Awesome August's No-Spend Days Challenge!

Welcome to Awesome August's No-Spend Days Challenge! 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 August 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.

August

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 August at any point, click here :)
«13456739

Comments

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,388 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 3 August 2024 at 2:27AM
    August targets

    AppleADay2024 10

    AuntieL 15

    beanielou 19

    Caeraugirl

    cathybird 10

    Crazycatlady2 20

    Daywon

    Doris17 12

    Geriatricmum

    HotDog2020 15

    ilovetea 20

    KajiKita 18

    laura lau 18

    laurenh 18

    leftatthetrafficlights 24

    LittleMissDetermined 18

    Makingabobor2 15

    MoneyFreedom24 1/15

    Mrs Cautious

    Rupacomp 12

    Saver-upper

    SecondStar 16

    short bird 22

    Worlds Worst Superhero 20




    🌞 🌞  Everyone welcome to join! 🌞 🌞

  • HotDog2020
    HotDog2020 Posts: 593 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Yay Thanks @cathybird for a brilliant shiny new thread.
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,699 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks @cathybird as always for our lovely shiny new thread & and all your hard work. 
    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.
  • laura_lau
    laura_lau Posts: 682 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 500 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Thank you @cathybird I am ready for August!
    Debt free journey started 30/08/2023:

    CC1 - 5,151.92 now 5,335.15
    CC3 - 4,166.15 now 5,345.28
    CC4 - 4,625.87 (balance transfer from CC2) now 5,717.24
    Current outstanding: 16,397.67
    Debt free by Jul 2027.

    Challenges:
    NSD Apr 2025 - 7/20
    NST Apr 2025 - 
    #31 1p savings 2025 £32.40/£667.95
    2025 Fashion on the ration - Coupons remaining 43.5/66
  • Doris17
    Doris17 Posts: 868 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Count me in please. Looking for 12 NSD in August.
    Thank you.

    "Make Everyday Count"



  • Can I up my target to 18 please @cathybird?
    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 £4225 | EF £161/£1000 | Sabbatical £2862/£3000 | Travel savings £2151 | Sinking pots £2848
  • Hi  I am new to this site.  Can I please join at 10 days for August.  Thanks
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,388 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi AppleADay2024 image and welcome image to our lovely thread! I've added you to the list, best of luck with the challenge! image
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,699 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Kicking off with no 1 of August. 
    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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