No Spend Challenge 10 Of The Best Ideas

The No Spend Challenge is becoming more popular as the cost of living goes up and wages do not rise at the same rate.

For many people, the weekend is the release from 5 days of working hard. Most of us do long hours at work which leaves us tired and unable to enjoy our evenings.

This leads to us all longing for the weekend where we can go out with friends, or loved ones and enjoy good food and drink or just each other’s company.

This inevitably leads to spending, Lots of spending, sometimes with money we don’t have. It’s Saturday night, we are out with friends and a bit short on cash.

So inevitably the next drink or that dinner out we have been longing for goes straight onto the credit card. It feels good at the time but in reality, it’s not the smart option when it comes to controlling finances or a good work/life balance.

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WHAT IS A NO SPEND CHALLENGE WEEKEND?

There are various ways to try a No Spend Challenge, Some people try a day, some a no-spend weekend and others do a no-spend challenge month or year.

So it is exactly what the title says. You go a certain amount of time without spending a penny. Not a single cent, dime, penny. I prefer to do a weekend challenge. Too often we spend too much money on the weekend.

Think about how much one family meal out or a few drinks with friends on a Saturday afternoon can cost.

A couple of days’ wages could easily be wiped out. Below are some ideas about what you can do on a No Spend Weekend or on any kind of No Spend Challenge.

Give it a go and it can make a big difference to your monthly spending. It can also become one of your go-to money-saving techniques.

So what are some great ideas to keep you entertained while not spending any money?

Here below are 10 of the greatest ways to keep yourself occupied whilst not spending a single penny in my official no spend challenge guide.

COOKING

Ok so cooking may not seem incredibly exciting but it can be fun if there are two of you. Get yourself into the kitchen and prepare something using only the ingredients you have in the cupboards. Buying more ingredients would be cheating so this is not allowed.

Also if you end up making something like lasagne or bolognese you can batch it up and store it in the freezer.

This saves money and time on a future evening after work when you have a meal ready to be thrown in the microwave for a quick dinner.

As an avid cook myself, this makes for the perfect no-spend challenge for me as I get to be creative in the kitchen.

GO FOR A LONG WALK

So this may again not seem exciting and it may not be possible for some people who struggle with mobility.

However going for a walk gets you fresh air and exercise, and if you combine it with a good app or two it can also be rewarding.

Sweatcoin is a great walking app and this can help you be rewarded for walking or running. You can spend your sweatcoins on fun activities or items such as clothing etc. Then instead of a no-spend challenge, you are earning as well. Sign up above and get earning while not spending. Result.

DUVET DAY

One of my favourite days is a duvet day. We all work so hard during the week at our jobs that a duvet day is perfect for one of your weekend days. If it’s miserable weather outside then a duvet day becomes even better.

Stream your favourite shows, browse your favourite websites or read a book. Just relax and get some sleep as well.

My wife and I completed a no-spend challenge by combining Netflix with cooking using ingredients in the kitchen. What a great lazy no spend weekend that was.

DECLUTTER YOUR HOME

Go up into the loft or spare bedroom and have a clear-out. Any boxes you haven’t opened in a year will not be used. Have a look through and organize stuff into Sell piles and Throw piles.

Be ruthless and throw stuff if you’re genuinely not going to use it. With the sell pile, you now have something to do on your next No Spend challenge. eBay your stuff and earn some extra cash.

PLAY BOARD GAMES

I know you are getting visions of paying Monopoly and someone losing their temper and throwing the board. It doesn’t have to be like that.

My wife is an avid board game collector and has so many great ones. Some are very funny and worth playing with a few of you.

So get some friends over, Get some food and drink (From your own cupboard people, No cheating) enjoy good company and spend some of those weekend hours without spending. Pro tip: Get your friends to bring food and drink with them.

DEEP CLEAN YOUR HOME

This is never going to be high up on your list of things to do. However, the feeling of getting to the end of the day and seeing your living area all tidy and the kitchen gleaming is pretty special.

Not only have you spent no money for that day, but also you have achieved in getting your house looking great. This means when you wake up on Sunday you can relax for another full no-spend challenge day with no chores on your mind.

SUPERMARKET CLUBCARD VOUCHERS

Apologies to my overseas readers for this one. Most supermarkets in the UK do vouchers which can be earned by spending on your normal weekly shop.

These vouchers can then be exchanged for free days out at theme parks and other UK attractions which means a great free day out for you and the kids that would normally cost over £100. This is a great way to spend a no-spend-free day.

NETFLIX BINGE DAY

Ok, so this idea is only appropriate if you own a Netflix or similar subscription but binge-watching box sets are the perfect way to stop you from spending money.

As long as you have some food and drink in the house then you’re all set. Fire up the best streaming site you have access to and snuggle up with your partner and while away those hours without spending any money at all.

READING

I was never a huge fan of reading when I was younger. However, as I have got older I have grown into it and now as long as the book grabs my attention I can get lost for a good few hours.

If you have an Amazon Kindle then there are free books you can download so that you keep conforming to the No Spend challenge rules.

WRITE

Seems obvious to come after reading but why don’t you write something? It could be a list of things to do when you have a weekend when you are spending or a list of DIY that needs doing around the house.

There are various writing sites where you could start earning some money without spending any in your spare time writing about things you are passionate about.

You could maybe start a blog as I did, you can do this without spending any money and there will be a series of articles coming soon which will explain how to go about this.

BE INSPIRED

If you’re anything like me then doing a no-spend weekend isn’t really a huge deal. I will probably try a whole week for my next No Spend Challenge. I sometimes do a no-spend weekend without even thinking about it, However, there are people that do it to extremes.

Some people can go months or even a whole year with no spending. That’s a little bit too crazy for me but just to get you inspired now you have read my article have a little look at this lady and her incredible 1 year no-spend challenge.

I have created a No Spend Challenge Printable which you can download to keep track of your progress. You can use some or all of the month to keep accountable for your progress. No spend challenge printables is what I used on my first weekend to make sure I was sticking to it and had goals written down.

Thanks for reading and let me know in the comments what you did on your No Spend Weekend.