Of course! 💛 You will be setting your own “rules” for your challenge. You could even call yours a “Low Buy” instead. Start off a little lighter. You could make a “rule” that each grandchild has a limit of x amount. You can still do all of the things that see important to you. This is more about wasting. Consuming just to consume. Boredom scrolling and buying. Boxes showing up that we forget about. This is to just get us more intentional. Side note: how unbelievably blessed you are to have 16 grandchildren! 💛🤩
Grandkids want to spend time with you WAY more than stuff. If they all live close, doing a secret Santa or whit elephant gift exchange. Or Christmas movie night at grandma's would mean SO much more than any gift. If you live far send them a card sharing words of wisdom and encouragement to them, that just takes time not $$. If you have it include a small 5 to 10$ gift card to a little place they like, even better if they are close... offer to take them to get a frosty or something like that. They truelly just want time with you ❤
My spouse would call me cheap. His cheap wife saved and put a down payment on a small townhouse. Watched my purchases. Made due with a used vehicle. Thrifted for necessary household items. Hand sewed clothes with missing buttons or small rips. Cooked from scratch, whole foods. We recently moved to a small town after selling the townhouse and afforded us a small nest egg. We are retired and now both of us are careful with our purchases. One step at a time. That is what we do. Love and peace, Terri Jo from BC, Canada
@@malissakirby4193BC is one of the most expensive places to live in North America. The average family home in the suburbs of Vancouver is approximately $1.2 million dollars. Our 900 sq foot condo is worth $650,000. We cannot afford to live in Vancouver anymore because a fixer upper is $2 million.
My no buy solution is that I don’t leave my house very often because I have found that it always seems to cost some amount of money every time I go anywhere. I was able to save 20,000.00 over the course of a year and buy a house because I followed a no buy philosophy.
I do this for the holidays and birthdays and I found I put real thought behind what I buy. No impulse purchases or “that’s neat and only $10!” And NO CROWDS!! And I save SOOO much $$!!
72, still working 40 hours a week, widowed 18 months ago. I rent, 2012 KIA is paid for, but I have $4100 on a personal loan for major repairs on the KIA. That is my only debt. I need this to help rein in any wasted or unmindful dollars in order to expedite those payments.
I retired 6 months ago at 65 and feeling FREEEEEEE!!!! I find I spend way less and am happier!!!! I walk daily 1-3 hrs. I find walking the park is way better than walking the sidewalk with traffic, etc. I take No medications. No doctor visits. I eat healthy. I don't carry negative emotions. I love life, and all life has to offer. All of us has a story full of hardship, sadness, and joy. Always be present of the kind of person you have created now. We are all powerful spiritual beings having this human experience. I've learn to use my God inner guidance for years now, and have learn to trust. I want that deeply for everyone wanting to live their best life.❤❤❤❤❤ Keep your power!!!!!!!
I have lived by this process my whole life…. And am 42. I have never lived paycheck to paycheck, and paid off my house this month. A 30yr mortgage paid off in 11 yrs. It’s amazing what freedom one can have when following the rules….of living within your means.
We did ours in ten but it was only 30000 something starting in 95 but were fortunate our interest never went up so kept paying the original amount even though the interest went down then it go low enough I figured going up just a little paid it off 2005. Also never put things on credit you don’t actually have the money for. We used the credit stores money got stuff at Lowe’s for projects we had money for but used their 24 months no interest divided by 23 paid in 23 months no interest so helped me out. And didn’t cost more. Also I grew up only buying the groceries on sale. My during Covid I didn’t have to buy tp mine happened to be on sale really cheap several times and I had bought and put in basement so I never needed an and didn’t have to pay high price. I’m still only buying what’s on sale have back ups we lived in rule area so not that many restaurants we cook. When first marrow bought steak and cooked anniversary dinners and valentines now we are older kids are grown we eat out for occasions. And once a week when we got to bigger town. I think they need to teach home economics in schools again I had foods class but my mom knew how to cook and let us when we were young. We also had a general business class in scowhere they gave you a fake checkbook and you learned budget and balance they need to bring that back. Kids today don’t know how to do anything that is useful in my opinion.
Great tips. It’s the best! I did this while doing Dave Ramsey 10 years ago. Tips: I wore everything in my closet. I made a different mix and match outfit to feel like I had plenty. Home cooked meals. Used up all my make up. Did a change up of my household accessories to “redecorate”. It made not spending really fun. My kids were younger. They, too, had plenty. We watched movies on dvd (10 years ago!). They still went to birthday parties, but we really took a spending break. We didn’t go to the mall for “fun”. We ended up spending more time together and played games. Now: habits changed. Debt gone. Colleges paid. Vacations prepaid. House and cars paid. We buy very intentionally. It’s about the money but more about habits. Tip: when you do buy, use cash.
Love this I started in slowly with the “only buy on Wednesdays” rule that I made for myself. Turns out waiting a week often results in you not wanting that thing.
I am isolated on a rural property and I have a spinal disease. Don't drive . All goods have to be delivered to the door. I found a shop with the lowest delivery fee and with a wide selection of grocery items. It works out cheaper to have the good delivered than to drive to the shops. I call that a good deal.
I don't even have a credit card. 55 yrs old. Yes I have had them. Used cash since 2008. Cause Obama Amazon created the most new millionaires during covid; IT WAS THE LARGEST MONEY TRANSFER IN HISTORY FROM THE MIDDLE CLASS TO THE UPPER/ELITE CLASS. Stop shopping thru Amazon, use them like a Google, find local or Made in USA. Use Public Square. Btw, taxpayers fund Amazon free delivery thru our postal service. Wake Up.
I've done a no spend challenge every month since August, I've saved $500 that will be used for Christmas shopping (I put a hard limit on spending for the holiday). My husband got out of work an hour ago, I have no dinner made, so we're going to make do with a sandwich and soup rather than doing takeout. We eat out maybe 1x a month because we prefer homemade food. Life is so much better now that we don't spend $$ or eat fried food out of a bag. It was definitely a mind shift for us.
Good for you and your family 😊 we go and eat out 4 times in month family of six here Trying next year to reduce this to at least 3 times in a month will see how it goes
We barely eat out since I started my healthy eating journey. I rather pay for organic quality ingredients and cook at home than put that filth into my body. The money savings is a great bonus!
Another thing to add, work on being a "do it yourselfer". Over the holidays I was doing some sewing projects and my 50 year old sewing machine started acting up. I have not had it serviced in a number of years so after doing some small adjustments I thought maybe I should have a professional look at it. When I called the store that services sewing machines the quoted me $23.95 to look at it and $120.00 an hour plus parts! OMG! Well, myself and my husband went on TH-cam and I am really happy to say that we found information that we utilized that cost us under $20.00 and my machine is singing a happy tune! Please don't say your not a "do it yourselfer" - none of us are until we try!
Only $23.95 to look at a sewing machine? That's a huge bargain. The sewing machine mechanics in our area charge $120 just for a basic diagnoses and service. If it needs something beyond that, the price goes up. We fix all of our own machines too. TH-cam us such a huge blessing. However, some sewing machines are extremely complex. The old Singers are the easiest to work on. Anyone can do it.
Good to know! I need to do this, myself! My local sewing machine repair shop is at least $100 just to look at it and for a quick tune up. And the wait is at least 3-4 weeks to get it in. Not sure how much longer than that I would have to wait to get it back. Plus, my old sewing machine is in a cabinet and is a big pain to transport. Thanks for the reminder!
For me, buying my groceries online (for pickup) is best for me because if i walk the store, I'm going to buy things i don't need and spend a lot more than if i just stick to the tried and true!
Only one problem they charge you more than if you go into the store from what I understand. You also miss out on a lot of things that they don’t have listed online, but of course, maybe the store you shop at is different
I did the no spend for 2 years and it helps. I went from spending almost $200 a week down to $8, then down to nothing. It makes you really think about what is important and if you really want it, or if it is not needed.
I’ve tried this. I hate running around after a long week to get things I need. We support local butchers grocery stores and people who have chickens for eggs. But honestly the rest I don’t want to go look for. I’ll try again
I did that a month ago. I still buy everything I need, but I do it locally. The $16 bucks monthly Amazon fee which I saved is now spent on Wawa donuts!
Watching this as a European it's kind of insane how many creditcards and loans one family can get and the amount of depth a family can be in. I'm from Holland and this is just not possible here.
You're better off. They gave out home loans to anyone who was breathing before 2008, and anyone who wants credit cards can get them. I'm on a journey to pay off all the credit cards and I'm closing off the cards that have any fees to stay open. In May 2024 I discovered that we had a stack of credit cards about 3-4 inches tall. It’s a trap.
That surprises me when I moved to Canada long time ago. In my home country (former YU) in Europe, we work hard to buy something like house, apartment, car...and not to take any loan. Almost nobody has a loan or big credit card. What surprises me even more is that people from the home country changed in Canada and start building credit card debts, taking loans 'to have a good life', and do overspending. It is not easy to control spendings, but it is not 'mission impossible" and very quickly you see benefits of taking spendings under control.
Exactly... Like how?? 😂 I dont get it, american no buy is basically how i lived all my life (im european as well), i never spent money i didnt have 😅 ok maybe car leasing (which i paid off already) and housing because that you cannot buy with own money if you are average earner😊 but i dont even know anyone around me who would be in such debts 🤷 you just cant
I started my no-buy month on August 1st, 2023 and I liked it so much that It turned out to be my no-buy year. And on August 1st, 2024 my second no-buy year began. Of course, I made mistakes during these 16 months. I made at least 15 impulse purchases - clothing, makeup products, accessories, books - all the things on my no-buy list. BUT before this challenge, I could buy all these things and even more just in 1-2 days! Plus at least half of those purchases are the things I really like and want to keep as long as possible. I'll try to improve my no-buy skills in 2025 tho))) Also, in these 16 months, I've decluttered and donated hundreds of pieces of clothing and books, some accessories, shoes, and makeup, read dozens of books I already have, used dozens of hair care products (haircare is still on my no-buy list - I own too much), and saved a lot of money and time!
Top tip is add the item into your basket or wish list and then come off it without buying and forget about it. When you next go back in and look in the basket, you might find you don’t even want half of the stuff in there.
Thank you! I needed this 2 years ago. I recently divorced and wanted to organize my life, pay off big bills, save and more. Unfortunately, I fell into a depression and my focus was so off that I couldn't manage to do all I wanted to do with my finances. I'm getting in a better frame of mind and will use your videos to guide me as I refocus in 2025 to male some well-needed changes! 👍🏼
Most of my days are No Buy days - it is easy, when you do not have a credit card or online bank services, the nearest shop is 20 km away, you do not have a car, and the local bus drives only on Wednesdays! 😄
you know you CAN actually supplement your SS by working one or two days a week!!! There’s even lots of work that can be done online. I hear people complain ALL THE TIME about living on a “fixed income” from SS. Change your mindset! i am putting off getting mine until i’m 70 so i can get the max-which is just a couple hundred more, but still…and i also know i will HAVE to continue to work PT basically until i die, but WHAT would we do without the SS?!? It is A BLESSING, and believe me, be grateful you don’t have to work FULLTIME just to live!! At 68, it is hard, hard. Happy No Buy New Year!!!
Saving cash is not a great idea. With high inflation your cash’s worth is depreciating daily. Buy some metal when you can. Silver is still affordable and should not depreciate at least, appreciate at best,
There is great pleasure from having a full stomach and a roof over your head. Happiness is only 'from within' when your very basic physical needs are met.
And some of these videos don't think about the fact that our mental health is important. I'm glad I own sporting equipment. Having more to do than just walk through the park has made my life a lot more enjoyable. I don't have a vehicle, because that's not a need. So I'm doing fine. @@sparklemotion86
The 'non-Spend' challenge doesn't apply to food, shelter, utilities, health care, education, child care, insurances, transportation, clothes, etc. It only applies to non-essential shopping sprees.
@@OfraSharon-Afir Depends what you are driving? Clothing is a terrible expense we only wear 20% of what's in our closets try hanging the clothing items you have worn in a separate place see what you wear after 30 days
For the first time I finally figured out what we actually spent for the month of Nov 2024. Most of it went to groceries, eating out and coffee. Starting a strict budget and no spend in & Jan 2025, but I have actually started now, trying to spend less. Trying to live more frugal. My goal is to bring our savings up $10,000 or more.
Same goal here!! That's what I used to spend on. I set this goal end of October and was able to get through the holiday season with 0 vacation and holiday debt I'm so happy!! We got this!!
@@rosemarykingpate7832 Skip the frother fill a jar 1/4 with your milk. Close the jar, Shake it like crazy, take off the lid and microwave for 30 seconds and pour into your coffee for the latte. 😘
My daughter said, I have a discount coffee in Cirkle K app, 1,75 euros (it's 2,50-2,75 eur full price 300ml). I said when you make coffee at home, its 20 cents, let's go home! She got mad😂
2020 opened our eyes to our spending. We ended up saving thousands in just a few months from not eating out and hitting certain stores. Later, I set a goal for no cloths shopping for an entire year and found amazing things in my closets. Then I set a goal that if I would only shop for cloths at thrift stores and believe it or not I have found amazing cloths for next to nothing. My husband bet me that I couldn’t thrift an entire home full of furniture, down to the dishes, on a home we remodeled by ourselves. I won the bet and even better sold the home furnished because the woman was in love with all my finds and paid me 10x what I had paid for thrifting items. Saving money has before our “drug” of choice….
I love this concept. However, as I’m approaching, my 70s, dining out is something I sincerely appreciate and will continue to happily enjoy. I cooked for our family for decades. The other thing is travel, we are spending a good chunk of our income on travel. I agree with purchasing non-essential items that aren’t necessary. We now focus on essentials, not fillers. After all, we don’t want to leave our children an overwhelming amount of useless items that they have to deal with.
I'm close to 70 and also enjoy eating out. In the past year I've switched from dinners out to lunches out. Lately I've been postponing coffee and something sweet after a meal to its own outing.
I'm also in favor of eating out. A bad meal is better than having to cook. I live by myself and I can afford to do this. I am going to try to stop buying clothes makeup and jewelry.
Buying yarn is my downfall. I organized it all last week and couldnt believe what i had forgotten i had. Im going to challenge myself to shop my stash this year!
Loved the video. My husband and I retired 4 years ago, and we, thankfully, have no debt. But watching the video made me realize that I have a problem with frequent trips to the grocery store and with impulse buying on Amazon. I want to rein that in immediately so that we can continue to live debt free and have the money to take trips with our grandkids.
Thank you so much, I'm working on the no buy challenge I've already saved Three thousand dollars in four months, it's really hard but what helps is watching others on their journey, thank you so much for sharing ❤❤❤
I'm retiring soon. I have no debt but spend way too much on random stuff. I want to learn to live on way less. Amazon is the main culprit! Easy spending!
@@user-kl8lo6rj5i there is a reason I am not an amazon prime member- In addition to not spending $, I refuse to give a billionaire (who cares nothing about anyone but himself) any of my hard-earned cash-
I have not done a no spend but I am in January. I have decided that I am done with being in debt. I am starting first of year on getting out of debt. Thank you for the knowledge you give us and you give me hope.
Thank you for a video that is relatable for the everyday person. 18 months ago we started our journey of low buy to pay off debt. We only have takeaway food on our Birthday, purchase our fruit and veg from the farmers market so much cheaper than the supermarket, and have cut down on eating meat based meals. This year I have purchased 16 items of clothing all from the thrift store pre loved. Have stopped all impulse buys such as scented candles, homewares etc, have deleted all online shopping apps. Aldi is our go to for groceries and we have a herb garden and invested in 7 Hens for egg supply. Make own cleaning products baking soda and vinegar do wonders. Buy and stock up on toilet rolls when they are on special. No holiday trips for the past 7 years do staycations at home and appreciate and love our home now we spend the quality time. We have managed to pay extra off our mortgage and have our emergency fund. Goal is to retire earlier and get rid of debt altogether.
Hi from Germany. My no spend Challenge has enveloped a lot singe starting . While my monthly Bills Like Rent, power, interne (home office) insurance are not included in my no spend, everything else is, including groceries. I actually track the days I did not spend money. I try to pack all shopping into the same day. It saves my gas/ travel time. But it also reduces the shop visit is so the times I am tempted to buy unnethethery things gets down. Another important rule for my no spent, eat before shopping! I am more tempted to buy a snack, or things I would like to “try” when I’m hungry. The only other thing that isn’t included in my no spend is gas. I have to drive my kid to therapies nearly every week. And the gas station there is a lot cheaper than the one I live near. So every time I’m there I will refill my tank regardless how much I used since the last visit. Just to make sure I don’t have to pay nearly double the amount at home.
Good morning ! ☀️ It sounds like you are doing a great job! I would be pulling up to that gas station with as many cans as I could fill! Half the price! Wow!
@Eismaus WOW I'm impressed. I found Canada and Europe was way more expensive than 🇺🇸. I'm in Savannah, GA. now. My bad thing is eating out and letting food go bad in the frig. I have to stop that ASAP! I'm lucky that I was married to an army guy, so I have FREE HEALTH CARE. That destroys Americans retirement the price of health care. I went to Publix and stocked up on bogo free items with long expiration dates. Ditto at CVS and I used all my CVS coupons. My house in my name is paid for. DAVE RAMSEY says treat your mortgage as a bill to get rid of and I did! Less $2400 a month makes a major difference. My bills in total are approximately $25000 a year. I'm careful about water, electricity and TRY to buy almost everything on sale or half price online like QVC, HSN. It's tiring being so frugal but it's worth it in the long run.
I had not heard of this concept before but am so happy I did. I am 78 yr old recent widow and going through reverse mortgage and on social security. I'm on a journey with the Lords help to keep me on a heathy , productive path so that I can help others besides myself.
Rich people stay rich because they buy well, a great pair of boots can last a life time where as cheep pairs are needed every year, add it up, the rich person wins and has spent less on boots. Buy less often and well.
Another motivation for me is not giving the billionaires additional money. Billionaires and corporations have gouged the Customer mercilessly for years! Billionaires can’t be billionaires without working class America.
When I go to Target and see something delightful that I don't need at all, I picture its lifecycle - taking it home and enjoying it, paying my cc bill for it, having to store it somewhere, and then later throwing it out or taking it to Goodwill, and then how it will decompose once thrown out. I can enjoy and appreciate the object for a few moments, then walk away and enjoy the feeling of having escaped being burdened by it.
I started my no buy tracker after doing my first no buy challenge with you in Jab 2023. I now challenge myself to have At Least 20 no buy days each month. The only thing I personally don't count as a spend are my Musts/Non-variables/Bills.... phone, health insurance, Audible subscription, electricity, my one Patreon subscription. Everything else is a spend.... even groceries and fuel for the car. I really enjoy challenging myself to do without, make-do, and make it a game to see how many no spend days I can do per week/ month. I think my highest is the very first month I did one, which was 24 no spend days. I also save money for a big purchase by paying myself $5 for each no spend day, and saving that up all year.
OMG. Me, watching this video to be even better with my money and realizing, at 3:01, that I don't have ANY of this kind of debt. Not one loan, not one late credit card payment. No debt whatsoever, just rent, utilities, food and internet. I am Brazilian, I earn a good money, but in the past I could hardly resist buying clothes, shoes and furniture. Then I learned that this way I would never have money. I love this kind of video to reinforce my determination. Thank you.
I have the habit of tracking my expenses since mid 20s, now I am 56. Zero debt, spending wisely, live frugally, help (mindfully). Saving religiously and invest invest invest
I’m all in I’m so tired of stuff. I’ve been decluttering & now 2025 will be our best low spend year. I’ve a list of no buy. Were ready for a rich clutter free life😊❤😊
We were able to pay off all credit card debt, but the beauty is that we didn’t charge ANYTHING last year!! That is a first for us! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
We live like this every day. We have one Visa and no other cards. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts instead we buy one present for our house and we go out for one meal a month to our fav place. Christmas is for parents to buy the presents. I bring the home made food favorites, cookies and treats. We are low income seniors the grandchildren are taught to receive a card and much needed hugs and love........P.S. I will share that we don't exchange cards between ourselves after 40 yrs as I've kept every card we exchanged and we dig them out and read them to each other 💖
I have done No Spend Challenge: September, October, November & December. So I’ve used No Credit Cards. And I am able to Pay more on my cards. I cannot wait to be out of debt.
Congratulations!! This is exactly what I’ve done when in debt and have done this for 25 years! Now we are no debt millionaires, trust that the best is yet to come!
Thank you for a very helpful & encouraging video! In 2024 I'm on my 1st no buy year. Also on a low fixed income & I'm so proud of myself for how much I saved this year! Hoping to fine tune it for 2025. Also writing every purchased down in a physical books helped a lot & I think its essential 💜
We prep food at home and put it in a cooler....like tuna sandwiches on toast. Eating out is incredibly expensive.😮 I also do tag sales and live like a QUEEN. Glad you're under control sister.😊
I love this! I did it and am so close to being debt free. I calculated how many hours i would have to work to pay for an item i ddnt really need and it felt so good not to buy it.
I just watched your video and I was inspired. I have always been frugal. Our problem is we don’t have much to cut. We rarely go out to eat or get takeout (maybe once a month). I rarely buy clothes. Very little Amazon purchases. I take my lunch everyday. But I still know there are things I can eliminate. Challenge accepted!
I like to put things in my Amazon cart, leave it for a few weeks and then decide that I went without it so I didn't need it. I use the cash in envelopes method. Don't swipe that debit card. I noticed my statement showed less transactions. I think people buy because they are bored and find it easy to swipe that card. I pay cash. Except for bills automatically on draft, insurance, utilities, house payment. It can be done....just need discipline. Good video and advice.
You sound just like me. I prefer cash for smaller purchases to keep my bank statement clean and easy to read. I don’t need to see every gas station and grocery purchase for the rest of my life 😂 I just want to see bills and important transactions on there. 👏
Wow. The difference between happiness and pleasure. This resonates with me - I know my shopping habits are just dopamine hits. I really want to change that.
I love that you've been completely transparent with the debt situation. Often these types of things seem unachievable because the people spruiking the message are starting out from a pretty advantageous situation.
I am a Amazon addict. If I want it. I buy it. For me. My kids and my grands. When I looked back over the year of purchases I was stunned to see how many of them ended up in the trash. I’ve deleted Amazon. Will start going back to Target with a list once a month. And use the library!
I have been reluctant to do the no buy challenge because I feel like I can't do it. But your video is very encouraging and really want to try and succeed at it!!
Make it a shorter amount of time so it is attainable! Do a no spend week, or a month, or even just a category for a short time. Then build up from there!
Start with just cutting one or two things out for a month like eating out or daily coffees or whatever and add up what you didn't spend on that (you might be shocked) Every little bit counts. The old saying, ' if you take care of the pennies the dollars will take care of themselves' !
You just said “I don’t feel I can do it”. Negative, self defeating talk! Speak positivity out loud and in your mind! That’s really how it’s all done!!!
I am SO happy I came across this. Thank you so much. I have no family and lots of debt. I worry that something will happen and I will end up homeless. Thank you!
Bingo! I've been doing this for years, and it's such an amazing journey. I can feel your joy! You presented it beautifully. When I look at a product or service, I ask myself if it's a "need" or a "want" -- it's a need, I go for it. If it's want, I'll always shove it for an indefinite future. And lo and behold, soon I forget about the wants and move on with life. This has freed up my time. I hope more people 'buy' into this way of life.
Speaking of stick vacuums. I know some brands are expensive, but this past Spring I purchased a small Bissel Featherweight bagless stick. It can be taken apart and be a small handheld vac for getting between cushions on upholstery etc. It is easy to clean and dump. I purchased it at WalMart for about $27.00. I know many do not like WalMart but I think that's ego. The reason i shop at WM is because I like going to the store to return (4 miles from my home) and they have store returns on 3rd party items as well. I buy nothing if it can't be returned. Many items have a 90 day return widow, but certainly 30 days on 3rd party items. This vac sucks up a lot of dirt and does such a good job that I rarely use my reg vac now. Great tips. Congrats on your new life.
Ha, I’ve lived this way my entire life, I’m pushing 64. Too many people spend money beyond their means. Have to keep up with everyone. Spoiled, want what they want and just spend, spend, spend!
This is the perfect way to save and live on what you already have-if you're prepared in advance. We only have our SS to live on, and that's only 1500.00 p/m between the 2 of us-but we have planned and prepared in advance since before 2020, full pantry & all and it's now a lifestyle for us and we just don't spend outside of our monthly reoccurring bills-paid off all cc in 21, and our home is paid for, and only purchase if it's needed and we have the $$$ for it. We NEVER eat outside of our home, it's been 5 yrs since we've eaten out, and no plans to do so in the future-in fact, I don't think our bodies could survive if we did after this long!😝The 1st step in living debt free, imo, is to be grateful for everything you already have, and fill in the gaps from there-it worked for us, and we have $$ left over at the end of the month! Imagine that on 1500.00 p/m-we truly are very blessed...🙏🏻
I clicked on this video with the mindset that there was no way I'd ever do this, but I was curious what would be said. By the time it was over, I was thinking-this is for me! Besides my mortgage, I don't have any debt, but I have been thinking a lot about retirement lately. I want to retire in 10 years and I know I need to plan for it, so I want to take up this spending challenge so I can save even more for retirement. Thank you for the great tips!
My husband and I have been living minimally for the past three years. Each year, we try our best to stick to certain goals not only to save and replenish our savings (due to moving and purchasing a new home), but we also want to have more money to dedicate to trips and any bills that may arise with our older cars, house upkeep, etc. We used to spend so much on materialistic items that did not bring us joy in the long run and only caused financial burden. Our journey so far has led us to really appreciate what we already have and narrow down items to what we really love and use often. Thank you for your channel and resources! Your channel is a great support tool for us.
I cancelled amazon a few weeks ago effective on Christmas Day. I’d like to support local businesses and also control spending on things I don’t need and sometimes don’t even use. I also started growing some of our fruit and veggies two years ago and taught myself to make bread, make yogurt and cheese. we cut back on eating out or ordering take out. In exchange I’ve learned to make some of the recipes I enjoy by watching TH-cam videos. We’re not 💯 where we want to be but each step helps.
I am so glad I've found you! I have ADHD, and it tends to make me impulsive and spend compulsively. I am going for a no-buy year with budgeting in things that I want. I also have been hitting up the pantries in my area and posting on buy nothing groups on Facebook. It allowed me to get a decent piece of luggage for a trip I took to Puerto Rico recently (no worries, tickets and all expenses were paid for by someone else LOL). I am working on decluttering and selling some stuff to see if I can catch up with my auto insurance and other bills. I printed the Emergen-Bee activity and am so excited to complete it. Thank you for creating this channel. I want to change and attain freedom.
I have decided to do this for 60 days. The first thing I’m not going to buy is the $10 “no buy” guide! Imma use the free pocket calendar the bank gave out. $10 to me!😆🎉
Thank you for your videos. I control my overspending with making purchases only with cash. No cash no spendings. Cash also means no online shopping, just minimal and in case something has really good price for online shopping.
Becoming more mindful of spending became a bigger focus when I turned 60 and could more easily imagine retirement. I made some important changes then, and am better prepared now, 10 years later. Yet I can still improve my spending habits. I appreciate what advice you’re offering. Thank you!
I got rid of my credit cards, and I only use cash. No debit. I got in so much trouble using credit. Now, I need to figure out how to manage my finances. I will try your method.
@gorettyrogers7109 My principal balance on my credit card has doubled from the interest and I am not able to catch up. I stopped paying them 6 months ago and at this point I don't care any more.
Im currently in a pantry challenge, allowed myself some grace, but so far only 67$ in, milk, fresh fruit veggies, lunchmeats and buns, but we have an extensive larder and freezers full of home raised meat and veggies, fruit. I plan to continue the pantry challenge through january and do a no spend as well. I will however contribute to our local church as they do a drive every month. This month is socks for elderly. I hope to take any bit of extra $ and apply to a tractor im paying on, goal is to pay it off this year.
I just set up a "real"budget and have accepted the no buy challenge for 2025. Amazon temu etsy and Joann's fabric are my worst culprits. I've got to figure out a good side hustle.
Oh you are on it now! You had me at “I just set up a budget”! It will all come to you as you go. The important part is to just keep at it- every day. ⭐️
This was a great video; thanks for sharing your journey. We are debt free but noticed spending creep happening lately. We decided in December (crazy month to try but we did it) to not use our debit cards for one month; we tucked them away in a drawer at home. We had to pay cash for gas, and drive to the grocery store to purchase an Amazon gift card with cash if we wanted to buy something on Amazon. Super painful! But we saved a lot in one month. Thank you for naming how it's so easy to spend, especially now with online shopping. It's not easy to "make it hard to spend money", but people like you sharing your real life stories is really encouraging and supportive.
Yes! Same with us. We also realized- like, what are we doing? We are going to need to retire and then what? I’m so glad you are ready to turn it around! Cheers to 2025! 💛
New permanent additions to household 2024, Bought a hand vac w/recharge batteries, instant pot, used snow boots, ear pods, pill cutting scissors, tank color printer-old printer years too old to update, insulated battery fittings crimper tool, 4 Christmas ornaments Things permanently removed 2 pair snow boots, two pressure cookers, sous vide machine. Pickling equipment. All gardening equipment and supplies. All houseplants. Currently on reprieve- crockpot and camping gear Minimalist lifestyle is so relaxing 😎 and contributed to us being FI years ago.
Great video. I have done a No Buy before as well as a Low-Buy. Amazon is my weakness because it is so simple to order and I always can find what I'm wanting or needing. I also use Sams Club online and delivery. I also use Amazon to purchase items for an AirBnB Cabin that I own, which always needs to have something fixed or updated. I have a large pantry and I do use Kroger Delivery for my groceries and I feel like I actually am saving money. I mostly buy loss leaders/sale items because I have stocked freezers and a large pantry. If we go to the stores, we tend to impulse buy items, especially my husband. Same for Sams. I order what I need and don't end up spending $300.00 or more like I seem to end up doing when I go into the physical store.
I like how you went through in your comment and typed out all the areas you know you could do better in and then the ones - you already are doing well. Make that work! 💛👏
I have actually been doing this without even knowing it was a thing :) I challenge myself, because I feel I have more then enough "stuff". It is only my husband and myself, we don't do doordash, or anything like that, we have always done our own grocery shopping. But I do order from Amazon on a whim, right now I have a bill that needs to be paid off, not a big bill but none the less a bill that I really don't need. Because everything that I bought I could have found a Walmart or some other store that is within driving distance of my home.#frugalliving will definitely be something that incorporate into 2025 - on a much more deeper level then I already have been working on it within my lifestyle.
I have 16 grandchildren and they all have birthdays, not to mention Christmas. Does anyone have advice for this?
Of course! 💛
You will be setting your own “rules” for your challenge.
You could even call yours a “Low Buy” instead. Start off a little lighter.
You could make a “rule” that each grandchild has a limit of x amount.
You can still do all of the things that see important to you. This is more about wasting. Consuming just to consume. Boredom scrolling and buying. Boxes showing up that we forget about.
This is to just get us more intentional.
Side note: how unbelievably blessed you are to have 16 grandchildren! 💛🤩
Thank you ❣️
U can join your local buy nothing group . U can get things for presents . No money spent
@judyhoomalamalama I furnished my last apartment through buy nothing. A great resource ❤
Grandkids want to spend time with you WAY more than stuff. If they all live close, doing a secret Santa or whit elephant gift exchange. Or Christmas movie night at grandma's would mean SO much more than any gift.
If you live far send them a card sharing words of wisdom and encouragement to them, that just takes time not $$. If you have it include a small 5 to 10$ gift card to a little place they like, even better if they are close... offer to take them to get a frosty or something like that.
They truelly just want time with you ❤
My spouse would call me cheap. His cheap wife saved and put a down payment on a small townhouse. Watched my purchases. Made due with a used vehicle. Thrifted for necessary household items. Hand sewed clothes with missing buttons or small rips. Cooked from scratch, whole foods. We recently moved to a small town after selling the townhouse and afforded us a small nest egg. We are retired and now both of us are careful with our purchases. One step at a time. That is what we do. Love and peace, Terri Jo from BC, Canada
B.C. cheaper to live than Savannah, GA.?
Sounds like me 😄
@@malissakirby4193BC is one of the most expensive places to live in North America. The average family home in the suburbs of Vancouver is approximately $1.2 million dollars. Our 900 sq foot condo is worth $650,000. We cannot afford to live in Vancouver anymore because a fixer upper is $2 million.
That’s amazing
@@malissakirby4193BC is the most expensive place in Canada to live. Nice job, Terri Jo!
My no buy solution is that I don’t leave my house very often because I have found that it always seems to cost some amount of money every time I go anywhere. I was able to save 20,000.00 over the course of a year and buy a house because I followed a no buy philosophy.
Excellent!!!! Good job!!!
Where do you find a house for $20,000?
@@OfraSharon-Afirshe didn't say she bought it for 20,000. I bought one with 20,000 down.
yes the "leaving the house" tax!!
Vey true. I find that every time I leave the house I spend money.
Most of us have way tooooooo much STUFF!!!!
Oh yes! No doubt !
For Sure and our kids are NOT going to want most of it..😊
I KNOW I do! I thrift too much! 😂😂😂
@@margierousu468 You can say that again. I know people with enough stuff to furnish three additional homes.
So true, I have 200 books, skincare, Nintendo switch games. I have way too much for one person
Buying my groceries online saves me a ton. Keeps me from impulse buying. I meal prep and buy only what I need.
Great idea, thanks for sharing.👍🏾
I do this for the holidays and birthdays and I found I put real thought behind what I buy. No impulse purchases or “that’s neat and only $10!” And NO CROWDS!! And I save SOOO much $$!!
Me too!
Not me. Planned on meals I didn't make. Stuff went bad. I just go now and canceled the membership I started at covid 2020.
Good point
I’m ready. I’m a widow living on social security. And at 74 I’m done working for other people.
I am 82 and need to sometimes use instant cart . I can't always walk to the store in rain and cold . but will do this as well as I can
@@patcummings2276 Grocery delivery is not included in the No Spend-No Buy. We must eat, and sometime we must rely on food delivery.
72, still working 40 hours a week, widowed 18 months ago. I rent, 2012 KIA is paid for, but I have $4100 on a personal loan for major repairs on the KIA. That is my only debt. I need this to help rein in any wasted or unmindful dollars in order to expedite those payments.
Same
@@bunniebit
I’m 70 widowed 13 months ago, also on Soc Sec. Tough times. 😞
I retired 6 months ago at 65 and feeling FREEEEEEE!!!!
I find I spend way less and am happier!!!!
I walk daily 1-3 hrs. I find walking the park is way better than walking the sidewalk with traffic, etc.
I take No medications. No doctor visits. I eat healthy. I don't carry negative emotions. I love life, and all life has to offer.
All of us has a story full of hardship, sadness, and joy. Always be present of the kind of person you have created now.
We are all powerful spiritual beings having this human experience.
I've learn to use my God inner guidance for years now, and have learn to trust.
I want that deeply for everyone wanting to live their best life.❤❤❤❤❤
Keep your power!!!!!!!
I have lived by this process my whole life…. And am 42. I have never lived paycheck to paycheck, and paid off my house this month. A 30yr mortgage paid off in 11 yrs. It’s amazing what freedom one can have when following the rules….of living within your means.
We did ours in ten but it was only 30000 something starting in 95 but were fortunate our interest never went up so kept paying the original amount even though the interest went down then it go low enough I figured going up just a little paid it off 2005. Also never put things on credit you don’t actually have the money for. We used the credit stores money got stuff at Lowe’s for projects we had money for but used their 24 months no interest divided by 23 paid in 23 months no interest so helped me out. And didn’t cost more. Also I grew up only buying the groceries on sale. My during Covid I didn’t have to buy tp mine happened to be on sale really cheap several times and I had bought and put in basement so I never needed an and didn’t have to pay high price. I’m still only buying what’s on sale have back ups we lived in rule area so not that many restaurants we cook. When first marrow bought steak and cooked anniversary dinners and valentines now we are older kids are grown we eat out for occasions. And once a week when we got to bigger town. I think they need to teach home economics in schools again I had foods class but my mom knew how to cook and let us when we were young. We also had a general business class in scowhere they gave you a fake checkbook and you learned budget and balance they need to bring that back. Kids today don’t know how to do anything that is useful in my opinion.
I paid off my home in 5 years, of a 25 year loan. I put everything into my house, and live simply and frugally, and have savings.
@@tammymiller4789nice!
@@robw2486cool!
Wonderful 👍 be proud of yourself 👏👏👏
Just realizing I needed to watch my amazon purchases took me from 131 orders in 2022 to 39 orders so far this year!
Wow! The amount of $ you saved! 🤩
I deleted Amazon and Walmart apps. Because is so easy to order 😢
Yikes. They make it way too easy. But that is the point I guess.
@@adelaalvarenga1669 that is what i need to do -delete Amazon ugh 😩
It’s common. I’ve seen those Amazon trucks everywhere.
Great tips. It’s the best! I did this while doing Dave Ramsey 10 years ago.
Tips: I wore everything in my closet. I made a different mix and match outfit to feel like I had plenty. Home cooked meals. Used up all my make up. Did a change up of my household accessories to “redecorate”. It made not spending really fun.
My kids were younger. They, too, had plenty. We watched movies on dvd (10 years ago!). They still went to birthday parties, but we really took a spending break. We didn’t go to the mall for “fun”. We ended up spending more time together and played games.
Now: habits changed. Debt gone. Colleges paid. Vacations prepaid. House and cars paid. We buy very intentionally. It’s about the money but more about habits.
Tip: when you do buy, use cash.
Bravo 🎉 well done 😊
Lol, my husband and I don't have cable and we still watch DVD's. The grands don't understand. We had it for awhile but found it to be mostly trash.
I am determined to stop spending and make 2025 the year of the no spend.
You can do it! Just take it day by day- decision by decision. Don’t let anything slip past ya! 👏🤩
Me too
Me too
You can do it Carol !! 🥰
@@CountryLadyInBoots thank you so much ❤️ 💓 💖
Love this
I started in slowly with the “only buy on Wednesdays” rule that I made for myself. Turns out waiting a week often results in you not wanting that thing.
@@elizabethasmith4471 i like that idea. I'm gonna try it!
I am isolated on a rural property and I have a spinal disease. Don't drive . All goods have to be delivered to the door. I found a shop with the lowest delivery fee and with a wide selection of grocery items. It works out cheaper to have the good delivered than to drive to the shops. I call that a good deal.
I just watched this video. We’re drowning in credit card debt and my husband is addicted to Amazon. I accept your challenge!
I'd shut it down for a year, delete the credit card info stored in it.
Dave Ramsey also has a good getting out of debt program.
Good on ya!!!
I think online shipping can be addictive for some. Or self medicating.
Cut up the cards and that bull stops real fast lol.
I don't even have a credit card. 55 yrs old. Yes I have had them.
Used cash since 2008. Cause Obama
Amazon created the most new millionaires during covid; IT WAS THE LARGEST MONEY TRANSFER IN HISTORY FROM THE MIDDLE CLASS TO THE UPPER/ELITE CLASS.
Stop shopping thru Amazon, use them like a Google, find local or Made in USA. Use Public Square.
Btw, taxpayers fund Amazon free delivery thru our postal service.
Wake Up.
no cash - means no buying, for 10 years now. Credit never, ahhh!
I've done a no spend challenge every month since August, I've saved $500 that will be used for Christmas shopping (I put a hard limit on spending for the holiday). My husband got out of work an hour ago, I have no dinner made, so we're going to make do with a sandwich and soup rather than doing takeout. We eat out maybe 1x a month because we prefer homemade food. Life is so much better now that we don't spend $$ or eat fried food out of a bag. It was definitely a mind shift for us.
We have decreased our eating out to maybe one time a month and wow we love our home cooked meals ! and so much cheaper!
Good for you and your family 😊
we go and eat out 4 times in month family of six here
Trying next year to reduce this to at least 3 times in a month
will see how it goes
A sandwich with soup is a nice meal. Very cozy.
We barely eat out since I started my healthy eating journey. I rather pay for organic quality ingredients and cook at home than put that filth into my body. The money savings is a great bonus!
@@beans4853 Yes!!
Another thing to add, work on being a "do it yourselfer". Over the holidays I was doing some sewing projects and my 50 year old sewing machine started acting up. I have not had it serviced in a number of years so after doing some small adjustments I thought maybe I should have a professional look at it. When I called the store that services sewing machines the quoted me $23.95 to look at it and $120.00 an hour plus parts! OMG! Well, myself and my husband went on TH-cam and I am really happy to say that we found information that we utilized that cost us under $20.00 and my machine is singing a happy tune! Please don't say your not a "do it yourselfer" - none of us are until we try!
Only $23.95 to look at a sewing machine? That's a huge bargain. The sewing machine mechanics in our area charge $120 just for a basic diagnoses and service. If it needs something beyond that, the price goes up. We fix all of our own machines too. TH-cam us such a huge blessing. However, some sewing machines are extremely complex. The old Singers are the easiest to work on. Anyone can do it.
Good to know! I need to do this, myself! My local sewing machine repair shop is at least $100 just to look at it and for a quick tune up. And the wait is at least 3-4 weeks to get it in. Not sure how much longer than that I would have to wait to get it back. Plus, my old sewing machine is in a cabinet and is a big pain to transport. Thanks for the reminder!
I need to drink up all my tea before I buy more!!
Me too 😆
YESSSS!!!!! It's so hard to stop buying tea! 😂
Glad to see I am not the only one.
That’s a tough one!!!
lol….. same
For me, buying my groceries online (for pickup) is best for me because if i walk the store, I'm going to buy things i don't need and spend a lot more than if i just stick to the tried and true!
That's why I do amazon. I can't go into stores or I spend too much
I do the same, I order my groceries online and they bring my groceries to my car.
Same!
Thank you. I will try this.
Only one problem they charge you more than if you go into the store from what I understand. You also miss out on a lot of things that they don’t have listed online, but of course, maybe the store you shop at is different
I did the no spend for 2 years and it helps. I went from spending almost $200 a week down to $8, then down to nothing. It makes you really think about what is important and if you really want it, or if it is not needed.
I'm in!! Irs time for me to get my debt paid off forever ❤
@@christettec3045
Me too
wooow
how do you manage to buy food and petrol on such a small amount? Bravo!
Good job!!! Strong will power!!!
For younger girls and boys, creating lovely memories of baking, cooking, and/or gardening together would be something I would have cherished forever.
Best tip ever! Cancel Amazon Prime. Support local businesses!
Better Tip...never join subscriptions.
Well I have a lot of animals so I would never cancel Amazon Prime that's where I get all their food from and I don't have a car that's how Frugal I am
I’ve tried this. I hate running around after a long week to get things I need. We support local butchers grocery stores and people who have chickens for eggs. But honestly the rest I don’t want to go look for. I’ll try again
After Covid we both made the decision to support local and have ever since it keeps Amazon away and we no what we spend all the time
I did that a month ago. I still buy everything I need, but I do it locally. The $16 bucks monthly Amazon fee which I saved is now spent on Wawa donuts!
Watching this as a European it's kind of insane how many creditcards and loans one family can get and the amount of depth a family can be in. I'm from Holland and this is just not possible here.
You're better off. They gave out home loans to anyone who was breathing before 2008, and anyone who wants credit cards can get them. I'm on a journey to pay off all the credit cards and I'm closing off the cards that have any fees to stay open. In May 2024 I discovered that we had a stack of credit cards about 3-4 inches tall. It’s a trap.
Not all of us do this. This lady has a good income and was spending excessively.
That surprises me when I moved to Canada long time ago. In my home country (former YU) in Europe, we work hard to buy something like house, apartment, car...and not to take any loan. Almost nobody has a loan or big credit card. What surprises me even more is that people from the home country changed in Canada and start building credit card debts, taking loans 'to have a good life', and do overspending. It is not easy to control spendings, but it is not 'mission impossible" and very quickly you see benefits of taking spendings under control.
Wonderful 👏👏👏
Exactly... Like how?? 😂 I dont get it, american no buy is basically how i lived all my life (im european as well), i never spent money i didnt have 😅 ok maybe car leasing (which i paid off already) and housing because that you cannot buy with own money if you are average earner😊 but i dont even know anyone around me who would be in such debts 🤷 you just cant
I started my no-buy month on August 1st, 2023 and I liked it so much that It turned out to be my no-buy year. And on August 1st, 2024 my second no-buy year began. Of course, I made mistakes during these 16 months. I made at least 15 impulse purchases - clothing, makeup products, accessories, books - all the things on my no-buy list. BUT before this challenge, I could buy all these things and even more just in 1-2 days! Plus at least half of those purchases are the things I really like and want to keep as long as possible. I'll try to improve my no-buy skills in 2025 tho))) Also, in these 16 months, I've decluttered and donated hundreds of pieces of clothing and books, some accessories, shoes, and makeup, read dozens of books I already have, used dozens of hair care products (haircare is still on my no-buy list - I own too much), and saved a lot of money and time!
Good
I’ve done a no clothes buy for a year a couple of times. It was tough but I did it.
I like this idea too
I’m absolutely going to do this challenge. My Amazon purchases are out of control!!
same!
Top tip is add the item into your basket or wish list and then come off it without buying and forget about it. When you next go back in and look in the basket, you might find you don’t even want half of the stuff in there.
I took the amazon app off my main screen a couple weeks ago. I am definitely not going on it as much.
HSN is my problem
Flex pay is evil😂😂😂
@@flowforever9084it sure is!!!
Thank you! I needed this 2 years ago. I recently divorced and wanted to organize my life, pay off big bills, save and more. Unfortunately, I fell into a depression and my focus was so off that I couldn't manage to do all I wanted to do with my finances. I'm getting in a better frame of mind and will use your videos to guide me as I refocus in 2025 to male some well-needed changes! 👍🏼
I'm disabled and when you're sick, it's difficult to care about anything. BCBS no longer covers a $400 medication
Most of my days are No Buy days - it is easy, when you do not have a credit card or online bank services, the nearest shop is 20 km away, you do not have a car, and the local bus drives only on Wednesdays! 😄
Where do you live? 😅
I wouldn’t call that easy 😂but it makes it much harder to spend money.
Are you in Alaska or Lapland?
Sounds like West Virginia!
I’m trying to survive on just my SS and every month is a struggle. So I really need to start the NO BUY. Loved your video.
you know you CAN actually supplement your SS by working one or two days a week!!! There’s even lots of work that can be done online.
I hear people complain ALL THE TIME about living on a “fixed income” from SS. Change your mindset! i am putting off getting mine until i’m 70 so i can get the max-which is just a couple hundred more, but still…and i also know i will HAVE to continue to work PT basically until i die, but WHAT would we do without the SS?!? It is A BLESSING, and believe me, be grateful you don’t have to work FULLTIME just to live!! At 68, it is hard, hard.
Happy No Buy New Year!!!
Im starting with a no spend january. Get out of debt and build savings.
And that’s exactly what will happen! You can do it! 👏🤩
Me too 2025
I tracked my spending for Dec 2024....wasting money
Saving cash is not a great idea. With high inflation your cash’s worth is depreciating daily. Buy some metal when you can. Silver is still affordable and should not depreciate at least, appreciate at best,
I like this
There is great pleasure from having a full stomach and a roof over your head. Happiness is only 'from within' when your very basic physical needs are met.
I'm 99.99% sure that the intended audience for this video is people who are having trouble distinguishing their wants from their needs.
And some of these videos don't think about the fact that our mental health is important.
I'm glad I own sporting equipment. Having more to do than just walk through the park has made my life a lot more enjoyable.
I don't have a vehicle, because that's not a need. So I'm doing fine. @@sparklemotion86
The 'non-Spend' challenge doesn't apply to food, shelter, utilities, health care, education, child care, insurances, transportation, clothes, etc. It only applies to non-essential shopping sprees.
@@OfraSharon-Afir Depends what you are driving? Clothing is a terrible expense we only wear 20% of what's in our closets try hanging the clothing items you have worn in a separate place see what you wear after 30 days
For the first time I finally figured out what we actually spent for the month of Nov 2024. Most of it went to groceries, eating out and coffee. Starting a strict budget and no spend in &
Jan 2025, but I have actually
started now, trying to spend
less. Trying to live more frugal.
My goal is to bring our savings up $10,000 or more.
Same goal here!! That's what I used to spend on. I set this goal end of October and was able to get through the holiday season with 0 vacation and holiday debt I'm so happy!! We got this!!
Buy a cheap frother and make your own lattes. The ones I make are SO MUCH better than any of the drinks you can buy at coffee places.
@@rosemarykingpate7832
Skip the frother fill a jar 1/4 with your milk. Close the jar, Shake it like crazy, take off the lid and microwave for 30 seconds and pour into your coffee for the latte. 😘
My daughter said, I have a discount coffee in Cirkle K app, 1,75 euros (it's 2,50-2,75 eur full price 300ml). I said when you make coffee at home, its 20 cents, let's go home! She got mad😂
@@EevaL.-em3eq Oh Well!
2020 opened our eyes to our spending. We ended up saving thousands in just a few months from not eating out and hitting certain stores. Later, I set a goal for no cloths shopping for an entire year and found amazing things in my closets. Then I set a goal that if I would only shop for cloths at thrift stores and believe it or not I have found amazing cloths for next to nothing. My husband bet me that I couldn’t thrift an entire home full of furniture, down to the dishes, on a home we remodeled by ourselves. I won the bet and even better sold the home furnished because the woman was in love with all my finds and paid me 10x what I had paid for thrifting items. Saving money has before our “drug” of choice….
What i do, everything I want to buy, the price of it i put to my savings… its very encouraging
Wow! Neat idea!!
That’s a really good idea. Even to try for 1 month - I can see how it would be very encouraging!
I love this concept. However, as I’m approaching, my 70s, dining out is something I sincerely appreciate and will continue to happily enjoy. I cooked for our family for decades. The other thing is travel, we are spending a good chunk of our income on travel. I agree with purchasing non-essential items that aren’t necessary. We now focus on essentials, not fillers. After all, we don’t want to leave our children an overwhelming amount of useless items that they have to deal with.
Yes, totally agree
Spend whatever you want; you can't take it with you.
I'm close to 70 and also enjoy eating out. In the past year I've switched from dinners out to lunches out. Lately I've been postponing coffee and something sweet after a meal to its own outing.
Eating out is very expensive and the food is not good for you 😊
I'm also in favor of eating out. A bad meal is better than having to cook. I live by myself and I can afford to do this. I am going to try to stop buying clothes makeup and jewelry.
Buying yarn is my downfall. I organized it all last week and couldnt believe what i had forgotten i had. Im going to challenge myself to shop my stash this year!
Knitter and crocheter here...I can so relate!
Same here, decluttered my closet. Several tubs of yarn. Many, many yards of fabric. It would take me years to use up what I have.
Oh goodness I feel seen. Now, I won’t buy except at festivals!
I packed 30 boxes of fabric when we moved. I quilt. Its so stupid. I would never use all that.
Loved the video. My husband and I retired 4 years ago, and we, thankfully, have no debt. But watching the video made me realize that I have a problem with frequent trips to the grocery store and with impulse buying on Amazon. I want to rein that in immediately so that we can continue to live debt free and have the money to take trips with our grandkids.
Thank you so much, I'm working on the no buy challenge I've already saved Three thousand dollars in four months, it's really hard but what helps is watching others on their journey, thank you so much for sharing ❤❤❤
Yes. That's why I'm here
I'm retiring soon. I have no debt but spend way too much on random stuff. I want to learn to live on way less. Amazon is the main culprit! Easy spending!
Exactly! I am moving and bought a lot of new stuff for the new house, but now am not so sure I needed to do that.
stay off amazon. Go take a walk instead
Stay off it, and/or don't touch your account for a month at a time, hopefully for 12 months. ;)
@@user-kl8lo6rj5i there is a reason I am not an amazon prime member- In addition to not spending $, I refuse to give a billionaire (who cares nothing about anyone but himself) any of my hard-earned cash-
@sarahmactavish7743 There are thousands of small sellers on Amazon who earn money to help their families.
I have not done a no spend but I am in January. I have decided that I am done with being in debt. I am starting first of year on getting out of debt. Thank you for the knowledge you give us and you give me hope.
People spend out of boredom and trying to fill the emptiness in their lives
Absolutely
I think that’s my case 😢
Thank you for a video that is relatable for the everyday person. 18 months ago we started our journey of low buy to pay off debt. We only have takeaway food on our Birthday, purchase our fruit and veg from the farmers market so much cheaper than the supermarket, and have cut down on eating meat based meals. This year I have purchased 16 items of clothing all from the thrift store pre loved. Have stopped all impulse buys such as scented candles, homewares etc, have deleted all online shopping apps. Aldi is our go to for groceries and we have a herb garden and invested in 7 Hens for egg supply. Make own cleaning products baking soda and vinegar do wonders. Buy and stock up on toilet rolls when they are on special. No holiday trips for the past 7 years do staycations at home and appreciate and love our home now we spend the quality time. We have managed to pay extra off our mortgage and have our emergency fund. Goal is to retire earlier and get rid of debt altogether.
I saved $550 last January doing a no-spend month. I am going to do a no-spend month again this coming January and see if I can beat that!
Wow ❤
I'm so excited for my NoBuy 2025!
Hi from Germany. My no spend Challenge has enveloped a lot singe starting . While my monthly Bills Like Rent, power, interne (home office) insurance are not included in my no spend, everything else is, including groceries. I actually track the days I did not spend money. I try to pack all shopping into the same day. It saves my gas/ travel time. But it also reduces the shop visit is so the times I am tempted to buy unnethethery things gets down. Another important rule for my no spent, eat before shopping! I am more tempted to buy a snack, or things I would like to “try” when I’m hungry.
The only other thing that isn’t included in my no spend is gas. I have to drive my kid to therapies nearly every week. And the gas station there is a lot cheaper than the one I live near. So every time I’m there I will refill my tank regardless how much I used since the last visit. Just to make sure I don’t have to pay nearly double the amount at home.
Good morning ! ☀️
It sounds like you are doing a great job!
I would be pulling up to that gas station with as many cans as I could fill! Half the price! Wow!
. i kind of like what you said maybe because i grew up in germany too . viele gruesse aus canada .
Is Canada or Germany cheaper to live than Savannah, GA.?@hereandabout
@Eismaus WOW I'm impressed. I found Canada and Europe was way more expensive than 🇺🇸. I'm in Savannah, GA. now. My bad thing is eating out and letting food go bad in the frig. I have to stop that ASAP! I'm lucky that I was married to an army guy, so I have FREE HEALTH CARE. That destroys Americans retirement the price of health care. I went to Publix and stocked up on bogo free items with long expiration dates. Ditto at CVS and I used all my CVS coupons. My house in my name is paid for. DAVE RAMSEY says treat your mortgage as a bill to get rid of and I did! Less $2400 a month makes a major difference. My bills in total are approximately $25000 a year. I'm careful about water, electricity and TRY to buy almost everything on sale or half price online like QVC, HSN. It's tiring being so frugal but it's worth it in the long run.
I've been doing no spend for several years, it works and it's a wonderful way to live! Life is so much more simple!
It really is - less stuff is less clutter in your mind, too.
I had not heard of this concept before but am so happy I did. I am 78 yr old recent widow and going through reverse mortgage and on social security. I'm on a journey with the Lords help to keep me on a heathy , productive path so that I can help others besides myself.
Rich people get rich with the money they DON'T spend! I love the pattern on your sofa. Gorgeous!! Thanks for the video!!!!!
Rich people stay rich because they buy well, a great pair of boots can last a life time where as cheep pairs are needed every year, add it up, the rich person wins and has spent less on boots. Buy less often and well.
I love her sofa too😃
I noticed a senior aged couple at church. The woman carried a worn out handbag, but they drove away in a nice Cadillac!
Sofa cover …available on Amazon.
I’d love to see Amazon’s version of my couch!!! Put the link!
Another motivation for me is not giving the billionaires additional money. Billionaires and corporations have gouged the Customer mercilessly for years! Billionaires can’t be billionaires without working class America.
well said!
Agree @@polish-american8107
Amen!
When I go to Target and see something delightful that I don't need at all, I picture its lifecycle - taking it home and enjoying it, paying my cc bill for it, having to store it somewhere, and then later throwing it out or taking it to Goodwill, and then how it will decompose once thrown out. I can enjoy and appreciate the object for a few moments, then walk away and enjoy the feeling of having escaped being burdened by it.
i love this approach!
I started my no buy tracker after doing my first no buy challenge with you in Jab 2023. I now challenge myself to have At Least 20 no buy days each month. The only thing I personally don't count as a spend are my Musts/Non-variables/Bills.... phone, health insurance, Audible subscription, electricity, my one Patreon subscription. Everything else is a spend.... even groceries and fuel for the car. I really enjoy challenging myself to do without, make-do, and make it a game to see how many no spend days I can do per week/ month. I think my highest is the very first month I did one, which was 24 no spend days. I also save money for a big purchase by paying myself $5 for each no spend day, and saving that up all year.
Great idea 💡 to save money for each day like $5 and use that for splurge day!
I’m going to borrow this $5 for every no spend day idea. Thanks!
@@thebalancedplanner I got that idea from Jenn back when I first started watched 2SisterBees.
@@brendakordik8411 borrow away!! I got it from Jenn back when I started watching Jenn at 2SisterBees.
@@brendakordik8411that’s a great a great idea🌟 thanks.
OMG. Me, watching this video to be even better with my money and realizing, at 3:01, that I don't have ANY of this kind of debt. Not one loan, not one late credit card payment. No debt whatsoever, just rent, utilities, food and internet. I am Brazilian, I earn a good money, but in the past I could hardly resist buying clothes, shoes and furniture. Then I learned that this way I would never have money. I love this kind of video to reinforce my determination. Thank you.
I have the habit of tracking my expenses since mid 20s, now I am 56. Zero debt, spending wisely, live frugally, help (mindfully). Saving religiously and invest invest invest
What do you invest in and how do you invest?
I’m all in I’m so tired of stuff. I’ve been decluttering & now 2025 will be our best low spend year. I’ve a list of no buy. Were ready for a rich clutter free life😊❤😊
We were able to pay off all credit card debt, but the beauty is that we didn’t charge ANYTHING last year!! That is a first for us!
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
That is how i live.... since living alone ..i became a rich person evaluating my real needs ... hope you can make it too..
We live like this every day. We have one Visa and no other cards. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts instead we buy one present for our house and we go out for one meal a month to our fav place. Christmas is for parents to buy the presents. I bring the home made food favorites, cookies and treats. We are low income seniors the grandchildren are taught to receive a card and much needed hugs and love........P.S. I will share that we don't exchange cards between ourselves after 40 yrs as I've kept every card we exchanged and we dig them out and read them to each other 💖
I have done No Spend Challenge: September, October, November & December. So I’ve used No Credit Cards. And I am able to Pay more on my cards. I cannot wait to be out of debt.
No Christmas gifts or decoration’s ?
I hope you are celebrating along the way! What a great accomplishment! 4 months of not spending AND putting away credit cards! 🥳🥳🥳
I'm proud of you!
Congratulations!! This is exactly what I’ve done when in debt and have done this for 25 years! Now we are no debt millionaires, trust that the best is yet to come!
Thank you for a very helpful & encouraging video! In 2024 I'm on my 1st no buy year. Also on a low fixed income & I'm so proud of myself for how much I saved this year! Hoping to fine tune it for 2025. Also writing every purchased down in a physical books helped a lot & I think its essential 💜
I'll try this ❤
We prep food at home and put it in a cooler....like tuna sandwiches on toast. Eating out is incredibly expensive.😮 I also do tag sales and live like a QUEEN. Glad you're under control sister.😊
Sweet! You, too! 💛🤩
I love this! I did it and am so close to being debt free. I calculated how many hours i would have to work to pay for an item i ddnt really need and it felt so good not to buy it.
I just watched your video and I was inspired. I have always been frugal. Our problem is we don’t have much to cut. We rarely go out to eat or get takeout (maybe once a month). I rarely buy clothes. Very little Amazon purchases. I take my lunch everyday. But I still know there are things I can eliminate. Challenge accepted!
I like to put things in my Amazon cart, leave it for a few weeks and then decide that I went without it so I didn't need it. I use the cash in envelopes method. Don't swipe that debit card. I noticed my statement showed less transactions. I think people buy because they are bored and find it easy to swipe that card. I pay cash. Except for bills automatically on draft, insurance, utilities, house payment. It can be done....just need discipline. Good video and advice.
You sound just like me. I prefer cash for smaller purchases to keep my bank statement clean and easy to read. I don’t need to see every gas station and grocery purchase for the rest of my life 😂
I just want to see bills and important transactions on there. 👏
Wow. The difference between happiness and pleasure. This resonates with me - I know my shopping habits are just dopamine hits. I really want to change that.
You can change your habits Yes, do it
Blessings
I love that you've been completely transparent with the debt situation. Often these types of things seem unachievable because the people spruiking the message are starting out from a pretty advantageous situation.
I live with the no buy just about my whole life! With 6 kids, I’m 68 now, didn’t know anyone else was also living the same way
Showing the amount of debt that you paid off will be very motivational to a lot of people. Thank you.
I am a Amazon addict. If I want it. I buy it. For me. My kids and my grands. When I looked back over the year of purchases I was stunned to see how many of them ended up in the trash. I’ve deleted Amazon. Will start going back to Target with a list once a month. And use the library!
Oh wow! Yes!! I love comments like this! You can do this!
You’ll be able to save so much by making those changes! 💛
I have been reluctant to do the no buy challenge because I feel like I can't do it. But your video is very encouraging and really want to try and succeed at it!!
Make it a shorter amount of time so it is attainable! Do a no spend week, or a month, or even just a category for a short time. Then build up from there!
@ thank you that’s a good idea to start out with!
Start with just cutting one or two things out for a month like eating out or daily coffees or whatever and add up what you didn't spend on that (you might be shocked) Every little bit counts. The old saying, ' if you take care of the pennies the dollars will take care of themselves' !
You just said “I don’t feel I can do it”. Negative, self defeating talk! Speak positivity out loud and in your mind! That’s really how it’s all done!!!
I am SO happy I came across this. Thank you so much. I have no family and lots of debt. I worry that something will happen and I will end up homeless. Thank you!
Get a roommate. Find a friend at church or an organization you volunteer at.
Bingo! I've been doing this for years, and it's such an amazing journey. I can feel your joy! You presented it beautifully. When I look at a product or service, I ask myself if it's a "need" or a "want" -- it's a need, I go for it. If it's want, I'll always shove it for an indefinite future. And lo and behold, soon I forget about the wants and move on with life. This has freed up my time. I hope more people 'buy' into this way of life.
Speaking of stick vacuums. I know some brands are expensive, but this past Spring I purchased a small Bissel Featherweight bagless stick. It can be taken apart and be a small handheld vac for getting between cushions on upholstery etc. It is easy to clean and dump. I purchased it at WalMart for about $27.00. I know many do not like WalMart but I think that's ego. The reason i shop at WM is because I like going to the store to return (4 miles from my home) and they have store returns on 3rd party items as well. I buy nothing if it can't be returned. Many items have a 90 day return widow, but certainly 30 days on 3rd party items. This vac sucks up a lot of dirt and does such a good job that I rarely use my reg vac now. Great tips. Congrats on your new life.
Nice tone - keeping it real, but not too judgy. Thanks!
Wow, thank you! I just canceled two items from Amazon after watching your video!
amazon shopping fits the definition of addiction: you keep doing it even though it is bad for you.
Ha, I’ve lived this way my entire life, I’m pushing 64. Too many people spend money beyond their means. Have to keep up with everyone. Spoiled, want what they want and just spend, spend, spend!
This is the perfect way to save and live on what you already have-if you're prepared in advance. We only have our SS to live on, and that's only 1500.00 p/m between the 2 of us-but we have planned and prepared in advance since before 2020, full pantry & all and it's now a lifestyle for us and we just don't spend outside of our monthly reoccurring bills-paid off all cc in 21, and our home is paid for, and only purchase if it's needed and we have the $$$ for it. We NEVER eat outside of our home, it's been 5 yrs since we've eaten out, and no plans to do so in the future-in fact, I don't think our bodies could survive if we did after this long!😝The 1st step in living debt free, imo, is to be grateful for everything you already have, and fill in the gaps from there-it worked for us, and we have $$ left over at the end of the month! Imagine that on 1500.00 p/m-we truly are very blessed...🙏🏻
I clicked on this video with the mindset that there was no way I'd ever do this, but I was curious what would be said. By the time it was over, I was thinking-this is for me! Besides my mortgage, I don't have any debt, but I have been thinking a lot about retirement lately. I want to retire in 10 years and I know I need to plan for it, so I want to take up this spending challenge so I can save even more for retirement. Thank you for the great tips!
My husband and I have been living minimally for the past three years. Each year, we try our best to stick to certain goals not only to save and replenish our savings (due to moving and purchasing a new home), but we also want to have more money to dedicate to trips and any bills that may arise with our older cars, house upkeep, etc. We used to spend so much on materialistic items that did not bring us joy in the long run and only caused financial burden. Our journey so far has led us to really appreciate what we already have and narrow down items to what we really love and use often. Thank you for your channel and resources! Your channel is a great support tool for us.
I cancelled amazon a few weeks ago effective on Christmas Day. I’d like to support local businesses and also control spending on things I don’t need and sometimes don’t even use. I also started growing some of our fruit and veggies two years ago and taught myself to make bread, make yogurt and cheese. we cut back on eating out or ordering take out. In exchange I’ve learned to make some of the recipes I enjoy by watching TH-cam videos. We’re not 💯 where we want to be but each step helps.
I am so glad I've found you! I have ADHD, and it tends to make me impulsive and spend compulsively. I am going for a no-buy year with budgeting in things that I want. I also have been hitting up the pantries in my area and posting on buy nothing groups on Facebook. It allowed me to get a decent piece of luggage for a trip I took to Puerto Rico recently (no worries, tickets and all expenses were paid for by someone else LOL). I am working on decluttering and selling some stuff to see if I can catch up with my auto insurance and other bills. I printed the Emergen-Bee activity and am so excited to complete it. Thank you for creating this channel. I want to change and attain freedom.
I belong to my local buy nothing group . If u need something u place a request and many will have the item and give to u . Works well
Great advice thank you 😊
You are so welcome! 💛
I’ve done similarly, but having kitty litter and kitty food delivered to my door (Amazon) helps me so much.
Same here😂
I have decided to do this for 60 days. The first thing I’m not going to buy is the $10 “no buy” guide! Imma use the free pocket calendar the bank gave out. $10 to me!😆🎉
Thank you for your videos. I control my overspending with making purchases only with cash. No cash no spendings. Cash also means no online shopping, just minimal and in case something has really good price for online shopping.
Becoming more mindful of spending became a bigger focus when I turned 60 and could more easily imagine retirement. I made some important changes then, and am better prepared now, 10 years later. Yet I can still improve my spending habits. I appreciate what advice you’re offering. Thank you!
I got rid of my credit cards, and I only use cash. No debit. I got in so much trouble using credit. Now, I need to figure out how to manage my finances. I will try your method.
Yes.. I got rid of my credit cards, too. I couldn't keep using it after my marriage broke up.
@gorettyrogers7109 My principal balance on my credit card has doubled from the interest and I am not able to catch up. I stopped paying them 6 months ago and at this point I don't care any more.
Im currently in a pantry challenge, allowed myself some grace, but so far only 67$ in, milk, fresh fruit veggies, lunchmeats and buns, but we have an extensive larder and freezers full of home raised meat and veggies, fruit. I plan to continue the pantry challenge through january and do a no spend as well. I will however contribute to our local church as they do a drive every month. This month is socks for elderly. I hope to take any bit of extra $ and apply to a tractor im paying on, goal is to pay it off this year.
those stick vacuums actually are pretty awesome.
lol. My problem is the QVC Todays Special Value emailed to me. They demo the vacuum. Sold! I do love it though.
I just bought the no buy guide. I just turned 57 and want to retire by 60. Debt free with money in the bank. I am so glad I came across your video.
I just set up a "real"budget and have accepted the no buy challenge for 2025. Amazon temu etsy and Joann's fabric are my worst culprits. I've got to figure out a good side hustle.
Oh you are on it now! You had me at “I just set up a budget”!
It will all come to you as you go. The important part is to just keep at it- every day. ⭐️
This was a great video; thanks for sharing your journey. We are debt free but noticed spending creep happening lately. We decided in December (crazy month to try but we did it) to not use our debit cards for one month; we tucked them away in a drawer at home. We had to pay cash for gas, and drive to the grocery store to purchase an Amazon gift card with cash if we wanted to buy something on Amazon. Super painful! But we saved a lot in one month. Thank you for naming how it's so easy to spend, especially now with online shopping. It's not easy to "make it hard to spend money", but people like you sharing your real life stories is really encouraging and supportive.
Thank you! I needed to hear this. We want to retire in less than 10 years. Looks impossible right now, but it HAS to happen.
Yes! Same with us. We also realized- like, what are we doing? We are going to need to retire and then what?
I’m so glad you are ready to turn it around! Cheers to 2025! 💛
Never eat out all my money is going on heating, be glad wen spring comes round
New permanent additions to household 2024, Bought a hand vac w/recharge batteries, instant pot, used snow boots, ear pods, pill cutting scissors, tank color printer-old printer years too old to update, insulated battery fittings crimper tool,
4 Christmas ornaments
Things permanently removed 2 pair snow boots, two pressure cookers, sous vide machine. Pickling equipment. All gardening equipment and supplies. All houseplants.
Currently on reprieve- crockpot and camping gear
Minimalist lifestyle is so relaxing 😎 and contributed to us being FI years ago.
Every year I claim I'll do this. I know it's time because I started tracking at the start of December. My whole life is changing.😊
Great video. I have done a No Buy before as well as a Low-Buy. Amazon is my weakness because it is so simple to order and I always can find what I'm wanting or needing. I also use Sams Club online and delivery. I also use Amazon to purchase items for an AirBnB Cabin that I own, which always needs to have something fixed or updated. I have a large pantry and I do use Kroger Delivery for my groceries and I feel like I actually am saving money. I mostly buy loss leaders/sale items because I have stocked freezers and a large pantry. If we go to the stores, we tend to impulse buy items, especially my husband. Same for Sams. I order what I need and don't end up spending $300.00 or more like I seem to end up doing when I go into the physical store.
I like how you went through in your comment and typed out all the areas you know you could do better in and then the ones - you already are doing well. Make that work! 💛👏
I have actually been doing this without even knowing it was a thing :) I challenge myself, because I feel I have more then enough "stuff". It is only my husband and myself, we don't do doordash, or anything like that, we have always done our own grocery shopping. But I do order from Amazon on a whim, right now I have a bill that needs to be paid off, not a big bill but none the less a bill that I really don't need. Because everything that I bought I could have found a Walmart or some other store that is within driving distance of my home.#frugalliving will definitely be something that incorporate into 2025 - on a much more deeper level then I already have been working on it within my lifestyle.
I am launching into my second no spend year…can’t wait as I am saving a ton…👌🏽
Yessss! It’s the best feeling ! 🤩