8 Simple Tips for Success During a No-Spend Challenge Month

Welcome to February! We closed out our monthly pantry challenge and moved on to our new challenge. This month, we will be focusing on a no-spend challenge month. Last year, I combined the two {a pantry challenge and a no spend month} and it was eye-opening. I noticed my spending pitfalls very quickly {shopping was one...but at thrift shops, so is it really that bad?} and made some changes that ended up saving my family a few thousand dollars. 
A no-spend month or a no-spend challenge is where you don't spend money in a certain area for a designated period of time. The rules are different for everyone, but the goal is to cut back on overspending and reevaluate your spending habits. Do you think a no spend month sounds interesting? Maybe something you would like to learn more about? Then read on! I've got a little no spend challenge for you with 8 simple tips that will help you succeed!

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Sneaky Ways to Save More Money -Tips from our Depression Era Grandparents

The Great Depression Era was a time when most people didn’t have much money. Our grandparents had to be frugal out of necessity and do everything they could to pinch a penny back then. To survive and help their families through this challenging time, they picked up many frugal hacks that most of us wouldn’t dream of doing nowadays. If you’re looking for sneaky ways to save more money, are some of the best tips from our Depression-era grandparents that you should try.

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How to Save Money by Using What You Already Have in Your Home

There are so many ways to save money. From changing your light bulbs to changing where you shop, all of these money-saving tips require you to spend money to save money. If you’re looking for a more practical place to start, I recommend you start saving money using what you already have at home. This can not only help you use up the items around your home, such as extra shampoo and soap, but also help you save money by avoiding the stores!

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10 Hacks for Sticking to Your Budget

The calendar has turned and it feels like the perfect time to hit reset on life. This year is a big year for our family financially. We will be making the final payment on our home! It's been a lot of years of frugal living and making financial choices with intention. Years ago, on this very blog, I did a series I called "living well on less" and shared a lot of the tips we lived by. I'm doing a little bit of a refresh on those tips in a year-long series we are breaking down monthly. This month we are focusing on Jumpstart January. It's important to have a rough budget {would you believe we've never really had a real budget?} to live by and I'm giving you some of my 10 favorite hacks so you can stick with your budget.

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5 Practical Tips for Setting Savings Goals

We are entering into the first week of our Jumpstart January challenge. I already introduced our pantry challenge. I have a $100 bill in an envelope to spend for our family's groceries for the month. Think we can eat out of our pantry and freezer and feed our family of four on this admittedly very limited budget? As part of our Jumpstart January challenge, we will also be looking at setting savings goals. Deciding to save money is often easier said than done, and my hope is that you can set savings goals that will set you up for long-term success. I've got 5 practical tips for setting savings goals. Check it out!

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The Secret Money Saving Formula No One Wants You to Know!

We are off to a strong start during our January Jumpstart. In case you missed it, start here for our first challenge. A new year means a new fresh start and it's a great time to take charge of your finances. Through a series of challenges and practical tips, I am helping you work towards those savings goals. The only way you can do that is by identifying a practical savings goal and then making intentional choices as you make small changes to achieve your goal. For our family, we will be paying off the balance on our mortgage. We took a 30-year mortgage and have been able to pay it off in 10 years with frugal living, wise choices, and clear goals. I'm sharing some of the practical tips we have used to help us through the years with you because practical is my middle name. There is no special formula to money-saving, just a lot of practical choices and those often start with a budget. I'm sharing a few of my favorite budgeting tips today.

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How to Live a Debt Free Life without a Budget

I may be in the margins here, but I think budgets are boring. Don't get me wrong, I have more than a handful of budgeting posts {just do a quick search right up over there in the search bar}, but if you peg me down, I'd have to be honest with you and tell you that our family has never really had a budget. Never. Not ever. All that to say, we have been able to live debt-free, save money, and make investments, and this year, we will be paying off our largest purchase, our home. So how can we do that when budgets are boring? I'll tell you how! 

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20 of The Best Family Board Games for Teens

I grew up playing a lot of board games. My mom taught 5th grade and I remember a little side hustle she took on selling Discovery Toys. Are those still a thing? {Quick Google search says they are!} Board games are a way to bring everyone together to enjoy a shared experience and those shared experiences are so important for a family, especially a family with teenagers. I collected a list of our family favorites and opened up the floor to some of my readers on social media who had some excellent suggestions too. Want to pick that perfect family board game? Look no further!

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Jumpstart January the Pantry Challenge

Happy New Year! Can you smell that fresh start? New Year's resolutions get a bad rap, but the few I have started with intention and realistic goals, have been the ones I have kept. In fact, 12 years ago, I made the lamest New Year's Resolution {I say lame because everyone makes this one!} and I've kept it all these years later! My hope with these monthly money-saving challenges is that you will find practical ways to make small changes because small changes add up to big changes in the long run. Want to get started with our first Jumpstart January challenge? Come check it out!

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