No Spend September challenge is on!
Oh, it’s that wonderful time of the year again…You might be thinking we’re talking about pumpkin-spiced lattes and all-things-autumn. But, if you know us well enough, you’ll know we mean that is time for another No Spend month! The excitement is super high right here because we’re launching another No Spend September challenge! If you don’t already know the drill, we challenge everyone to turn the savings on and put a pause on the splurging.
So, roll up those sleeves, flex your frugal muscles, and get ready to save up some money! 💰
What is a No Spend month?
A No Spend month is just as you would think! For the duration of a month, you will not be spending money. Don’t worry, we’re just talking about non-essential shopping and choosing savings over cravings.
Spending money on basic things is definitely on the “Yes” list. Right here, we’re talking about utilities, bills, loans, rent, gas, transportation, groceries (no splurging!), and medical expenses. Also, you may add other things you consider necessary.
And here comes the fun part! We’ll cut back on unnecessary things like going out, new clothes, new books and games, entertainment, gifts, random purchases and anything in between.
Why a No Spend September challenge?
We like savings. A LOT! 🤑 And we think you might like them as much as we do. That’s why we’re challenging you to quickly save up some money by joining our No Spend September challenge.
You might need to rescue your budget after a splurging summer. Or, you may also need to get ready for Black Friday as you have your eye on certain things. Also, the holly jolly season is not so far away, and man, you could use some extra cash for that wonderful time of the year.
The No Spend September is also great to reset your spending habits and challenge yourself to say no to impulsive shopping and other things we’ll discuss shortly.
So, let’s see how you can make it through the challenge and not splurge on those yummy autumn treats and cozy things that are everywhere around us. We’ll see how you can spice up your savings with some great tips.
How to do a No Spend September?
📝 Make a plan
Time to pause for a bit and think about what will work for you and how much money you can save. Make a plan and write down your saving goals. Try to make them as achievable as possible in order to make the No Spend September challenge sustainable.
✅ Set some rules
We don’t want to make it sound less fun, but as self-proclaimed specialists in the field of No Spend challenges, we totally recommend a set of rules.
After setting up your plan, think about what can you go a month without. Those will be the things and activities that will feed your piggy bank. Try to figure out what your weak spending spots are and how can you limit your temptations and find some fun replacements.
👨👩👧👦 Make everyone join
Time to put together your saving squad! Why? Because it’s more fun when your friends, kids, partner or the whole family joins. You can keep each other motivated and have fun together. You can do many DIY activities together, track your progress and celebrate them.
Also, for the competitive ones, it can be even more fun and challenging to have a no-spend buddy. You can even have mini-challenges or contests and see who will win!
🎉 Choose free fun stuff
You might get a bit scared if your summer schedule has been super busy and you’ve been out a lot. While joining the challenge, you should cut back on your going-out events.
The good news is that you can always choose to go to free parks, museums, or events that will be much more fun than you would expect. This will bring a lot of savings to that piggy bank!
💡 Discover money-saving hacks
- Try meal prepping: As going out will be put on pause or reduced for a month, we encourage you to do some meal planning at the beginning of each week. Also, as the No Spend September starts, you are also encouraged to find recipes and cook at home with what you already have in your fridge or pantry. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll save!
- Lower your phone bill: Tello’s been rescuing budgets since 2016 and we like to turn everyone into a money-saving hero. One of the easiest life hacks is to stop overspending on your monthly phone bill and choose the most flexible phone plans in the US!
- Use discounts, coupons and points: Stop buying things at full price, especially before the Black Friday season. If possible, use any discounts you may benefit from. Tello also has a great referral program, so you may take advantage of it whenever a pal, a family member or whomever you choose, joins Tello. By spreading the word, you can easily collect Tello Dollars. Once the amount is enough to pay for the entire invoice, you can also get a new line for you or a plan for someone in the family with Tello using your Tello Dollars.
- Avoid going out shopping. Seriously, avoid those tempting shops and stores where you go to buy two essential items but you get out with a full cart. If you choose to still go there, practice self-control and you’ll be extremely proud when you’ll get out just with what you actually need.
- Avoid online splurging: You can delete your credit card information from your browsers and certain websites where you have it saved for the duration of the challenge. If you know the card details by heart, please delete them from your memory during September. You can also turn off notifications from tempting online stores or just simply choose a book or a movie instead of scrolling through products you don’t really need.
💙 Be kind to yourself
You know that we, at Tello, always encourage you to tailor your phone plan based on your needs. Surprise-surprise, the same theory applies to the No Spend September challenge! After setting up the plan and kicking off the challenge, see how it goes. Then, tailor it based on how you feel. Don’t be too harsh on yourself and make the challenge doable for you.
If it’s becoming stressful, you can always skip a few days, but remember that consistency is key. Get back on track ASAP and don’t quit, we got you!
If you’re new to the challenge, you can also start with a No Spend week, a No Spend day or a No Spend weekend. These are some great learning lessons in terms of putting aside some bucks. They might create an appetite for savings, so you’ll switch to a No Spend Month challenge later. Don’t forget that we have another challenge coming up in a few months, and that’s the January Spending Freeze! We’re sure you’ll be ready to join by then for a FULL month.
This year, we’ll bring you some super cool Tello printables to make the challenge more fun!
Kick off the 2023 No Spend September challenge by clicking the links below and downloading these free resources! Then, start to write down your progress.
Download Tello’s No Spend September 2023 Calendar
Just put a tick for the days you’ve successfully not spent money on non-essential items. At the end of the month, see how many days you’ve completed!
Download Tello’s No Spend September Savings Jar
While you can have a physical jar where you’ll put the money you haven’t spent on a latte, the Tello Savings Jar is great for keeping track the entire amount of money you’ll be saving during the whole month.
Download Tello’s Weekly No Spend Lists
If you’re in need of inspiration for fun activities during this month, we’ve got you covered!
Consumerism is trying to keep me and others broke! I am disabled and on a fixed income, so I will always be broke forever! Thanks Tello for helping me save on my bills!