5 Things To Prepare for a No Spend Challenge
To prepare is to plan for success! One thing that has helped me tremendously with paying off $15,000 on a $30,000 income was No Spend Months! They may…
14 Things that Waste Money, but I Refuse to Eliminate from my Budget
Lately, I have seen a ton of articles that focus on things you shouldn’t waste money on in your debt free journey. According to these, you should just go cold turkey on everything that is a “waste” of money. There are a ton of things that could be considered a waste of money to one person, but not another. I am all about ways that I can save money. This month, I am in the middle of my #SavvySagittariusNoSpend Challenge. When I am not spending money on anything, it makes it easier to see what I really do waste money on.
This isn’t how I am doing my debt free journey at all. There are still quite a few things that I purchase that are on most of these lists. I am always looking for ways to save money, but there are a few things that I am just not willing to stop “wasting” money on. Because I won’t give them up, I have found a few ways to save some money on these things.
Your debt free journey doesn’t mean you have to be miserable. Continue to enjoy the life you have, but do so responsibly.
How To Make Money Blogging
I have been blogging for a while now and I am slowly figuring out the keys to making a little money on my blog! I am not an expert, but…
May’s Debt Free Journey Report
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This is one way that bloggers make money, but it is at absolutely no extra cost to you if you choose to make a purchase based on my suggestions! Thank you!
My Story
If you have been following my story at all, you probably know that I tell my story at the beginning of every monthly report for those who just stumbled upon my blog. If you have read my story, feel free to skip ahead to my monthly report. I tell this story so I am not just some stranger, but instead someone who just might inspire each and every reader to follow the same journey!
My name is Elyse. I am 22, single with no kids and I am proudly on my way to being completely debt freeeee. I never really thought of myself as someone who was in debt. With no credit cards and no car payment, I was not the average American. All I had was a few student loans. It wasn’t until a few weeks before my 22nd birthday that I got a loan for a Jeep and my very first credit card. I should say credit card(S). For the month of December, I thought it was so cool that I finally had a credit card. I was excited over it actually. I was learning about all the different rewards I could cash in and it was fantastic.
Towards the end of the month, I was cleaning off a bookshelf, getting ready to move (again), and found The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
“Sometimes, you have to like like NO ONE else, so someday you can LIVE like no one else.” – Dave Ramsey
8 Things I Learned From NOT Spending Money
In the last few months of my debt free journey, I have learned so much! During the Month of April, I spent almost no money. I feel like I…
Week One: No Spend Month
Week One of my No Spend Challenge was not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. I had a few ups and downs as I expected, but I really think I excelled all week! Thank goodness for my Instagram #debtfreecommunity. HUGE shout out to The Budget Awakens and Frugal Desperado for doing this challenge with me! All three of these have been amazing sources for me when I wondered if this challenge was really worth it!
Buying supplies for my no spend challenge
The few days before, I spent $21.43 at Super Saver getting chicken, fruit, veggies, and other stuff to make for my meals this week.
Then I spend $25 at Sam’s Club getting enough toilet paper to last through the apocalypse and coffee creamer for the rest of the year. They were both killer good deals and I won’t worry about needing them for a while so I am not constantly using my small budget this month to buy items. (Update: I bought the toilet paper in March and I still have a ton left in August. My coffee creamer lasted until July.)
I put $25 worth of gas into my Jeep! Gas is probably going to be the hardest part of this month because it doesn’t really matter if I go over budget, I have to go to work. That being said, I have been trying to monitor how often I am driving places and if I can make multiple trips into one instead of driving all over town! Most of my driving is to and from work and the gym.
I had to buy more pre-workout and ended up spending $90 at Max Muscle (They still gave me a killer deal) for some pre-workout. BCAA’s are good for sore muscles and recovery. Since I have been insanely sore after my last few workouts, I decided to give it a try. I had a little bit of money in my supplement fund. While it was an impulse, it was worth it to get me through week one.
Week One of my No Spend Challenge!
I think I have done great on my No Spend Challenge so far! I have forced myself to keep packing my lunch no matter how great McDonald’s coffee may sound at about halfway through my 12-13 hour work days.
My coworkers for the week were eating out and I kept sticking with it all week! I desperately wanted some food at work a couple of those days, but I stuck it out and made the best of it. Some of my coworkers were actually nice enough to share their food with me if they didn’t eat it all.
SPENT THIS WEEK:
Wal-Mart Groceries 16.21
Sam’s Club, Groceries 5.48
Sam’s Club Gas: 25.09
Paid Off:
Student Loan #3: $78
Student Loan #4: $92
37 Free Things To Do Instead of Spending Money
I have officially started my No Spend Month and free things have become my best friend! It is already a little harder than I expected, but I know it will be great! It definitely requires more organization and planning than I am used to! Especially working two jobs some days, I diligently pack the night before to make sure I have the things that I need for the entire day. I know that I am working most of the month, so I will not have a whole lot of time to be bored, but if you are completing a No Spend Month (Or even just a weekend!) there are a ton of great things to do with your time. During a No Spend Time, you don’t have to sit and be miserable!
I encourage you to do things that you don’t get to do very often and make the most of you time! Don’t sit around thinking about the things you could be doing if you were spending money! The more you find to do that is fun, the less you will think about spending money!
All About This Sagittarius Stuff
When I first chose the name “The Savvy Sagittarius” for my blog, I just thought it was playful and cute. I wasn’t that deep into my horoscope, but I was beginning to learn. I follow a few horoscope sites on my social media and some days it is completely spot on.
Some days I am amazed with the personality that comes out of my horoscope. While I don’t really pay attention to a lot of the theories behind the horoscopes, I do think they are extremely inspirational. The daily posts are motivating and encouraging, especially when they are completely on point with what is going on in my everyday life.
Below are the traits for a Sagittarius based on ZodiacFire.com and Astrology Zodiac Signs.
Truest of all the Sagittarius statements that I have read,
“However, although she is wild, do not expect her to fall in love with you immediately. Once the Sagittarius woman does fall in love, she will be a loyal and caring partner. If you give her a reason to think a relationship with you is going to be difficult, she will simply walk out the door. The Sagittarius woman usually has multiple love affairs throughout her life, due to the fact that she will not settle for a relationship that makes her unhappy.”
