It’s the first Saturday of a new year. How will you spend it? We get just 52 of them in 2026 so it’s best to spend the time wisely.
It’s also the first weekend of my No Spend Challenge so I’ll be home, doing home things and hopefully reading. I’m in the middle of a page turner. In fact, I fell asleep reading last night, waking up to the book hitting my face.
How lovely it is to fight sleep in favor of just one more page!
It’s also lovely to have a furry little friend to check on you and curl up close. Scout will be glad to keep me company while we relax today.
This is how I want to spend this day. It’s a choice and I’m glad for it. Wherever you are, I hope you are choosing to do something that brings you joy and peace as well.
Around here, my long awaited Christmas vacation is winding down. It’s back to work on Friday even though it feels like I’ve hardly had a break. I’m cherishing these last few days.
Around here, Mother Nature is doing her Ohio thing where the mercury rises to 65 degrees one day and then plummets overnight to a daytime high of 20. Factor in a wind so strong it will knock you down and suddenly winter has arrived.
Around here, I have several projects underway. One is to remove most of the Christmas decorations but I’m leaving up the tree for a while. It has white lights, pretty ribbons and woodland themed ornaments. This tree is pretty in the winter without being Christmasey. Some snowmen and other non Christmas specific things will stay out. Meanwhile, the place is bare in spots and piled up with totes ready to store.
Another project involves finally getting my craft room in order. This is where I store hobby supplies, holidays decorations and extra decor. I have a weakness for vintage and antique items and like to freshen up my home by rotating in and out small pieces of interest. That room is a habitual mess but I swear this is the year I get it done. To that end, I bought a shelving unit which I assembled over the weekend. Progress can be seen but, golly, there’s much to do.
Around here, I am working on my reading goal for the year and considering what my goal should be in 2026. I’m finishing up my 101st book – one over the 2025 goal. While that list includes some good fiction, there was very little nonfiction and several kids books. This is a sign of how tired my mind was and how badly I needed some quiet, fun distraction rather than learning and enrichment.
I’m thinking about knocking the goal down to 75 or 80 to make it easier. My goal means absolutely nothing but it does keep me reading and it keeps me always ready to start the next good book. There’s some wisdom in making it high just to keep me engaged with my TBR.
Scout is enjoying having me home and especially appreciates how much time I have spent relaxing with a book lately. He finds reading time a wonderful opportunity for naps!
Around here, I’m gearing up for my January No Spend Challenge. This is an annual tradition and one I look forward to every year. I’m currently compiling my annual list of things to do that don’t involve spending money. I’m up to about sixty activities ranging from fun things like dabbling with watercolors and putting together a puzzle to going for a hike and doing chores like cleaning closets and decluttering.
Around here, as nature turns cold and less habitable, I am turning inward. My mind is quieter. I’m using this time to calm my nervous system. Two doctors have informed me recently that I’ll never be better until I work on this. Soft lights, quiet, and the softness of home are just what I need and exactly what I aim to embrace during my No Spend Challenge.
Around here, there are stories waiting to be told and others waiting to be read. Some are waiting to be lived. A new year is just around the corner.
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!!
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
A trademark of January around here is the unusual amount of piles that are waiting to be dealt with. Piles, piles everywhere! While it’s part of the process, it’s pretty annoying.
This is not how I enjoy living.
Decluttering is one of the most amazing things I do in winter but, my goodness! What a process. There are piles of bags and boxes to be donated on Friday. There are piles of items for the recycling later this week when it’s a little warmer. I have to take my recycling to a place in town so I don’t really want to lug it all around when it’s below zero. There are piles of trash bags to go. There are things to be returned to the store. There are piles of books to be donated to the little free library down the road.
Then there are the piles of things that stay. Piles of recipes to try or toss. Piles of books to be read. Piles of puzzles waiting to be pieced together. Piles of papers waiting to be sorted. Piles of bits and pieces of ingredients waiting to be turned into something good. Piles of literature for trip planning.
So many piles. So much to do. So much that I truly don’t want to deal with. Ha!
BUT I do feel incredibly accomplished as I can tell you that I have decluttered over 150 items so far during this No Spend Challenge and I still have a ton left to do. That feels pretty darn good!
So I’ll take the trash out tomorrow and get the recycling, donations and returns out the door asap. Tomorrow I will try a new recipe and maybe start a puzzle or begin planning a trip.
Or maybe I’ll resume decluttering and make more messes! Are you decluttering or spring cleaning this month?
Remember, fellow adventurers, these cold winter days are the best time to get your housework caught up. You want to be free to set out on those trips, hikes and fun adventures as soon as the weather improves. So let’s get it done!
