January no spend month! Who's with me?

[_Jersey Girl]

If you saw this thread title and thought, "Hey, that's a good idea, I'm in!" then listen, you're crazier than I am because this has been nothing but an exercise in human nature and temptation, and I'm failing.

Backstory, one of my favorite bloggers does a "no spend month" about twice a year, so I decided I'd try it for January because holiday bills, right?

Backstory behind the backstory. I have this little pile of money and in spite of the fact that I took a couple of trips and add to that holiday shopping efforts, I have it earmarked for something special and I stubbornly haven't touched a single zero of it since it landed. So of course a "no spend month" seemed like a great idea to catch up on holiday bills without unnecessarily shrinking zeros, right? Right? RIGHT?

Riiiiight.

I cannot begin to tell you what an epic fail this has been. I haven't spent a dime on anything but my true colors are bleeding right through the canvas over here. On NYE I found myself looking at two websites because I figured I had until midnight to buy a little something before "no spend month" kicked in. I'm now almost a week in and obsessing over all the January sale ads because "Oh, it's only $10.00." and "My god! That's 70% off!!"

I obviously suffer from oppositional defiant disorder or I'm a total masochist or an addict mentality or dealing in some type of bargaining/negotiating that is partly due to the process of grieving over the loss of spending that I imposed on my own self.

It's a hopeless endeavor. Don't do it.

I'm in hell.

[_Bach]

Can’t follow your frustration in your post.

We have an economy we haven’t seen in over 10 years. Is your despair about not finding a job or not finding a wage you can live with? Either way, I would suggest trying to find comfort in posting on a message board and spending time and efforts to completely make this OP MOOT. My two cents: Why feel sorry for yourself like most here do. Go out and solve your own problems. Searching for entitlements is a dead end street for your self esteem.

[_Xenophon]

Jersey Girl, The my wife and I actually did a "no-spend" year a few years back. We wanted to fully pay down our remaining school debt and take a vacation where we could basically spare no expense so we went hyper aggressive with the saving.

It was immensely difficult but was a huge learning experience for us. She wasn't raised in a home with good budgeting practices so she got a fully immersive crash course in it. It also taught us a lot about how flippantly we would drop money on things. So often you could make do without something, repair the thing you might otherwise replace, or find a super cheaper stopgap if you just looked a little longer. It made us cook at home more, which was good for me in particular. She is an amazing cook but I got to learn a lot about preparing meals that year, with the added fun of doing it on a budget.

It was also a fun challenge for our date night. How do you go out and have fun without spending money? You get creative and you also become very familiar with your cities free offerings (free museum nights, public performances, businesses doing promos, etc.). We explored and did some things we wouldn't have probably done otherwise.

Good luck with you month, you might find once you are done that you have grander ambitions.

[_Maxine Waters]

It's a hopeless endeavor. Don't do it.

I'm in hell.

I love the idea. Right now, it would last until I wake up exhausted and realize I need a 5 hour energy to get through the workday.

[_Jersey Girl]

Jersey Girl, The my wife and I actually did a "no-spend" year a few years back. We wanted to fully pay down our remaining school debt and take a vacation where we could basically spare no expense so we went hyper aggressive with the saving.

It was immensely difficult but was a huge learning experience for us. She wasn't raised in a home with good budgeting practices so she got a fully immersive crash course in it. It also taught us a lot about how flippantly we would drop money on things. So often you could make do without something, repair the thing you might otherwise replace, or find a super cheaper stopgap if you just looked a little longer. It made us cook at home more, which was good for me in particular. She is an amazing cook but I got to learn a lot about preparing meals that year, with the added fun of doing it on a budget.

It was also a fun challenge for our date night. How do you go out and have fun without spending money? You get creative and you also become very familiar with your cities free offerings (free museum nights, public performances, businesses doing promos, etc.). We explored and did some things we wouldn't have probably done otherwise.

Good luck with you month, you might find once you are done that you have grander ambitions.

Oh we've lived the majority of our life that way! We've been free of debt for years.

The OP was more of a self observation. I could have easily decided to stay the course, stick to the plan, don't touch the pile, but no, I had to impose a new restriction on myself.

It's kind of like saying you're not going to eat carbs and oh wait, is that a donut shop?

[_Jersey Girl]

It's a hopeless endeavor. Don't do it.

I'm in hell.

I love the idea. Right now, it would last until I wake up exhausted and realize I need a 5 hour energy to get through the workday.

You like the idea of me being in a self imposed hell? Thanks a lot!

[_Maxine Waters]

You like the idea of me being in a self imposed hell? Thanks a lot!

No, I think I could use a dose of this medicine myself.

[_Dr. Shades]

I'm now almost a week in and obsessing over all the January sale ads because "Oh, it's only $10.00." and "My god! That's 70% off!!"

WILLPOWER AID: If you didn't need it before it went on sale, you don't need it after it goes on sale, either.

[_Always Changing]

I am changing over from jeans and t-shirts to leggings and long tops. So I bought two pair of leggings at the beginning of the month. I need more long tops, but I can make do. Arthritis and tendonitis in my right thumb are making peeling apples a pain, so I bought a $10 apple peeler. Otherwise, I am dedicated to saving up every penny, to restore my financial cushion, and save for a trip to California to visit relatives.

So I am in, maybe we can make this thread into a support group. It is an LDS value, for the underclass, anyway.

[_Jersey Girl]

I am changing over from jeans and t-shirts to leggings and long tops. So I bought two pair of leggings at the beginning of the month. I need more long tops, but I can make do. Arthritis and tendonitis in my right thumb are making peeling apples a pain, so I bought a $10 apple peeler. Otherwise, I am dedicated to saving up every penny, to restore my financial cushion, and save for a trip to California to visit relatives.

So I am in, maybe we can make this thread into a support group. It is an LDS value, for the underclass, anyway.

Are you doing LLR or A&D leggings and tops? If so, have I got a tip for you. Amazon has the same quality tunic tops and leggings. If you want brand names, just let me know. The Amazon clothing is at least 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of LLR and A&D. Some steeper discounts are also to be had depending on color choice.