No Spend Money Saving Challenge

Whoop, whoop. We love challenges - money challenges, walking challenges, workout challenges! We've shared a ton of challenges but this is our first no spend challenge and we are so excited to introduce you to this concept!

If you find yourself struggling to pay your bills or if you only have a tiny bit left over after paying your bills, you might want to take a look at your spending habits. Most people can identify the large purchases that destroy savings accounts but the small purchases that many people do not think about have the ability to do the same thing.

Believe it or not, there are things you can do in your free time that don't cost money. ;-) People always ask us how we afford to go on trips so often. We choose to place emphasis on experiences rather than things and we don't let small purchases take over.

For this challenge you choose the length. You can do the no spend challenge for one weekend, one week, one month, or even an entire year (yes, I've seen it done!).

There are some exceptions to the no spend challenge. You can buy/spend money on items that you need such as groceries, gas, and bills. This challenge is meant to completely cut out spending on things like clothes, shoes, eating out, buying coffee/tea, etc. 

After you complete a fitness challenge you shouldn't go out and eat everything in sight and not workout again. After this challenge you shouldn't go out and buy every single thing you wanted to buy. Write down what you did want to spend money on and be as specific as possible. Think about why you really wanted that item. After your spending challenge is over, I bet most of the items you wanted you are no longer interested in.

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Looking for a printable version of this challenge? We've got you covered! Join our newsletter and you will be taken to a black and white printable version right away! Grab the printable challenge here.

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No Spend Money Saving Challenge Ideas (to do instead of spend money!)

1. Volunteer: animal shelter, boys & girls club, local trash clean-up
2. Read a book: Here is a link to our favorite books
3. Go to the park
4. Watch a movie
5. Visit your local library: You can pick out a book to read or a movie to watch at your local library!
6. Play a board game or card game: Get your spouse or friends together to play games. You could even color or put together a puzzle!
7. Get creative: What did you like to do as a kid? Did you like to color, draw, paint, or write? You should start doing it again!
8. Get active: This is the perfect time for you to start a new hobby of working out! We have a TON of free workouts on the website and even offer complete workout plans. The main point is to just get up and move though!
9. Declutter/organize: Need help with this one? Use our list of 10 Things to Get Rid of for a Clutter-Free Home and our 30-Day Minimalism Challenge to get started!
10. Sell: Why not use this time to make some extra cash? Sell your unwanted or unused items! There are plenty of websites and apps that make this possible! You could use eBay or even a free resource like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

$300 12-Week Christmas Money Saving Challenge

I know, I know...a lot of challenges all at once but that's just the mood I've been in. ;-) Our 30-Day Full Body Fitness Challenge starts on the first (or you can start now, if you want!). We haven't had a finance challenge in awhile so why not now?!

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I promise I am going to post more soon about our lifestyle, how we live below our means, and share more about how we save (you can read about some of it here and here). There's just a lot of different angles for me to go into and I get overwhelmed so that's why I haven't published it yet. ;-) BUT I did want to go ahead and publish this 12-Week Saving Challenge so that you have time to get started before the holidays. Read on though, there's more.

My family wasn't that crazy about birthdays, and by crazy, I mean we weren't over the top. Growing up, Christmas was always our big holiday. Just a side note, my family has been selling Christmas trees for over 30 years at our family farm. Christmas was when our entire family got together and it was truly a special day and time. We did also get a lot of presents for Christmas but nothing extreme, especially compared to some stuff I've seen lately. When Scott and I got married we did continue on with the what some would consider "over the top" Christmas. We didn't really spend a lot of money but still felt the need to exchange gifts even if it was something that we already knew about (which it always was).

Fast forward, now Scott and I don't give each other gifts. Instead we save our money for trips and other experiences. People always ask how we travel so much and it's because we don't give anniversary, birthday, Christmas gifts, or gifts for any other holiday or made up holiday in between. I'm not saying that this is the answer for everyone but it allows us to spend money on what truly matters to us, instead of spending money on things.

RELATED: Read about our travels.

Not only do we save the money we don't spend on traditional gifts to travel but we also try to donate our time and money to charities throughout the year and during the holidays. The way that we look at it is there are so many people in this world who have so much less than we do. Instead of buying each other something that's just going to sit around we would rather help other people. That's why I wanted to create this challenge. You can use this challenge to save money to buy gifts for your friends and/or family or you could use the challenge to save money to use for "random acts of kindness" throughout the holiday season - and even continue it into the new year! No judgement here - it's your challenge and you use the saved money as you see fit.

If you follow this money saving challenge you will end up saving $300 in 12 weeks. This amount of money can easily be saved each week if you cut back on your dining out, drinks out, and unnecessary and small purchases that you probably overlook right now. Things like buying coffee, soft drinks, appetizers, and desserts add up quickly! Skip those!

If you do plan on using this money for "random acts of kindness" some ideas are paying for a strangers gas, food, or even put together bags for the homeless or a local hospital! The possibilities are endless! You don't have to spend money to be kind to others though, you can volunteer with local organizations or visit nursing homes or hospitals. Hopefully what you receive in return will encourage you to continue this after the holidays.

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Interested in more money saving challenges? Try one of these:

Save $1,000 in 3 Months

3 Month Money Saving Challenge

Beginner 6 Month Money Saving Challenge

52-Week Money Saving Challenge

12 Month Money Challenge

$300 12-Week Christmas Money Saving Challenge

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Looking for a printable version of this challenge? We've got you covered! Join our newsletter and you will be taken to a black and white printable version right away! Grab the printable challenge here.

6 Tips to Stay "On Track" Over the Weekend

You probably already know by know that we aren't super strict, we strongly believe that you should enjoy life and let loose sometimes. However, this is a LIFESTYLE for us though so we don't let weekends or holidays get completely out of control either. We try to treat weekends just like a normal day. Use these tips to stay "on track" over the weekend.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

6 Tips to Stay "On Track" Over the Weekend

1. Don't Skip Meals
   
   A BIG mistake people make is skipping meals. It seems to be an even bigger issue over the holidays and weekends. Whether it's intentional (thinking that you will "save" calories) or if you just get busy and forget to eat, skipping meals will lead you to over-indulging in the long run. Stick to your normal eating schedule and don't let yourself get too hungry. Pack your food or at least take protein bars or protein powder packets with you while you are out. Going to a party? Take something with you to share!
    
2. Make Time for Food Prep
   
   Take a little time to prep food or buy foods that don't take much prep time. We usually do a smaller food prep on Thursday or Friday that lasts us over the weekend. It's very easy to just brown meat to have on hand with some vegetables or rice. Things like canned tuna and eggs are very easy for quick weekend meals as well.
   RELATED: Weekend Food Prep
    
3. Sleep
   
   Sounds easy and amazing, right?! Well, why do most of us overlook this very important aspect of living a healthy lifestyle then? Just like with not skipping meals, don't let your sleep suffer over the weekend. Try to get 7.5-9 hours of quality sleep. Your body will thank you!
    
4. Schedule "Me" Time
   
   It's important to rest and relax on the weekend so that you feel refreshed. You don't need an entire day to yourself, although that would be nice, even just 10 minutes will work wonders for you mentally and physically. Activities to consider include walking, reading, taking a bath, getting a message, or just enjoying your coffee or tea in silence.
    
5. Stay Active
   
   Include at least one active activity each weekend. If you don't want to go to the gym on the weekend that's fine! Take the weekend as your rest day(s) but still try to stay active while having fun. Things like hiking, biking, playing in sports leagues, etc. are ways to have fun and also get a workout in. Again, even just 15 minutes of activity is better than nothing.
   RELATED: 5 Reasons Why You Need a Fitness Plan
    
6. Don't have an "all or nothing" attitude.
   
   You aren't perfect. We aren't perfect. No one is perfect. If you want to eat a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake and you do it - move on at your next meal. One "bad" meal isn't going to hurt you. You must start having a better relationship with food or you are going to always be stuck in the cycle where you start your new diet each Monday.

Continuing to eat junk food all weekend because of one choice is like slashing all of your tires because you had one flat tire. Keep it simple! All you have to do is make healthy choices the majority of the time and splurge on things that are worth it, not just because they are placed in front of you. Easy swaps like grilled chicken instead of fried chicken, vegetables instead of fries, water instead of soft drinks really add up!