My No Spend Week - Loren

We’ve challenged a selection of bloggers, content creators and the public to only spend their money on the essentials for one week. Check out the My No Spend Week hub for some inspiration on saving. Maybe a ‘no spend’ week could change how you view your spending habits?

We’ve quizzed our diarists all about how they feel about their spending habits before their challenge week and then after, how they might approach saving and spending in the future. Today we’re hearing from Loren. 

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I’m Loren, a home and lifestyle blogger who enjoys renovating my 1930s home on a budget and with an endless time frame. When I’m not repainting walls, walking our chocolate Labrador Mia in Derbyshire with my husband is my favourite thing to do. 

Are you a saver?

I currently save at the beginning of the month. To work out what to save I’ll take away bills and a little spending money to find my savings for that month and then if there is anything leftover at the end of the month I’ll save that too. 

Clothes is my biggest spending habit, definitely. Picking clothes up when I’m doing the food shop or seeing something online. Once a month I feel I need a new top or little something to treat myself for no reason other than having something new. 

The biggest change in spending due to lockdown is the fact that we’re eating out and having fast food a lot less. We have had takeaway pizza since lockdown started but we used to have fast food whilst out and about at around 2-3 times a week. If we were having a day out at the weekend we could have three meals a day without thinking how much it would add up to. 

I’m currently saving for our Disney holiday. I want to make it extra special without having to worry about money whilst we’re out there. I wouldn’t want to go with the aim of relaxing and not be relaxed about spending too. It could be a once in a lifetime opportunity so wouldn’t want to be too frugal. 

100% yes I would like to save more money. I still look at past purchases, unused, unworn items and wonder why I spent money on that when I could have saved it instead.

Take the No Spend challenge 

Friday

We did a small food shop and purchased Fathers' Day gifts of wine and just one card as I remembered I already had one at home and just had to look for it.

Saturday

We decided to have stand alone wardrobes instead of fitted and this change saves us around £300 in total. I really wanted to go to IKEA to purchase a wardrobe after the decision but we chose not to as there would be long queues and we would have purchased more than we needed by going in-store. I have decided to wait until payday to make the purchase and order only what we need online instead of being tempted by last minute buys. On the drive to collect a Fathers' Day gift from B&Q (a purchase that we had thought through) I did fall asleep and when I awoke my husband had driven to McDonald's. Instead of saying no and as it was 4pm (missing lunch) we both had a McDonald's. 

Sunday

Taking the dog on a walk my husband wanted to go to the park and purchase a coffee at the tearooms to walk around with. We decided instead that we would take our to-go cups with tea from home. This saved £4 and didn’t change the experience.

Monday - Thursday

No purchases made!

The verdict

When we decided that we were having free standing wardrobes instead of fitted saving us a substantial amount of money I wanted to make the purchase straight away. I do realise that this kind of decision making and rushed purchases can lead to spending more money and have decided that big purchases need to be more thought out than this. On the same day I did find it hard at the time to say no to fast food but had we planned the day more carefully we wouldn’t have been in that position. The challenge week went okay in general, there were a couple of occasions that I nearly spent money. For example, I remembered a top I wanted to order online but on second thoughts I actually realised I don’t need any more clothes! Usually I might not have thought this through but I did thanks to the challenge. 

As our No Spend Week was over Fathers' Day we decided to still get gifts but not over spend on items that weren’t needed. I think it’s easy to want to purchase a lot of gifts to show someone you’re thinking of them but most of the time just your company is preferred. 

Overall, I did consider purchases more, especially food and what we did need or what we could get from home like the drinks on a walk. 

I don’t think I’ve kicked any spending habits but I am more aware of how much things are, how much they are needed and what I can do/make/eat instead. 

My No Spend Week has definitely encouraged me to save more. When we had the McDonald's at the weekend I felt guilty knowing that was £12 that could have gone on something more substantial so this thought process will stick with me going forward. I understand its not bad to spend on the occasional treat but only when it makes you feel good, not when you would feel the exact same having something else and save the cash!

Your No Spend Week?

So, what do you think? Could you go a whole week and only spend on essentials? No treats or coffees or new clothes? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook and if you’d like to write your own ‘My No Spend Week’ diary – send us an email telling us all about yourself to socialcomms@thenottingham.com. Check out our range of savings accounts and our Essential Savings Guides too for some more tips and tricks for saving money.


*The featured content creators have been paid to take part in and keep a diary of their ‘My No Spend Week challenge’. However the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the content creator and the opportunity is open to members of the public too if they also wished to take part in the challenge. There is no commercial relationship between The Nottingham or content creator and any products or brand mentioned in their diary.

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