My no unnecessary spending challenge ended at midnight! I did it! I went exactly 61 days May1-June 30th no shopping, no unnecessary spending, gave up my daily trips to Starbucks, gave up going out to eat for the most part. PHEW!
Here are some frequently asked questions I got during the challenge:
1. How do I make my lattes at home? I bought a frother off of amazon and I use espresso K-cups for my Keurig super easy! I also add some truvia to it for some sweet flavor!
2. Did I cheat at all: I said from the beginning if I had gift cards that did not count because they are gift cards and aren’t MY money spent. I did use gift cards a few times. I also bought one book for 2.99 off of amazon. Also with one day left I bought an $18 tank top…but I still think thats pretty good.
3. What did I learn: First and foremost I spend way too much money and I have a ton of clothes. Seriously I do not need to be spending the kind of money I was spending. I learned that shopping your closet is super fun and pinterest is great for ideas(already knew that). I learned that its way more fun to think of big things like a fancy purse, expensive pair of shoes etc to splurge on then tons of random things here and there. I also learned to really think about what I am buying….really ask myself is this a need or a want? If its a want is it a must have want or a trendy just gonna wear it once or twice want? Do I already have something similar? Is it necessary in my life? I learned a lot more but it would be a super long blog post.
4. How much did you save? From April to May my spending difference was $2000 from May to June my spending difference was still $400 not sure what I cut out in June that was different in May. So all in all I saved around $2400 and by saved I mean I just did nto spend. I know you’re thinking wow you shop a lot but it wasn’t just shopping. Trips to Starbucks, stopping for lunch, going to a movie or out to eat, buying things here and there I didn’t need add up quick.
5. Will you splurge starting today? No. We are going on a trip Thursday and yes I will probably buy one or two things on the trip but the whole point of this challenge really evolved my way of thinking and spending so I think Im changed for good.
So thats really the gist of it. Feel free to leave me questions that I did not answer or that you are curious about in the comments.
This challenge was fun and hard at times but it taught me so much more than I anticipated. If you feel like you spend too much try something similar. I am a spender and I did it. I went two months not spending money!
I DID IT!!!!
That is awesome. Good job! I’ve wanted to do something like this. I might do it.
Congrats Neely! It’s exciting to learn all those things. I started doing something similar a few months ago and have learned really similar things. It’s like we have to step away from our bad spending habits to realize how unnecessary they are.
Wow awesome! Congrats girl!
That’s awesome! I really need to jump into a spending freeze myself.
That’s amazing!! Great job, Neely!! I have put myself on spending freezes before and it has always helped me put a lot into perspective. My weakness is just buying makeup. I’m thinking I go on a spending freeze again stat!
Good for you!!! That is so great– I should try something like this! Would make my husband happy!
That is soo awesome!! Good job!!
That’s great and I need to follow your lead!
Yay! Good job! I’m super impressed with your self control. It’s so easy to buy little things here and there that they add up QUICKLY!
This is awesome! I totally need to do this. I know that I spend way too much money. Especially when I hit up Redbox and then don’t return the movie until a week later! This is a great idea and maybe I”ll do this for the month of July!!!!!! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Woohoo! You go, girl! It’s amazing how much money one can save simply by cutting out something simple, like Starbucks! Congrats!
Wow! What a huge difference! Good for you, girl! I’m going to try and save more as well- cutting out those unnecessary shopping trips and restaurant stops can way help a budget. Have fun on your trip!
Congrats! I’ve tried this in the past and I’ve always failed. Lol. I really want to try again because I do spend so much money on clothes when I have an entire closet full. And as for Starbucks, I ended up just making my own coffee and tea at home and it’s saved me so much money. I still do the occasional Starbucks treat — usually on the weekends when I’m not at home. But it makes such a huge difference in your budget.
Great post! You’ve inspired me to do something similar! I was hesitate at first but seeing that you can do it, makes me believe that I can too! Thanks!
Suzy
Wow! That’s awesome. My spending seems to go it fits and spurts. I just wish there was more down time in between the splurges. I’m going to work on that!
That is super cool! I am so inspired by you! I should try and do something similar, but I am not sure if I can go completely two months without everything, but I can try and spend less! 🙂
You were a little defensive about the cheating question.