NO SPEND LENT
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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 (I’ll be sharing more of my Bible reading plan later this month), 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 when 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 thing that I landed on last year was my spending habits.
I did my first No Spend Challenge last year during Lent (which turned into a pandemic and spending MORE than 40 days not really spending a lot of money, mainly out of fear about the unknown) because I have 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?
Not exactly the best habit to get into. And I’ve noticed that I’ve been falling into that habit more + more over the past several months. I see an ad for something and think it’s something I NEED right this minute, so I just go ahead and buy it.
Which is why I’ve again decided to do a No Spend Challenge during the season of Lent.
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! I’ve already messed up a few times (like the first day when I went + bought Kenna 2 pairs of shoes), but I remind myself that I can just start over immediately and that I can (and WILL do better).
My other focus during this time, as stated in the “rules” is cutting back and saving where I can. I already budget pretty well, 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 2 years…).
Last year, 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.
In the year 2020, I was able to save over $10,000 with the Digit app, which went directly into our savings for finishing our basement this coming summer!
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!)
Only about 30 days left in my No Spend Challenge… here’s to being better about your money and to remembering the TRUE reason for the Lent season…
I might not be great about my spending habits, but I have gotten pretty good about budgeting for our family. Want to learn more about how I budget for our family of 4? Check out this blog post and swipe my family budgeting spreadsheet!
