Read the Entire Series: Day 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
I participated in a medical study that paid me $36. To get there, I took a free campus/city bus. Breakfast wasn’t an issue or option today, as the research required that I fast. Starving and eager to eat, I finished the study and ran back home to avoid eating out. This is my second day of the Buy Nothing Challenge – that wasn’t an option.
Checking My Reactions
Today was a series of checks to make sure I stayed on course. There’s a gut reaction that brews when you “need” something. I’m low on yogurt and the cereal is gone. These simple planning errors can’t be remedied by a short visit to the store. As long as I’m challenging my initial impulses, I’m not going to the supermarket.
Unfortunately, I didn’t wash my laundry before the experiment. The local laundromat would be yet another expenditure. For the next five days, I’ll definitely be craving some fresh clothes. Cravings always seem to be strongest for the things you can’t have. Maybe there’s a secret in those words to changing this reaction. Maybe not.
My girlfriend is coming back this evening, and I’d like to be able to take her out and have a fun time in the city. But, I’m on this strange adventure that precludes me from such choices. It feels abnormal to hold back like this. While it may be a good thing, it makes me think about what partners must go through when one becomes super frugal.
Checking My Expectations
There’s a strange incompleteness to not purchasing something. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s a comical expectation. Why would I feel compelled or expected to consume and purchase goods? It almost feels engrained in our society that we aren’t a worthwhile component of the masses if we don’t spend.
I’m hardly an anti-consumer; heck, I’m not sure that’s possible as a human. But I don’t like the idea that I feel compelled to shop and spend – especially with the massive student loan debt I owe. The balance I aim to strike throughout this week is a realization and movement towards critical consumption. I do believe it’s my responsibility to develop and maintain a discerning eye towards products, marketers, and advertisements that try to suck me in.
I don’t want to fall for their tricks anymore.
Filling The Time
What should I do outside of work? How should I fill the extra time? In a good way, not spending money has left me more time to write and concentrate on what’s important in my life.
Today I took the time to fix a pair of shorts. A button had popped off and I needed to sew it back. The only problem was that I’d never done it before. By spending the time to learn and sew the button back, filling my time had saved me even more than expected – how frugal of me!
With the rest of my time, which is ample in these summer months, I worked, read, watched Netflix, cooked, and walked outside. With the birds chirping peacefully and the Midwestern sun gracing luscious, green grass, I felt perfect. I had everything and bought nothing.
Day 2: $0 Spent.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s report and follow along!
I think the wifey and I need to try this. But we would definitely need to make sure little things are accounted for like milk for cereal and that things are planned out carefully to make sure we have everything we need for the whole week. This is a great thing to do as I see it helping keep focus and understanding that you can find ways to get things accomplished without always having to buy something or spend money. Filling time for me is spent blogging, looking for real estate and most of all spending as much time as possible with the family.
Thomas,
Thanks for the support! Focus and perspective are two key realizations that come from this experiment.
Time for what really matters is what it’s all about! 🙂
Great project. We ended up doing almost this by accident when my husband lost his job. Of course we still bought food and other necessities, but we completely lost the urge to just “shop.”
Which is good, because we’re still trying to get rid of all the “stuff” we accumulated over the years, gradually minimizing.
Christy,
Thanks for your comment. You’ve definitely got the right idea! I’m still getting used to it, but I’m excited by the support that the community has offered me as I try it.
All the best,
-S.
awesome experiment
did you have a stockpile of food before you started? Did you plan a day or two in advance and stock up on gas and other supplies before day 1?
aside, this could also be an experiment for a doomsday prepper blog also lol (no offense I like that stuff too, or frugality and self reliance in general)
Mark,
Haha! That’s very true, there’s some funny overlap here. I did prep a little bit, but honestly, not much. I filled up my gas tank. I bought a few groceries. There were some canned and frozen goods that’ll last a while, but I didn’t go to any “prepper”-level extremes!
Feel free to share it among the doomsday, apocalypse world if you know them! 😉
-S.
Congrats! The farthest I’ve ever gotten with a no spend challenge is three weeks. Then I caved and bought a coffee at school.
Three weeks?! Wow! That’s incredible! How’d you do it? What was your secret?
Wash your clothes in the sink. Use a bit of soap or washing liquid.
Not a bad plan. Might need to do that before this week is done.
Thanks for the tip,
-S.
Nice job Sam! I hadn’t spent any money this week until last night when I locked my keys in my car. I tried for over an hour to break into the car myself so I didn’t have to spend, but alas, $100 later I could get into my car.
Nick,
Thanks for the continued support!
Oh no! That’s the worst. $100, too?! That’s a total bummer 🙁
Hope the rest of your week is better,
-S.
Looking forward to reading about the rest of your 7 day challenge. I’ve been attempting a little spending cleanse myself, but it’s remarkable how often something comes up that requires spending. A new metro card, a bill payment, etc.
Stefanie,
Thanks for your comment! These really do inspire me. 🙂
You’re absolutely right, there are so many different things – mostly small – that add up to big swings in the budget. Thankfully, I’ve been making it alright. Day 3 is complete and I’m about to share my update!
All the best,
-S.
Stefanie has added a new phrase into my lexicon: spending cleanse. I love it. Soon, Whole Foods will be selling it in a can!
Hah! That’ll be the dream. 🙂 Yes, it’s a great phrase.
Catching up here…would say that as part of my experiment, buying groceries is permitted and doing the laundry (on the usual schedule at the laundromat). The key for my personal challenge is to eliminate mindless, impulse purchases, while focusing on enjoying what I already own or subscribe to and/or can get for free. In general, we rarely eat out, so no problem there and I don’t have a daily Starbucks habit to kick. DH prepares all our meals and makes enough for me to take to work for lunch, so I am not tempted to eat out during the work day either.
Candace,
You’re absolutely right, the key is critical, thoughtful, and mindful consumption. Practically speaking, spending $0 over a week is pretty difficult. Food and laundry are two basic necessities that everyone needs. That being said, the more frequently I visit the supermarket, the more likely I am to spend frivolously.
-S.