No Spend November

 I decided to embark on a 'no-spend November' challenge after returning from my three-week trip to Asia broke. I thought it would be a good way for me to challenge my spending habits and save up for Christmas gifting. It also taught me a few unexpected lessons which I now carry with me. 

The Challenge

I had been hearing a lot about setting up for a 'low-spend year'. What this means for the majority of people who practice is a year in which there are strict parameters on how they will allow themselves to spend their income. For example, groceries and bills are a necessary cost to living life. Repairing/replacing broken things is also usually allowed. Purchases like new clothes, books or gaming consoles are usually forbidden. 

I like the idea of a low-spend year but I do not want to limit myself so harshly as I am already pretty frugal in many ways. However, I was feeling pretty short on cash when I came back from my big holiday so I was looking for a way to hold myself accountable until my next pay check arrived. No-Spend November is a misleading title as it was actually a low-spend November but this sounds much less catchy! 

The Rules 

Allowed: groceries, rent, bills, ballet class tuition fees, transportation, medicine

Prohibited: clothes, coffee, unnecessary meals out, take-aways, gifts, stationary, souvenirs

These are non-definitive lists and in many cases I simply asked myself 'is this essential to my existence, health and wellbeing?'

Success or Failure?

The goal is not really about whether or not I succeeded - I was going to save money anyway simply by holding the intention of restricting my extraneous spending. In total, I did not spend on 21 out of 30 days. That's about 70% of the month. At the end of the month, I was able to save 1/3 of my pay which I used to replenish the savings account I use for travelling.  

Lessons Learned

There are many ways to self-sooth beyond buying a little treat. There are so many rewards that do not involve spending money. Gifts come in all sorts of shapes and sizes not just physical objects. This year for Christmas, I intend to gift baked goods and homemade items which are personalised to the people I love. This is a touching way of showing affection that demonstrates to the receiver how well you know them. I believe time is our most valuable commodity so to devote time to people instead of stuff is a lesson I want to carry with me. 

I have also learned that material goods are not as important as I once believed. I used to think that in order to be the person I wanted to be and present myself to others in a way that revealed how much I take care of myself, how dedicated I was, how hardworking I could be, then I had to look the part. This involved keeping up with fashion trends, knowing which brands were respected and which were being cancelled or boycotted. 

This applied to my hobbies too. I felt I had to procure many pens, stickers and washi tape to write beautiful letters to my pen pals. I felt I needed a certain type of leggings to run more effectively. I wanted high quality journals to better keep track of my productivity. All these things are useless without you and your dedication and consistency. And in the end, they will wear out with time and use. Trends will come and go, these days quicker than ever. 

I want to focus on saving up for pieces I really want, things that are really worth my time. Because at the end of the day, we get paid for our time and for our labour. Our time is translated into money which we then use to secure housing, food, entertainment, enjoyment. Money does not make you happy, but worrying about money can make you stressed. I want to find a healthy middle ground in which I can be happy and use what money I do have effectively. Spend it on things that are truly worth working for. 

Should You Try a No-Spend Month?

I recognise that saving money as a challenge is a sign of my privilege. The ability to gamify something which is a necessity for so many people in my country and across the globe. It actually disgusts me because it highlights the sheer contrast between class divides. Our culture is one of consumerism that is so rampant we see spending money as an emotional release mechanism and route to instant gratification and self satisfaction. 

This being said, if you are in a position where you are able to try a no-spend month, I would recommend it as recording what you buy and evaluating how essential something is can help you become more aware of your spending habits and areas in which you can save money. At the end of the month, do not use the end of a challenge as an excuse to go on a spending spree. The whole point is to recognise that you don't really need extra stuff cluttering your life! 

I will never again underestimate how much small amounts can add up. As my Mother always told me "look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves."