Welcome Back to That’s What Pea Said… Today I wanted to share with you the 2021 spend nothing challenge! I don’t know about you, but I love a good challenge, especially one which is going to have a positive impact on my lifestyle and wellbeing… I’ll be taking part in this challenge alongside the lovely Damaris, who blogs over at Rainbow Vegan Rocks & the lovely Kirstin who blogs over at No Blood No Tears – actually it was Damaris who sparked my interest in this challenge and I’m genuinely excited to get stuck in!

I am going to begin by sharing the rules I’ll be following, then I shall share my tips ♡

♡ No new clothes (tbh I have far too many – I can live with this
♡ No new skincare or make-up (unless I have 100% run out)
♡ No paid haircuts/colourings
♡ No paid beauty treatments
♡ No take-away coffees
♡ Meals out are negotiable – depending on the circumstances
♡ Reduce all food-waste
♡ No new books
♡ Sit on all purchases for 30days – do I REALLY need the item

Know Your Why:

It is important to know why you want to take part in a no-spend challenge. Your why will become your motivation and this will help you focus on your goal throughout the year… Do you want to save money to pay for a deposit on a property? Do you want to go on holiday? Do you want to reduce your contribution to consumerism and reduce your waste? Only you can choose your why – but it’s import once you know your why to keep this at the forefront of your mind.

Tell Your Loved Ones What You’re Doing:

I think that honesty is important during this process for a number of reasons. It’s important to be both honest with yourself and others. In my experience, being upfront with your loved ones will allow them to support you and understand your decisions for making this choice. Being open with friends and family will also help them understand the changes in your behaviour – perhaps, you may even inspire them to begin their own no spend journey!

Change Your Mindset:

It’s important to remember that this challenge is to encourage postive changes within your life and that it is not a punishment… As cringey as it sounds, changing your mindset will change everything. Practicing gratitude is not only poweful, gratitude also helps us appreciate things things we have in our life and deters us from being materialistic – which is obviously extremely beneficial during this challenge…

Be Accountable:

Take a moment to check your statements, it is important to know where you are spending money in order to make the changes and no longer spend this money… It can be quite painstaking analysing your bank statements, but this is crucial when making positive changes to move forwards. it is also important to make a note of any purchases/outgoings you make during the year – afterall, I think it would be almost impossible to go 365 days without spending a single penny!

Know Your Rules:

In order to follow your rules, it is important to know what they are. Your rules are personal to you and your needs and expectations and therefore you also have the power to decide if you want to factor in perhaps a take-away each month, or a reduced clothing allowance… Remember, this is a positive experience and not a punishment so make sure that the challenge is not totally unrealistic for you to achieve…

Declutter:

Decluttering is always a positive activity and it provides a fabulous opportunity to find hidden gems which you may have forgotten about… In some circumstances, you may even feel as though you have had a shopping trip and yet you haven’t had to leave the house of spend a penny. The act of no-spends help up appreciate the items which we alread have in our lives and provide the perfect opportunity for us to access and focus on the things which bring us joy.

I hope that this post gives you a little insight into the 2021 no-spend challenge and I look forward to sharing my journey with you throughout the year… Have you taken part in a no-spend challenge? Is this something which you’d be tempted to try? Do you have any frugal tips to share – let me know, I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments…

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