When you actually question what you need to buy, the answer is often very little. Many of the purchases that we make are wants, or wants that are justified into being a need.
We often make purchases on a whim, letting our emotions get the best of us. We get externally bombarded with ads or emails. Internally, our urges and egos tell us that we deserve to buy something.
A great way to fight against this unnecessary spending is by doing a “No Spend Day.” Pick a day where you commit to not making any purchase of any type.
You’ll quickly notice how you don’t go onto that website, or that shopping app, or visit that store.
Focusing on not spending makes you aware of your normal everyday purchases. It teaches you about your buying habits and how you can better stop yourself from needless spending.
Even better, you’ll flex your frugality muscle. Learning how to go without is a great life skill to have. You might think you need to buy more groceries, or make that miscellaneous purchase, but instead you are forced to make do with what you already have in your home.
If you are a real simple living badass, you can even see how many “No Spend Days” you can have in a row. Try to compete against yourself to see what your longest no spend streak is.
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This post is Day 17 of 21 Days of Simple.
This does not seem to be much of a challenge during the covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately, as most are doing this by mandate of their state government. It does apply to hoarding and online comfort binge shopping, which may be a large problem for many.
While I normally agree with this “no spend” practice, I’ll recommend that when people do spend, they support their local shops that are open, and buy their necessities from them. Also, if they can afford to (and have the time), start a project around the house, hire an ‘outside’ contractor, visit a local paint store for pickup service, etc. They’re still here to help you and your town.
The current environment certainly does make this challenge a little easier! But it’s something you can embrace at anytime in the future as well.
I’m also a firm believer in trying to shop local/ethical. Coming from generations of family businesses, keeping your dollars local has a positive impact on your community. Everybody should view every purchase as “vote” with their money.