Posted in Home | Friday, January 25th, 2013
Are you Ready for No-Buy Month?
I mentioned in a poll on my Facebook page last week that I’m going to follow in Frugalista’s footsteps and take on “No Buy Month” for the month of February. Many of you who took the poll on my page said you were willing to participate. Well, let me define what that means…
1. Don’t buy anything that is not a necessity – No. Shoes, lattes and iTunes mp3s are NOT necessities.
2. Just the basics – Only spend money on groceries, bills, copays, subscriptions, babysitting, business expenses, etc.
3. Make a budget – You’ll be surprised how much you’re actually spending on frivolous things when…well…you don’t spend it.
4. Cash is King – Once you make a budget, figure out how much cash you’ll really need every week and go to the ATM only ONCE a week. (You’ll save on fees that way).
5. Get Creative – Just because you’re not going out to the movies this month doesn’t mean you can’t watch a movie. Watch something you own or find something free to do.
6. Tell Your Friends – You know how hard it is to go on a diet when every one around is eating cake for breakfast? Don’t torture yourself. Invite your family, friends and even co-workers to join in! That way you can come up with fun free things to do together!
7. Share the Love – Tweet about it using Frugalista’s tag #nobuymonth and get ideas from other folks who are taking the challenge. Comment here on Savvy Brown about your weekly progress! I’ll be doing digest posts every week that you can reply to with your tips and tricks!
8. Save green by Going Green – Upcycle, Reuse, Compost, Repurpose! That’s the name of the game next month. (If you’ve seen my instagram or Pinterest pages, you already know I’m NUTS about this stuff). You’ll be surprised how much money you can save just by greening things up a bit!
I’ll also have tips and tricks of my own to share, guest bloggers, as well as a giveaway (or two!). If you don’t want to comment every week, (or you’re just shy), feel free to email me personally at savvy@savvybrown.com with any questions or tips you may want to share.
Remember to check out Frugalista’s site and to follow Frugalista on twitter, for more tips and tricks!
• Are you going to participate in February’s “No-Buy” Month?
I’m going to try, Savvy! It’s really be a challenge, but I think it’s a challenge I need to take on.
We’re in.
@Debt Free Divas thank you! It would be great if you ladies could share some of your tips as well!
You bet we will! This is right up our alley. Great idea. I think this will help people press pause and focus on fixing their finances!!!
Really wish I could join in and stick with it but we have another kiddo due in March and I feel far along in this pregnancy now to shop for babe. I will mostly be hitting consignment sales though so not going too insane with “things.”
@Kia ANOTHER one! Congrats!No worries. Hopefully you’ll have time to check back and make use of some of the tips. I’m so happy for you! *bounces*
I love going to the theater to watch movies, its my favorite thing to do and I prefer going alone. I have gone to matinee shows, I know AMC theaters charges $6 if you go before noon.
Another thing one can do that I discovered by accident is rent dvd’s from the Library for FREE. You will be surprise at the selection they have. I have come across some great classic films as well as some great un heard ones, also tv series. Sometimes I don’t even have time to watch the 3 dvd’s I have rented out.
They also have a children’s section where not only can rent children’s movies but also shows such as Barney and Dora The Explora. On long Holiday weekends I made sure to go get some dvd’s for my niece when she was living with us.
@Claudia THANK YOU SO MUCH!I knew about the DVDs from the library, but the others I didn’t know about. thanks for sharing!
If you have an annual Amazon.com Prime membership, you can get free ebooks (dont need a Kindle, just download the free app to your compter, phone, or tablet) and watch free movies as well. Amazon Prime membership isn’t free, but for an annual fee of about $70, you get free 2 day shipping on most items, overnight shipping for $3.99/item, those free movies and ebooks to watch (and if you have a blue ray player you can access these films and watch on your TV as well as your computer). The film library is expansive and even includes seasons of some television shows, and it’s actually cheaper than Netflix when you break it down the actual monthly cost for the membership.
@Shak Thank you so much!
I’m in! I was already planning to do this and I’m glad I found a ‘support group’. I just set you picture of the rules as my phone lock screen.
@Jazz what a great idea! I didn’t think of that. That way you can keep it with you. Thanks for the tip!
[...] If you’re just tuning in, I’ve dedicated February to Frugalista’s “No Buy Month” on this blog. Once again, here are my version of the rules. (For a breakdown of the rules click here). [...]
[...] a few weeks, it really made me think about what I actually spend my money on. As outlined in the “No Buy Month Rules” I paid bills and bought groceries, but didn’t buy anything extraneous unless it was with [...]