How do you deal with no spend days?

[qcrazy]

Hi I'm kinda new and I love the Idea of no spend days, but I am also a Frugal shop-a-holic, coupons, sales, clearance.

When I don't spend money I stay at home all day and I feel like im being lazy. On the other hand if I go out i'm going to spend money, it may be at a gas station or on food or just shopping but if I leave this house, i'm spending money.

Me and my husband are cash only ppl we have never had debt, but even more dangerous is we live paycheck to paycheck because of my shopping habbits. Im a stay at home mom, he is now like so many others on unemployment. If an emergency was to happen id have to rely on my parents and thats not what I want for my family. I have babysitted but did not get paid or they lost thier job and Im not really healthy enough to hold a real job.

We are just making it and Id like to stretch what we do have.
Thanks in advance.

[cheles2kids]

Well...I *think* sometimes people use shopping as their "escape" moreso than needing to buy something and of course if you find yourself in a store, more likely than not, you're going to find something "you need".
I know I was this way for years.

So finding things to keep you busy/occupied is a good start to keeping the shopping trips down to a minimum.

Hobbies of course would be an option, but I'm not much of a hobby person myself=spending more money.
But then again, alot of people have hobbies that can actually make them money~knitting, candle making, sewing, etc.

I think that's how alot of bloggers get started.

But I LOVE to cook & I try hard to bake something at least twice a week.
Homemade cookies/muffins/cakes/waffles/etc.
This helps to cut down on the amount of snack foods that I buy at the grocery store each time I go, so although it's a little thing, cooking from scratch can always save money over prepared store-bought items.

Reading is another good pasttime as well. Whether it's online through forums like here, websites, checking out books through you're library system, etc.

Also I've found having a flow to my days helps tremendously.
Monday & Fridays are my housecleaning/laundry days.
Those are the two days that I focus on getting *my* chores done.

Right now I'm trying to figure out the best day for my grocery shopping. Wednesdays/Thursdays seem to be working best for me so far.
I really despise shopping on the weekends, I try my best to not step foot in a store on a weekend, unless it's absolutely necessary.

One day a week~usually on one of my house cleaning days, I will sit down and look over my menu for the upcoming week.
Make sure that I have everything on my grocery list that I need, etc.

But...I digress...back to you're question.

I think it comes down to getting used to a different mind set.

When something comes up and you just feel the need to run to the store, stop and think it through, is this an item that can wait for another day?
Could you just add it to a list and pick it up the next time you're in town?

Or...is it something that you even really need? Sometimes we can find something that would work just as well in it's place or realize that we don't need it at all.
I still catch myself doing this.

I'd also like to say...this is all a process.
Learning to cook from scratch, making out a weekly menu, shopping from a list, working within a budget, making you're own household cleaners, etc.
So, don't be too hard on yourself.

Each thing that you learn, read about, or do will bring you one step closer to changing how you think and will ultimately bring you one step closer to you're financial goals.

[Grainlady]

Your first step may be to face the reasons for being a shop-a-holic, as already mentioned by cheles2kids. Do you do it to feel better, out of boredom, it's good entertainment, a bad habit....???

Unfettered shopping, whether it's done at the mall, garage sales or thrift stores is a sign of a potential problem. You are justifying it by saying you are "frugal". Just because it's half-price, because you have a coupon, because it's on the sales rack, ONLY 50-cents at a garage sale...really doesn't make you frugal. The "shop-a-holic" part of the equation is the key.

Instead of shopping, hit the library. For every book/DVD you check out for pleasure, also choose a book/tape/DVD that will teach you something...

Check out free classes through Parks and Recreation, Cooperative Extension Service, public library, local college or churches....

Find places where you can volunteer your time - museum, Red Cross, Food Bank, hospital, school...

From what little you shared, if I was in your shoes my first way to avoid shopping would be to spend time going through the house with a fine toothed comb and have one HUGE garage sale as soon as the weather is conducive for one. With the proceeds I'd put as much as possible in an emergency fund, and I'd spend a portion on a stockpile of foods, choosing INGREDIENTS with which you can use to make foods from scratch.

I do my well-planned, with a list and a purpose, shopping on Wednesday, and go to Wal-Mart early on Sunday morning when I take hubby to work, and it's all done on a strict budget, with cash. All the other days are taken up with my normal household tasks. I make all our baked goods using freshly-milled flour. I have time to work on handmade Christmas gifts and any number of hobbies. I get out in the yard, work in the garden, or take a walk. I have some elderly friends I visit or take them to appointments when needed.

This morning I started a list of "Things I Can Make Myself" and all of them will save money...

Good luck making your new lifestyle changes.

[dcompton]

To cut down on spend days, try to bundle as many errands as possible. If you have to get groceries, get the gas and buy the stamps and whatever on the same trip. If you go in the stores, day after day, you (and I) will spend money. So rule one, at least for me, is don't set foot in a store unless I need something specific. But, as I said, I don't like to shop, so that's pretty easy.

If you are just going stir crazy and need to get out, make it a planned no spend trip. You could take snacks and drinks from home and have a mini picnic in a park. Even it's snow covered, just sit in the car for a few minutes listening to the radio, drinking your coke, and admiring the icicles. Or praying for early summer. Whatever. Or go to the library. You get to bring home books or movies and that can feel like shopping.

I can't remember if you are posting in the No Spend challenge or not, but if not, start. Set a defnite goal, a realistic one, even if it's small, maybe two days a week, or three, and do it by weeks, not months. Small successes lead to bigger sustained successes - but you know that.

Also set some definite rule for yourself what counts as spend and what doesn't. This is different for different people. It will give you definite rules so you don't have always be figuring out if it counts or not. I don't count gas, because if I don't have gas to drive, I don't have a job. That's like a bill to me. I don't count prescription meds. Again, it's a must have. Groceries I do count as spending, because although I have to have them, it's something I can bundle with other errands, and if I go in a grocery store I almost always end up with something not on my list. Better not to go often, for me.

For someone who isn't a natural homebody, staying at home can be very confining, but the more things you can find that you enjoy doing at home, the less tempted you will feel to go out. Do you like to garden? You can start planning or dreaming about you spring vegetable or flower garden. Pick a skill and start researching it on the computer - flower arranging, canning, poety writing, anything that catches your fancy.

Wow. A long post all over the place, and maybe none of it to the point. But you raised a good question. I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas.

[sabrelvssammy]

i think the biggest thing to remember is a 'bargain, sale, clearance, etc...' is not really a 'true bargain' if you didn't need it to begin with...that's the hardest hurdle i had to jump over...if it was dirt-cheap...i felt like i had to get it..(after all i would be 'stupid' to not buy something that was originally $10 and now i could get for .49)....

and what do you think happened to all that 'stuff' that i never needed to begin with...well i would end up selling most of it at one of my many garage sales for .25..... oh boy...what a real 'smartie' i turned out to be huh...?

while i still love a 'true bargain' i have turned all my focus on the things i really need and use...being food...(and that's food we LIKE to eat...not just coz its on sale)... so i chase the fresh fruits/veggies & meat sales (for dh...i am a vegan)....i get as big of thrill from a head of broccoli that i got from the clearance cart for .59 that i used to get buying 'stuff'.....(and i know i will USE this stuff...i have to...it's on its way out already...so it doesn't get a chance to sit around).... and all our meals are based on this type of eating....i don't 'plan' meals...i can't-- coz i don't know what i will find that day....as for days when there are no 'bargains' i have back-ups...i have food in the cabinets & freezer that can be made in a pinch...and they have all been bought on sale, clearance, etc....and no i don't go out every day either....there are plenty of days that i don't get the opportunity to peruse the carts for the goodies....that's where the staples come in handy too....i make no special trips....there has to be a real reason to be going out...errands have backed up...tenants needing assistance....that's when i hit the stores for the goodies....or loss leaders...i buy those too but for the most part you usually have a week to pick something up...so i wait until i will be buzzing by the store and i stop in....and the best part of waiting is if it is truly a great bargain the supplies are usually very low or gone completely...then you can get a raincheck (or 2 or 3) and use them on later weeks....stretching the whole thing out longer....

i agree with cheles...find something to turn your focus towards besides 'going out'.... cooking is a great one...plant a garden (if you don't have room..plant some patio pots with veggies).... take a walk (its very good for you all the way around)....heck...take a nap....(it's better than shopping and spending money).... spend time on the internet...read blogs (there are tons of frugal blogs, finance blogs, cooking blogs...heck any kind of blog you could want to ever read)...sign up for survey co's and take survey's...(I currently belong to about 15 survey co's and make an x-tra $1-300 a month just for spending a little bit of time talking about things in my life that i am familiar with)....just make sure you sign up for co's that pay cash or giftcards (sweepstakes entries are not worth it).....i used to feel guilty for replacing the 'shopping habit' i had with an 'internet habit'...but i don't anymore coz i am either earning money or learning something whenever i blow hours at a time on this thing....and best of all i am not SPENDING money.....(not to mention the gas it takes to get to all these places you are frequenting).....

i even bought a used moped a few yrs ago to run errands..(100 miles to the gallon....woohoo)...i CAN'T bring home lots or big things anymore...(ok...i once strapped a shelf to the back of it leaving the thrift shop and the customers and workers laughed their rear-ends off)...hey--i took all the country roads back home....

[NikoSan999]

Movies and books from the library. And spend most of my time on the computer...on FV...

Order seed catalogs and if nothing else dream about what you would like to plant..

Basically, don't leave the house if it's that serious of a problem. If neither of you are working then 50 cents is 50 cents.

[Contrary Housewife]

What do you do with all the stuff you buy? Is it just filling the closet or gathering dust? Did you buy anything to use, like fabric for sewing, or books or DVDs to enjoy? Use it!

As for feeling lazy, are you telling me your house is spotless and your yard is perfectly groomed, and the garage or basement is impeccably organized? There's no household projects left undone? Not that your days home have to be entirely filled with housework, but you should be able to find something that needs doing.

Some things that I find helpful include making shopping lists. I keep them on the fridge. One for groceries, of course. One for the hardware store. One for the garden. One for my hobbies. Almost nothing is so urgent I have to leave the house RIGHT NOW to go get it. This way I can shop for needs, make one trip out, and avoid the temptations of impulse spending.

I also guilt myself into not buying things. Think about this next time you are out. What would you rather have, a new blouse and skirt, or a vacation fund? Do you want that fast food burger, or would you rather spend the money on some crab cakes at the beach next winter? Which will make you happier in 20 years, an outdated wardrobe of "bargains" or a retirement fund?

And if you're living paycheck to paycheck you don't deserve new clothes anyway. You can't afford it. I agree with Grainlady that you ought to have a huge garage sale as soon as the weather breaks, and turn some of your sale deals back into cash.

[Nana2two]

I would have to agree if your needing that "fix or that High every time you leave the house. Then it's deeper issue then just spending .People enjoy buying and spending to fill a mental and emotional void in there life. I know because i was once that way. Took many years of therapy and group settings to find the root of the problem. If you have a endless money pit and have more money then you know what to do with then by all means give to charity and help the needy..But you mentioned you live paycheck to paycheck.You really need to find the WHY do you do this.Spending and buying is like a drug.It's a addiction!

[gapeach]

I spend my No Spend days cleaning my house and organizing. I started back when the gas prices went sky high. My home is pretty organized but I'm constantly straightening drawers and shelves. I also use the days to cook and inventory my freezer and pantry to use food so that it doesn't go to waste. When the weather permits, I'm outside working in the yard or the cleaning the exterior of our home. Sometimes I clean our cars.

[piney]

All the posts really made me think of how my life was before i found fv.For years shopping was a hobbie for me and i spent $ after $ that i should ben using for debt or putting away for retirement and i am paying for it now.I only go out shopping when i have to and i ask my self if it something i really need and most time it not.

[shoiji]

It takes time to change habits. When you venture out think about taking along a bottle of water or coffee, and some snack. This way you will not feel deprived or have an excuse to buy something. After a while you will find your self saying I have food at home, I will wait until I get home to eat. Also telling yourself I will not spend any money today before you walk out the door helps.

Years ago I would right down the amount I spent and kept a running tally. This really helped me see where the money is going. I do this know on a monthly basis. It really is amazing how spending $20 can add up to $100 quickly.

The library is free and provides great variety for entertainment. See if your museum has any free events going on.

Start looking at the newspaper to see what free events are happening in your area. With the warmer weather just around the corner you will start finding many great events to go to. Just take along something to snack on if you are afraid of spending money. I have started going to a knitting group and it is completely free.

If I feel like I need to buy something at the thrift store I will put a dollar or two in my pocket. That is the total amount I can spend at the store so I really need to choose wisely or buy nothing at all. Many times I see something at the thrift store that I like but fortunately I have come to realize I do not have the room for the item.

One suggestion I caught on to when I first visited this site was to shop my own home. You would be suprised at all the items you have in a closet or drawer that you completely forgot about.

I have also decluttered my place. This helped to bring to light the things I was bringing home and not really using. Think about having a yardsale and setting aside the money you do have.

Invite over friends for some coffee just to get together. Or to swap clothes, watch a movie, have a game day.

[ml2620]

I have mentioned it before, but I keep a little notebook in my purse that I call my book of wants. I write down everything I want to buy, realistic or not. The rule is something has to be in the book for a week before I can think about it, and then maybe it gets added to the budget. 9 times out of 10 a week later I can't even remember what I was talking about when I wrote "cute red flats in shoe store window."

After a year of doing this frugal thing, I don't use the book as much, but it taught me I really don't need much.

All the posts in this thread have great suggestions.

Spending hours at home tied to the FV Forums helps too!

[leighcat]

I am so used to "no spend days" I guess I don't notice anymore! I rarely get days off- one a week and every other weekend, unless they send some home due to overstaffing. So, I spend the days off doing things I don't have time for on work days. Getting caught up, cooking and baking things for later, reading, mending things, etc. Sometimes I just sit and hang out on the internet until I have to go back to pick the kids up from the bus stop. That is if I am caught up enough. I hate spending money. Especially now that I am getting a house I just want to watch my bank account grow.

[Nana2two]

A thing that worked for me is. Don't take debit or credit cards or even a checkbook with you. If you have to run to the store for needed items, say,trashbags,milk,bread. Then $10 bucks should be plenty. I have a change jar i use that if i do need to go get milk.I have $ 20 bucks in it.Mostly change. Maybe $5 in 1's.Whatever change i get back, goes right into the jar. Every month $20 bucks go in.Its easier then using the debit card or checkbook because your very limited.
I do have my Thrift shop jar. Which items i sell on ebay 50% goes in that jar 50% goes into the remodeling fund!So at any given time I could have $50 dollars or $500 in there.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I -always- have something to do on a no-spend day. I make sure that all of my important tasks are taken care of and don't make excuses to not do them. I just do them.

I find that chores fill a void for me and when I'm absolutely stircrazy, I take a nap. Naps fill the day and they give you a good reason to not go out and spend cash.

Another rule I have is that I absolutely feel the urge to go out and spend, I do it with just change. I don't use
any large coins... all I use is pennies, nickles and dimes. I buy something small that'll make me happy. For example, DS6 wanted a drink and I got him something small and cheap. I paid for it in nickles, dimes and pennies. He was happy and so was I.

Since your health isn't all that great, I won't suggest anything strenuous, but what about walking? Walking is great for getting cardio work in, along with endurance and stretching your muscles out.