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Fabulous February's No-Spend Days Challenge!

Welcome to Fabulous February'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 February 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.

February

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 February, click here :)
«13456751

Comments

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 16,496 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 31 January 2025 at 9:56PM
    February targets

    AuntieL 18
    bamboo socks
    beanielou 19
    BestnamesRgone
    birdsfoottrefoil 10
    bloomfelt
    Bluefeathers32
    Caeraugirl 20
    Cassingtonbear 10
    cathybird 15
    Combenew
    craftingmad
    CrazyBee787 19
    cuddlymarm 15
    Diane1276
    Dizzycap 20
    Doris17 12
    felicityBD15
    Flick85
    Frugalontoast
    GeorgianaCavendish 8
    Honeysucklelou2 10
    Jay1 2 12
    KajiKita 20
    Lanky Larry
    laura lau 18
    laurenh 18
    Lillian1977
    LittleMissDetermined 16
    Louise600 10
    Makingabobor2 15
    Money Choices
    Nexgenn
    Nintud
    Optimistic Saver 20
    PalmTreeOne 20
    Pauper1 20
    peacocking
    Pinkpieuni 10
    QueenJess 15
    Rupacomp
    Sausageroll14
    Saver-upper
    SecondStar 15
    SerenitySeven
    short bird 18
    Thriftymissus 22
    Tjh1412 15
    try harder
    tryingmybesthonest



    🌞 🌞  Everyone welcome to join! 🌞 🌞

  • Hi,

    Please can I join? A target of 10.

    thanks!
    August 2025 total debt: £28,741
    February 2026 total debt: £24,335
    March 2026 total debt: £22,651
    Cleared 21.1%

    Aim to be below £20,000 by 1st June 2026
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 16,496 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi birdsfoottrefoil image and welcome image to our lovely thread! I've added you to the list, best of luck with the challenge! image
  • OK, let's try this again  :) I'm going to go for 8 NSDs in February please
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 16,496 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hi Georgiana, welcome back :smiley: and good to see you here! I've added you to the list :):)
  • Dizzycap
    Dizzycap Posts: 1,777 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Photogenic Debt-free and Proud!
    edited 30 January 2025 at 11:02PM
    @ birdsfoottrefoil - Nice to have a newbie.
    @ GeorgianaCavendish - Nice to have a returnie .
    Who would want to miss these NSD achievement gifs for February?
    - :D:D<3<3
    :D:D<3

    Love 'um :D -  Not expecting a spend day tomorrow so may pip an extra gif but I'm more eager to get to grips with February and achieving the dancing monster :D
    ~ NSD 2026 Challenge April 17/20 (4)
    # No.12 Save £2 a Day 2026 £243.32 / £730 (4)
    # No.2 Save 1p A Day Challenge 2026 £236.68 / £667.95 (4)
    # No.19 52 Week Env Challenge 2026 £520 / £1378 (4)
    # No.4 Save £12k in 2026  £6,234.25 / £12,000 (4)
    # No.4 £2 Savers Club 2026 - (25/12 - 24/10) £100 / £200 (4)
    No.8 Sealed Pot Challenge 19 - 2026 - 24/12 - 24/10 £60+ / £400 (4)
    # Make £2026 in 2026 £1886.43 / £2026 (4)
  • I’m going to knuckle down, tighten my financial belt and keep everything crossed for a successful No Spend February! 😁🤞
    March 26:
    MBNA 6,130 - 0% Feb 28
    HAL 10,125.91 - 0% Jul 27
    BL 320 - Ends Jul 26
    Total: 16,575.91 less 7,000 Marcus savings = 9,575.91
    ⬇️ to pay down by Oct 27

    NSD March 15/22
    Make 2026 in 2026:
    173.01/2,026
    Vinted, YouGov, Bank Int & Fairer Share, Prolific, Quidco, Cheddar & SnapMyEats

    Savings accounts:
    Co-op 273.01/3,000
    Principality 600/1,200
    FD 2,000/2,000
    Santander Saver 400/2,400
    Lloyds 800/4,800
    Cahoot 50/3,000
    Invest 349.93
    🏆 ⬆️ Total: £4,472.94

    Mortgage: £54,048.73
  • Dizzycap
    Dizzycap Posts: 1,777 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Photogenic Debt-free and Proud!
    edited 31 January 2025 at 8:37PM
    @ Optimistic_Saver - We can ALL do it :p Let's nail NSD February :Do:)<3
    I'm aiming for 20 but hoping for a full month of NO spending, but I have to give some leeway for any baby-face emergency, which I hope & pray won't happen <3
    ~ NSD 2026 Challenge April 17/20 (4)
    # No.12 Save £2 a Day 2026 £243.32 / £730 (4)
    # No.2 Save 1p A Day Challenge 2026 £236.68 / £667.95 (4)
    # No.19 52 Week Env Challenge 2026 £520 / £1378 (4)
    # No.4 Save £12k in 2026  £6,234.25 / £12,000 (4)
    # No.4 £2 Savers Club 2026 - (25/12 - 24/10) £100 / £200 (4)
    No.8 Sealed Pot Challenge 19 - 2026 - 24/12 - 24/10 £60+ / £400 (4)
    # Make £2026 in 2026 £1886.43 / £2026 (4)
  • Can I join please? 10 NSD pushing myself to save and pay off debt as much as I can whilst still employed. I hope to keep myself in check with the NSDs and eventually be frugal. 

    Challenges

    NSD - April - 8/10

    1. 2026 Mortgage-Free Wannabes #61 £14,031.82/£29,000, MF target May 2026, current mortgage balance - £14,582.78

    mortgage @ Jan 2025 - £75,600

    2. Loan  - Jan 2026 £1,029.22 - bal £0- fully paid 

    3.52 Week Envelope Saving Challenge #2  £106/£1,378 -( 1/52)

    4. EF - £842

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 16,496 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi @pinkpieuni image and welcome image to our lovely thread! I've added you to the list, best of luck with the challenge! image
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