It's finally here; the end of my no spend month.


Confession: My husband and I bought something expensive this week. Normally I would feel sad that I failed, but  because of the circumstances I don't even care. If you knew what I went through this week, you wouldn't blame me. Can you guess what happened in my home based on what we bought here?

My biggest goal was to not to shop for frivolous things on myself: basically, Target runs, ASOS orders, Pick you Plum purchases etc. In that respect- I passed with flying colors. I didn't spend any money on clothes or makeup (I had a giftcard for the Sephora VIB sale though. More on that from week 3)

Eating out was definitely more touch and go. I think we did Arby's twice, Wendys twice, and Applebees once. I'll give myself a free pass from that weekend of volleyball (my body always hurts so bad!) but other than that- FAIL.

Now that it's over, here are some things I have my eye on for May:
These cute shoes
Summer top
More jeans from my new favorite brand

What I learned:

-Saying "no" to yourself gets a lot easier. I think spending is a habit, but so is saving!

-I definitely do buy things I don't need. There were a couple things on my "to-buy after" list (more on that from my preparation post) that I'm wondering why I even wanted.

-Doing both a no spend on items and eating out together was kind of hard. Last April we successfully managed to not eat out at all (See that post HERE) but with everything together, it was kind of difficult. Add in no soda for Lent and it was a pretty deprived month! ha

-Give yourself grace when you spend something. Remember you're not breaking the law! ha! But you are breaking a promise you made to yourself. Look at each case individually and decide if it was a necessary purchase and then stand by it, if need be.

-Sometimes you just have to TRY! Don't be afraid- you're bound to fail occasionally, but overall it will be a success.

Recaps here:
Preparing
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Hello again!

Welcome to the 4th No Spend post of my no-spend April challenge. Here are the others if you missed them:
Preparing for a No Spend Month
Week 1
Week 2

So... you are the judge and jury this week. I want to know from you guys if I failed no-spend week 3. Here's the evidence. (heehee)

Things were pretty good until Wednesday. We'd been cooking at home, and then my husband wanted to go to Wendy's. I said no twice, and then I was worn down. I can't lie; it sounded good. We both got a 4 for $4 deal.

Thursday the Sephora sale started. And if you know anything about Sephora, you know they rarely have sales. I had a gift card from my birthday to use, so I didn't actually spend my own money. So I'm not sure if it counts. I got this because I've had my eye on it for weeks on end! Then I got two of these to hit the free shipping mark! I still have a little of the gift card left, so I'm not feeling completely horrible! ;)

Then Saturday/Sunday we played in a weekend volleyball tournament. We paid the 100 dollar entrance fee, but usually teammates pitch in as well. So the total there should be a bit less than 40.

Because of the exhausting all day tourney, we were tired and hungry: no one was cooking. We went out to an actual restaurant and between the two of us spent at least 30 bucks.

So the total damage was probably about 125 dollars in food, fun, and makeup. I have excuses like the bi-annual Sephora sale+ gift card and just being too tired to move after the vball tourney, but the question for you is... did I fail?

Let a girl know in the comments! :)

Hi there!
This is the 3rd post in my series for my April no spend month. The first one is HERE that details how to prepare for one. The first week recap is HERE. 

Overview

This week I did pretty well on no spend. I didn't eat out, I didn't make any online orders, and I didn't get anything from the store. However, I did sign up for a free trial of Hulu. I couldn't wait any longer to see the 13th season of Grey's Anatomy and the 7th season of Pretty Little Liars. I'm still kind of wondering if that's cheating, even though it didn't technically cost me anything this month.

I also wanted to use my birthday gift card to Sephora, but my husband told me he thought that was cheating. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it will still probably be good to stay the path and not buy anything- gift card or not.

Finally- my husband did buy me a little gift for Easter today. It was so sweet, and I loved it, but I guess it isn't a full family no-spend; it's mostly just for me to work on my spending.

Take Aways

I've found the more I say "no" and resist buying things, the easier it gets. It is kind of like dieting.

Checking our credit card statement and seeing a lower balance is also rewarding. Kind of like getting on the scale and finally seeing the numbers moving.

Staying away from temptation is a key aspect of success. However, you don't want your whole life to become boring. Penciling in dinner or movie dates in your planner for the next month gives light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks for reading this journal-like post!

If you read this post last week, you know that I'm trying a no spend month in April. I thought some of you might be interested in how it's going. So without further ado- week 1 recap.

How I did:
Good! I didn't buy anything, but I ate fast food at Arby's one day. I spent about 4 dollars- so overall, I wasn't too worried about the expense. It was more or less the lame as if I had eaten a meal at home.

Shopping temptation:
 I would have to say I didn't really have much temptation to shop at all. But for the sake of honesty, I need to explain why. For one, many of my March purchases came in the mail- so I was certainly still "getting" new things. (Including those cute socks up there from Happy Socks!) Secondly, I had a couple blogger collaborations where I was able to pick out a thing or two, so I was able to shop for free- which I know is not realistic for most people. Hopefully next week will be more normal, with more normal struggles.

Food/Entertainment temptation:
Like I said- I did eat out the one time. But when I plan ahead properly the temptation to eat out is extremely lessened. I'm planning on writing a blog post on my meal prep routine here soon!
As for entertainment- I'm using what I already have at home: Netflix and movies. A film comes out in a couple weeks that I want to see, but I'm just planning to go the first of May ;)


Strategies that are working:
-meal planning and meal prep
-unsubscribing from emails and deleting the ones that come through
-writing a list of any desired purchases (I explained why in my first post)

Even the title makes me feel nervous. It sounds impossible, but I think with the right preparation it might be doable. This blog post is a bit of me thinking out loud, and partly to help others. My plan is to go the whole month of April without purchasing unnecessary things. This includes clothing, shoes, accessories, meals out, coffees, etc. I know some people's no spend months include toiletries and groceries, but I think that's mostly nuts. I am fine with buying necessary toiletries and groceries. (Everybody gotta eat!)

Here are the steps I'm taking to prepare!

1. Pinpoint Achilles's heels
We've all got them- weak spots you know. It is incredibly important to recognize them in yourself. Is it your morning coffee run? Online shopping? Happy hour? Eating out? Whatever it is, recognize it and learn ways to avoid it. Mine is definitely shopping. I am coming up with a plan to avoid those times that I spend uncontrollably.

2. Make a Goal
Making a goal is an important step to maintaining a no spend month. Whether it's an amazing vacation, a gorgeous handbag, or making a crucial payment to a bill or mortgage, having it at the forefront of your mind will remind you why you are undergoing this no spend month. Remembering that special goal will help you to resist lesser purchases that are not as important.

3. Hit that Unsubscribe Button
Unsubscribing from shopping websites is a great way to avoid temptation. I plan to unsubscribe from the emails that always seem to get me into trouble. As far as resubscribing... I think I can make those decisions after the month is up. I'm sure I'll want to start getting my favorites back into my inbox. But if I don't remember which I was subscribed to after the month is up, it is certainly no loss!

4. Track your "spending"
Every time I don't buy something that I wanted, or I don't go out to eat, I am going to write down the cost. At the end of the month I will have a final total of the money I saved. That goes back to step 2- and I'll have a better idea of what it was I truly contributed to my goal.

5. Create a List
Undoubtedly, there will be tough days and I'll find things I really wish I could buy or have. My plan is to create a place for a list of all the thing I want to get once May is here. For one, I think it will make me feel better to write it down. Like I'm one step closer to getting it. But my guess is that most of the things on the list will be irrelevant by the time May gets here and I'll be happy I didn't buy them!

6. Plan Ahead
The easiest way to not go out to eat is to make sure you plan ahead and have meals planned and groceries bought. I went without eating out last April and it helped us financially so much. (More on that HERE)

Do you have any tips for a no spend month?

Thanks for reading!

I have a serious love of online shopping. I get a huge rush from buying things, and a rush waiting for them to arrive, and another rush from trying all my new things on when they arrive. It's so addicting and I always come back for more. But affording it is a whole other thing. So... how do I do it?

Well for starters, it seems only fair to tell you that truthfully I probably don't afford it. I could be saving up for important life events or traveling to exotic places. But honestly? I like to shop, and so I do.

Rule #1
The most important thing to remember is a 4 letter word... SALE. Unless you can get an item on sale, you don't buy it. Simple enough. It's not hard to find sale prices on items, or to get a sale price using a promo code. Using sites like RetailMeNot are great ways to find deals, but I like to use Ebates (see below) because the promo codes and cash back are all in once place. Which brings us to Rule #2

Rule#2
Get "cash back" on your online purchases. Using Ebates is an amazing way to get money back on purchases. I've been using it for nearly a year and have already gotten over 100 dollars back. Use this link to get a 10 dollar bonus on your first purchase!! :)

If you're still curious about how it works, here is a look at some of my quarterly "paychecks" From Sephora, to Eastbay, Nordstrom, Old Navy and more- this is a great way to save even more on your deals.



Rule #3
Be willing to let things go. Many times I afford to buy new things by selling old things. I like to sell old shoes, handbags, and jewelry on eBay. Name brand things do really well for with resale value. Last spring I bought a new blush bag by selling one of my Michael Kors crossbody bags I wasn't using a lot.
This is an example of what I'm selling right now. Justin boots, NARS, Kendra Scott, and Lia Sophia. (Not pictured- a rare print of Lularoe leggings)
Take lots of photos, write a good description, and maintain high ratings, and the sales will come! :)

Specific Money Saving Examples:

1. I saw a pair of pink Nike shoes on Instagram, and decided I wanted a pair. So the hunt was on. I found that there were a couple of retailers selling them online. Using Ebates, I found that one of those retailers had a 15 percent off coupon, free shipping, AND 7% cash back through Ebates.

Original Price: $85.00
- Discount using code from eBates: 12.75
-Cash Back through eBates: $5.25
Final Price: $67.00
Total Savings: 21%

2. Kate Spade bag
Original Price: $378
Sale Price: $190
25% Discount code: $142
-Cash Back from Ebates: $4.99
Final Price: $138
Total Savings: 63% 

3. Last spring I was able to afford a couple Kendra Scott Jewelry pieces because KS had a deal going for a pair of free earrings for every 100 dollars spent. I bought 3 things and got 2 pieces for free, so I sold a few of the pieces and was able to pay off most of the rest of my purchase. eBay was awesome for this!


What are some things you do to save money while shopping?