How To Avoid The Pitfalls Before And During Your No Spend Challenge

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Any new process or habit takes practice before you can get really good at it. A no buy challenge is a pretty big change in lifestyle, so you should be prepared to cross some hurdles or pitfalls along the way!

Challenges During a No Spend Challenge!

Don’t expect perfection; that will only slow you down and tempt you to quit! Instead, be prepared by knowing some of the issues you may well end up facing along the way. Here’s a list of pitfalls you might encounter before and during your nospend challenge. 

Start Slow

The idea of saving money can be super exciting. Some people get so jazzed about this new lifestyle that they want to jump right in but that could be a big mistake.

Instead of committing to a year long challenge of no spending right off the bat, consider taking baby steps. Why not start off with a weekend or maybe a week in order to get a feel for how things work. Once you get some experience under your belt and see just what you’re capable of, try a longer challenge with higher stakes!

Avoid Temptations

Temptations seem to be everywhere when you’re trying to cut back on something or eliminate it altogether.. you always want what you can’t have!

You can prepare for such things though when you plan ahead! If you are tempted though here are some things you should try to avoid.

As I’ve touched on previously, put your phone down. When you’re bored, it’s easy to find yourself surfing Amazon, Etsy or eBay browsing cute things to buy. You may also want to avoid friends or family who aren’t supportive of your goals. That doesn’t mean you have to cut them out of your life completely but you may have other priorities.

Just be aware that these people may be enablers who try to talk you into going out for drinks or to coffee shop. Do you best to avoid places where you could be tempted to spend at all costs! Just don’t go there! I used to not go out on a lunchtime because I knew I would be tempted to walk the high street and nip into Superdrug or Boots for make up I really didn’t need. In addition, don’t carry credit or debit cards with you or extra cash. Keep just what you need on hand. 

Don’t Stock Up Too Much

It may be a good idea to stock up on some essentials to help get you through your no-spend challenge. After all, if you have food at home, you’ll be less tempted to eat out if like us that’s also a downfall of yours.

However, try to avoid stocking up with everything and anything. You may not use all of it and things will go to waste!  Also, you may end up spending more than you need to on these supplies. That’s the opposite intention of the challenge.

Part of the point of a no spend challenge is to teach you to be more creative with what you have and make the most of what’s in front of you right now. Stocking up with a way to much stuff won’t allow you to stretch and grow because you’ll have everything you need at hand. Try to take inventory and use a good bit of what you already have in your kitchen, supplementing with some shopping before the challenge. 

Cut Yourself Some Slack

Finally, go easy on yourself. Learning new things takes time and it’s ok if you slip up. It’s going to happen. Just get back up and keep going. Some progress is better than none. So, don’t get discouraged and give up. Forgive yourself and move on. 

Keeping these tips in mind will help you avoid the pitfalls before and during your no spend challenge. Just think of the rewards that are in store! Feel free to PIN to read again later!