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Joyous January'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 January 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.

January

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 1 January 2024 at 12:49PM
    January targets

    AuntieL 12

    Balancinglife 18

    basketcase 12

    Baxtersmum 12

    beanielou 19

    blubella 12

    cathybird 15

    Caeraugirl 20

    Couldsavemore 15

    craftingmad 16

    Crazycatlady2 20

    Doily94 16

    Frugalmum3 26

    GeorgianaCavendish 15

    Honeysucklelou2 10

    ilovetea 20

    KajiKita 15

    laura lau 16

    leftatthetrafficlights 24

    LittleMissDetermined 22

    Makingabobor2 15

    Money Choices 10

    outoftheviciouscircle 15

    PurplePhoenix62 10

    QueenJess

    Rupacomp

    Saver-upper

    short bird 20

    TheScarletPixie 20

    Thevalueofless 10

    try harder 20

    Newcomers welcome :)

  • Hi Cathybird,
    I need to count my NSDs again. Please can you put me down for 10 in January. Thank you.
    paydbx2025 #26 £890/£5000 . Mortgage start £148k June 23 - now £138k.
    2025 savings challenge £0/£2000
    EF £140. Savings 2 £30.00. 17
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,530 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks for the new thread. 
    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.
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,637 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 28 December 2023 at 11:05PM
    Hi Cathybird,
    I need to count my NSDs again. Please can you put me down for 10 in January. Thank you.
    hi Honeysucklelou2 and welcome back :):)
  • blubella
    blubella Posts: 581 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Please can I join the challenge. I haven't been around for several years but need to get back on track, starting with some NSD. I'd like to go for 12 in Jan.
    #4 DFBXMAS24 - £2,322.85/£5,000
    NSD Challenge - Jan 15/12, Feb 3/12, Mar 10/10 Apr 10/12, May 5/12.
    SPC #44


    Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration & inspiration ~ Evan Esar
  • Hi, can I join please, 12 for me this month 🤓


    Decluttering Campaign Member -179/2023
    NSD 53/365
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️


  • craftingmad
    craftingmad Posts: 3,358 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Please may I join. I'm aiming for 16 :)
    Mortgage - £2338.07 paid off Feb 2023 BTL 1 £51,089.10 £35789.36 paid off July 2025 BTL 2 £81,504.52 BTL 3 £77,497.02
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,637 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi blubella, Baxtersmum and craftingmad, welcome to the challenge - I've added you all to the list :):):)
  • Hello

    I'd lke to join in please with a target of 10 NSDs in January. Hoping this will support me with the Grocery Challenge and my aim for living a slower simpler life in 2024.

    TVOL
  • Hi Cathybird
    I’ve been ill for the last few months. I want a nw start in Jan 24. My target for Jan 24 is 10 NSDs

    Money Choices
    3-6 months Emergency Fund challenge No 81 £700/£2,400. NSD challenge 25 Jan 9/10 NSDs, Feb 10/10 NSDs, March 10/10 NSDs, April 9/10 NSDs, May 0/0 NSDs, June 5/12 NSDS.
    Grocery Challenge 25 Jan £20/50, Feb £60/£100, March £229.48/£300, April £173.81/£120, May £0/£0, June £88.24/£150.00
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