No Spending February

As I work on my bullet journal and continue to live out my Word of the Year - CREATE, I find myself being grateful for what I have and wanting less. Since February is the SHORTEST month of the year, it is the perfect month for me to practice something I know I will have a really hard time with. Every day I ask my clients to challenge themselves and create a plan to achieve their goals. Why not do that for myself? My days are busy and I often make compromises to make my life easier (for example - after the gym, go grab take out rather then have to cook). What better way to challenge myself then to do A WHOLE MONTH OF NO SPENDING! (Dude, wish me luck)

This month of no spending has so many benefits with the most obvious being is saving money! DUH! Obviously, I needed to pay my bills, this monthly challenge was more about not spending on things that are unnecessary.

What I did to prepare:

• Notify the press!  In order to keep me accountable and on track, I let my friends and family know what I was planning and asked for their support. 
• Cancel subscriptions :: Terminating Netflix, cable/DVR, kindle unlimited saved me about $100 a month and encouraged me to stick to my goal of creating. More time to bujo, blog, catch up with a friend or get chores done. 

​I knew throughout the month I'd have to spend money, so I set rules and exceptions prior to the beginning of the month. 

EXCEPTIONS:

1. Birthday celebrations and pre-planned events. There were 5 events that I had already committed to in the month of February. Although I had committed to them, I set a budget for each event.  
2. Scheduled bills (Mortgage, utilities, gasoline)
3. Scheduled appts (i.e. dentist)
4. Fresh fruit/vegetables ($6 a week)

UNEXPECTED BENEFITS:

1. Create new habits :: I want to live with less and focus on increasing my experiences rather then adding to clutter. Staying home more this month helped me to clean and declutter my house.
2. Clean out the pantry/freezer :: I often buy things on sale that I regularly use and don't always get through them before they expire. This was the perfect opportunity to empty out my freezer and pantry.  Prior the month of no spending, I took inventory of what I had and figured out some meals that I can make from what I already have. I did allot myself $6 a week for fresh veggies and fruits, but only at the farmer's market to prevent me from wanting to buy other items. (I only went to the farmer's market once!)
3. Enjoying staying home :: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed staying home, whether it was hosting friends and cooking pantry meals or dedicating an entire day at home cleaning and creating (bujo, blog).
4. Think outside the box :: Normally, I am always down to hang out, try a new restaurant, go see a movie, etc. This month, I really had to think outside of the box. I hosted a few board game nights there friends and family came over for a night of games.  We had such a blast playing games and eating a homecooked meal.

Was this month easy? No. Yet, I was able to keep my eye on the goal and live with what I have. I had to be open and honest with my loved ones and communicate to them what I was doing. I spent more time reflecting and decluttering then I normally would've and most importantly I stuck with my challenge and that in it's self is empowering! What can you do this month to challenge yourself? What goal is difficult for you to stick to and what can you do to help yourself achieve that goal?

{WARNING: In no way is this goal mean to neglect your bills or basic needs - home, food, gas}