Category Archives: Simple Ways to Save

No Spend Challenge 2026

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Here we go again. It’s January and that means I’m in the midst of a No Spend Challenge. This tradition began back in 2018 and it has gradually transformed from something that was endured to something I enjoy.

The last couple of years have also reminded me of how privileged I am that this is something I do for a a month or two a year rather than a forced and permanent lifestyle.

So many people are truly struggling. I don’t know how people are feeding and keeping shoes on their kids. Many elderly folks are choosing between food and medicine for themselves and care for beloved pets. So I know that my rules, lessons and reminders sound downright tone deaf in a society where so many struggle.

Don’t think that’s lost on me.

Here are the basic rules I set for myself.

  1. Pay bills.
  2. Buy gas and pay for vehicle maintenance. This is how I get to work and a non-negotiable.
  3. Buy groceries when needed. This means I use what I have first and buy what may be needed to complete a recipe or pull together a meal.
  4. Buy what is needed and pay for necessary repairs. If my hot water heater dies, I replace it. If I realize my snow boots are worn out, that could pose harm to my body. They need replaced but I don’t get to go shopping for other shoes for fun.
  5. There are sometimes pre-approved non-essential expenses. One of those is coming up this week when I interview a small business for work. I never like to leave one of these interviews empty handed and will give myself a budget to buy something.
  6. Eat out when there’s really no choice. This means packing lunch and carrying a water bottle and snacks when I leave home. Sometimes I find myself in work situations that require eating lunch out but I can’t pick up pizza just because I’m too lazy to cook.

What’s the point of all this?

Well, it’s nice to save some money. It also teaches me something about myself and helps me reset habits, ultimately leading to some long term benefits.

When I can’t stop for a Diet Coke, I drink the water that’s in the cup holder next to me. That saves a couple of bucks but, more importantly, it’s better for my health. I’m not stopping at the Dollar General down the road just to see what they have or to get one $5 thing that quickly adds up to $30 worth of impulse buys.

These things sound small but 24 ounces of water instead of a fake sweetened drink is a lot. Thirty dollars here and there add up.

We are, after all, a sum of our habits.

When I’m not spending, that means I’m not running around so much. I’m staying home more. I’m using what I have to prepare delicious meals and experimenting with baked goods. This weekend I discovered a woman in Kentucky named Mamaw Gail who gifted the world her biscuit recipe via a Facebook video. They are delicious, simple and easy.

I’m taking care of what I have, cleaning my home, decluttering what I no longer need, and getting more rest.

This time I have some more refined goals.

One is health related. Water, sleep, relaxation, nutrition and movement are all part of this attempt to calm my nervous system. Less stress and more relaxation. Less sitting and more doing. More play. More of what makes me happy.

Another is to focus on using up the odds and ends in the refrigerator freezer. I have a chest freezer for longer term storage but the refrigerator is where I keep things that need used up. Half a bag of frozen broccoli, two veggie burgers, and tomato soup I froze last month languish next to a bag of cauliflower rice I’ve been meaning to use. I accidentally bought frozen spinach which I do not like. I need to find a recipe that uses it up. My goal is for that freezer to be half full instead of stuffed to the gills by the end of this month.

I also intend to read a lot. Plus, there’s a writing project gnawing at my brain and a craft room with so much potential. I’m getting closer to making it nice enough use!

What won’t I be doing?

I won’t be shopping for entertainment. I won’t be seeking out new products to try just because they exist. I won’t be clicking on ads. I won’t be accumulating lists of things to run out and buy at the end of the challenge. I won’t be counting down the days until it’s over. I won’t be looking for loopholes or pouting because I can’t buy something.

If there’s an impulse to buy something, I can look through what I own and see if there’s a good alternative already in my possession. What can I use or do instead of running out and buying something?

You know, it wasn’t that long ago that people didn’t go to the store or eat out all the time. They couldn’t order from Amazon the random things they think they need the minute they think of them. The Great Depression forced people to live with the mantra “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” I’m not advocating that anyone do without but there’s something to be said for using fully the thing you already own.

A No Spend Challenge is meant to be personalized to your own lifestyle but it isn’t for everyone. I know people with spouses or children who would simply refuse to participate. Others among us just aren’t interested or have an incompatible lifestyle.

For me, it’s a lifestyle reset and a chance to gain insight into my own habits and preferences. I always learn something about myself and one of those things is that I often curate bad habits during the holidays. There’s way too much shopping, eating out, and overall abundance that can easily become longterm habits.

I’m not saying that anyone should do this. I’m saying this is what I do and it has served me well. That first year or two were hard but it now almost feels like a game. After the gluttony and overconsumption of the holidays, this is a timely reminder that my value in this world is more than just a consumer.

I have written on this topic in the past if you want to search for previous challenges. I’ll write more this month too!

Leftovers And Making Something Out Of Nothing

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With inflation hitting grocery stores so hard this year, now is not the time to be wasteful with food. Yet, I found myself throwing away a bunch of food when cleaning out the fridge Saturday simply because I failed to use it up.

A serving of green beans here, half an onion there, an entire container of cottage cheese that I took a spoonful out of before it hid from me in the back of the bottom shelf. Not that much if you’re talking about one thing but shameful when you see it all together. 

Americans waste a ginormous amount of food every year so I try to be mindful that I don’t want to fit in with that crowd. But as life ebbs and flows, there are times when using up what I have is easy and times when it’s not. 

So I cleaned out the fridge and then realized I had an entire bunch of overripe bananas staring at me from the kitchen counter. You see, there are two sides of me. There’s the side that can’t get enough bananas and the side that pretends they don’t exist. 

I don’t care for banana flavored things but have a basic recipe for chocolate chocolate chip banana muffins that can be dressed up. I had enough for a double batch so I mixed up the batter and started adding to it. First, there was a handful of random chocolate chips that needed used up. Then I discovered a jar of peanut butter that produced a fair serving when scraped with a silicone spatula. Then I added some blueberries that were languishing in the freezer. The recipe calls for sour cream or plain yogurt which I didn’t have so I subbed with some low sugar vanilla yogurt that was begging for attention. 

In the end, the batter was thick and heavy and produced three dozen of some pretty good muffins. Not bad for some pantry basics with odds and ends of leftover stuff! 

My grandmothers knew how to cook a chicken, produce broth from the carcass and preserve it for another day. They knew how to use up those odds and ends and how to make a meal delicious with the magic of bacon grease and a little flour. They knew how to use what they had to make a good meal. Today, I know someone who will throw away an entire roast because their spouse doesn’t like leftovers and they don’t think you can do anything else with meat that was cooked once. 

Oh, both of my grandmothers would have a hissy fit. 

I don’t eat meat but I do know how to transform the bits and pieces of my leftovers into something great when I set my mind to it.  It’s a life skill we all should possess. 

I was able to give away some muffins and still have several for the freezer so we’re ready to go on a cold winter day when we want a muffin but have been actually eating the bananas instead of ignoring them for five straight days! My future self will thank me! 

The Ins And Outs Of A No Spend Challenge

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The very best thing about January is that it’s the month of my annual No Spend Challenge. I started this tradition back in 2018 and look forward to it every year. While it started in 2018 as only a way to save money, it has evolved to be something more enriching. It is still about not spending but it’s also about better understanding my values, resetting how I spend my time, and perfecting a form of self care.

What is a No Spend Challenge? Well, that’s up to you. That’s because you make your own rules and set your own priorities. Here are mine:

  1. I pay my bills. 
  2. I buy gas for the car.
  3. I buy grocery, personal care and cleaning products that I need.
  4. I stop eating out unless necessary. Sometimes I travel during my workday and lunch with colleagues is an allowed expense. Fast food because I’m too lazy to cook is not allowed.
  5. Every other bit of spending must be assessed. If I break the heel on my favorite work shoes, I’ll shop my closet before going to the store. There will be a decent pair of shoes in there even if they aren’t my favorites.  If I blow out a tire on my car, I have it replaced. My car is how I get to work and, in a rural area with no public transit, this is vital to my ability to keep my job. 
  6. This isn’t a license to be cheap. If someone is collecting cash for a coworker in need, I still give. If I eat in a restaurant, I still tip my server. 
  7. I try to make it fun! 

So those are the ground rules but there’s a lot more to a No Spend Challenge than just the rules. You see, when I’m not out adventuring and spending idle time shopping, I suddenly have more free time and I spend most of it hibernating at home. 

Here are some things that happen:

Less Online Time – I practice hobbies, read, declutter, clean and rest more. I purposefully walk away from my phone as much as possible given that I manage social media for work. I worry sometimes about what screen time is doing to my brain and attention span and how it will impact our society as more people exhibit signs of addiction. I still spend time on social media, googling random questions and playing in Pinterest but try to do it more mindfully.

Cook More – When I cook more, I tend to eat better. Plus, I’m using up things that might be languishing in the back of the cupboard. I went through my pantry the other day and pulled out a handful of things that are nearing their best buy date. Some canned apples will soon be apple cobbler. That’s hardly health food but I can make it with healthful ingredients and really, what’s better than a fresh baked goodie in winter? A bottle of salad dressing will make a great marinade for some roasted veggies and potatoes.

Waste Less – I am not a wasteful person but I’m more alert to potential waste during these challenges. For example, I will scan the fridge every day for things that need used or frozen. I keep a bag in the freezer for odds and ends of peppers, onions and mushrooms because this combo is my favorite in omelettes, quiche, homemade pizza and pasta dishes. Leftovers often get frozen for future enjoyment and I’m better at using what I have rather than stopping at the store for something better.

Use Up Stray Stuff – This may sound nuts but sometimes my hair gets tired of the shampoo I’m using. It’s like it no longer feels clean or it feels flat. So I switch to something else and put the other bottle away for later. But later never comes because I end up forgetting about it and buying something else. How many half used products do you own like lotions or random hair products? I shop these on-hand products more carefully before buying new.

Declutter– On a related note, I tend to declutter more in January. This year, my January goal is to declutter 100 items that I no longer need. Nothing makes you want to stop shopping quite like dealing with the massive amounts of stuff you have that you don’t need. It’s especially sobering when you realize how much you spent on that item you no longer like.

Practice Gratitude – On a related note, nothing makes you appreciate what you have quite like a No Spend Challenge. If you are satisfied and at peace with all that you have, you are less likely to want more stuff. I try to set aside time each day to stop and think about the many abundances my life provides.

Do Things You Enjoy – Every December, I begin making a list of things to do during my No Spend Month. My list includes hobbies, hiking, a chat with a friend, decluttering, movie day at home, planning a summer trip, making a new recipe, writing a short story, playing with my cat, exercise, putting together a puzzle, and rearranging things I already own to freshen up my home. My list is extremely home based and solitary because that’s how I roll. Your list might include free events at the library or hosting friends for a potluck and game night. There may be free activities in your community to get you out of the house. My list currently includes 71 activities that I enjoy.

Rest – Cutting out the extras and staying home creates more time for things that matter. For me, rest is extremely important. I don’t always sleep well and my body naturally makes me feel unrested even when it should feel good (thanks to my thyroid for this fun trick). In the winter when I’m stressing over a work project and fearful of all the bugs and germs people are passing around, I like to prioritize sleep. It’s good for you!

Build Better Habits – Ideally you won’t reach the end of your challenge and run wildly back to your pre-challenge lifestyle. I like to build better habits that will at least carry me through the season. For example, free activities, cooking at home, embracing the darkness for an earlier bedtime, creating a more healthful schedule, reading and avoiding things designed to create lifestyle dissatisfaction will make my life better.

Some years, my challenge will bleed into February. One year I made it to March 31! For the last couple of years, I have kept going through February with some modifications to accommodate an exception. This year, I would like to ensure that my better habits carry me through March. Maybe then I’ll reassess how to retool those habits to accommodate the rest of the year when I tend to be outward bound, seeking adventure and fun anytime I can. There has to be some balance!

While it’s important to make your own rules, it’s equally important to remember that there is no room for negativity and deprivation during this challenge. Unless it was in the first year, I don’t think I have ever been upset because I can’t buy something or go do what I want to do. Instead of thinking about what I can’t have or do, I focus on all that I already have and the excess room there is to enjoy it.

My challenge is different than others because I built it to suit my own tastes and boundaries, needs and interests. It’s easier for me because I don’t have a spouse and kids who don’t buy in to the idea. It’s easier for me because I genuinely believe it’s vital for human beings to embrace the winter season and that quiet time at home is as good for me as hibernation is good for the animals. The earth puts herself to bed for a reason and so should we.

So much of what I have touched on here is just a 10,000 foot view of my No Spend Challenge. I hope to take a deep dive into a few of these topics to help you make sense of them and perhaps find inspiration to do your own challenge. And if you’re not digging the concept, you still might find some inspiration for your own daily life! 

I know people for whom every day is a No Spend Day because they don’t have money to spare. I know others who should be doing this because their spending habits are out of control. For many of us, the holiday season was expensive and there were demands on our time and money at every turn. This is a terrific way to reset your relationship with money, to reset how you spend your time and to just slow down your life to a more relaxing pace. 

Want to know more? Ask your questions and I’ll try to answer them! 

A Chili Kind Of Week

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Cold weather calls for soup if you ask me. This weekend I made a small pot of chili but even a small amount goes a long way for just one person. That makes it important to have a game plan for when you’re sick of the chili.

Luckily, I don’t mind leftovers and enjoy the art of reinventing food so that I don’t grow too tired of it.

People who make chili seem to obsess over their recipe and claim to make the best. I make no such claim. Since I don’t eat meat, I use kidney, black and great northern beans along with corn, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and spices. But not too many spices because I like to keep it mild enough to be reinvented.

I’ll eat some as a simple bowl of chili but then it will get repurposed. Drain off the juice and suddenly it is perfect for taco salad. It also makes a terrific meal on a baked potato with a little steamed broccoli and shredded cheese.

I could use some as a sauce on a veggie hot dog or I could add some elbow macaroni to make an entirely different soup. It will more likely be used for Cincinnati chili before the week is over. If you’re not familiar, Cincinnati chili is not really chili but is a Mediterranean spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti. The Smithsonian named it one of America’s most iconic foods several years ago.

Cincinnati has a rich immigrant culture and this dish is one of the gifts these immigrants have given us.

There are a couple of Cincinnati based chili parlor chain restaurants that specialize in this dish and other local spots that sell it too. The most common way to order it is as a three way which is the meat sauce over spaghetti and topped with a ridiculously large pile of shredded cheddar cheese.

I feel my arteries hardening just thinking about all that cheese.

You can get it topped with beans and onions and everyone seems to eat it with oyster crackers.

My version isn’t remotely authentic but I like it and that’s all that matters. I’ll top mine with some fresh diced onion and a modest bit of shredded Colby Jack cheese. It will be good, even if I am breaking quite literally all the rules. But you know, my house, my rules.

I appreciate foods that can be reinvented so that I’m cooking once and just reworking it a bit later. It’s not always the easiest thing to do but it certainly is possible.

For example, I often roast extra potatoes to turn into a breakfast hash later. Have excess eggs? Boil them for snacks and turn the leftovers into egg salad. Leftover spaghetti can be baked in a shallow pan with mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings for a type of pizza casserole. Even the humble stale bread takes on new life as French toast casserole. When I still ate meat I would roast chicken and repurpose it into a sandwich, salad topping and eventually soup.

The possibilities are endless and the effort saves time, saves food from spoiling and allows you to flex your creative culinary muscle.

No Spend January

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Illustration by Lore Pemberton.

January is a different kind of month for me and I have come to look forward to it. You see, I do what I call a No Spend Challenge.

It’s a simple concept. Bills are paid and necessities are purchased. So I put gas in the tank and buy groceries but try not to eat out or buy a lot of extra stuff I don’t need.

If the heel breaks on my good work shoes, I dig through my closet for a suitable back up. If I feel like it’s necessary to replace them, then I do so but the rule is I can only buy the shoes I need and not something I just want.

If there’s something I think I want (or need that’s not an emergency), I usually write it down. Often times, by the end of the month, I no longer care about the thing. In other words, there’s not a mad dash to the store to buy all the stuff I missed shopping for in the previous weeks.

This isn’t an outlandish concept. After all, many people live within these boundaries every day by choice or necessity.

I’m reasonably frugal and a smart shopper but have a weakness for buying sale groceries, books, and small items at the cash register like Tic Tacs.

These things add up.

January is a great time to do this as there’s no where to be and it gets dark so early that I’m pleased to stay home where it’s cozy and warm.

Focus is placed on using what I have and taking care of my home. I tend to tidy the kitchen cabinets, clean out the closet and purge a few things. I cook more, making extras for the freezer. Activities like reading, puzzles, movie nights and bubble baths take the place of browsing antique stores and running around. In 2020, I wasn’t out shopping in stores so much but did a fair amount of online shopping and driving around looking at stuff.

This month is a method of realigning habits and priorities while killing the urge to shop. Plus I save money.

Last year, I was so pleased with my no spend month that it ran over into February.

In preparation, I spent some time last week listing all the things I can do to entertain myself for free. Hiking, reading and painting made the top of the list that runs seventy items strong. This particular exercise is an amazing way to remember how much there is to do that’s fun or at least useful and that costs zero dollars.

I was practicing the Norwegian concept of Hygge long before it was cool or even before I knew the term for it. Nothing makes me happier than warm pjs, soft blankets, and delicious aromas emanating from a pot on the stove. I’m so excited to be home more and doing this right now.

January is the perfect time to start or to polish these cozy ways.

The image above is a fun illustration from artist Lore Pemberton. I found her on Instagram this year and immediately was entranced by her vision and artistry. I ordered a couple of small pieces from her for Christmas when she had a sale.

This particular image is a depiction of how I think of my life in January.

Home. Warm. Cozy. Reading.

If you have the time, take a look at her work on her website or follow her on Instagram.

Does a No Spend Month sound like something you would enjoy? Comment! I’ll be happy to chat about it.

Being Smart About Food

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Earlier this year I figured out a way to shop for groceries every two weeks and to save money in the process. The goal was to have nutritious meals and snacks but to be more strategic about it during a No Spend Month. I’ve held onto much of what I learned because it simply works well for me.

First of all, you quickly learn which produce items last the longest. For example, apples and oranges have a longer shelf life than grapes or berries. So you use the grapes and berries during week one and save the rest for later.

Salads are best enjoyed for the first week while frozen veggies are a nice change for week two. Although, if I’m in the mood for salad, I’ve been known to cheat and stop at the store to grab a few things!

At some point I realized that all my bananas were going into smoothies so I could buy ripe bananas, dice ’em up, and freeze them to be ready when needed.

In fact, many things freeze well. I buy mushrooms for stir fry and flash freeze the extras for later. Lots of foods can be frozen for cooking and other things keep well when properly stored in the fridge far longer than most people think.

I prefer fresh foods but usually keep some plain frozen steak fries and lots of frozen veggies. I rarely buy the cook in the bag kind because they’re more costly and I never need an entire bag of frozen peas at one time. Buy a regular bag of cheap frozen peas and you can cook them as needed.

Plain and simple, you find ways to be less wasteful and to meal plan better. I made the above pictured pasta primavera using a combination of stuff from the fridge and fresh veggies that I had flash frozen last weekend. The sauce was something from a jar that I had leftover from another dish. The pasta was the end of a package I had opened a couple of weeks ago.

This ability to plan, salvage and preserve has come in handy these last few weeks. Very little is getting wasted right now. I even discovered that leaf lettuce can be frozen for smoothies!

Another thing – when I come home from the store I jot down a list of things that need to be used first and hang it on the fridge. Things tend to get shuffled around and forgotten to languish in the back.

Given how much food is wasted in this country, I would hope that people are using this uncertain time to be more careful and thoughtful about food. That’s probably a pipe dream but this seems like the perfect time to embrace the old adage- use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

I’m not advocating that anyone do without but I would like to think we could embrace using and making do.

What about you? Are you being more careful with resources? Have your attitudes about shopping and using what you have changed lately? Let’s talk!