I first learned of No-Spend Challenges through Alyssa at www.mixedupmoney.com. I've been a fan of hers since the start of the Pandemic, when we were isolated in our homes and everything was turning virtual: work, workouts, social time... you name it. I find her to be down-to-earth, non-judgmental, and women-focused in her content which I appreciate. So for all you women out there, looking for another Canadian personal finance influencer, look no further - www.mixedupmoney.com is packed with No-Spend Challenge resources and tips on how to successfully make your money stretch the test of time.
But wait, what IS a No-Spend Challenge? A No-Spend Challenge is as it sounds - where you do not spend money for a set duration of time, usually, tracking a day at a time for the duration of one month at a time. Each day that passes, you'd place an emoticon of your choice indicating whether you spend money or saved money that particular day, each day, until the month is over. I've had a lot of success with Alyssa's templates that can be found on her website www.mixedupmoney.com. She aesthetically lays out the month-at-a-glance with neat and tidy little boxes for each day of the month where you can place your emoticon indicating whether you've spent or saved, with a box at the bottom to indicate what you've spent on if you want to share and hold yourself accountable. I've seen a lot of Moms use this monthly tracker and track when they've spend on items for their kids such as recreational expenses, or additional food expenses. Mine is kept quite easy with a specific emoticon for having spent, and a specific emoticon for having saved. Each day I hold myself accountable by sharing my daily / monthly tracker and having people start a conversation on what this tracker is for. I've had many friends reach out to me and ask me where I find this tracker and if they can use it too. Of course! And... it's free!
So there you have it, a monthly No-Spend Challenge. Give it a whirl and see how you progress. Often, over time, as we start to build awareness of our saving and spending habits, we start to be held accountable and start to save more and spend less (usually this is the case). If you're having a hard time locating the monthly No-Spend Templates, comment below and I will send you the link. Signed, Filipina Budget Girl.
