For the last few years, many people have been treating the month of November — the proverbial calm before the storm of holiday spending — as a time to drastically cut unnecessary spending. I tend to shun fad diets, the latest fashions, and have no clue what’s trending on Twitter, but this trend might actually be worth participating in.
A Myriad of Motivations
So why do people decide, out of all the months in the year, to stop spending in November? Everyone has a slightly different answer, but here are the most common motivations:
- To prepare for the glut of holiday spending in December
- To recover from the glut of holiday spending, if you’re an early shopper
- To ‘make up’ for lost momentum on financial resolutions started in January
- To find “leaks” in your budget
- To accomplish specific budget or financial planning goals
- To get back in control of debt
- To boost savings and emergency funds
- To give back to others, perhaps through a favorite charity organization
And the Rules Are…
When I started looking for a set of rules or guidelines for this “No Spend November,” I expected to find certain financial gurus’ multi-step plans. In actuality, the only ‘rule’ seems to be: make rules. The specifics will be customized to your personal goals and financial situation. In general, people strive to cut their excess spending by sticking to necessities: rent, bills, food — needs only. Even then there is deviation in how people define categories such as food: strictly groceries, or some eating out? Others might cut into ‘bills’ that are actually unnecessary services like regular tanning, magazine subscriptions, movie or book clubs, etc. The point is, your ‘no spending’ plan will look a lot different than mine, apart from a few simple guidelines:
- Make cut and dry rules (no gray areas). The less complicated your plan is, the more likely you are to follow it and succeed.
- Prepare for it to be challenging: it’s essentially a ‘crash diet’ for your finances. The key difference is that, unlike crash diets, disciplining your spending will be less likely to pose a hazard to your health.
- Find ways to keep it fun. You might start to feel like a martyr after declining a few invitations to eat out, so divert yourself with other forms of fun. Use the time you would have otherwise spent eating out, going to a movie, or shopping as a chance to pursue a hobby or creative project. Spend a little more time with your family, or invite a friend over for a cup of coffee.
- Keep your goals in mind (and view). For a constant reminder of why you’re torturing yourself, incorporate a practice used in other forms of discipline: physical, visible inspiration. This might be as simple as a 4×6 card on the back of your front door you can see every time you leave the house and face the temptation to spend, or giving the goal a code name on your planner.
Tips for Success
If you’re struggling with specific ways to handle spending differently during your spending freeze, here a few ideas others have found successful:
- Track what you’re saving over the course of the month. There’s no greater motivation than seeing that number grow larger and larger.
- Take your credit or debit cards out of your wallet, and reset the passwords to your online shopping accounts.
- Take out set amounts of cash each week for expenses like food and gas.
The Payoff
The goal of a No Spend November is not perfection but progress, because we’d all be disappointed otherwise. Even small steps can lead to huge changes, such as:
- New awareness of the location of ‘leaks’ in your budget
- More money in your pocket (some report more than doubling their savings!)
- A better handle on debt
- A more secure emergency fund
- Clues about your next best financial moves (better job, different location, smaller car payment)
Lastly, deciding to do a “No Spend November” can permanently change your perspective on spending, budgeting, and saving. And that’s the ultimate payoff.
Editor's Note: Did you know about the service called $5 meal plans? For $5 a month, they send you recipes of delicious, healthy, yet cheap food that costs just $5 a meal.
Several of my friends signed up and they are able to eat at home more because the instructions are easy to follow, making everything convenient. The deal also comes with grocery shopping lists, which saves them so much time. Check it out yourself by clicking here and you too may be able to save more and become healthier at the same time.
{ read the comments below or add one }
Idea is great but deals are also tempting during this season 😉
That’s true, but they are always selling the same thing year in and year out if you think about it. How many jackets do you actually need?
Personal finance concepts are simple, but they are never easy to implement. Be discipline and you’ll reap the rewards in the future!
Great idea! I need to do this!
Do it! 🙂
The more you participate in initiatives that help your finances, the more your future self will thank you in the future!
Rajesh,
I second David on that. There isn’t really a one-size-fits all plan, but the point is to cut out as much unnecessary spending as you can. If you can find ways to eat and travel cheaper throughout the month, that’s great, too.
this challenge seems really interesting, I need to know more about how should we allocate budget for things like food, travel? should that be our actual expense or we need to cut down them drastically to take up the challenge?
I would just cut out discretionary spending. Food I call a necessity so just spend like normal there. Travel can be cut though!
I’m with you on this! Great idea. I do struggle to get other family members involved in these types of things though (and they shall remain nameless). Any ideas for that? Thx
I’m in a similar situation (I’m frugal, my wife is less frugal). Instead of telling her to save, I try to show her how money can used to purchase freedom instead of things. I’m slowly convincing my wife to spend less, but it’s going to be a never ending pursuit 🙂
David, thanks for your reply. That is a good way of looking at it, freedom instead of things. I’m gonna share that with my bride.
You are welcome and congrats on the upcoming wedding!