I know, January resolutions are SO 7 weeks ago… but you don’t have to wait 10 more months to cleanse your money habits with a restriction on buying more stuff. No-Buy Challenges can be started - and stopped - whenever you like.

If visions of chowing on ramen noodles from the back of your cupboard dance in your head, fear not! The beauty of these tasks is that you can make them what you want them to be.

Choose your rules: You decide not to spend money on any non-essentials for x amount of time. That’s the crux of a No-Buy Challenge.

Performing No-Buy Challenges can bring about some pretty great financial, emotional and lifestyle benefits and improvements. Practicing them can:

You’ve probably seen stuff online about restrictive, zero spend, dramatic 90 day no spending challenges out there. And being THAT drastic about pulling back on spending can definitely get you ahead if you need to pay off debt quickly, save for something, or just cold turkey bad impulsive spending habits.

But, just like when you quit smoking 8 times in 1994, or went on a lettuce-only diet to drop 10, there’s a chance you could ‘revenge buy’ after the restriction is over, undoing some of the good work you’ve accomplished.

So if you’re going to try it, just start REALLY slow.

Just see how you do. How hard was it to complete the challenge and how tempted were you to stop/break the rules?

On that note, we thought we’d start you off slowly, with 12 mini challenges you can dip your toe in to see how it feels. From just one day a week, to 2 weeks, give a few of them a try - and let us know how you did!

If you want a more advanced version (30 days), check out the Go Deeper section at the bottom of the email.

✍🏻Editor’s Note:✍🏻

I make up my own no spend challenges every couple of months to give my bank card a break, but also to cut back on waste and especially after periods of time when I haven’t been paying enough attention to my spending.

I just finished a combination of Mini-Challenges 1 & 8, where I didn’t buy any groceries until I finished everything in my fridge and got creative with pantry items.

I ate a lot of banana bread and I had an almost too-ripe nectarine with two slices of leftover freezer keto bread used as hamburger buns for dinner one night.

But it felt good that I had almost no food waste last week (I forgot $2 worth of lettuce in the back of the fridge.), and I also didn’t buy my usual bag of chips because I didn’t go to the store for 5 days.

Also, it’s just never worth it to eat questionable sandwich meat to save a buck. Trust me on this one. - Sarah

These no-buy challenges aren't just about saving money – they're about discovering new ways to live more intentionally.

Each challenge provides an opportunity to examine your spending habits, get creative with resources, and develop new skills.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection. If you slip up during a challenge, simply note what triggered the spending and try again. Every day is a new opportunity to make better financial choices.

Choose a challenge that interests you, adapt it to your lifestyle, and give it a try.

Pro Tip: Start by making an inventory of what you have. You might be surprised at how many meals you can create!

Pro Tip: Many states require gift cards to maintain their value. Check your old cards – you might find forgotten money!

How much can you save by just cutting these for one week? Maybe you can do it once a month?

Pro tip: SuperCook is a great website when you're doing The Fridge Farewell Challenge - you just type in the ingredients you have and they'll give you a lit of recipes you can make.

Set Clear Rules

Track Your Progress

Plan Ahead

Stay Motivated