NO SPEND LENT CHALLENGE 2022
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Every year during the 40+ days of Lent, I try to “sacrifice” something.
Over the years, it tends to be food related, giving up things like chocolate, all sugar, or just eating after dinner time.
But, as I’ve learned more + more about the Bible (you can check out the Bible reading plan I did last year here), I’ve come to find that my sacrifices like chocolate, sugar, and desserts is more for ME than it is a reminder of what this time of year is supposed to mean for Christians.
In Matthew 4, Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by the devil. I think there’s 2 big things we need to focus on in that sentence and throughout Matthew 4…
Jesus was FASTING. Like ACTUALLY fasting… for FORTY days. Can you even imagine fasting for more than 40 hours, let alone 40 days?!
But, not only did he spend those 40 days fasting, he also was tempted by the devil during that time. During the time he was FASTING and in a weakened state. I don’t know about you, but when I’m hungry, I don’t want anyone to talk to me PERIOD, let alone try to get me to do something I know I shouldn’t. My willpower is low when I’m hungry (which is why it’s recommended not to do your grocery shopping on an empty stomach).
Yet, Jesus is PERFECT. And he spent those 40 days showing the devil just how powerful + perfect he truly is.
So, for me, Lent is a reminder of that time Jesus spent in the wilderness, which is why I typically sacrifice something every year.
But over the years, my small sacrifices haven’t felt like enough. They’re too EASY and they are more about ME than they are about what these 40+ days are supposed to be about.
(Sidenote: I think it’s hard to sacrifice anything worthwhile without it being about us… but that’s a different topic we can go down a rabbit hole another day.)
I’ve been searching for something that has become such a habit in my life I don’t even think twice about it. And the past few years the thing that has become a habit that I don’t really even think about is my spending habits.
I did my first No Spend Challenge in 2020 during Lent (which turned into a pandemic and spending MORE than 40 days not really spending a lot of money, mainly out of fear of the unknown) because I had gotten into this “habit” that if I want something, I buy it. No thinking about it, no second guessing myself… I have the money, so why not spend it on things I want?
This seems to be a recurring theme each year after Christmas. While I do feel like after 2 years of doing a No Spend Lent challenge I’m starting to think more about whether I want vs. need something, Christmas always seems to be the time when I end up with more packages on my porch for me than for other people.
And that habit ends up finding its way into the New Year as well. Which is why for the third year in a row, I’ll be doing a No Spend Challenge during Lent again.
Here are the “rules” about how to do a No Spend Challenge…
>> Only spend money on the things you NEED (i.e. mortgage, bills + utilities, food, insurance, transportation, hygiene products)
>> No spending money on the things that you WANT (i.e. clothes, Starbucks, impulse buys, manicures/pedicures, other entertainment)
>> No spending money that isn’t already an expense you already have (i.e. you can still pay for things you use on a regular basis, like a gym membership or streaming services)
>> Find areas where you can cut out expenses and/or SAVE money (i.e. your massage membership that you don’t use, streaming services you don’t use as much, etc.)
There aren’t a TON of rules around this, obviously, but for me, it’s a reminder that I DON’T always need to be spending money just because I can.
That I can walk through Target and not go look at the planners or the Dollar Spot because it’s cheap and it’s things I want.
It’s forcing myself to read the books I already HAVE instead of getting one that I want NOW.
It’s waiting until I actually run out of something before I stock up on something else.
This has NOT been an easy challenge for me so far. I am constantly having to remind myself that I don’t NEED things. That I can wait because that NEED is not urgent - it’s just a want and it can wait.
Am I perfect? Hahaha… NOPE! My Starbucks addiction is real and always a hard one to break. In fact, as I was writing this post and reminded myself of the rules of this challenge, I totally forgot it meant giving up my weekly trip to Starbucks.
But, those are the types of sacrifices I NEED to be reminded of. That being able to go to Starbucks each week is a PRIVILEGE and not a right.
My other focus during this time, as stated in the “rules” is cutting back and saving where I can. I already budget pretty well (you can grab my budget tracker here), but there are a few things that come up that I know I don’t necessarily NEED because I’m not using them in the first place (like that massage membership I haven’t touched in years…).
A few years ago, I also started using the app Digit to start saving money. Digit takes your checking account and watches the balance, what you spend and what you earn. Based on those numbers, it automatically takes money from your account and puts it into a “savings” account. It starts really small - think, less than $1 - each day, and eventually, as it watches your spending, adds more and more into that account.
The past 2 years I’ve been using Digit, I have saved over $10,000 each year which went directly into our savings for various house projects and trips we have planned in the coming years.
You can download the app for free - and you can earn $5 simply by signing up!
(Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link and I will also earn $5 when you download the app. But, as you know, I only share things with you that I truly believe are AWESOME - and they’re not paying me to say this either! I just really, really LOVE the app!)
Lent starts on March 2, so this is a reminder to myself of what’s coming up next week. I’d love for you to join me in this challenge as well.
Want to learn more about how I budget each week? Check out this post on how I budget for a family of 4 and get my budgeting template for free!
