A 30-day no-spend challenge is a set period of time — 30 days, in this case — during which you can only spend money on absolute necessities. Allowed expenses include utility bills, rent, transportation costs, and groceries. Anything outside the necessity bucket is banned for the 30-day period.
With many people looking to cut expenses amid rising costs, a 30-day no-spend challenge can be a great way to take stock of your spending habits and use your money more wisely.
Table of Contents
Key Points
• A 30-day no-spend challenge requires you to spend money only on absolute necessities, such as rent, utilities, transportation, and groceries, while cutting out all nonessential purchases.
• The challenge helps you reassess your spending habits, especially during times of rising prices, and identify areas where you may be overspending.
• Before you start, create and review a personalized list of essential expenses, deciding how strict to be and allowing reasonable flexibility for genuine needs.
• Nonessential expenses like dining out, entertainment, clothing, hobbies, and gifts are typically restricted unless you define specific exceptions in advance.
• Success in the challenge depends on planning ahead, removing spending temptations, and finding free activities to replace paid entertainment.
How Does the 30-Day No-Spend Challenge Work?
The no-spend challenge is a time period during which you stop spending money on anything other than what you absolutely need to live. To get started, create a list of items and services you consider essential. When you review the list, ask yourself if all your so-called essentials really are that important, or are some superfluous and impulsive?
Keep in mind that this challenge is designed to help curb troublesome overspending or, more specifically, bad spending habits. So don’t beat yourself up if you spend some money on wants rather than needs.
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Allowed Expenses During the 30-Day No-Spend Challenge
During the no-spend challenge, you will still need to pay your rent or mortgage, gas, utility bills, renters’ insurance, and other household expenses, such as your internet and phone bills. You can purchase essential personal care items, too, such as medications, groceries, and cleaning products. A budget planner app can help you decide your essential “needs” list.
While completing the challenge, the lines can get blurry. For instance, what happens if you wear out your shoes and want/need a new pair? After all, walking in cheap, poorly made shoes could lead to injury or to avoid an activity altogether. Feel free to give yourself some wiggle room in deciding what’s essential for you.
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Forbidden Expenses During the 30-Day No-Spend Challenge
Remember that before you begin the challenge, you need to question what’s essential and how strict you want to be. It’s smart to decide in advance which of the following will be on your do-not-spend list:
• Eating out: fast food, restaurants, takeout, alcohol, coffee, etc.
• Personal care items or services
• Clothing
• Gifts and gift cards
• Home decor and furnishings
• Hobbies
• Entertainment: movies, concerts, books, streaming services
You may determine ahead of time that there will be certain exceptions to these categories. For example, you can decide on “no gifts” except for your mom’s birthday. Or no salon appointments except for a needed haircut.
Tips for Completing the 30-Day No-Spend Challenge
Anticipate what will be the most difficult part of the challenge for you and develop strategies to cope. Is your busy social life going to tempt you to break the rules? Or will the siren call of online shopping be your undoing?
Come up with a plan on how you will get past your specific spending challenges. If your social life will be tough to navigate that month, recruit pals to join the challenge and make it a friendly competition. If online shopping is your budget-killer, unsubscribe from retail email lists and delete shopping apps from your phone. The point is to make the challenge as easy on yourself as possible.
Here are a few additional ways to set yourself up for success:
• Unsubscribe from memberships and apps
• Set aside time during the week for meal prep and bring lunch to work.
• Dust off your travel mug and skip the coffee shop.
• When you get an urge to buy something, add it to a post-challenge wish list.
• Print out a 30-day calendar and make a checkmark at the end of each successful day. Visual reinforcement can motivate you to keep going.
10 Free Things to Do Instead of Spending Money
Taking part in a 30-day no-spend challenge doesn’t have to mean isolating yourself at home to save money. This is a time to get creative and search out free activities. You may find that some free experiences are more fun than what you normally spend money on.
1. Take a Hike
Whether you’re walking one mile or seven, hiking is a great way to spend the day outdoors. You can invite friends or go solo and get in tune with nature.
2. Get Some Exercise
Many great athletes and trainers offer workouts on social media and YouTube. Or download one of the many free apps that feature yoga, strength training, and high-intensity workouts.
3. Set Up a Sports League
Call your friends and organize a weekly game of flag football, basketball, or frisbee. Encourage folks to BYO beverages and snacks so that there’s no need to visit a restaurant or bar after the game.
4. Dine Al Fresco
Get your picnic blanket and paper plates ready and propose a potluck in the park.
5. Host a Movie Night
Try a free, library-affiliated streaming service, such as Hoopla or Kanopy, and immerse yourself in a great film. If you’re feeling inspired, select a classic film, and ask friends to come dressed in the style of that time period.
6. Sand and Surf
Sticking to your challenge budget during summer is simple: Head to the nearest free parking beach. Bring towels, chairs, and umbrellas, and set up shop for the day with a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks.
7. Have an At-Home Spa Night
You don’t need to spend hundreds at the spa. Set the tone with candles and music. Use personal care items you already have at home to pamper yourself.
8. Check Out a Local Park
Odds are, there’s at least one park near your home that you’ve never visited. If you live near a botanical garden, even better. Also, see whether any nearby national or state parks have free admission days.
9. Visit Art Galleries and Museums
Support local artists by visiting small art galleries or by checking whether any local museums offer free visitor days.
10. Whip Up a Gourmet Meal
Instead of dining out, try recreating your favorite meal at home. Take your time, find recipes, budget for groceries, and have fun with it. You can pull up an online recipe or follow along with a cooking show.
The Takeaway
Intended to encourage better spending habits, the 30-day no-spend challenge asks you to limit your purchases for one month to essential items and services only. Utilities and groceries are allowed — dining out and other “treats” are not. You’ll likely learn a lot about your money habits and perhaps let go of some “needs” that really aren’t.
Before the challenge, review your monthly spending habits with SoFi.
Take control of your finances with SoFi. With our financial insights and credit score monitoring tools, you can view all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
FAQ
What is the no-spend challenge?
A no-spend challenge is a period during which participants vow not to spend money unnecessarily. Essentials are still allowed, such as bills, transportation, and groceries. Anything that falls outside your predetermined needs must wait until the challenge is over.
What counts as an essential expense?
Essentials typically include housing, bills, insurance, basic groceries, medications, and necessary transportation, but you define your own list before starting the challenge.
Can I make exceptions during the challenge?
Yes, you can set reasonable exceptions in advance, but you should be honest with yourself about whether the expense is truly necessary.
What happens if I slip up and spend money on a nonessential item?
Slipping up doesn’t mean you’ve failed — acknowledge it, reflect on what triggered the purchase, and continue the challenge without giving up.
How does this challenge help improve financial habits?
It increases awareness of spending patterns, helps identify impulse purchases, and encourages more intentional money management.
Photo credit: iStock/Seiya Tabuchi
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