Looking to have fun this weekend, but not in a way that will break the bank?
You and me both! However, that’s definitely easier said than done. Your friends will try to make plans to go out for dinner and drinks, and God knows that’s expensive. Maybe your mom will want to go to the mall for a shopping spree. You can tell yourself as many times as you want that you absolutely will not buy anything, but you probably will. Both of these have happened to me, and they might be fun as they’re happening, but at the end of the night I always end up in a shame spiral. That part? Pretty painful, honestly.
No-spend days are great to implement if you are working toward savings goals.
They’re pretty self explanatory, too. On a no-spend day, you don’t spend a single dime. You can designate as many days as you’d like to be no-spend days: once a week, twice a month, or whatever else works for you and your money. No-spend days allow you to find patterns in your spending. Are you always inclined to buy coffee in the morning, or lunch during your break? Do you tend to lean on retail therapy as a coping mechanism if you had a bad day at school? You can learn so much about yourself and your financial habits through deliberately withholding spending money.
Okay, then what do I do on a no-spend day?
You might be saying to yourself “that sounds great, but what do I do then?” To be completely honest, you’re not wrong in that! Not much is free these days! However, you might have more to do just laying around your house than you ever even knew. So, this weekend, I challenge you to take charge. This time, you make the plans! Tell your mom to save the shopping for another day, and invite your friends over for a night in instead. To get your no-spend day started, here are some ideas for you.
Here are seven things you could do on your no-spend day this weekend:
- Cook yourself nice meals. Using whatever ingredients you have in your fridge, throw together a nice meal for yourself. By nice, I don’t even mean fancy. On my latest no-spend day, I made myself boxed rice pilaf, breaded chicken, and frozen broccoli. It just felt nicer than my usual rushed meal, and that was so relaxing. You could make yourself pancakes for breakfast in the morning, or french toast. Cooking can be super entertaining, and it keeps you occupied.
- Similarly, bake something! Pretty much everyone has simple baking ingredients laying around their house. Make cookies, or the box of brownies that has been sitting inside your cabinet for a year. Yeah, you know the one.
- Have a board game night. My friends and I absolutely love to play board games together. Have everyone bring over their favorites and take turns playing them. If you don’t have board games, write up prompts for charades. We’ve done this one a few times too, and it’s always so fun.
- Have a PowerPoint night. This one was a trend on TikTok during quarantine, and it still never fails to win people over. Invite over some friends, and tell them each to prepare a PowerPoint on any given subject. If you want, create a theme. My friends and I did this, and the subjects are burned into my mind forever. Mine was about which of my friends would survive in the Purge, and why. Someone wrote up their PowerPoint about why Peppa Pig is a symbol for a communist revolution, and another ranked all of our first kisses. Prepare yourself accordingly, because this one can get so out of hand.
- Read the book that has been on your nightstand for six months. This one is definitely subtweeting me a little bit. I absolutely adore reading, but sometimes I get so caught up in the craziness of life that I forget to pick up a book. Take this time to get lost in that book!
- Go for a walk! Walking is good for your physical and mental health, and it can also be really fun. If you walk regularly, drive somewhere different to mix things up. I usually walk my neighborhood, but sometimes I want something a little different, so I’ll head out to a local state park. There are so many places to explore. Get out there!
- Have a photoshoot! If you’re at all creative or good with a camera, this is always a great option! Put on a cute outfit, do your makeup, and head out to a photogenic location with some friends. Not only will you have fun, but you’ll have the memories forever! It’s a two for one.
Obviously, the list can go on and on. These are just some ideas to use as a starting point! Whatever you decide to do, I have confidence that you’ll absolutely crush your no-spend day. If something really works for you, submit it as a piece of advice to the community here!