A MUM has revealed how she saved over £24,000 with a ‘no spend’ challenge – following four simple rules.
Jessica Barclay, 35, had “drained” her savings over the past few years due to a combination of maternity leave, Covid and the rising cost of living.
The mum-of-one, from Newbury, West Berkshire, decided to test herself starting in January 2022, taking on a challenge involving no unnecessary spending – and it’s tougher than you’d think.
She, partner Harry, 43, and their five-year-old daughter Felicity followed four simple yet strict rules that break down the dos and don’ts.
Over the course of a year, she managed to save an incredible £24,000, averaging £2,000 a month, and led to the family getting crafty when it came to activities, home-ware and day-to-day life.
“I don’t think Felicity noticed, except that she now does spot free things because ‘that’s mummy’s favourite price’,” Jessica, who runs life coaching service The Lifestyle Coach UK, told NeedToKnow.online.
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“I’m a very black-and-white person, so I flourish with strong clear rules.
“I made four columns – things I could buy new if I couldn’t get them for free, things I could only get second-hand, things I couldn’t buy that I might convince myself were allowed and bonus rules to cover any grey areas.
“For the first year, they were pinned up in my office so I could constantly be reminded of them.
“[Using them], as a household we have reduced our monthly expenses by over £2,000 a month.”
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Jessica has broken down the four rules she made herself and shared how they helped her reign in spending.
CAN BUY – NEW
The mum explained: “These were things like food, soap and a couple of items I knew had or were about to fall apart and were essential.
“Most of the items were pretty obvious – of course I’m going to buy toothpaste – but the exercise of creating the list was very eye-opening to making us think about what we really need and whether were there things in our lives we viewed as essentials that just aren’t.
“There were a lot of items on this list in the first year that I didn’t even buy in the end.
“At the end of 2021, my swimming costume of four years fell apart completely, so I allowed myself to buy a new one.
“I also allowed myself to top up my basic make-up if needed and in the end I only replaced my eyebrow pencil.”
We have reduced our monthly expenses by over £2,000 a month
CAN BUY – SECONDHAND
Jessica said: “We were mainly looking to only buy consumable things, but there were a couple of daughter-related bits we agreed could be bought, plus we had some items for the house we wanted.
“We agreed if we sold the current one and could buy the replacement second-hand for less, it was allowed.
“I had items on the list the first year that we didn’t buy in the end and were then a lot stricter with the second year as we became braver.”
CAN’T BUY
Strict no-no’s for the family were needless purchases like new clothes for events or brand new furniture – and the rule has firmly stuck.
The thrifty mum said: “This is a list of things I knew I would try to convince myself were essential during the year and really weren’t.
“We tapped into our original motivation when we wrote these rules, so we could use them to support our willpower as time went on.
“I’m ADHD so I am very spontaneous and I found myself reading and rereading this list a lot.
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“Most of this list became a habit to not buy over the year and didn’t have much for the second year.
“[After the challenge] I’m now pretty sure new furniture will forever be a no-no. I’ve never loved my furniture more and it’s pretty much all reduced and upcycled pieces.
“Generally buying to make myself feel better on any level is now a big no-no too.”
Family fun came in the way of building sofa forts and creating handmade cards for birthdays rather than splashing out, and furniture was upcycled from home if it needed refreshing.
BONUS/GREY AREA
For the fourth column, Jessica made some firm rules to stick to.
She said: “I could only replace items when they had run out, and would have to wait 72 hours before deciding to replace an irreparably broken item.
“I would always look to borrow or find a freebie before buying something.
“Wish list items need to have been on the wish list for at least 14 days. Our wish lists are used if people want to get us something for birthdays, though we prefer a no-gift policy.
“I would also ask what else I could use that I already own, before buying a new or second-hand or even a freebie item.”
After the successful year, the family are continuing with the challenge for 2023.
I don’t think Felicity noticed, except that she now does spot free things because ‘that’s mummy’s favourite price’
Jessica said: “The best thing I learned was that I can’t buy my way out of my worries or problems.
“I actually really enjoyed the challenge. It made me think differently about what and why I buy and spend.
“Any change can be tricky, but we needed to make changes to how we spend, so that made something we had to do into something fun.
“I would very much recommend the challenge to others.
“You need to set rules around who you are and what you want out of it, otherwise, what’s the point? Be ready to learn some scary truths about yourself.
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“I think us adjusting our spending habits has had a roll-on effect to other areas and made us generally more conscious and aware.”
For others looking to try it out, the mum recommends: “Write everything down at the start. Your reasons why, your goals, your rules, and any exceptions. It’s amazing to have it to refer back to over the year.”
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