No-Spend Days

**TheFrugal** · 08-26-2016, 09:45 AM

A friend of a friend was telling my wife that he is cheap. Well, she told him. She said I was the most frugal person she knew. Which somehow lead us to a challenge. He and I will be competing in the month of September to see who has the most "No Spend Days". That means not spending any money, whether using cash, credit cards, debit cards or gift cards.

What a great way to help take debts or meet low spending goals: make a competition of it!

So who is going to join me?

**Michelle_S** · 08-26-2016, 10:31 AM

So are you just going to have your wife buy everything for you?

**Joanne** · 08-26-2016, 11:02 AM

Well, it could be the impetus to get organized on grocery shopping. Who doesn't want to make fewer trips to the supermarket? But too restrictive otherwise. So I'm out.

**JohnWedly** · 08-26-2016, 12:55 PM

You are doing this by choice.

Now 8 years into our depression, many Americans are doing this out of necessity.

**jcredit** · 08-28-2016, 07:37 PM

Great idea! It forces you to think about what you buy. And helps you get organized too. Like fewer trips to the market.

I just might give it a whirl.

**TheFrugal** · 08-30-2016, 03:17 PM

Just some clarification to some questions.

There is no wager on the line. It is more a test. And an opportunity to rinse even more of the stains of consumerism from our lives. Learning about ourselves is the real value of this challenge.

Our wives are participating. So there is no easy cheating that way.

We all consider ourselves honorable people. So I doubt there will be any cheating.

All that being said, we plan on showing each other redacted bank and card statements.

Yes, it is requiring a lot more organization and planning so we make fewer trips to the supermarket. I'm hoping this has a nice carry over effect. Maybe more free time in the long run. And that would certainly be win-win.

**credital** · 09-01-2016, 11:08 AM

Like others, I am interested in learning how this goes.

And remind me never to try to out-frugal you. It may just land me in a contest I have no chance of winning.

**TheFrugal** · 09-07-2016, 02:47 PM

Okay, Labor Day weekend was tough. We didn't go away. So that meant we didn't spend a lot.

People kept on wanting to meet up for coffee, dinner or a drink. And not at their house or our house. So I did end up spending money every day over the long weekend.

Don't count me out though. I'm rounding back into form this week.

**jcredit** · 09-16-2016, 09:20 AM

You change this to low-spend days, and I'm in. No-spend, and I have problems. It's not lack of impulse control. It's more like not enough time to plan so I can do all the shopping and buy gas, etc., for the week on one day.

Plus, no spend may lead to cheating one day a week with massive spending on that day. Not just groceries. Might as well buy meals out and entertainment to boot.

**TheFrugal** · 09-19-2016, 01:05 PM

I love your idea Jcredit. We are finding that no-spend days does encourage binge buying. We've not abused it. But if you are taking part in an effort to cut overall spending, it may very well not work

Low-spend days would be more conducive to developing the habits necessary for an overall spending cut.

No-Spend Days

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