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Outstanding October's No-Spend Days Challenge!

cathybird
cathybird Posts: 15,800 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
edited 30 September at 3:09PM in Debt-free wannabe challenges
Welcome to Outstanding October'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 this month 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.

October

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 October on phone or tablet, click here :)
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Comments

  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,800 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 September at 3:10PM
    October targets

    AuntieL 18
    beanielou 19
    Caeraugirl 10
    cathybird 15
    Changeyourlife25 10
    CrazyBee787 12
    Crazycatlady2 15
    Dizzycap 20
    Doris17 15
    Emmel 12
    HturRolyat 10
    InDebtEnby 13
    KajiKita 20
    laurenh1 18
    LittleMissDetermined 18
    Pinkpieuni 10
    Prodigal50 10
    QueenJess 15
    short bird 18
    Thriftymissus 24
    VickyA 2 15


    🌞 🌞  Everyone welcome to join! 🌞 🌞

  • CrazyBee787
    CrazyBee787 Posts: 1,151 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thanks @cathybird for this wonderful new thread and for keeping it going while we all live our lives. It is very helpful and I wish you success at your own no spend endeavours. On that note please can I change my target to 12 as it has been a while since I have hit target. Thank you.
    Missions for the rest of the year:-

    1) Build up an emergency fund (EF) 
    2) Improve spending habits.
    3) Create a budget that is compatible to me.
    4) Buy healthier snacks to avoid junk food splurges.
  • LittleMissDetermined
    LittleMissDetermined Posts: 9,814 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Debt-free and Proud! Photogenic
    edited 29 September at 7:10AM
    Thanks for the new thread @cathybird :)  I will aim for 18 NSD's in October please.
    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 £7390 | EF £1000/£1000 | Sabbatical £3677/£6000 | Travel savings £1832 | Sinking pots £3107
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 96,385 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've long said that for me a good day is a day when I don't spend anything and my family all think I'm odd. Maybe I've found my tribe!! 

    I'll aim for 10 No Spend Days. 
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 96,385 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Not me 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.
  • cathybird
    cathybird Posts: 15,800 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi HturRolyat image and welcome to our lovely thread! I've added you to the list, hope you enjoy the challenge! image
  • LittleMissDetermined
    LittleMissDetermined Posts: 9,814 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Debt-free and Proud! Photogenic
    Kicking off October with one today please. I've been out for 2 school nights in a row (!) and I'm too old for it :D  
    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 £7390 | EF £1000/£1000 | Sabbatical £3677/£6000 | Travel savings £1832 | Sinking pots £3107
  • QueenJess
    QueenJess Posts: 4,597 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Oops - fell off the wagon a bit there at the end of September, but starting as I mean to go on this month. Declaring a NSD today.
    2025 decluttering: 5,153 🌟🥉🌟💐🏅🏅🌟🥈🏅🌟🏅💐💎🌟🏅🏆🌟🏅🌟🌟
    2025 use up challenge: 372🥉🥈🥇💎🏆
    Big kitchen declutter challenge 128/150
    2025 decluttering goals I Use up Challenge: 🥉365 🥈750 🥇1,000 💎2,000 🏆 3,000 👑 8,000 I 🥉12 🥈26 🥇52 💎 100 🏆 250 👑 500
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 96,385 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Starting as I mean to go on with no 1. 
    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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