Magnificent May's No-Spend Days Challenge!

cathybird
cathybird Posts: 15,361 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
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 May and you are on your way!

Tips for the challenge:
1. It's totally up to you but 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.

May

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

15 days = image
20 days = image
Target reached = image
Target beaten = image 



To see the updated results for May at any point, click here :)
«13456756

Comments

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,361 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 3 May 2024 at 12:01AM
    May targets

    AuntieL 15
    bamboo socks 20
    beanielou 19
    blubella 12
    Caeraugirl 20
    cathybird 15
    Crazycatlady2 18
    Doris17
    Flying By 14
    FrugalAspirations
    Geriatricmum
    Honeysucklelou2
    HotDog2020 15
    ilovetea 20
    KajiKita 18
    keggie 20
    laura lau 17
    laurenh 20
    leftatthetrafficlights 24
    Lemonade Budget
    LittleMissDetermined 18
    madlyn 12
    Makingabobor2 15
    Money Choices
    Mrs Cautious 23
    Nervous1234
    Rupacomp 15
    SecondStar 18
    short bird 16
    Tiangfeng2022 10
    Worlds Worst Superhero 25


    :):) Newcomers welcome! :):)

  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,625 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks as always 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.
  • ilovetea
    ilovetea Posts: 1,272 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hello. Can you put me down for 20 NSD again please.
    Thank  you.

      ilovetea  xx
    Make £2024 in 2024 £1161.08
    Declutter 2024 things in 2024 1522/2024.
    NSD's in August 11/20
  • MrsCautious
    MrsCautious Posts: 1,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Morning. Kicking off with a ridiculously early call for my first NSD of the month. 
  • bamboo_socks
    bamboo_socks Posts: 93 Forumite
    10 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    An accidental spending day for me, even before breakfast, as apparently the auction site tried to take payment for something last week but my card details weren't up to date so I've rectified that and £1.41 has been paid.
  • Pinch, Punch and all that! May is here...and the sun is shining 🙂

    @cathybird Thank you for the new thread.

    Please can you put me down for 25 NSD this month.
    I know I have three major events and purchases coming up, all of which I've planned and budgeted for but I'm going to try to be mindful of exactly what I'm buying- and why.
  • Morning! I'm calling one early today, as we have nowhere to be and nothing we 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 £2725 | EF £1035/£1000 | Sabbatical £2541/£3000 | Travel savings £1900 | Sinking pots £3249
  • Declaring early  - 1/24
    DNF: £708.92/£1000
    JSF: £708.58/£1000

    Winter season grocery budget: £600.85/£900

    Weight loss challenge 2024: 11/24lbs
    1st quarter start:9st 13.1lb
    2nd quarter start:9st 9.2 lb
    3rd quarter start: 9st 6.8 lb
    4th quarter start: 9st 10.2 lb
    End weight: 8st 13lb

    'It's the small compromises you keep making over time that start to add up and get you to a place you don't want to be'

  • madlyn
    madlyn Posts: 1,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I'm aiming for 12 NSD in May.
    SPC 037
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,361 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Morning everyone, yay for May! I'd normally kick off the first of the month with an NSD but am out for lunch with friends today. :)
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