Life has become so robotic that we only live for the weekends. When the weekends come, we go out, go shopping, eat out, and in the blink of an eye, the weekend ends. Don’t get me wrong, I love socializing and it’s an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, do you always need to spend a hell lot of money having fun? Absolutely not! Sometimes we dive into this ‘You only live once’ mindset and get out of the track of financial freedom.
Since 2022, I’ve been totally immersed in researching financial freedom, and I have stumbled across these no-spend days! They’re like a financial reset button that helps you stay on track with your monthly budget. Plus, these no-spend days are a fantastic way to save money and enjoy some slower, more mindful days.
It was easy for me to have a no-spend weekend, especially since I’d already done a no-buy month in January this year. It turned out to be surprisingly okay and achievable! Even though I’m a minimalist who usually keeps a wishlist and waits a week before purchasing anything to avoid impulse buys, 2023 was an emotional rollercoaster for me. This led to a few unwanted impulse purchases. By December, I was fed up and craving a major life reset. The rules for my no-buy months were;
- No new clothes.
- No new decor.
- No new makeup/skincare/toiletries (except for items that have run out/expired).
- No new office supplies.
- Regular expenses for fuel, groceries, gifts, and household items.
- One night of takeout/dining out per week
I prefer having no-spend weekends to weekdays as they’re much easier to plan for! While these days don’t have specific rules, here’s what I followed:
- Buy groceries for the week.
- Meal plan for the whole week, including the weekend.
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
- Stay away from shopping trips.
- No restaurant visits or ordering in.
- Have lots of slow moments with your family.
- Watch movies.
- Have a self-care Sunday.
- Eat home-cooked meals.
- Go for walks.
- Work out at home.
- Do things that you have been procrastinating on.
- Declutter.
- Do DIY projects.
- Play board games.
- Read.
- Listen to good music.
- Take naps.
- Relax.
I understand it could be boring for some people as there won’t be anything exciting happening on these days, but the slow moments on these mundane days are worth living for. Also, the afternoon nap after a good home-cooked meal was top-notch!
I would love to have these weekends occasionally, as they definitely benefit my peace of mind. They provide ample time to reset my life and do all the things I’ve been procrastinating on, without any other plans to go out and spend the majority of the day traveling around.
Grocery list and meal plan
The first thing I do at the start of the weekend is create a complete grocery list for the coming week and plan my meals, as I usually cook at home. I use Notion to make the list, which allows me to duplicate the weekly list and tweak it here and there.
Socializing at home
Since I love spending time with my friends, I managed to have them come over to my house for evening tea. We made homemade egg puffs, which were fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope they had a good time too.
Self-care Sunday
I managed to have a self-care Sunday, including a detailed bath, a home manicure, and a hair mask.
Afternoon Naps
As I mentioned earlier, a good nap after a meal is so underrated, and often considered unhealthy. But when you have a hectic week, it’s crucial to let your body and mind relax. With no plans to go out, I took the time to do nothing and enjoy a relaxing nap. It was amazing!
Eat healthy home-cooked food
I usually eat home-cooked food and avoid sugar, which has positively impacted my gut health and mood. I also snack on seasonal fruits and make myself a delicious oat-chocolate-cranberry-nuts pudding after lunch! Yum!
Workout at home
I’ve been following a home workout routine for almost 4 years, and it really helps balance my hormones. I went for a walk around the neighbourhood, then did some stretching and weight training at home.
Decluttering
I discovered how badly clutter affects my mental health. I love to keep my home minimal and clutter-free. Though it’s not always possible, having a weekly cleaning schedule helps me stay organized. I usually throw away or donate things I don’t need and only buy necessary items by keeping a wishlist.
Read
I was actually good with my reading routine at the beginning of the year, but I couldn’t keep up with it for long. Over the weekend, I tried to get back on track and was partially successful.
I hope you’ve gained some ideas and inspiration from my blog! If you want to reset your life and budget while truly relaxing, I would 100% recommend having a no-spend weekend every now and then. However, please note that having a list of what to do on the weekend is essential, or else you might end up on the couch doomscrolling.
