10 Benefits From Participating In a No-Spend Year

I did a No-Spend Year in 2023 to get finances under control and reduce time spent shopping. In the beginning of the year, I set my “whys” to help me stay motivated, which included:

1. Spend more time with my family

2. Save 3-6 months of expenses

3. Appreciate what I have

4. Reduce waste

5. Spend less time decluttering, organizing, maintaining things 

Throughout the year all 5 came to fruition, plus more! I gained insights, peace of mind, and gratitude by reducing spending and time shopping. Below are the top 10 insights I gained from participating in a No-Spend Year.

1. Stuff always has a cost.

• I receive a lot of things for free (which I love). But, even though something is free it still comes with a cost. The cost of time to maintain it, mental peace from having more clutter, or finances to fix it. Before making a purchase or accepting free items, be aware of all the costs and determine if it fits your life. We received two kids Power Wheels vehicles for free that needed some fixing. My husband was able to get one up and running easily with the purchase of a $100 battery. The second one needed more fixing, after a day of tinkering it sat in our garage for 8 months untouched. It was free, but was now taking up space and peace of mind, adding one more thing on the perpetual to do list. Finally we decided it wasn’t worth it. We didn’t need two Power Wheels, it was already creating a burden without even functioning so we got rid of it. 

2. The less you have the easier it is to make choices.

• This is true for both adults and children. I noticed this in myself when it came to digital clutter, primarily streaming services. When we paired down our services it was easier to choose what to watch with fewer options. We make 35,000 decisions a day. Why not make it easier on ourselves and limit our choices right away.  

3. Enough is never enough.

• The brain is a tricky thing. Anything that increases dopamine will have you searching for more, whether it’s sugar, shopping, social media, sex or drugs. Enough is never enough. We are hardwired to want more of what makes us feel good, but we won’t be satisfied. The more we fuel the desire the more we want. We have to change our thinking, behaviors, and habits to find contentment with what we have.  

4. Dying to your desires frees you. 

• Putting limits on what I was “allowed” or “not allowed” to buy forced me to acknowledge my thoughts and feelings that led to impulse purchases.  I was limited in my purchases but I was freed from social pressures and old thought patterns that led to spending money. My time was freed up to do what I enjoy, like taking up writing! 

5. Willpower will only get you so far.

• There is a saying in the addiction field “Be smart, not strong”. It means you can only be strong for so long, the more you expose yourself to a trigger the harder it is to stay strong and avoid the thing you are trying to avoid. This happened to me while Christmas shopping. As I spent more time shopping, I became less satisfied with what I have, leading to more shopping and a few impulse purchases. To make a change, be smart, make a plan, and avoid triggers as much as possible. Willpower is great, until it runs out.

6. “It's always been done that way” is not a good reason to keep doing it that way. 

• Once again this came to me while Christmas shopping. Previously I would buy three items for each person. I began questioning myself- Who decided I needed to buy three items for each person? Where is this pressure coming from? Why isn’t one gift enough? My answer “It’s the norm, it’s always been done this way.” I didn’t like that answer. Rethink how and why you do things,  if you don’t like the answer, change it. 

7. Giving something a name reduces its power. 

   • Before my No-Spend Year, I never paid attention to how marketing affected me, which is the whole point of marketing. But this year, I became aware, I renamed advertisements as a trap, this helped me change my thinking. The “big sales’” I couldn’t miss before were now viewed as dangerous, something to lure me in and take my hard earned money. Naming it a trap took away the glamor and appeal of advertisements, making it easier to stay on track with my goals. 

8. God can’t answer your prayers if you are answering them yourself.

• I like to be in control… a lot. Which has hindered my faith by putting trust in myself instead of God. Instead of acting on my desire to buy everything, I resisted, which created space for God to act in my life. With reducing my time shopping I increased my time in prayer, which led to awareness of how God acts in my life and gratitude for all that we have. 

9. When you point blame, there are three fingers pointing back at you. 

• Throughout the year I was confronted with the reality that I am the problem. I used to point blame at others for having to constantly declutter. If I focused on them and their behaviors, I didn’t have to address my own. If you are going to assign blame, look at yourself first. Nothing is going to change unless you do.  

10. You are a work in progress, you can do better and do worse. 

• It’s all about balance. A balance between knowing we can do better and knowing we could be doing worse. I made mistakes throughout the year, making purchases that were not needed or on my “do not buy” list. Instead of giving up on my goal, I kept going. Knowing I could do better and knowing I could be doing worse by not paying attention to my spending habits at all. Change is hard, allow yourself grace, but never stop trying.  

The No-Spend Year opened my eyes to blind spots in my thinking and behaviors, it helped me redirect my time and resources to align with what I value most, family. I gained more than I could have imagined from this process and I highly recommend everyone take a No-Spend Year. 

P.S.- Thank you for joining me on this journey. Having accountability to you throughout the year helped me stay strong on my path.