Outstanding October's No-Spend Days Challenge!

cathybird
cathybird Posts: 15,349 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
edited 30 September 2023 at 1:13PM in Debt-free wannabe challenges
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This challenge is all about helping people to save money by setting aside days every month where you deliberately don't spend unnecessary cash. Over the short term, it can help you have a more frugal month. Over the long term, if you stick with it, it can help change your mindset because you get out of the habit of frittering money away and start automatically holding off from spending instead. It also helps you delay purchases, which in turn means you lose interest in a lot of things you might otherwise impulse buy.

Another good thing with this challenge is we're all in it together, and people will help you on bad days and cheer you on on good days, and the support and accountability can really help make it easier to keep going with it. And if all else fails, there's always next month

To join, just post the number of no-spend days (NSDs) you're aiming for in September and you are on your way!

Tips for the challenge:
1. If you've never done the challenge before, it's probably simpler to start with a goal of 10 or (at most) 15.

2. It is fine to exclude necessary expenses eg petrol, groceries, pet food, etc, when it comes to deciding what is and isn't an NSD. It is also completely fine to exclude automated or recurring payments such as bills, mortgage or direct debits.

3. It does help to post every time you notch up an NSD, or at least every two or three days ... it's easy to lose track! If you want to keep track of your NSDs in your MSE signature, that can be really motivating too

4. It also helps to bookmark the thread, it's much easier to find.

5. NSDs are trickier than they seem and easily derailed. It can work better if you notch up as many days as you can in the first half of the month, or think of the month in thirds so if you're aiming for 10 NSDs, try to do 4 days in the first 10, 3 in the second and 3 in the third. And if you feel that you're falling behind, there's no shame in changing your target! Sometimes life just gets in the way, and the challenge should be fun, not a grind.

October

Off to a start = image
5 days = image
10 days = image

15 days = image
20 days = image

Target reached = image
Target beaten = image 

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Comments

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 1 October 2023 at 12:18PM
    October targets

    AuntieL 12

    beanielou 19
    BlackCoffeeNoSugar 15
    cathybird 12
    Crazycatlady2 18
    Doris17 15
    Ef79
    GeorgianaCavendish 17
    jammy dodger
    KajiKita 15
    lianne1984
    LittleMissDetermined 20
    Makingabobor2
    Money Choices
    Pinkpenguin 15
    QueenJess 15
    Rupacomp 9
    Saver-upper
    short bird 15
    strandedinaber 10

    Newcomers welcome :)

  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,616 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks as always @cathybird for our shiny new thread & all your hard work. Appreciated as always by us all. 
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
    ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • Evening all,
    Nearly the start of a brand new month!
    Please can you put me down for 15 NSD's.
    Thanks
    PP xx
    October 2023 - £48,075
    DFD - June 2030

    October NSD - 15
  • Hi everyone, @cathybird thankyou for thread 
  • QueenJess
    QueenJess Posts: 4,317 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Starting the month off with a NSD :)
    2025 decluttering: 1,231🌟🥉🌟💐🏅🏅🌟🏅🌟🏅
    2025 use up challenge: 103🥉🥈🥇💎
    Net physical things in/(out): +47
    Mini kitchen challenge 16/50
    2025 decluttering goals I Use up Challenge: 🥉365 🥈750 🥇1,000 💎2,000 🏆 3,000 I 🥉12 🥈26 🥇52 💎100 🏆250
  • KajiKita
    KajiKita Posts: 6,774 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Not today - it’s my birthday month and I am treating myself to spring bulbs 😊

    KK
    As at 15.04.25:
    - When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £236,911
    - OPs to mortgage = £11,338 Interest saved £5225 to date
    Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030

    Read 19 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 24th April
    Produce tracker: £41 of £300 in 2025

    Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
    Watch your words, they become your actions. 
    Watch your actions, they become your reality. 
  • Hi, I'd like to join for this month please? Setting myself a target for 10 days. I'm not counting DDs or regular or scheduled spends because I have previously said "oh, today won't be a NSD anyway so might as well..."!
    Novuna personal finance 0% 4-year £518/£1866
    Credit card debt free! Now on the journey to mortgage free.
  • Starting the month with a NSD too! 
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,616 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Starting with no 1. 
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
    ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • Doris17
    Doris17 Posts: 863 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hello, 

    Can I join in please?

    Looking for a low spend October, 15 NSD's would be great.

    Today will be a NSD, no plans to go out.  :)

    "Make Everyday Count"



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