Carrying out a no spend weekend challenge is a simple yet effective strategy to help you gain control of your finances while avoiding unnecessary expenses. During weekends, we spend more money than we do on working days, and the reason for this is that many people consider weekends the perfect time to give themselves nice treats and enjoy a splendid moment.
The downside to this, however, is that you could be spending a lot of money on a weekend when trying to enjoy yourself. This can affect your income badly, preventing you from securing your finances. Hence, you must figure out how to enjoy a nice weekend without spending money. That’s exactly what this post will help you achieve.
What Is A No Spend Weekend Challenge?
A no spend weekend challenge is a simple financial exercise requiring you to completely avoid weekend expenses. That is, if you are taking up this challenge, you are not expected to spend any money during weekends even if you are being tempted to do so.
Why Do A No Spend Weekend Challenge?
Embarking on a no spend weekend challenge helps you to achieve one major thing – saving money. If you are looking for effective ways to drastically reduce your living cost and save some cash, you can start by totally avoiding weekend spending, except during emergencies.
Benefits Of A No Spend Weekend Challenge
A no-spend weekend challenge might seem like a difficult thing to do, but bear in mind, the rewards are impactful. Here are some benefits you stand to enjoy by taking up this challenge:
No Spend Weekend Challenge Helps You Save More Money
One of the most essential things you must do to secure your finances is to save money. Even if you are making little money every month, you can save a fraction of your earnings.
Making a firm decision not to spend during the weekends will undoubtedly help you save more money. If you usually spend a hundred bucks clubbing on Saturdays, quitting such a habit means you will get to save $100.
Of course, breaking your bad spending habits on the weekend won’t be easy, and you will struggle initially. However, the key to winning this challenge is to indulge in interesting activities that will take your mind off spending money.
You’ll Learn How To Live Below Your Means
A no spend weekend challenge will also help you live below your means. Remember, you must reduce your spending in order to live within your means, and that’s what this challenge helps you to accomplish.
By canceling all your weekend expenses, you will not only save money, but you will learn how to manage your financial resources wisely. The money you save on weekends can be stored in a high-yield savings account, where it grows continuously.
Besides, if you want to learn how to save more money and live within your financial capacity, here’s a post that explains how you can live below your means and succeed financially.
No Spend Weekend Challenge Helps You Identify Bad Spending Habits
There are certain bad spending habits you practice unknowingly and you may never be able to identify them until you become self-aware. You can build this self-awareness by carrying out a no spend weekend challenge.
When you realize how much you save every weekend by not indulging in irrelevant expenses, you will begin to identify and quit those bad spending habits. It won’t happen instantly, but with time, you can live through the weekend without spending a dollar.
No Spend Weekend Challenge Helps You Focus More On Your Goals
Avoiding weekend expenses will help you save money, and when your savings grow bigger, you will get closer to achieving some of your financial goals.
This no-spend challenge indirectly compels you to focus on your money-related goals instead of wasting money every weekend. Whether you want to build an emergency fund, save for a big purchase, or pay off credit card debt, you can achieve these goals faster when you embark on a no spend weekend challenge.
Tips For A Successful No Spend Weekend Challenge
To carry out a no spend weekend challenge successfully, here are some amazing tips that would help you:
1. Try Walking Or Bike Riding
This one is one of the sure ways to refresh your soul and boost your physical energy. Taking a long walk or riding a bike for miles will not only energize you but help you save some money as well. It’s just an exciting way to keep yourself engaged so that you won’t be easily influenced to spend money during weekends.
If you don’t have a bike, you can take a walk instead. With time, you could save enough money to purchase a bike.
2. Work Out At Home
Working out from home is one of the no spend weekend challenge tips you should try as soon as possible. The main reason you should do this exercise at home is that it will save you money on a gym membership. You don’t have to visit a gym or hire a professional trainer. You can work out at home by following simple rules in YouTube workout videos.
There are thousands of YouTube video tutorials that will teach you how to successfully exercise your body at home without having any workout equipment.
3. Enjoy Board Games
Another way to avoid weekend expenses is by enjoying board games. There are various board games you can play with friends and family members at home. This will be fun, and you don’t have to spend even a cent.
However, if you don’t have a board game, you should spend some money purchasing one. But remember, it’s going to be a one-time purchase. You can always use the same board game over and over again.
4. See Movies Without Visiting The Cinema
Some people spend their weekends in the movies, watching their latest favorite shows and films. But surprisingly, you don’t have to visit the cinema to watch a movie since that will cost you some money. You can watch your favorite TV shows, series, and latest movies at home by subscribing to Netflix once a month.
A monthly subscription to a streaming service like Netflix is much better than sending money every weekend at a cinema.
However, if you still can’t afford to spend money on a Netflix subscription, here are some free sites like Netflix that you should try today.
5. Attend Local Events
Attending local events is one of the known strategies for how to create a no spend weekend challenge.
If you carefully take a look at your local supermarket or library notice board, you might find loads of free events within your town. You can attend charity events, school initiates, parades, or festivals in your local area. This will help you have a good time without wasting money.
6. Explore Historical Sites
Are there any historical landmarks within your city or town? You can drive there with a loved one and spend some quality time admiring history. On the other hand, you don’t even need to step out of your home. You can read books or watch documentaries concerning historical events or figures.
This no spend challenge weekend tactic will not only save you money but inspire and educate you about things you are not aware of.
7. Spend Time With Your Pets
If you have pets at home, the weekend is a great opportunity for you to spend time with them. Rather than going to a party or indulging in some activity that would cost you money, you should play with your pet for as long as possible.
Take them for a walk or organize simple games that would excite them. Aside from saving money, doing this would promote a good relationship between you and your pets.
8. Try Camping With A Loved One
Camping in the backyard is definitely on some people’s bucket lists. If you are yet to try this, you should plan towards it. You can camp with a loved one – maybe your child, spouse, or cousin, and it is usually a fantastic opportunity to enjoy nature and connect more with your loved one.
Some common activities you could do while camping include reading stories, stargazing, or playing games.
9. Help With Your Children’s School Assignments
If you have kids, you can spend the weekend helping them with school assignments or projects. You should take this seriously because it’s an effective way to build a healthy relationship with your kids and get them to trust you as a parent. But more importantly, you would spend your time on something important without incurring any expenses during the weekend.
10. Visit Family Members And Close Friends
Sometimes, we are too busy building our careers or running a business that we forget to maintain our relationships with friends and family members. Some weekends can be the perfect opportunity to visit these folks and spend quality time with them. This is a simple activity that doesn’t require you to spend any money.
If you are just starting to figure out how to do a no spend weekend challenge for the first time, you should consider visiting your favorite friends and family members occasionally.
11. Declutter Your Home
This is one of the tips for a successful no spend weekend challenge. When was the last time you thoroughly decluttered and tidied your home? Of course, you may engage in typical domestic exercises such as sweeping, cleaning the dishes, and doing laundry.
But sometimes, you need to properly put your home in order by cleaning the entire apartment and rearranging items in the house. This is an activity that’s perfect for the weekend.
12. Indulge In Some Learning
Some philosophers believe that nobody stops learning until they die. This is relatively true. As you grow older, you get to learn different things you never knew when you were younger.
However, this is passive learning, which means you do not intentionally involve yourself in the learning process. You should deliberately indulge in active learning by reading books, watching documentaries, attending seminars, or taking up an online course on an interesting subject matter.
This is a typical weekend activity that could help you better understand how to save money with a no spend weekend challenge.
13. Review Your Finances
If you have no idea how to start a no spend weekend challenge, you can begin by reviewing your finances once or twice a month (during weekends only). If you usually budget your money, that’s a good aspect of your personal finance you can start evaluating. Keep track of your spending by checking all the expenses you have made since you built the budget.
Another great way to review your finances is by examining your savings goals and investments (if you have any). You need to make sure you are getting closer to your goals rather than pulling back. Ensure you meet every obligation that will bring you closer to accomplishing your goals.
14. Host Game Nights
One of the creative ways to enjoy your weekends is by hosting game nights. Sometimes, you don’t even have to invite anyone over. If you have a spouse, you both can enjoy a great time playing a variety of games together.
To spice things up, you can make dinner together before you begin the game night. Aside from being able to save money, this activity is a brilliant way to create beautiful memories while spending some quality time with your partner.
15. Indulge In Some DIY Projects
One of the no spend weekend challenge rules is your willingness to execute certain projects all by yourself without hiring anyone to do it on your behalf. For instance, there are some broken home appliances you can fix yourself. You shouldn’t waste money by hiring a repairer to handle the job.
If you aren’t skilled enough to carry out certain do-it-yourself projects, then you can learn from the internet. The YouTube platform, for example, has countless informative videos that will teach you how to do almost anything, even as a beginner. You can start from there.
Final Words On How To Do A No Spend Weekend Challenge
Embarking on a no spend weekend challenge is doable. However, it takes an outstanding level of commitment and self-discipline to carry out this challenge successfully. Always stay committed to the cause.
Try as much as possible to avoid being influenced by your bad spending habits. Think of the financial benefits you would obtain by escaping weekend expenses for as long as possible. That’s how you win this challenge.
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