#New Year No Spend

Is it just me or are you pretty much "spent out" come January 1st?  Good heavens, I'm feeling over spent now and it isn't even Christmas yet. So when my friend Emily over at The Dependent Life Blog approached me about doing another "no spend" month, I jumped for joy!

 

Another "no spend" month?  Yes, we've done this before.  And loved it!  Hard to believe, I know.   

 

If you are new to Little Mountain Momma then I should explain a little more about what a "no spend" month is.  This past August, our family decided to embark on the challenge of not spending money in a single store for a month.

 

 

This was pretty much the scowl I gave when we first began to throw around this seemingly "crazy" idea.

 

To give you a brief overview, the month went something like this --

• Regular bills, gas for our cars and medical emergencies did not fall under the "no spend" category.  Those obviously needed to be paid. 
• We did all of our meal planning and grocery shopping for the entire month prior to August 1st. 
• Eating out was only acceptable if we were using a gift card. 
• Friends and family were incredibly generous --  occasionally treating us to coffee, playdates out and even buying gift cards to treat us to a meal out. 

You can read more about how our "no spend" August went in these past posts --

 

No Spend August, Happy National S'mores Day and Happy September

 

 

So, we've decided to do it again.  And this time we're teaming up with friends!  Call me crazy, but I am just so excited!  Doing a "no spend" month as a family was fun... but doing it with a camaraderie of friends sounds even better.  So we're inviting you! 

 

 

We'll be using the hashtag #Newyearnospend as a way to promote our "no spend" month on social media.  If you're a blogger and you would like to join us and blog about your "no spend" month then we would be happy to create you a pin with your blog name attached.  Just email onelittlemountainmomma@gmail.com and include your blog name if you would like your own pin created. 

 

We're heading into this month knowing that not everyone who commits will be able to adhere to the "no spend" month as strictly.  Some of those who have agreed to join us have said they will do a "modified" no spend month.  Some are choosing to do only a half month of no spending. 

 

Our family specifically will be doing one mid month grocery store run to buy fresh produce because we don't have the luxury of our garden produce like we did in August. 

 

That's the beauty of grace.  A "no spend" month doesn't have to be done perfectly -- there may have been some cheap pizza and wine thrown into the mix of our "no spend" month this past August.  I bear no shame.

 

 

 

The basics of the challenge are pretty simple --

• No impulse spending
• No eating out unless using a gift card (& be intentional not to go over the card amount)
• Be creative and utilize resources (Example: Make a birthday gift if you forget to buy one ahead of time, borrow sugar from a neighbor if you run out prior to the end of the month... you get the idea)
• Know your necessities and stick to them.  Paying bills and filling your car with gas are necessities.  Your mani/pedi however, can wait until February. 

What's the purpose behind a "no spend" month?  To save money and to practice simplicity.  I don't know about you, but a little less sounds refreshing after a holiday season of so much excess.

So who else is in?  We would be thrilled to have you join us!  We will be starting January 1st so you still have some time to think and plan ahead!  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at onelittlemountainmomma@gmail.com. 

 

The following other bloggers have committed to jumping on board with our #nospendnewyear, so

check back throughout the month of January to catch up on how these mommas are leading their families on this financial challenge! 

Adriane over at Balance With Me

Emily over at The Dependent Life

Rebekah over at My MSPI Baby

Fifi over at Fifi & Florence