If you've been reading my blog the last few months, you may know that one of
my 2020 goals is to "grow in my knowledge and stewardship of our finances." As I was brainstorming ways to make that happen, I discovered
The Contentment Challenge hosted by Nancy Ray. It's a three-month commitment where, in Nancy's words:
“I will give up shopping for clothes, accessories, household decor, and ‘stuff’ for three months, to focus my heart and mind on the root of true contentment. I will actively pursue fulfilling activities that will replace my addiction to material things.”
The Challenge officially took place from January - March 2020. This was my first time participating, though Nancy has hosted it for several years. I heard about it while listening to
an episode about it on her podcast and felt like it complemented my financial goal for the year. I hoped it would give me an opportunity to slow down, save, and evaluate my spending. Nick and I have been tracking all of our expenses using the
Goodbudget app since last November, and that's when I first noticed how much I spent on random things I didn't really need.
In Nancy's introductory blog post, she outlines some guidelines to help steer the challenge. I kept them in mind but didn't strictly adhere to them. I specifically wanted to focus on the money I spent on myself. I don't personally spend a lot on clothes or household decor, but I have my own money pits – paper products, makeup, books, etc. For example, I still bought a few things for our new baby. BUT I GAVE UP BOOKS. A three-month book buying ban? It was a first! However, Kelly and I had previously decided we wanted to buy at least one book per month from somewhere other than Amazon (ideally from an indie bookstore). So, that was the only exception I allowed myself.
I'm wrapping up this challenge tomorrow, so I thought I'd share eight things I've learned along the way:
1. Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe.
The first thing I did for this challenge? I opened my email and unsubscribed from every single marketing list that I was on. There were some I'd meant to unsubscribe from for months and others that I reluctantly removed. What if I missed an awesome sale on something I loved? Well, I probably did miss some great sales – but I also realized how often I was shopping solely because I saw something in an email. This was huge, and I'm not going back.
2. Skip the sales.
The first thing I learned leads me into the second lesson. While I do love a good discount, I think it's better for me, personally, to buy something full price when I actually need it than to stock up during a sale. I'm more aware now of how often I've used a sale to justify purchases that I definitely didn't need and sometimes never used. But I have started a small list of specific things I "want/need" that aren't urgent and can wait for a sale.
3. If I can't see it, I don't want it.
I unsubscribed from emails and stopped visiting my favorite online retailers' websites, I didn't see new things that I might like to own. When I stopped visiting my local used bookstore, I didn't know what they did or didn't have in stock. If I didn't wander Target, I wasn't adding things to my cart. It's common sense, but it still amazed me how easy it was to stop spending money once I stopped visiting the places I most likely to spend that money.
4. When I don't buy more, I use what I own.
Here's another thing I learned that will elicit a "no duh" response. When I wasn't buying new things, I started using what I already owned. No new notebooks = finally using some that I'd been hoarding (why?!) for ages. The biggest place I learned this lesson? BOOKS! While I still used the library, I was shocked at how quickly I decreased my To Be Read pile when I wasn't adding new books to it. In fact, I think I'm going to extend my book buying ban!
5. When in doubt, wait it out.
I've shopped for all kinds of reasons: because I was bored, because I wanted to reward myself, because I was stressed out, etc. That itch didn't go away just because I decided to stop shopping! I started to find something else to do when that feeling hit, but I also let myself put things in my cart to save for later. As I waited before purchasing, I usually forgot about it. And if I still wanted it? Well, it would still be there when this was over.
6. Abstaining adds up.
My objective for participating in this challenge wasn't saving money. I knew that would (hopefully) be a result, but I really wanted to break the habit of impulse buying and mindless spending. But I won't lie: it's been rewarding to see the dollars add up in my bank account. It illustrated just how much I've spent on things I didn't need. YIKES. Talk about convicting and motivating for the future! I'll still shop but with more intention now.
7. Self control is a skill.
Before I started, I knew this would truly be a challenge. Why? Because I'd tried book buying bans in the past, and I always failed. I'd usually start strong, and then begin rationalizing purchases. Since I was fully committed to this project, I took it more seriously. And like a muscle that grows the more you work out, my self control grew every time I followed through on the challenge. The more I exercised restraint, the more I wanted to continue.
8. Need it? Not really.
This final lesson wasn't a surprise: I don't need most of the things I buy. Almost everything I was tempted to purchase was truly a want. There's no guilt or shame in that, but I need to keep it in perspective moving forward. The ability to spend money on things that I want, just because, is something I don't want to take for granted. I'm more content with what I have and more appreciative of the fact that I can buy more.
Well, there you have it! This challenge ends April 1, but I'll continue to practice the things I've learned during it. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! And like Nancy, there's a good chance I'll be repeating this challenge every year. I have loved the experience and what it taught me. And I think a yearly refresh would be so worthwhile!
You may be wondering: did I buy anything during this no-spend challenge? I've mentioned my one book a month exception, but I did purchase a few more things, too. Later this week, I'll share what I bought the last three months and why. Additionally, I'm planning on purchasing a few things now that I'm done. Check back for that list, too!
Have you ever participated in a no-spend challenge?
How long did it last? Were you successful?
