{"id":6964,"date":"2024-03-27T00:18:22","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T04:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/what-i-learned-from-my-no-spend-month\/"},"modified":"2024-03-27T00:18:22","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T04:18:22","slug":"what-i-learned-from-my-no-spend-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/what-i-learned-from-my-no-spend-month\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Learned From My No-Spend Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This year, for <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcast\/463-revealed-our-24-for-24-lists-of-24-big-and-small-things-we-want-to-accomplish-in-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our \u201c24 for 24\u201d lists<\/a>, my sister Elizabeth and I decided to observe a \u201cNo-Spend February.\u201d For the month of February, we didn\u2019t make any unnecessary purchases.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>A brief period of deprivation can help us learn about ourselves and our patterns. It can re-set our tolerances, so that going forward, we indulge less.<\/p>\n<p>Also, it may show us that we\u2019d be happier if we engaged less in a habit such as spending, drinking wine every night, or scrolling in bed.<\/p>\n<h3>Setting up a successful No-Spend Month<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re considering a \u201cNo-Spend Month,\u201d setting a few ground rules ahead of time can help you stick to it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Set a timeline\u2014if a whole month seems daunting, try one week or one day per week.<\/li>\n<li>Decide what \u201ccounts\u201d\u2014you might choose to focus on a particular category of spending or rule out anything you deem \u201cnon-essential.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>If you rule out anything \u201cnon-essential,\u201d what is essential? Tooth paste, a birthday gift, a meal with friends?<\/li>\n<li>Set up safeguards\u2014for instance, if you tend to shop when you\u2019re bored, decide what you\u2019ll do instead.<\/li>\n<li>Identify your \u201cwhy\u201d\u2014clarifying what you hope to gain from the experience, whether it\u2019s breaking a habit, saving for a bigger investment, or aligning your behavior with your values, will help you stick to it.<\/li>\n<li>Consider whether you\u2019re an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel\u2014the \u201cFour Tendencies\u201d personality framework will help you set up the challenge in the way that\u2019s right for you (learn your Tendency by taking the quiz <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/quiz\/the-four-tendencies-quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Elizabeth and I decided that for one month, we\u2019d spend money only on necessary household items\u2014also gifts. We could eat at a restaurant for a social occasion, but we couldn\u2019t pay for prepared food otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>For some people, it might work better to cut back on spending, without declaring something extreme like a \u201cNo-Spend February.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But both Elizabeth and I are Abstainers about many things\u2014all or nothing. Many people are surprised to find that when it comes to temptation, it may be easier to give something up altogether than to indulge moderately.\u00a0 (Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/abstainer-vs-moderator\/\">abstainers vs. moderators<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also true that often, when we don\u2019t feed our cravings, they don\u2019t build up; instead, they fade away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, a bold gesture sometimes feels more fun than a more modest effort.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, we both realized that we\u2019re <em>extraordinarily fortunate<\/em> to have the financial comfort to choose not to spend in this way. That\u2019s not something ever to take for granted.<\/p>\n<h3>What we learned from our No-Spend February<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Elizabeth:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth hadn\u2019t realized how much time and energy she spent browsing online, looking through emails about sale items, and checking websites. So she gained back that time and energy in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, to her surprise, she came out of the month with more desire to buy. In ordinary life, she usually looked without buying, but by the end of February, she felt more urge to go shopping than usual, so she thought she might go on a shopping spree. But, in fact, she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gretchen:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Because I couldn\u2019t impulsively buy books that I wanted, I ended up buying far fewer\u2014which is good, because these days I feel oppressed by my huge piles of unread books.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, I want to learn to watercolor, but my desire to buy art supplies outstrips my actual use of those supplies. It was good that I couldn\u2019t buy a Chinese brush or gouache. This delay reminded me that I shouldn\u2019t indulge in the pleasure of buying supplies; I should be focusing on regularly painting with watercolor.<\/p>\n<p>Another benefit: I wanted to buy a small water-sprayer for watercolor, but because I couldn\u2019t buy one, I realized I could re-purpose a sprayer that had held lens cleaner.<\/p>\n<p>In general, delay is good. After I saw a YouTube ad for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/43mUywp\">fire blankets<\/a>, and doing a little inconclusive research, I know I would have bought them. But I waited to see if I really thought they were a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>Along the same lines, when I spotted sun gloves in an REI store, I know I would\u2019ve bought them\u2014I didn\u2019t know such things existed. But I waited. When summer comes, I\u2019ll see if I really need them (doubtful).<\/p>\n<h3>Tips from listeners<\/h3>\n<p>After we talked about No-Spend February in <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcast\/472-no-spend-february-have-a-hard-conversation-while-walking-and-use-your-non-dominant-hand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">episode 472<\/a>\u00a0of the <em>Happier with Gretchen Rubin<\/em> podcast, listeners who joined in the challenge reported on what they learned and used.<\/p>\n<p>Some highlights:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Many<\/em> people emphasized the usefulness of belonging to a <a href=\"https:\/\/buynothingproject.org\/\">Buy Nothing group<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Many recommended budgeting tools such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ynab.com\/\">YNAB<\/a> (You Need a Budget) or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quicken.com\/lp\/ppc\/brand-simplifi\/?utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_campaign=[MM]-GGL_Search_Brand_Exact_USA_Consolidation_MMarket_Test&amp;adgroup=Simplifi&amp;utm_term=simplifi&amp;utm_targetid=kwd-299162856366&amp;utm_matchtype=e&amp;coupon_code=&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0GojIrjTsd4H0Js2JMt1CKJJQ2nexhzOy9von8SJvAO-y1RIqF-fFmXMaAlssEALw_wcB\">Simplifi<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If a child is begging for a toy, take a picture of it. That gesture often satisfies them.<\/li>\n<li>Save the money you\u2019d otherwise spend to invest in yourself, with savings.<\/li>\n<li>A true under-buyer realized that she\u2019d actually benefit from a <em>Big-Spend<\/em> February, to push her to buy needful things such as prescription sunglasses and hole-free t-shirts. (Read about <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/are-you-an-overbuyer-or-an-underbuyer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">under-buyers and over-buyers<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li>A listener pointed out that people should use <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/four-tendencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Four Tendencies framework<\/a>\u00a0to figure out how to handle a No-Spend February. I absolutely agree\u2014Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels would approach the challenge in a different way.<\/li>\n<li>Only buy \u201ctreats\u201d with cash.<\/li>\n<li>Customize settings in social media to receive fewer ads.<\/li>\n<li>In Amazon, \u201cproceed to check out\u201d just once a week, to get another chance to review purchases before making them.<\/li>\n<li>Most amusing: Every January, a listener and her husband observe \u201cSurvivor Pantry Island.\u201d They buy very few groceries for the month, and instead eat from their pantry and freezer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Final insights<\/h3>\n<p>One listener pointed out that while Elizabeth and I often describe ourselves as under-buyers, we buy plenty! That\u2019s one thing we learned from No-Spend February; we underestimated how much purchasing we do.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in this subject, Ann Patchett has a wonderful essay in the <em>New York Times<\/em>, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/12\/15\/opinion\/sunday\/shopping-consumerism.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My Year of No Shopping.<\/a>\u201d We did a book club with Ann in <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcast\/283-the-dutch-house-book-club\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">episode 283<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m very happy that I did No-Spend February; it was a very useful exercise. The more intentional we are about our actions, the more our lives can reflect our values.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year, for our \u201c24 for 24\u201d lists, my sister Elizabeth and I decided to observe a \u201cNo-Spend February.\u201d For the month of February, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}