How a no spend challenge works
For a set time, often a weekend, a week or a month, you only pay for essentials: rent, bills, basic groceries, medicine and transport to work. Everything else, like takeaway, coffee to go, clothes, games or impulse buys, waits. Every day you stick to it, you check it off.
Set your rules first
- Write down your essentials before you start, so there's no discussion later.
- Plan meals so you aren't tempted by takeaway.
- Unsubscribe from shop newsletters and remove saved cards from shopping apps.
- Put the money aside. Move what you would have spent into savings at the end of each week.
Ideas for free fun
Walks and hikes, library books and films, cooking with what's in the pantry, game nights with friends, free museum days and sorting out things you already own.