Thrifty Challenge: Try a “No-Buy Week”

As thrifty moms, we are always trying to spend less on everyday expenses. Why? It’s probably in order to put more money toward something else that we consider more important, such as debt repayment or saving for something special, like a home, vacation or retirement. Think about this for a moment: what if instead of spending less, you spent nothing? Think about how much money you would have available to put toward what you value the most.

That’s exactly my challenge to you. For one week, don’t buy anything. Buy nothing for seven days. Now, a bit of fine print: you can still buy absolute essentials like food, medication and transportation to get to and from work. However, that’s about all you can buy.

The difficulty of this challenge, for you, will depend largely on how much you spend on extras like entertainment, eating out and shopping. Rather than going out to a movie or renting one, check out something new on TV or have a family game night. Instead of going out to eat or ordering carry out, pull out one of those cookbooks (I know you have some) and treat your family to a yummy home-cooked meal. Rather than buying something new, try “shopping” around your house, and think about how you can repurpose something you already own into something new for your home.

If this “No-Buy Week” is not very hard for you, then try extending it to a month…a year?! Or perhaps you are into such a habit of spending that one day will be a challenge. Either way, good luck not buying!