There’s one thing that most can universally agree on: summer can be a very expensive time of year.
Whether it’s a cheeky iced latte, a ticket to a day festival or a full-blown beach holiday abroad, it’s easy for your spending to fall out of control.
Saving? We don’t know her. Budgeting? Even less acquainted.
However, one TikToker has acknowledged these real struggles head-on.
Now tackling what she labels a ‘no spend September’, she’s waving goodbye to her summer splurging in an attempt to get back on track.
Think of it as a ‘money reset post-summer’, she suggests.
The video was shared to the Financielle app page, billed as a ‘budget you can stick to.’
The creator behind the account chose to embark on the challenge because her spending felt ‘out of control.’
‘I’m not happy with the progress I’m making towards my goals’, she wrote, explaining that she was ‘so easily influenced to part with my money.’
As with any challenge, there are steps. And the first, she says, is creating your own rules.
‘Find out what your problem areas are’, she suggests.
‘For me it’s impulse spending and buying everything I see on social media, not being prepared with grocery shopping which means I splurge on takeaways and buying coffees out when I have a perfectly good coffee machine at home.’
Categorising her spending into ‘allowed’ and ‘not allowed’, she’s placed the essentials in the allowed section – including bills, food and necessary transport.
Now, here comes the ruthless bit: deciding what’s not allowed, which for her includes impulsive spending, takeaway coffees, clothes and excessive spending on food.
Make a shopping list and stick to it, essentially – don’t go rooting in the bargain bins just for the sake of it, even if it seems a steal.
She’s also written down some challenges to explore, which include leaning into hobbies that don’t cost money and making room in her wardrobe by selling clothes on apps like Vinted.
All in all, she urges that her rules aren’t universal. Money is incredibly personal, and what might manifest as a problem area for one person might not for another.
She’s even got a travel sinking fund – which is, a separate pot dedicated to a specific expense you know you need to plan for.
So, go forth: why not try the no spend September challenge for yourself?
And if you’re still looking to implement this ‘no spend’ mentality after you complete it, why not try no spend days, or no spend weeks?
You’ll build habits and, no doubt, your bank account will thank you for the breathing space.
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