stories from last year, reading goals, cat stories, No Spend Challenge notes and other assorted things happening around here. I will also attempt to get back into a regular writing habit. When life gets to be too much, this blog is basically the canary in the coal mine. If I’m not writing here, that means there are bigger problems and distractions elsewhere.  

 I hope you’ll stay for it.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you will make 2026 the best year for whatever will make you happy and calm. 

No Spend Challenge, Values And Self Awareness

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Money is personal. How much we have, what we lack, why we save it, where we keep it, and how we spend it are all very personal topics.

It’s month two of my No Spend Challenge with looser rules to accommodate my current life needs. I have eaten restaurant food a few times – either by choice or necessity. My fella and I celebrated Valentine’s Day. I bought a pack of gum I didn’t need. But I haven’t been out shopping the winter sale racks or binge buying all the things I thought of during my very strict January No Spend Challenge. In fact, I did find a small rug for my bedroom but otherwise haven’t been out buying from my January wish list. 

It has been pretty good.  I have put some extra money toward debt and haven’t had to sweat over my soaring winter heating costs. Like everyone else though, what’s leftover each month is shrinking and it appears this will worsen. 

This challenge is not just about not saving money. It’s about assessing priorities. If I feel an urge to shop, I commonly ask myself if I want trinkets now or if I want adventure later. Would I prefer those dollars in savings for something better another day?

What is it that I value? At this stage in life, I value, learning, exploration, home, and having a reliable car that will take me to work so I can support myself. I also value giving my little former street urchin of a cat the life he thinks he deserves.

And it’s a good life, I assure you.  

Is my spending in line with these things? This is the real question at play here. Will the choices I make at the checkout support the things I just named? Or will they detract from those things I value? 

A No Spend Challenge also encourages deeper questions. One of those involves who I spend my money with. For example, I mostly value a brick and mortar business more than an online one. That’s because a business that invests in a community presence is investing in the community. This is done in many ways including through occupying vacant space, payroll, local taxes, and supporting local fundraisers for the chamber or schools. 

Plus, the employees and owners get to know their customers and do their darndest to keep them happy.

Walmart says “here’s a product that appeals to the lowest common denominator. Take it or leave it.” Amazon sells everything you’ll ever need but they don’t invest locally. They don’t care if your kids’ team needs new uniforms and they won’t answer the call to help when the VFW van needs repairs. That’s a burden for local businesses to share. 

But I’m paying more and more attention to how businesses invest their money and who they support politically. If their values don’t align with mine in the vaguest of ways, I tend to spend less. It’s a pain because sometimes that means going to one place for some things I can’t get anywhere else locally and then to another store or two for the rest. It’s a small price to pay knowing that I’m not handing over all my money to a company that financially supports things I do not believe in.  

I feel better knowing that I’m doing something, not out of spite, but out of principle. The bottom line is the only thing that matters to most companies. Why would I give them my hard earned money if I feel like they use it to work against me?

Other beneficial lines of thinking and questions come from my No Spend Challenge. Most them center on waste and excess. Food waste is a big one as I take big steps to prevent waste during a challenge. Although, I’m sad to report that I have been so busy and so mentally tired for the last couple of weeks, there has been more waste than normal. It happens and I’m back on track now. Forgiveness is important too. 

I also think about the cost of clutter. When we don’t know what we own, we often buy things thinking we are doing good. Clutter takes up space in closets and drawers and can weigh us down mentally. I have a coworker who has empty closets in her home and I just can’t fathom what that must be like. My closets are all full and attempts to slim down their contents never seem to go as planned. 

I also learn things about myself and my values. I recently realized I have a hard time letting go of things there are nice, that are a good brand or that I might need someday. Case in point: I was gifted a set of KitchenAid pots and pans about twenty years ago. This is a good brand and I have always liked them. The two skillets wore out years ago but the pots and lids are still in decent condition. They look ok. Things stick sometimes in the big pot but they get the job done. 

The problem is that they take up a lot of cabinet space and I would like to have a set that nests. I have looked at a few sets but can never pull the trigger. After all, what’s left of the old set is a good brand and they still work ok. 

Never mind that I have definitely gotten good use from them and they aren’t serving me as well as I would like. Of course, I might have room to store them if I would weed out some other stuff I don’t need.

I’m a work in progress, friends.

This No Spend Challenge seems like such an innocent thing! Stop shopping, save some money, break some bad habits! But it really is a rabbit hole of sorts. You know something? I like a good rabbit hole and I like when I force myself to question my own beliefs and ways of doing things. 

Are you doing some version of a No Soend Challenge? Tell me about it!!

No Spend Challenge, Hibernation And Venturing Out

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As much as I enjoy my No Spend Challenge and the peace that it brings to my life through self imposed hibernation, my life principles continue to apply. The most relevant that I want to discuss today are:

  1. Always have something to look forward to. That can be something as simple as a lunch walk or something as special as a trip you’re planning. It could be a good meal or favorite tv show. There is no right or wrong answer here.
  2. It’s healthy to do something different than normal. Routine can be helpful and healthy. It can also be lethal. This is why I suggest occasionally incorporating something new into your daily life – a different route home from work, a picnic somewhere you’ve never been, a book genre you’ve never read or stopping by a new business in town to meet the owner and see what they’ve got. 
  3. Sometimes we are tired, not because we need rest but because we haven’t done enough things that make us feel alive. 

I happily embraced my typical No Spend Challenge hibernation starting just before New Year’s Eve until January 31. I went to the office some, ran to the grocery when needed, and that’s about it. My car gets great gas mileage and I drove so little that I couldn’t remember which side the gas tank was on when I went to fill up last week! 

My life here at home is lovely and it was a real treat to stay home and enjoy it. 

But three things happened this week: I shifted into less stringent No Spend rules for February, the weather warmed up a little, and an out-of-town pal came home to visit. We were able to squeeze in morning walks this weekend. On Saturday, after our 24 degree walk at dawn, I took myself out for an omelette and hot chocolate. I also picked up a couple of necessities at the store and attempted to support a new local bookshop inside a vendor mall. They haven’t been open long and I have been wanting to spend a few bucks to support their endeavour. Unfortunately, their selection is geared toward a different audience than yours truly (which is fine – I wish them the best) so I came home empty handed. 

At least I tried. 

It was a good day. Watching nature come to life as the darkness gave way to a gray, cloud covered sky inspired a certain sense of awe. As I told my friend, I like the starkness of bare trees against a dark winter sky. I like the nuances in the ice on the lake and the way the cold air bites just enough to propel a person into motion. 

We saw lots of Canada Geese on the lake and many more flying in formation, northbound and silent. And then came two stragglers, flying side by side, loudly chattering amongst themselves and oblivious to the casual observers on the ground. I said to my friend “Look! It’s us! They’re two friends catching up!”

We got a laugh out of it but I think it was true. So much in nature models what humans need. The stark landscape, the animals in hibernation and the ones that travel together are all beautiful reminders that our needs are a little different in this season and that there are warmer days ahead.

However, on this day, I needed a little adventure, a change of scenery and a chat with a friend.

January 31: No Spend Challenge Update

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It’s January 31 and that means my No Spend Challenge is officially coming to an end. However, I’m retooling the rules for February. That means I’ll continue a variation of what I’ve been doing only with a few exceptions.

Meanwhile, January went well. I mostly stayed within the confines of my rules with a few exceptions including dinner out with my cousin who I haven’t seen in ages and coffee shop drinks when I met a subject for an interview at work. That coffee shop is a local business and I didn’t mind at all spending a few bucks to support them. There were also some grocery items that I didn’t technically need but were on sale and I will use. With the rising cost of groceries, I’ll take a deal on staples when and where I can. 

The fact things went well doesn’t mean there weren’t unexpected expenses. For example, Scout developed an issue that required a vet trip and an allergy shot. I would never make my cat suffer for want of a vet visit just because of my challenge. I injured myself that same day, winning a trip to urgent care and to the pharmacy for meds. However, a No Spend Challenge isn’t an excuse to avoid seeking medical care for myself either.

Of course, I did stop at Dollar General on the way home to grab something I needed. In a fit of feeling sorry for myself, I bought a Diet Coke and some sugar free candies. This was purely off script and outside the rules but it sure did taste good after the stressful couple of days I had endured.

There were other things I learned and that I noticed this month. In addition to cutting out shopping, I have seriously reduced my exposure to things and people that influence my thoughts and actions. The more distance I put between me and social media influencers, the happier I am.  

I figured out that it took precious little to transform my bedroom. A fresh coat of paint (purchased in December) did wonders and I shopped my house for things to bring it all together. Three dollars worth of craft paint updated picture frames for a gallery wall. There are things that I want to find for that room but I’m going to be very particular about buying exactly the right things. In other words, there’s no rush.

Values based spending isn’t something I have talked about here yet. This has been intentional because I suspect this will open the door to some political commentary that really isn’t welcome here. However, I will say this. I value money in the bank more than stuff on my kitchen counters. I value supporting small businesses and those that support my worldviews more than big conglomerates that lack any hint of moral character. I value the promise of adventure and travel in the near future more than I can say. I value my peace more than anything else and how I spend my time and money help me to protect that. 

We have talked a lot this month about my No Spend Challenge. Why have I brought you on this journey? I suppose I just want to encourage folks to think about spending and accumulating stuff in a different light. I have wanted you to see that when you shop, you’re also choosing how you spend your time. In that moment, you’re investing precious time. More importantly, how much time did you spend earning the money you’re trading for things? Do you want to take a vacation or retire someday? It’s easier to do these things with money in the bank instead of clutter in the closet. 

I’ve had a wonderful month of sleeping in on the weekends, purging stuff from my home, working puzzles, reading and feathering my nest. While I have missed adventuring, the weather hasn’t been good for it and I have no regrets. I’m going to continue focusing on these things with a couple of small adventures along the way in February.

One question people often ask is what I’ll buy first when this is over. It’s like they think this challenge is something to endure and just get past. I do have a little list of things to buy for my new blue bedroom. There are a couple of books and I’m starting to think about freshening up my bathroom with paint and new floors. My aim is to sort out the bathroom updates before summer.  Nothing is urgent. I won’t be out shopping anytime soon. 

Tonight’s agenda includes a regular scheduled haircut and a few groceries and supplies from the store. When I tried to make a grocery list yesterday I thought it was interesting that I couldn’t think of a thing to write on it other than water, cat food and sunflower seeds for my birds. I do have a better list than that now but it took a while to figure out. 

We will keep talking about this No Spend Challenge and how it will evolve into February. I have some more practical tips to share so stay tuned.

Part Of Me

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Part of me misses adventuring during my No Spend Challenges. Winter is a great time to meander through museums and bookstores and to try soups and pies in diners and dives far and wide. It’s a great time for movies and concerts at little theaters and for treats at a local bakery.

Part of me wants to hit the road and not look back. Yet I’m mostly pleased to be right where I am.

Winter and No Spend Challenge months are also good for puzzles and a sleeping cat who curls up at your feet while you read. They are good for homemade cobbler and for knowing the snow can fall because you aren’t leaving home this weekend. They are good for so many reasons.

In general, life is pretty good.

The challenge will be done soon enough. Spring will come, bringing with it opportunities for hikes and exploration, for road trips and adventure. If my adventure free life becomes took much, I can spend some time planning day trips for spring!

I’ll be ready by then.

Cooking, Food Waste And My (Not So) Weird Habits

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If reincarnation is real, I was once a Depression era housewife. This is never more clear than during a No Spend Challenge when more time at home allows me to consciously use what I have. I was thinking about this last night while making dinner.

I’m good on a regular day but am more conscious and stricter during a challenge. 

Today is January 12 and every meal I have eaten so far this month has been home cooked. I don’t eat out much but this is still good for me because it’s so easy to order lunch when I don’t feel like packing.

Last night I found a couple of random things from the freezer that I turned into a good meal. While that was cooking, I decided to face the music and do something with three sad overripe bananas that had been staring at me. I ultimately turned them into some delicious muffins to freeze for future enjoyment. 

I have a basic banana muffin recipe but don’t especially like banana flavored stuff so I doctor them up. Every batch is an experiment. Adam likes them so at least one other person finds them enjoyable! Last night’s batch included peanut butter, blueberries and dark chocolate chunks. Best of all, I know exactly what goes in them – flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, butter, salt, and egg – a far cry from the ingredients list on store bought muffins and certainly better than a box mix. 

There are lots of things I do that I take for granted but others seem to think odd. For example, I try to use up what I have. Things that others throw away without thought always get some attention from me.

For example, I use the heal of a loaf of bread. If it’s for a sandwich, I turn the end part to the inside of the sandwich to address the texture issue some have. Sometimes I will toast it and put it on a plate with an egg over easy on top. Odds and ends of excess bread might get turned into a french toast casserole.

When nearing the end of a jar of peanut butter or spaghetti sauce, I’ll use a silicone scraper to use up as much as possible. If you cut off the end of the toothpaste tube, you’ll find several more brushes worth of toothpaste that you just can’t squeeze out. Just hold onto the piece you cut off to slip over the end of the tube.The same goes for things like lotion, face wash and shampoo.

I lean into leftovers because they are great for lunches, easily frozen for later, and often delicious when turned into something else. For example, leftover mashed potatoes are great potato cakes and random vegetables are perfect for stir fry or quiche.

I also use the freezer liberally. It’s impossible to make a small pot of soup so I lean into the excess, freezing one or two servings per package for later. I like peppers, onions and mushrooms in omelettes and on pizza. Extras of these items get added to a bag in the freezer for future use. I do the same with carrots and celery for soups. I rarely have at risk fruits but, when I do, they go in baked goods like last night’s muffins or they get frozen.

Odds and ends can often be stretched into multiple delicious meals. 

What’s left, the actual waste, either gets composted or just tossed into the edge of the woods for opossums and other hungry creatures to find. 

Food and product waste is truly disturbing to me. After all, some farmer expended much energy and money to grow the produce. Some factory did the same to make the toothpaste or a jar of spaghetti sauce. Some trucker drove miles across the country to get these things to the store for me to take the time to drive to the store, find and drag home. That’s a lot of money, time and energy. Throwing away what can still be used is nothing less than wasteful.

My No Spend Months are often tidier times in my world. I suddenly stop leaving dishes in the sink overnight. My living room is nice and tidy. Even my home office is neater. Every day feels easier to declutter. Taking care of what I own feels more important than acquiring more. 

For the last ten days, I have been in a constant state of preparation for a power outage. When you live in the hills where there are more trees than you could ever count and the winter wind and a foot of snow put you at risk of downed power lines, you learn to be ready. We have been lucky though and I’m grateful. Still, I have my indoor tent ready to go if there’s no heat. Plus, there’s plenty of water ready for drinking, flushing and cleaning – important when you need electric to operate your well. I have also been prepared with food that is good eaten cold or that will cook quickly on the grill. 

I’m not a prepper per se but I am always prepared within reason for whatever comes my way. In other words, I keep myself in a place that I never have to go to the store if I don’t want to and that a winter storm won’t be catastrophic.

None of this is outlandish to me but people act like I’m odd because I don’t like waste and see value in things others consider trash. This world is just too disposable for my taste.

I have these tendencies anyway but the skills and attention are sharpened during a challenge. Today, I will inventory the fridge and come up with a game plan for food that needs used up this week. I’m hibernating today. There will be no shopping or spending today. I’ll entertain myself with things I already own. I’m excited to have this quiet day to relax and enjoy. I’ll read, do a load of laundry and perhaps take a nap. 

Doesn’t that sound lovely?

Tell me something – how’s your month going?