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Avoid these top 3 spending mistakes
02/21/25 - Friday
Hey there friend!
If you’ve committed to the No Spend Challenge (NSC), you're facing the ultimate test: not falling into the trap of spending money while trying to save money.
It’s tricky out there, because it’s not just about avoiding random purchases —it’s also guarding against all the sneaky ways we think we need to spend to reach our goals.
Here are three spending mistakes that can wreck your No Spend Challenge—and your goals—before you even start.
🚨 Avoid These Top 3 Spending Mistakes
1. Overspending on Your Goals. We’re not saying you need to stop buying altogether, but you don’t need the entire “Motivation Station” either. Like when you decide that this is the year you’ll start meal prepping, so you buy a shiny new set of containers, the best knives, a fancy spiralizer, and a juice press...but still end up getting takeout three times a week.
💡 Here’s the thing: The key to meal prepping isn’t the gear—it’s the actual prepping. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to buy your way to success. Keep it simple! Use what you already have, or shop second hand!
2. Delulu Spending. When you get caught up in the dream of what could be, rather than the reality of what is. Like thinking you need all the supplements, equipment, and memberships before identifying what YOUR body actually needs. It’s buying for a fantasized life that most likely doesn’t exist for anyone.
🚨 Spoiler alert: Dropping $200 on ‘wellness supplies’ isn’t what will make you feel good. Instead, knowing your body, your values, and the things that bring you joy and spending mindfully there is what will bring about true holistic wellbeing.
3. Procrasti-spending. Ah, the art of putting off doing the real work by spending money on things you think will help you—except they just delay progress. Like buying an online course on budgeting or a budget spreadsheet, but never actually sit down and track your spending. Or grabbing a stack of planners for your new “organize my life” goal, only to never open them.
📌 Tip: You don’t need to buy all the things to take action—you just need to start. Tracking your spending is free, and so is using a notebook you already have to plan your day.
Avoiding these three spending traps can seriously level up your No Spend Challenge game—and your financial goals. So, next time you feel the urge to buy something to help you reach your goal, ask yourself: “Do I really need this to make progress, or can I just get started?”
The less you buy, the more you save—and the more progress you’ll make.
On Tuesday, Jen and Jill covered The Top 10 Benefits of Frugal Living (Ep 486). From finding joy in creativity to strengthening relationships through shared goals, living frugally isn’t just about saving money—it’s about living better!
If you’ve ever felt like willpower isn’t enough to curb overspending, don’t miss today’s episode How to Build and Break Habits That Cause You to Overspend (Ep 487). Jen and Jill break down how to reset your habits and make better decisions, even when your willpower is depleted!
Tune in wherever you get podcasts and let us know what you thought of the episode over on our latest Instagram post!
✅ Read: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. Find this cute feel good book on Libby! 💗
✅ Watch: Queer Eye on Netflix. 💃🏻 So many episodes serve as great motivation to stop delaying progress and take the actions needed for major transformations.
✅ Do: Maximize your rent payments with Bilt Mastercard®—the only rewards program that lets you earn up to 100,000 points on rent in a calendar year while avoiding transaction fees, turning your biggest expense into free travel and more! 💳 **
✅ Meal Prep: What’s your biggest takeout meal temptation this NSC? Find a copycat recipe to make at home! Like Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme at Home. 🌯
What’s been your most common money mistake? |
Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s debut book is going to be your next favorite read.
Onward, friends!
Misti
⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.