August is going to be a “no spend month” for me, beyond the absolute essentials of getting to work, staying nourished and paying the usual bills. I will not buy anything, at all.

This just adds to my motivation, so thanks

I can’t tell you how many outfits we bought or received as gifts that were never worn! They really do grow so fast.

Oh and one other bit of unsolicited advice–as tempted as you might be to buy cute and pretty outfits, by the second or third time they toss their cookies, you’ll know why their clothing should be kept simple.

And it isn’t just about saving money. The time spent shopping could be invested in more productive activities that provide a number of benefits (exercise, learning new skills, building stronger bonds with people, learning to like your life without so much stuff etc.).

I don’t spend any money on shopping on a monthly basis (though I tend to go on sprees every few months or so), and I rarely even pay for entertainment (unless you count my monthly cable bill).

My problem is that I spend a TON on food and dining! So limiting my purchases to food and bills doesn’t really help me. Going out with friends is my shopping addiction – and even beyond that I pick up dinner on the way home most nights of the week even if I’m not going out. I’m trying to reign it in now, but it’s tough because you can’t use the “just quit cold turkey” approach – I have to buy food regularly; I just have to learn to do it cheaper!

We have so much of everything in life that nothing is special. The first time you eat at McD’s it feels special, like a unique experience. It feels good, so you do it again, and again, and again. You no longer enjoy it, but you’re past the 21 days it takes to turn an experience into a habit so you’re hooked. You go there, you even know it’s bad for you, but you keep going because now it’s what you know. It’s your routine.

Now it’ll take 21 days of doing without it to break you of the habit. We’re back to the original point of the post.

When I was a kid, people only went out for dinner for special occasions, maybe 2-3 times a year, and it tasted Oh so good! Now it’s just a bad habit, and a costly one! We’ve been conditioned to have a lot of those habits.

I guess its true some folks need to shop as much as they need to eat and therefore this is some sort of crash diet for them but, for people like me (I would assume most people?), skipping that $5 trip to McDs for a month does’t cause me to want to buy something else to replace that spending feeling, it causes me to enjoy that next McDs I do get (and I will get it later). A little denial can turn a humdrum thing into something special. Eating McDs everyday for a month costs $200 and gives little pleasure. Eating there once costs $5 and, man, those fries are then really really good.

I get what you’re saying, but radical extremes are usually not a healthy way to manage anything. It sounds like a crash diet to me – lol. Not to sound negative, but most of you know how that works:

Day 1: You totally stop eating and it’s easy! You’re pumped!

Day 2: You’re still motivated but its getting harder and you feel like you may pass out.

Day 3: You wake up from a sugar-induced comma surrounded by empty Crispy-Creme packages and SURPRISE! You weigh more now than what you did before the diet started!!!

Don’t crash diet your finances. That $5.00 trip to McDonald’s may actually be the one thing that is keeping you from blowing 3 months salary on a new entertainment center.

And you’re right Hanna, in excess it can get pretty crazy, but 2-4 weeks won’t harm you much – it’s just enough to give you a firm kick in the a$$ and make you realize what’s going on. I still spend like an idiot at times, but as long as I’m 90% on track my life is perfectly happy.

So get out there everyone and just *start*! And then be sure to holler back and let us know what you thought of it

I’m joking but all this ” I only spent $3.00 in 4 months ” is great but when does this become too extreme? Earning more income or slimming down your budget works just as well instead of being on lock down in your own house to keep yourself from spending the $1.19 on a Wendy’s frosty.
I completely get it if someone is immensely in debt or overspending at Macy’s but if you can afford it why not?

I get the idea, though. Speaking for myself, I am more than ready to take you up on this 2-week challenge of not spending.

No joke, what you described reads like detox, or at least a heavy diet. And 40(!) days! Was that Lent?

I think you’re right about this though. Simple as it sounds the only way to stop spending is to just … stop. It takes a while but it is doable (infinately harder if you have kids, in all fairness to reality).

Culturally, shopping has become the default setting when we’re bored. You can get out of the house, and come back with a new toy or two that extends the “experience”. Unforunately, it robs time from more productive and longer lasting activities. Who would benefit more from a shopping spree than from a gym membership? But, of course shopping is so much easier!

Congratulations, what you’ve done is downright countercultural, and no small accomplishment.

I can’t say I speak from experience, but I have heard it suggested a few times. Generally, I have heard it suggested for dealing with kids, but it could be used in this situation too I would say…

While of course you need to get his agreement to get on board, but once you get that far you need to *actually* get him on board. The problem with asking him to give up something (such as eating out for lunch) is that its a yes or no question. And of course he really doesn’t want to say yes to giving it up (and either do you). So you need to give him the facts and stop giving him yes or no choices. E.G. We need to cut our spending hubby and here is where I think we can cut down (dining-out, utilities, etc). Now instead of asking separately to give up or cut back one, present it as a whole. You can cut back/go cold turkey on one item and leave the rest unchanged or cut back in every area. Then there is no room to say “no, I don’t want to cut back.” For another example: do I want to eat this chocolate? Yes or No? …Presented another way… do I want to eat this chocolate or do I want to lose weight? Which one? It is mind over matter really.

Also when you are presenting the facts to him, show him how you plan/are cutting back or making sacrifices for him (such as paying off tuition). Guilt trip the hubby into getting on board.

I will still go to market to get stuff for my Etsy shop since I have sold some stuff but I am not going to buy anything for myself.

Thanks for the kick in the butt.

I advise everyone… do as this post suggests & go on a savings spree for a set number of days! Do at least 30 days… or do more if you can. The longer you go, the more dramatic effect it will have on your life!

Then I got caught in a speed trap ($188!) and had to make a couple of planned purchases, and so now I have $15/day for the rest of this month. Buying the chlorine tablets that the pool needs will require going several days without any other purchases.

Thank goodness for the freezer and the food hoard!

If you look at it as a game (she who buys the least junk wins), it’s not only habit-forming, it’s kinda fun.