Should You Try a No-Spend Challenge?

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast: Should You Try a No-Spend Challenge? Released on June 17, 2025

In this engaging and insightful episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast, hosts Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni delve deep into the concept of no-spend challenges—a popular strategy among those striving to gain better control over their finances. Originally aired as Episode 286 in February 2023, this re-airing continues to resonate with listeners, offering a comprehensive exploration of the benefits and potential pitfalls associated with committing to a period of reduced discretionary spending.

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Introduction to No-Spend Challenges

[02:42 - 06:00]

The episode kicks off with Jen and Jill reintroducing the topic of no-spend challenges, acknowledging its popularity among their audience. They emphasize that while such challenges can be highly beneficial, they may not suit everyone's current financial or personal circumstances.

Jen: "Should you try a no spend challenge? Welcome to The Frugal Friends podcast where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and live a richer life." [02:42]

Jill: "This is a fan favorite, and we want to make sure that you hear all the best of it." [03:06]

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Benefits of a No-Spend Challenge

[07:04 - 16:45]

The hosts outline several key advantages of undertaking a no-spend challenge, supported by expert insights and relatable anecdotes.

1. Achieving Savings Goals Faster

   • Tom Yamas: "The first benefit of a no spend challenge is that it will help you achieve your goal faster. If you're just looking at numbers... you would be $2,000 closer to your goal." [08:18]
   • Jill: "There's a specific goal in mind... it's aimed at a good reason to do a no spend challenge." [09:01]

2. Exercising Self-Control

   • Jill: "It does help us to exercise self control. A challenge like this can help us to rein in and exercise that muscle to learn a bit more of what it feels like to say no to ourselves." [09:35]

3. Identifying Hidden Spending Triggers

   • Tom: "It can help you identify hidden impulsivity issues or spending triggers. Your head becomes a lot clearer." [10:28]

4. Discovering Ways to Have Fun Without Spending

   • Jill: "It can help discover ways to have fun without spending money... exercising this kind of creative muscle." [12:22]
   • Tom: "Forced creativity... great for our brain health function as well." [16:10]

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Potential Pitfalls of a No-Spend Challenge

[20:46 - 35:07]

Jen and Jill also address the dangers associated with no-spend challenges, ensuring listeners are well-informed before embarking on such endeavors.

1. Focusing Too Intently on Small Expenses

   • Tom: "They focus on eliminating relatively small, short-term expenses like coffee, dining out... we prefer focusing on $3,000 problems and $30,000 problems." [30:10]
   • Jill: "If we're not doing well with the smaller things, we're definitely not going to do well with the bigger things." [24:15]

2. Establishing a False Sense of Security

   • Jill: "If you put in a ton of effort towards not spending, it doesn't work that way." [25:04]
   • Tom: "The no spend challenge gives you space to think more clearly and creatively about... ways to increase my income." [26:09]

3. Binge Spending

   • Tom: "Another danger is binge spending. When you try to go too hard, too fast... you fall off the wagon and compensate by binge spending." [30:01]
   • Jill: "If binge spending is a temptation, it might be the number one reason a no spend challenge isn't for you." [31:03]

4. Deferring Discretionary Expenses

   • Jill: "You're not just saving money, you're deferring it to spend later, which isn't beneficial." [32:49]

5. Shaming Yourself for Reasonable Wants

   • Tom: "We're not here to shame you for reasonable wants. They can just be things you want and love." [34:14]
   • Jill: "Deferring isn't bad in itself... It can help you build the habit of letting things sit and deciding if you truly want them." [35:06]

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Responding to Criticism: Is a No-Spend Challenge Sustainable?

[35:07 - 42:34]

The hosts engage with an external article that argues no-spend challenges don't work, addressing its main points with thoughtful rebuttals.

1. Not Sustainable Long-Term

   • Tom: "A no spend year makes a great story, but it can transition from helpful to holding you back." [36:40]
   • Jen: "It's necessary to reign it in, similar to fasting before surgery. It's not meant to be permanent." [38:21]

2. Doesn't Bring Meaningful Change

   • Jill: "It depends on your approach. If you have a real goal in mind, it can bring about meaningful change." [42:34]

Jen: "The goal is to not need the tool anymore. Use it to find your radical middle." [41:33]

---

Listener Spotlight: Bill of the Week

[43:18 - 48:09]

A heartfelt segment where listener Katie shares her positive experience with pet insurance covering unexpected veterinary bills, highlighting the importance of proactive financial planning.

Katie: "My pet insurance covered 80% of the vet bills after her dog was attacked, and the neighbor contributed $200. It's rare things go the way they should, and I'm grateful." [43:18]

Jill: "Gratitude for the neighbor and pet insurance. Your dog is better, and the bill didn't become overwhelming." [45:49]

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Lightning Round: Hosts' Personal No-Spend Practices

[49:07 - 57:14]

Goldie poses a question about the hosts' own no-spend experiences, prompting candid responses.

Tom: "I haven't done a no spend week or month since we were paying off debt in July 2017." [49:26]

Jill: "I use the no spend concept to focus on specific goals, like cooking at home to save for renovations. It includes planned outings and avoids deprivation." [51:34]

Jen: "Our approach is flexible. We use tools like our spending planner and book, ensuring the no spend challenge serves its purpose without becoming an extreme." [54:14]

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Closing Remarks and Resources

[57:14 - 68:09]

Jen and Jill wrap up the episode by promoting their book, "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke", and encouraging listeners to utilize their YouTube channel for additional resources. They emphasize the importance of adapting financial tools to individual needs and maintaining a balanced approach to spending.

Jill: "Factor in money to celebrate accomplishments. It helps maintain the benefits of the challenge." [53:47]

Tom: "We hope this episode helped you figure out what a no Spend Challenge is and if it's right for you." [54:13]

Jen: "If you're liking this podcast, please leave us a rating and review. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tips." [57:02]

---

Notable Quotes

• Tom Yamas: "It's not just about deprivation, it's about creativity and filling in the gaps in other ways." [16:10]
• Jill Sirianni: "Discretionary spending isn't eliminated forever; it's about making mindful choices." [24:15]
• Tom Yamas: "A no spend challenge is a tool, not a lifestyle. Use it when necessary to gain clarity." [41:33]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast offers a balanced perspective on no-spend challenges, celebrating their potential to transform one's financial habits while cautioning against common mistakes. By intertwining practical advice with personal experiences and listener stories, Jen and Jill provide a comprehensive guide for anyone considering a no-spend challenge. Whether you're looking to save for a specific goal, build better spending habits, or simply gain financial clarity, this episode equips you with the knowledge to make informed decisions tailored to your unique situation.

For more resources and detailed strategies, listeners are encouraged to explore their spending planner and check out their book, "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke", available at buywhatyoulovebook.com.

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Stay tuned for more episodes aimed at helping you save money, reduce debt, and achieve financial independence with a touch of humor and camaraderie.

Transcript

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[Tom Yamas]

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[Host 2]

Evenings on NBC.

[Tom Yamas]

Should you try a no spend challenge? Welcome to The Frugal Friends podcast where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and live a richer life.

[Host 1]

Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.

[Tom Yamas]

Welcome to Frugal Friends. My name is Jen.

[Host 2]

My name is Jill.

[Tom Yamas]

And today we are re airing episode 286. This is back from February in 2023. So if you were not with us, then you did not get to this episode. That was a fan favorite. And we want to make sure that you hear all the best of.

[Host 1]

But first, this episode is brought to you by Possibilities.

[Host 2]

What if you could identify ways to.

[Host 1]

Save more, spend better, and even keep.

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[Host 2]

You can.

[Host 1]

That possibility is there for you and you can do it the Frugal Friends way with our new mobile optimized spending planner. It's beautiful. It's simple, it does math, it's easy to navigate from your phone, and it's inexpensive, which is one of our favorite things about it. Save money, track money, spend money, get good at money. It's all possible for you. Frugalfriendspodcast.com planner and you can use code summer50. That's summer5zero.

[Host 2]

And that will get you 50% off.

[Host 1]

This mobile optimized sponsor spending planner spreadsheet through July. So that's a pretty long time that you have to get 50% off of this thing.

[Tom Yamas]

The fact that this planner does math, the spreadsheet is important because I heard at the dog park this morning, five out of four people are bad at math. Let that sink in. She is processing it with her eyes.

[Host 1]

There was dog park, there was five out of four.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, you got there, you got there. But you don't need to do the math because the spreadsheet does it for you. Okay, summer 50 do it. That is 50% off and that's straightforward.

[Host 2]

Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

So today we are talking about what you can use, the information you can use to vet whether a no spend challenge would be right for you and in this season of your life, whether it will help you or not. For most people, we think it's gonna be really beneficial for a lot of seasons in life. Sometimes it's not though. For me right now, I'm in a really hard season and I should not add something on top of it. This morning on the radio, people were talking about 75 hard. Do you know that challenge? Yeah. And I was like, oh, gosh, maybe Travis and I should should do that. It would bring us closer to right. You look at you. That's exactly as soon as I said that in my head. I, too, was like, oh, Chen, stop it.

[Host 2]

Oh.

[Host 1]

You are living 365 hard right now.

[Tom Yamas]

I am. And I. Right. So, like, sometimes we think we are living in something hard, that something else hard will be the solution to our problems. And sometimes it's not. Okay, so, like, if you're thinking about doing a no spend challenge, this is a good episode for you. For most people, I really do believe 30 days of no discretionary spending is gonna be really healthy and really good. But for some people, it's not. And this is a really good. It was a favorite episode from two years ago.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

Cause it can be fun.

[Host 1]

That's the thing too.

[Tom Yamas]

Right?

[Host 1]

And we'll talk about ways to make it fun.

[Tom Yamas]

A challenge forces you to get creative in ways you wouldn't have. And creativity produces beautiful things in your life. So.

[Host 1]

Absolutely.

[Tom Yamas]

All right, we'll let you decide that, though. So.

[Host 2]

So our first article comes from. I love this Rinky do Finance.

[Host 1]

And that's how I'm gonna choose to say it.

[Host 2]

Rinkido Finance. And the.

[Tom Yamas]

The logo is a. Is an elephant.

[Host 2]

It's so cute. It's a very cute logo. And it's all about the benefits and dangers of the no spend challenge. I think they take a great, measured, tempered approach where they're looking at just the pros and cons. So we're just gonna highlight all of the different pros and cons of a no spend challenge. Of course, we're assuming that you understand what a no spend challenge is that for a period of pre. Sel. Did Predetermined time, you are deciding to not spend typically on specific categories. Of course, you still need to spend on food, water, shelter, transportation, healthcare, utilities. But generally you're deciding other categories and maybe all other categories that you're not gonna spend on. But it can be relatively loosey goosey. But that's a quick little overview of what even a no spend challenge is. We're not going through how to do one. We're going through whether or not you should do one. Pros. And so let's first talk about the benefits of a no spend challenge. Jen, back to you.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. So the first benefit of a no spend challenge is that it will help you achieve your goal faster. If you're just looking at numbers. Yes, it does that. So this example is a little extreme for me. It says, let's say you plan on taking a vacation in five months. If the no spend challenge saves you $100 every weekend, you'll be $2,000 closer to your goal? I don't think anyone should stop spending money on the weekends for five months. That has never been my aim. But yes, mathematically, if you were to not spend money $100 every weekend, then yes, you would save $2,000 for whatever goal you have.

[Host 2]

Yeah, that's a reasonable thing to see. How can I propel my savings goal for? But I. What I do like that they've highlighted here is that there's a specific goal in mind. It' not always and forever. And it's not arbitrary. It's I have a certain amount in mind. I know that if I save this amount and can cut in other areas, then I will have X amount of money for this specified goal, which I do think is aimed at. A good reason to do a no spend challenge.

[Tom Yamas]

Absolutely.

[Host 2]

The next benefit is that it does help us to exercise self control. And so when it comes to spending in ways that we don't want to spend, a lot of times it's tied to impulsivity, making financial decisions, purchases that were not necessarily planned for. And so doing a challenge like this can help us to rein in and exercise that muscle to learn a bit more of what it feels like to say no to ourselves, which isn't always the most comfortable. But when practiced, when we exercise that muscle, it can become easier and easier, essentially, especially when we realize the benefits. Because it's not just about deprivation, it's about saying no, experiencing self control for a specific reason.

[Tom Yamas]

And that kind of lends to the next one. That gets into really the core reasons why I love no spend challenges is that it can help you identify hidden impulsivity issues or like I like to say, spending triggers. So when you stop spending money altogether and this comes down to decision fatigue. Right. So when we make a lot of decisions in a day, our decisions get progressively worse and worse throughout the day. And that's called decision fatigue. When you take the decision off the table and the decision is always no, then you become a lot. Your head becomes a lot clearer and able to identify spending triggers. So things that you wouldn't have even thought of crossed your mind. When you're making all kinds of decisions and you're just trying to get through the day become glaringly obvious when you give yourself pause and the space to identify them. So that is really what I love about no spend challenges. And I think you can accomplish that in a short amount of time. I don't think it takes a long time to start to identify those issues. If it does, a no spend challenge probably isn't for you, you're probably already spending in alignment with your values and you are in tune and mindful to all your expenses and that's fantastic. This isn't for you. But if you are spending money and busting your budget and you're like, I don't know, my budget says I should be able to do this, yet I'm never able to, this is a great way to pause without actually pausing your life and identify some of those things that you can work on to improve the way you stick to your budget.

[Host 2]

I agree. I do think this is one of the core, most core reasons and pros to do a no spend challenge to really get to the foundation of what's going on for me, because it absolutely will highlight when we've already said I'm going to say no to this, to most of these things, what surfaces it kind of is that crucible, that like shaking ground, the sifting ground to show, okay, here's where the true thing is that I need to tackle. Because ultimately it's not just the spending behavior, it's what it's tied to.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, because you can save a lot of money doing a no spend month, but that saving ends at the end of the month. And when you're focusing on identifying those spending triggers, those are savings that carry on for months, years beyond. And those savings compound more than the $400 you might save on one month of a no spend challenge.

[Host 2]

This last benefit that they list is one of my faves in that it can help discover ways to have fun without spending money. And that I think also helps us to exercise this kind of creative muscle for us, this problem solving muscle of again, it's not just about deprivation, it's about creativity and filling in the gaps in other ways, identifying alternatives. So that maybe it's not just about this ultimate savings goal, but reorienting some behaviors and habits altogether that we can take with us beyond the no spend challenge. And this is one of them. When we're talking about exercise, muscles of self control, I think that's what this one is too. How can I be creative with the way that I spend my time, my resources? What happens when something is taken away? Really interesting. This is reminding me. I was just chatting with my husband Eric and another friend, both of whom are musicians. And I was more so listening in to this conversation. But they were commenting on how better their creativity and their creation of music is when they've got limitations. This friend was also describing this in a video production project that they were doing as well. Like they put these Certain limitations on themselves that you would think, oh, you're not going to be able to do as well or you're not going to be able to have the best product if you don't have all of the things. But they were commenting on the phenomenon that when they took away all of the expensive equipment or had a time limitation or different, just whatever kind of limitation you want to input here, it helped them be more creative to see, well, what can I do within the confines of this, where they almost like those are some of their favorite projects where I didn't have the best of the best equipment or I didn't have all of the mics I would have preferred, or I didn't have the camera that I wanted or all the time in the world. And those constraints made me more creative in the process. And I think there's some correlation to what we're talking about here that when we put constraints on ourselves, sometimes that can create space for the play, the creativity, the discovering new things or skill sets. I think it's worth implementing for everyone at some point in life, whether it's a no spend challenge or other types of constraints, to discuss, discover more about ourselves. It's a worthwhile exercise.

[Tom Yamas]

Yes, that is my favorite. That is my second favorite thing about a no spend challenge is that forced creativity. Because when we are so used to solving all our problems by spending money, not only do we wonder where all of our money has gone, but we lose the satisfaction and the like. Yeah, self satisfaction. That comes with being creative and thinking critically and figuring things out, which is not even like great for our self worth, but it's actually great for our brain health function as well.

[Host 2]

I think it also helps us to get started on something that we want to get started on. Oftentimes our barrier to entry is I don't have all of the tools and resources in order, but this can give freedom of. You don't have to just begin. Like, one of the things I want to do soon is get back into painting and drawing, but I'm like, oh, I don't have all the paints. But like hearing this conversation of Eric and this friend, it's like, oh, no. I actually love the challenge of start with what you have and see what comes of it. So, yeah, it's just getting me excited. You can see where I land on this.

[Tom Yamas]

You know, Bob Ross only painted with I think like 11 colors. Eight. Eight colors here.

[Host 2]

Are you like googling this right now?

[Tom Yamas]

Yes. I knew this. I was like, it's gotta be like nine or 11, eight colors because somebody got us. Somebody got Kai this like Bob Ross color book when he was an infant. So I know all the colors now because they're in the book. But think of Bob Ross and the empire of painting that he did. He used eight colors. Eight. And they have really weird paint even.

[Host 2]

If you don't have all of the resources.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

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[Tom Yamas]

Let's talk about the dangers of the no spend challenge, which we haven't covered a ton of. But whenever I see somebody talk negatively about a no spend challenge, I just want to clap back because I have something to say. And then I was like, oh my God, I have a podcast. I know exactly where I can say it. So here are the dangers of the no spend challenge. And the first is that they focused too intently on small picture. So it says during the no spend challenge, people tend to focus on eliminating relatively small, small short term expenses like coffee, dining out, snacks, streaming. And so to paraphrase Ramit Sethi's famous adage, adage, adage. Thank you. These are $3 problems. And we 100% agree. We would much rather focus on $3,000 problems and $30,000 problems, which is why we love the long term focus of a no spend challenge and focusing it more on how can I spend better long term because that's going to save you $3,000 in a year, whereas focusing just in the month or week that you're doing it, that, but that gets you thinking in solving $3 problems. So that is an actual danger of the no spend challenge. But I think it's a danger in frugality in general, that if you are trying to become frugal and you're trying to listen to the Frugal Friends podcast to find out how I can save money on coffee, dining out and snacks, we go and give it to you. We actually have, we have a full episode on how to save money on coffee. It's not that we're not going to, not like we're not going to give it to you, but that is one episode and 286 because that's a $3 problem.

[Host 2]

Girl, you are lapping back.

[Tom Yamas]

While we have probably, God, 50 episodes on how to save money on food in general and we've got 10, maybe 20 episodes how to save money on housing and transportation, we've got a lot of more episodes on how to mindfully spend. Those are the big decisions.

[Host 2]

I think it's worth identifying the potential pitfalls because I think it can help us lay a good foundation for entering into A no spend challenge. Well, like this, they're not wrong about identifying this as a pitfall. And it comes back to motivation. What are you doing this for? What is the end goal? If it's just to not buy a latte, then we might be missing the mark. If it's to identify some of our behaviors and root causes and reorient some of our cycles and patterns, then great, we're on the right track. And those small things, those $3 things will absolutely bear weight on the $30,000 things. Because if we're not doing well with the smaller things, we're definitely not going to do well with the bigger things.

[Tom Yamas]

Amen.

[Host 2]

The next potential danger is as they identify establishing a false sense of security. I have mixed opinions on this. I don't know.

[Tom Yamas]

Tell me all your opinions.

[Host 2]

I just don't know how much of a potential pitfall this actually is. So what they're saying here is that if you're putting in a ton of effort towards not spending on something that can lead people to believe, oh, because I'm putting in a lot of effort, the numbers will work themselves, themselves out and it doesn't work that way. And, and I would agree, but I'm not sure how many people are actually thinking that way, like, oh, just because I'm working at not spending. This is. And maybe, maybe.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, I think it's a very, it's almost an elitist view of the problem. It's saying like, if you're not doing it honestly, it's saying like, if you have an income problem and you're just doing a no spend challenge to focus on your expenses, then you're doing it wrong. Because what else is there? Like, yeah, I mean, I would also say doing something is better than nothing. And the lowest barrier to entry thing that you can do to get good with money is to decrease your outgo. Like, yes, you might have an income problem. And I don't even like to say that it's an income problem. You may. More opportunities will open up to you with more income. You can't deny that. So we always want to be working towards that if it's in alignment with our values. But that takes time. It takes no time to decide. Like, I'm going to do a no spend challenge next month and try to get better control of my expenses. Like so much easier.

[Host 2]

I guess this is just like an easy enough pitfall to be aware of and keep a pulse on because they give the example. You know what if you cut a ton of your discretionary spending for a month and you save $500, but what you actually needed was an additional $1,000 that month. And so, yeah, they're saying you'd be better off focusing on your income. My pushback to this one would be if we're doing a no spend challenge, chances are you're the person who's looking at the money. You kind of know what you need to be bringing in. Like, the no spend challenge isn't typically where people start. Like, this is kind of step 2, 3, 4, 5 in the financial journey. So I don't know how much of a pitfall this is for the common person, but it is worth being aware that even though a lot of effort may be put into a no spend challenge, it doesn't mean that it's going to solve our finances financial issues. And I would agree with that. I just don't think that this is the most important pitfall to highlight. I don't think that this is what most people are going to run into.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, no, I would actually, I would absolutely agree rephrasing it like that. And I would, I mean, and I would say the no spend challenge gives you space to be able to think more clearly and creatively about, okay, so maybe I do need an extra thousand dollars a month. Maybe I do need to earn more. Well, now I'm not automatically going out to happy hour or going out shopping when I'm bored. I can start to think of ways to increase my income. I can start to think of ways at work that I have saved the company money or brought more in that may warrant a promotion or a raise for me. So it also gives you that space to think about this.

[Host 2]

I think this is more a pitfall of a scarcity mindset. Just like our constant mindset of like, I just don't ever do anything with my money. It's not even connected to a no spend challenge. Why am I not doing better with my finances? Like, I think that's more of a mindset thing that requires some of these tools and resources to dig into. Why is that the case? Why do I feel like I'm putting in so much effort and not seeing any results? And what are the big things that need to shift? If anything, a no spend challenge could highlight this reality.

[Tom Yamas]

Yes, absolutely. When you think, oh yeah, I can definitely do a no spend year, which I hear a lot of, you know, around January, everyone's starting their no spend year and they realize very quickly, probably by the time that they're listening to this episode that it's not possible. So there's a good amount of time to think about how to compensate. But yeah, I mean it's probably not one I would think of. But sure, it gave us the chance to talk about it. The next one is actually a pitfall. It is a justifiable like should be on this list is binge spending. And it's exactly like when we binge, like when we diet, you're trying to go too hard, too fast, too restrictive, so you fail and then you binge eat and you feel guilty and shame and next month you start the cycle all over again. That is a real reality that can happen with no spend challenges is that you try to go too hard, too fast, not prepared, fall off the wagon and then just compensate by binge spending and then start the whole thing all over again next next month.

[Host 2]

I could see binge spending happening even on both sides of a no spend challenge. Like being aware that a no spend challenge is coming up and wanting to give yourself that ability and freedom to okay, I'm not gonna be able to do this for a while, so what do I need and want and what might hold me over and then afterwards, oh, I did so well, I gotta reward myself. And that's just not gonna give any benefit to a no spend challenge. So here you go. If you know that this might be in your realm of behaviors, if you think that you might fall victim to binge spending, this would probably in my estimation be one of the number one reasons that a no spend challenge might not be for you. If you think that binge spending is gonna be too much temptation or too much of a reality for you, it's too much of the pendulum swing. This would probably be the number one reason that a no spend challenge is not going to actually serve you well.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. And if you've found this to be true for you, but you still really want to try one, I would say don't go all discretionary spending, don't do all your spending, but just pick one expense that you are making a lot that you want to make less of or one location of spending. Think about your spending triggers and just choose one thing. So maybe it's coffee, maybe it's Target, maybe it's I'm not going to get food at Chipotle on the way home from the grocery store. Pick one thing and and go with that instead of all of it. Because I think you'll still find that you have space to contemplate but you are not feeling the pressure and the burden to be perfect. Because especially like with like, I mean they they mentioned like eating disorders and I don't think it's that extreme. Every, all of us can be subject to binge spending, but especially if you have something, if you have ADHD and you know that you are not capable of doing some things, then don't try to do those things when you are under stress or know that you're not in a season to do that or stay within the boundaries you know, you already know work for you. Okay. Don't try and go against things if you've already kind of figured out something that works for you. Just play within those rules. You can adapt. It's your no spend challenge if you want to do it. But again, it also for that reason may not be for you.

[Host 2]

The next one that's really connected to this is that a no spend challenge could simply just defer discretionary expenses. I think this is one and the same as almost binge spending, that it's not as if you're not spending and saving money, you're just not spending it right now, you're spending it later on. So, yep, that could be another pitfall of a no spend challenge is that you're still gonna spend the money, just maybe not today. And that's not gonna do you any good either.

[Tom Yamas]

But I also don't think it's horrible, like to create a list of wants and to actually force yourself to have time before you impulse buy them, which.

[Host 2]

Is connected to the next one. There you go, Jen.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, shaming yourself for reasonable wants. Like I feel like you could. It's not bad to like make that like add those things to your Amazon cart and just keep them there till the end of your challenge because hopefully half of them you're not going to want anymore. But the other half may have been reasonable wants. They may be in alignment with your values. So it's not, we're not here to shame you. Not even for reasonable want wants. Just your wants, your unique wants. Like, they don't have to make sense to other people. They can just be things you want and love and you don't have to justify them to anybody.

[Host 2]

And on the flip side of that, delaying gratification is a helpful thing. I mean, we don't have to do it always and forever, all the time, with everything. But deferring isn't a bad thing in and of itself. At least there are days where you're not spending, you're not going to get those days back. And like always backtrack on each of those days and spend the money you thought you were going to spend. And it can help to build those habits of putting something in the cart and letting it sit there. Just, it might be simply deferring it to another day and the money gets spent, but it could also be that you've given yourself time to think and sit on it. And that's helped to bring more clarity on whether or not you actually want that thing. So I think there's two sides to that deferment coin and it's not all a danger or a pitfall.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

Well, that leads us. Since we're already down this rabbit trail of potential pitfalls, let's just dive right in now to the deep end. We are ready with an article that's just going to point out I have.

[Tom Yamas]

My hands ready to clap back why.

[Host 2]

A no spend challenge just doesn't work. They're not even talking about the pros of it. They are only talking about the cons. They want to convince you not to do one. And we're gonna talk about it.

[Tom Yamas]

And apparently Jen's gonna clap back, yeah, I'm ready. And I. So I think it's really healthy to look at the reasons why a lot of people do no spend challenges. And they are valid. It's valid reasons why they won't work. If these are your motives or if, if you say, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna look at my spending triggers and think long term. But really, because if you've ever been on a diet, you've probably experienced, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna get healthy. This is gonna be good for me long term. But really, I just wanna be skinny for bikini season. See, it always comes to backfire for you. And it is the same with no spend challenges. We gotta do them for the right reasons. And here are some of the wrong reasons in this article. So that's what we're here for.

[Host 2]

Yeah. So they really only have two arguments against no spend challenges. But these are common arguments. So it is worth looking at so that we know all of the different sides and angles of this thing.

[Tom Yamas]

Yes. So the first one is that it's not sustainable. And that's true. Honestly, that is so true. I see people doing year long, two year long, no spend challenges. And that makes a great story. If you're trying to write a book or an article or get some media attention, you will definitely be able to do that by not spending money for two years. That is something that you can do. But there is a law of diminishing returns with no spend challenges where it transitions from helpful to almost like holds you back to an extent. And this is in the case, like, you learn what you can about yourself and your spending and then you have to implement it. Then you have to go out and go back to spending and, and possibly mess up, possibly make a mistake. And mistakes will happen. And we have to be strong enough and resilient enough to take those into consideration, learn from them and implement what we've learned. And so if you're doing a no spend challenge that's lasting a whole year, you can very much put that off and just live in the comfort of saying no. And that that's more hurtful than helpful.

[Host 2]

I feel like we're practicing for debate club. Like we're on a debate team and we're like, what does the other side say about this?

[Tom Yamas]

And what do we love debating people that aren't available to back at me.

[Host 2]

That's my favorite way to give a closing argument. But they do have their article and we are responding to their article. One of the things too that, that I would add to this about no spend challenges they're referencing as far as the not being sustainable piece, fasting and how not sustainable fasting is, and that it would be better to have a lifestyle change and rather than kind of deprive yourself and then binge my pushback on this is certainly none of these things that are extreme in nature are meant to be for the long term. But that doesn't mean that there's, there's never a time and place for it. People have to fast before surgery. Yeah, it's not sustainable. You're not gonna do that all of the time. But it's necessary to then get the help that your body needs in the following day. People fast for religious reasons. It's not sustainable. But it can be a really amazing spiritual practice that benefits some people. And I am not a fan of extremism either. It's why we've termed our financial approach the radical middle, because we often go to the different extremes. But that doesn't mean that the extremes don't have something to teach us or that we should never ever visit the extremes. Sometimes experiencing something in full force helps us to find the radical middle. I think we often don't know the radical middle until we have an understanding of what's this side of the pendulum, what's this side of the. The other side of it, what's the spectrum of it, and where is my radical middle? I would say the point of a no spend challenge is to identify what is sustainable for you. It's that same concept of fasting for a surgery. Right. It's not going to happen all the time. But if we're identifying, oh, there's a problem with my spending, but I don't totally know what it is. Sometimes we need to really rein it in and pull it back. Or if we want to talk about, you know, when we're sick and we just stay at home, that is not the goal for the rest of life to only ever stay at home, but it's necessary because there's an issue in our body. Okay, so if there's an issue in our finances, what might be a necessary approach that I'm not going to implement forever and always, but really reigns it in, pulls it back and gives space for greater understanding, clarity, diagnosis, and next steps.

[Tom Yamas]

I have snaps for you.

[Host 2]

Thank you.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm snapping for you.

[Host 2]

The final argument that they make for why a no spin challenge doesn't work is that it doesn't bring about meaningful change. I think we've said enough on this topic in the reality that it depends on what your approach is going to be. Yeah, certainly if you're just doing it for a week or a month and then you go right back to your behaviors and you entered into it mindlessly and you didn't have a real goal in mind, it's not going to produce meaningful change. But if you approach a no spend challenge with a goal of maybe just identifying what prompts me to spend, what barriers am I going to run into? If I try and tell myself no, what happens when I try and practice creativity or find free activities, then great. Like, it really depends on what your motivation is going into it. And again, if. If you're just identifying that this isn't for me, I can identify my patterns and make shifts in my lifestyle without this, then that's great, go for it. But we're definitely going to have some pushback on saying this is never going to bring any benefit. It absolutely can bring benefit. And the goal is not to remain in this place always and forever. It serves a specific purpose for a specific time.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. Yes. I mean, that's it.

[Host 1]

You know what else serves a specific.

[Host 2]

Purpose for a specific time?

[Tom Yamas]

It's. I mean, it's specific, but like, almost every time.

[Host 1]

The bill of the week.

[Tom Yamas]

That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William. Maybe you paid off your mortgage, maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck Bills, Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton. This is the Bill of the week.

[J]

Hi Jen hi Jill, this is Katie. I am a fellow money nerd who loves learning more and more about money and I got into your podcast last year when I adopted a senior dog and wanted to make good use of my time out and about. So it's only fitting that my bill of the week is for vet treatment for my little old lady dog. It's related to her being attacked by the neighbor's dog six weeks ago. First off, she wasn't too badly hurt and is totally fine now. Second. Second, the visit to the doggy ER and two follow ups came to 1320 bucks and my pet insurance carrier did not hesitate to pay out the 80% she is covered for. And third, about 10 days before getting notice of the payout, the attacking dog's owner gave me $200 toward the bill, knowing it was going to be at least that much he knew I had. Insurance Insurance. It's so rare that things go the way they should when it comes to a bill you're not really responsible for. And I just wanted to share my appreciation for both the good neighbor and the good pet insurance for doing the right thing. Thanks guys.

[Tom Yamas]

Katie oh my gosh, another one for pet insurance. I would have to say of the Bills of the week, we've received more pet insurance thankfulness than any other bill.

[Host 2]

I also appreciate how you are choosing to highlight a financial situation going well. I think you're so right. Oftentimes bills we are not technically responsible for we still sometimes find ourselves responsible for. But you make some really great proactive decisions, namely the pet insurance to not be in a really tough, difficult financial position right now with your pup. And I'm so grateful with you. And yeah, gratitude for the neighbor for taking ownership of his pet's choices. Glad to hear your dog is better and fully recovered and that this bill did not become an overwhelming, insurmountable bill. So much to celebrate with you Katie. If you all listening happen to have.

[Host 1]

Some great pet insurance that follows through.

[Host 2]

And pays your bills or neighbors who pay some bills, or if you are a person named Bill, visit frugalfriendspodcast.com Bill leave us your bill.

[Host 1]

We're ready for it.

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[Tom Yamas]

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[Host 2]

It'S time for lightning round.

[Tom Yamas]

Wow. Okay, dope. Anyways, today's lightning round question from our sweet manager, Goldie.

[Host 2]

Oh, Goldie, you're the best.

[Tom Yamas]

Love her. Love you. She does listen to every episode because it's her job. What do your no spend weeks slash month generally look like? And I'm, I'm so glad that she asked this question because I get to say I haven't done a no spend week or month since the last month we were paying off debt. So that is I think July of 20, 2017. So they don't look like anything. And that's because we slowed down on like, we don't have, like, well, we raised our income enough to where we could say we can afford our short term financial goals without having to do a no spend challenge. And because we're just like, like in tuned with our values and wants and we communicate. Yeah. So like a no spend challenge for me. Co host of the Frugal Friends, author of the no Spend Challenge guide. No spend challenges aren't for me right now.

[Host 2]

Whoa. This is the hottest take, Toni I have ever been a part of.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm just so glad to share that. Like.

[Host 2]

Well, I think it still is a support of the no spend challenges because it highlights the fact that it's a tool. A tool that can be picked up and put down given the level of skill or job that is currently being required. The tool does work and can point to some solutions when necessary. But there are times that we don't need that tool anymore. Golly, I can't wait till my renovation's over and I don't need some of those tools anymore.

[Tom Yamas]

The goal is always to not need the tool anymore. That's the goal with any tool, is to use it so that you no longer need it.

[Host 2]

And when you no longer need the.

[Tom Yamas]

Job with the tool. Yeah, so when you no longer need it, you don't hold on to it. You find a different tool because you have a new project or you share.

[Host 1]

Your tool with your neighbor. Oh, I love this illustration metaphor that's happening for me.

[Host 2]

I can't say that I've ever needed to fully engage in a no spend challenge. That doesn't mean that I don't do it in my own way, which we are also advocating for. Figure out what works for you. I am not much of a spender, so really reigning that in and identifying my reasons for spending has never been much of a specific issue for me. That said, I will use the tool of a no spend concept to help me towards a certain goal in specific areas. So I typically pick up the tool of a no Spend Challenge to focus in on food honestly. And that will have to do with identifying a specific amount of money that I want to spend so that I can put it towards right now, renovations. So recently it's been a lot of challenging myself to cook at home for like a week to two weeks at a time, giving space for eating out, but challenging myself to a specific budget and meal plan. It has gotten me so good at cooking at home, repurposing food, reducing food waste. I'm so grateful for the way that I've set up the challenge to hone in a skill set for me. It has challenged me in helpful ways. It has helped me free up some cash to put towards the renovation. But it's not a deprivation of everything for me. And it does include factoring in money for going out and enjoying a nice meal, not binging, not, you know, completely deferring just to spend all of the money all over again. It's a part of the plan. And I think that's. That's another thing we need to recognize with a no Spend Challenge is what is your plan to celebrate the accomplishment of it? Factor that money in when you're planning for the no Spend Challenge.

[Tom Yamas]

Absolutely. So a quote that Goldie picked out when she re listened to this episode is when we're so used to solving all our problems by spending money, not only do we wonder where all our money has gone, but we also lose the self satisfaction that comes with being creative critical thinkers and figuring things out.

[Host 1]

Wow. We're smart.

[Tom Yamas]

We are so wise. But it's so true. And I hope this episode helped you figure out really what a no Spend Challenge is if it's going to help you. I think our spending has become so convoluted by so much marketing, so much advertising that it can be hard to figure out what you truly love to spend money on. And I mean, we wrote a whole book that you can read while you're doing your no Spend Challenge. Buy what yout Love without Going Broke. It will be a big help. You can get [e-mail] we recommend doing.

[Host 2]

That before your no Spend Challenge and then have it as a resource.

[Tom Yamas]

And if you're on your no Spend Challenge, you can get it from the library on that page on that website. We even have instructions on how to request it at your library. If your library doesn't carry it, there's.

[Host 1]

Free ways to get the Audiobook version, too.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. If you love us and would love to support us, you can buy the book, but you don't have to. We would rather you get the information inside of it at all costs.

[Host 1]

We're so selfless.

[Tom Yamas]

Wow. Anyways, thank you so much for listening. We've loved reading your reviews about the book. Honestly, like, that has been a great payment. We prefer money, but we've also loved reading your reviews. This one's from Jennifer Garner. Wow.

[Host 1]

Thanks, Jennifer. I guess there could be more than one Jennifer Garner out there, but I only know one, right? Not personally.

[Tom Yamas]

I don't want to get it twisted. It's probably not the Jennifer Garner that you know, but she does give it five stars and says, as a huge Frugal Friends fan and longtime listener, I bought the book to support the podcast. I promise I didn't read this before I said all that. I read the book as obligation to my purchase. I enjoyed the book from the bottom of my heart. So much knowledge was gained. So much entertainment was received. Thanks, ladies, for the whole book. And that one line that said, I can be wealthy, I will use it every day.

[Host 1]

I remember saying.

[Host 2]

I don't remember saying that.

[Host 1]

Oh, oh, I can be wealthy. And then there's no end quote that we did say that I can be wealthy. Y.

[Tom Yamas]

But if I am wealthy, I will use that wealth every day. I just don't think I said that.

[Host 1]

And that's why punctuation is so important. We were probably the ones who did not copy and paste the punctuation. Jennifer Garner.

[Tom Yamas]

Thank Jennifer Garner.

[Host 1]

Yes, you can be welcome.

[Tom Yamas]

You can be welcoming.

[Host 1]

I think you already are.

[Tom Yamas]

Probably. You might already be.

[Host 1]

And that's why she's saying it every day.

[Tom Yamas]

We are on one right now.

[Host 1]

Well, thank you all so much for being here. If you're liking this podcast, please leave our show a rating and review. If you've read the book, please leave us a review of the book. You can do that on Amazon or.

[Host 2]

From wherever you purchase the book.

[Host 1]

And if you're not subscribed to our YouTube channel, don't sleep on that. Yeah, we've got some good stuff, different from what we're putting out on the podcast that we think will be really helpful, especially for those of you who do decide you're gonna do a no spend challenge. We've got some great helpful tips. Especially I'm gonna recommend our spending intervention series. Just go to YouTube, subscribe to Frugal Friends, and then just, like, tool around a little bit.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. Even if you're not a YouTube watcher subscribing helps us a lot because every time somebody from our audience subscribes to our show on YouTube, YouTube will push it out to two people who don't have never heard of the show. So it is truly helpful and maybe we can get more Jennifer Garners listening to the show and being wealthy, telling.

[Host 1]

Us how wealthy they are.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, let us know in the comments on any YouTube video if you are Jennifer Garner and how wealthy you are. And if you use it every day or maybe you don't maybe use it once a week, let us know.

[Host 1]

See you later.

[Tom Yamas]

Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Host 1]

I already told you this story, but I feel like our friends need to know. This past weekend, we had a sick raccoon in our yard.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, everybody does need to hear this story.

[Host 2]

And.

[Host 1]

Eric was out mowing the lawn and then was so close to this raccoon and then realized, oh, that's a raccoon. And then all the neighbors start coming around, paying attention to what's going on. Cause it's broad daylight. This raccoon just on the ground next to our oak tree, awake, but lethargic, not aggressive. And they're like, we should probably do something with this, like trap it and take it somewhere. It was a Sunday, so there wasn't anybody who could come out to our home. But thankfully our one neighbor had a crate, an empty crate that we could use. So I put on my big rubber boots and got a bunch of big plastic lids that you would put on plastic bins. And we just kind of like corralled the raccoon from the tree into the crate. And thankfully it still maintained its non aggression. None of us got bit, put it into a crate, and then we're like, okay, well now what? They're like, yeah, you can't release it back into the wild. They thought that it had had distemper. I'd never heard of that before.

[Tom Yamas]

I have distemper. I have a bad temper.

[Host 1]

Got it from a raccoon.

[Tom Yamas]

So you do not want to release me back into the wild. Multiple sources have recommended, yeah, it could.

[Host 1]

Make other people sick too. So I called probably like 15 different places trying to figure out where the heck to take this thing. One of the voicemails led me to, hey, you know, they're like, we're all filled up with raccoons. We can't take anymore.

[Tom Yamas]

We've got too many raccoons.

[Host 1]

But they were like, go to. And actually, I probably shouldn't say it out loud because they're so particular about their website, but maybe I should. I'm going to. Here we are. We're at the after show. So they're like, go to Raccoon Rescue 911. And this is a national resource hotline for on Facebook. So they're like, look up the group on Facebook. Raccoon Rescue 91 1. Give them your information. They'll be able to help you. So I'm like, all right, I'm. I'm at my wits.

[Tom Yamas]

You joined Raccoon Rescue?

[Host 1]

I joined Raccoon Rescue 91 1. And I had to fill out, like, what was going on with. With me and my raccoon. And I was accepted to the group instantaneously, even though it had to be approved by admin. And immediately one of the admin tagged me in a post. They were like, jillian Siriani, contact this woman for Pinellas County. Contact this one for Hernando County. Keep us apprised of what's going on. I'm like, I literally applied to this less than 3 minutes ago, and they're already rallying. The subculture of raccoon rescue is insane. In a good way, in the best way, in the most helpful way, but it is a subculture. And then I was scrolling a little bit further down, and I saw one of the admin was like, we generally try and be nice and kind in here, but I'm gonna break that rule for this one. Anyone else who just invites their friends to this group is getting kicked out of here because this is for real raccoon emerg emergencies and raccoon babies. And we can't be having just friends joining wanting to see cute pics of raccoon babies. This is real work we're doing in here. And we only want people who have emergencies. Like, this is nuts. I hope I meet the qualifications. Anyways, I end up texting the person that Raccoon Rescue 911 tells me to take text, and they respond again immediately. Within two minutes, I get a text back because I had listed out everything.

[Host 2]

And what's a dead end?

[Host 1]

And so I was saying that this one veterinary group said that they wouldn't take them. And her first response to me was, they're lying. They must just be tired because it's Sunday and they don't want to work. But I take distemper raccoons to them all the time. And then she's like, I'm at my daughter's graduation. I can't help right now. Now I'm like, my gosh, wow. And yet you are texting me back within minutes of my initial message. Again, I stand by. Raccoon rescue subculture is popping off. These people are a tribe and they are ready to rumble.

[Tom Yamas]

Wow.

[Host 1]

Anyways, ended up long. It's just. It's all such a long story. But we finally did, did find a place to take it to. She was right. That one place was lying and we were able to take it there. And we did. So Eric and I, non pet owners, driving this sick raccoon in a crate in the back of our car, never would have thought that this is where I would just be spending my Sunday evening. But twist, one of the best twists ever. We get there, we have to wait for them to take the raccoon out of the crate because we needed to get the crate back to our neighbor.

[Host 2]

And.

[Host 1]

And meanwhile, they have snack cart. They wheel over snack cart to us with all the good snacks. High protein snacks, nut snacks, goldfish snacks, pirate booty snacks. Also chapstick or lip balm.

[Tom Yamas]

That was unexpected when you told me that there's lip balm on the snack cart.

[Host 1]

Hand sanitize. No, no, this was. This was a veterinary, like an emergency 247 vet clinic.

[Tom Yamas]

So they were lying that they couldn't take the raccoon, but then they were like, snacks, snacks.

[Host 1]

And I was like, okay, yeah, bottles of water, coffee. It was.

[Tom Yamas]

Wow.

[Host 1]

It was a luxurious experience that I'm like, am I, am I raccoon rescue now? Is this what I do on Sundays? Because snacks. I'll keep going getting some distemper raccoons. Clearly I can handle it because you and I have had a podcast for over seven years. Yeah, distemper. Don't scare me away. I got Rubbermaid lids.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, you got.

[Host 1]

I can corral you into something.

[Tom Yamas]

You have corralled me many times and I've given you snacks for it. Wow. Well, glad it all worked out.

[Host 1]

Same.

[Tom Yamas]

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[Tom Yamas]

Find space to send off that last work email, fill up on premium dining, and finally relax for up to three hours before takeoff. You might even wish your layover could last just a little longer.

[Host 1]

Flight to Mexico now boarding.

[Tom Yamas]

Oh, that's me. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. For more information visit american express.com with Amex.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Hi, I'm Danielle Fishel from Pod Meets World. So for my two boys I got Samsung Galaxy Watch for kids and I'm not saying I'm kind of jealous of my kids tech. I'm saying I am definitely jealous of my child's tech. This thing lets them call, text and explore all from their wrist. No smartphone required. And don't worry, you're still the boss. You control who they can talk to and yes, you can totally stalk their location in real time. Get Galaxy Watch 7 on T mobile now kid ready with a new paired line. Visit t mobile.com to order yours to today. Parent and child must have a Samsung account and Google account with family link requires initial pairing with a compatible Samsung smartphone and qualifying wireless plan with LTE service activated. Please check with your carrier for more information. Trusted contact applies to compatible apps. It does not restrict communication through third party or other communication apps. Emergency services and contacts remain accessible. Location sharing is dependent on network connectivity and device being recently active. T Mobile terms via 24 monthly bill credits when you add a qualifying paired watch line, see additional offer terms on.

[Host 1]

T mobile.com this is an iHeart podcast.