The premise of the No Spend challenge is simple: It’s a social media movement that gamifies personal budgeting and takes the art of living simply to an extreme. No Spenders pledge to only buy things that are totally essential for a month or, sometimes, a year.
Like Dry January or Whole 30, this financial detox promises to be a path toward personal improvement, but it can also be a gateway drug into living a life that is more frugal, sustainable and connected.
Step one: Make a budget
“People go through their life blindly when it comes to their finances,” said Chris Biehler, a professor of economics who teaches a class on budgeting at Monroe Community College.
“It comes down to the basics of economics,” he said. “What’s a want, and what’s a need?”
Maybe you need a few breakfast items and some coffee grounds in the house to get going in the morning, but that $7 latte on your way to work? That’s a want. And not to get all Millennials-are-broke-because-they-buy-avocado-toast, but little by little, Biehler said, those little purchases add up.
His MCC classes are mostly made up of teenagers with limited income and even they need a budget.
“Everybody’s faced with choices,” Biehler said. “If you understand the money you have coming in, you can understand how to spend money going out.”
Totaling monthly income and tracking monthly expenses may seem obvious, but it’s easy to lose track of where your money goes. Paychecks are deposited directly and now purchases are made just by scanning your phone: “Do you want Google to remember this credit card number for future purchases?”
Step two: Eliminate all unnecessary spending
The first thing Cassie Cleveland did when starting No Spend was delete all shopping apps off her phone.
“Now, instead of scrolling and shopping for things, I’m reading books,” said the mom of two who lives in Rochester.
She started making other substitutions too, like packing lunch instead of buying food. Instead of throwing things away, she mends them.
“I’ve sewn a lot in my life,” Cleveland said. “Why didn’t we just do that instead of spending another $30 on pants?”
On social media, content creators are baking bread from scratch, upcycling furniture and raising chickens. Contrary to Shein hauls and unboxing videos, the messaging of the former trends seems to be that creating from scratch isn’t just thrifty, it’s virtuous.
Cleveland says she is lucky to be in a position where she has financial and household help from her partner.
“You have to make sure things are divided equally,” she said.
Doing a financial cleanse can teach you a lot about yourself. Maybe you’re the kind of person who spends money on streaming services, dinners out or a little treat at lunch.
Because don’t we all deserve a little treat?
For No Spenders, the treat comes at the end of the challenge.
“I can put it toward saving for our future, or paying off personal debt,” Cleveland said. “It’s something that’s a better goal than another chachka in our house.”
Spending habits can have a broader impact. For Cleveland, it feels good to live more sustainably by cutting out companies like Amazon, and No Spend is just the beginning.
Step three: Change your life
Cleveland first heard about the No Spend trend on TikTok, where people mark No Spend days off paper calendars with colorful highlighters and thrifty influencers showed off their budgets and shared rules.
On Reddit, millions of people trade tips on r/Frugal and other personal finance subreddits regarding how to save money on everything from renters insurance to Valentine’s Day gifts. With those savings, people invest following the philosophies of online communities like Bogleheads, FIRE or Bravely On.
Cleveland found her own community in local Facebook groups where people give things away for free.
Mary Jo Garofoli is the admin of a local Buy Nothing group for the South Wedge/Highland Park neighborhood, which promotes the gift economy.
“It’s become a lifestyle,” she said.
The group has come in handy for her – Garofoli has eight grandchildren and has never bought a Pack N’ Play. But there’s more to it than savings. Buy Nothing also exists to build community. She’s been invited to share dinners, practiced her sign language skills and learned how to compost.
Garfoli likes the idea of neighbors helping neighbors.
“It’s kind of like in the old days,” she said. “You go knock on your neighbor’s door for something, next thing you know you’re having tea or coffee and then supper. Where I grew up, you always had room for one more. It’s just amazing the generosity of the community members.”
Veronica Volk is a reporter for WXXI/CITY. She can be reached at vvolk@wxxi.org.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
