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Dazzling December's No-Spend Days Challenge!

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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 December 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.

December

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: 15,637 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 November 2023 at 5:31PM
    December targets

    AuntieL 12

    beanielou 19

    cathybird 15

    changingmyways23 10

    Crazycatlady2

    Cuddlymarm 15

    Doris17

    ErinBB 10

    GeorgianaCavendish 18

    KajiKita 15

    LadyWithAPlan 13

    laura lau 15

    leftatthetrafficlights 15

    LittleMissDetermined 15

    Makingabobor2 15

    QueenJess 15

    Rupacomp 10

    Saver-upper 15

    short bird 18

    Newcomers welcome :)

  • KajiKita
    KajiKita Posts: 7,628 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thanks @cathybird 😊

    KK
    As at 15.07.25:
    - When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £233,521
    - OPs to mortgage = £11,338 Interest saved £5225 to date
    Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030

    Read 40 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 29th July
    Produce tracker: £243 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. 
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,530 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks for our shiny new thread @cathybird.
    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.
  • I would like to join, please - I am trying to overcome a shopping problem. Can I aim for 10 no-spend days?
    Paying down my debt
    Aug '24: Debt-free!
    Jul '24: £772.75
    Jun '24: £1441.03
    Apr '24: £2,313.27
    Mar '24: £3,132.45 
    Feb '24: £3,632.45
    Jan '24: £4,082.45
    Dec '23: £4447.55

    Read my debt-free diary
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,637 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I would like to join, please - I am trying to overcome a shopping problem. Can I aim for 10 no-spend days?
    Hi and welcome @changingmyways23 - I've added you to the list, best of luck with the challenge! :):)
  • Thank you @cathybird :smile:
    Paying down my debt
    Aug '24: Debt-free!
    Jul '24: £772.75
    Jun '24: £1441.03
    Apr '24: £2,313.27
    Mar '24: £3,132.45 
    Feb '24: £3,632.45
    Jan '24: £4,082.45
    Dec '23: £4447.55

    Read my debt-free diary
  • Hello, I'd like to join please. I'll aim for 10. Thank you 
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,637 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    ErinBB said:
    Hello, I'd like to join please. I'll aim for 10. Thank you 
    hi Erin, welcome to you too, have added you onto the list, best of luck! :):)
  • Thanks for the new thread @cathybird.  It's an early call for one for me today please. Too busy for spending, and nothing I need.
    LMD x
    Life gets in the way...PADding is addictive...Saving's better than spending...
    2025 1p challenge #41 | Cash envelope challenge #01 | SPC #017
    Sealed pot 2025 £6573 | EF £1000/£1000 | Sabbatical £3364/£6000 | Travel savings £1508 | Sinking pots £2571
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,530 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Not one today. 
    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.
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