THE WEEKLY NO BUY DAY

Wednesday is finance day here on Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing and in our home.

It's the day of the week I do our family finances. I get out my bill folder and update the various sheets, check the bank balances against my ATM receipts and then check my spending notes against the receipts. Wednesday is the day I transfer money to the various accounts, make sure the bill accounts are topped up and update our Spending Plan. I stop at the ATM in the morning and withdraw the cash I need for the next seven days.

Wow, but that sounds like a lot of work. It's not really, about 15 minutes at my desk and it's done, and I can relax for another week.

And this year Wednesday is going to be my only spending day - the day I hit Aldi and Pellegrino's, and perhaps Coles and/or Woolworths to pick up the few groceries we need to get us through the week.

Changing shopping day to Wednesday for this year (there are a whole host of reasons - I go past Aldi, Coles, Woolworths and Pellegrino's, all three service stations; it's the day of the week I have the most "spare" time this year; it's a quieter day at the shops to list some) isn't a huge change for me, but I'm also challenging myself to make it the only day of the week I spend any money.

That means for the remaining six days, no spending.

Every week.

For a whole year.

No picking up specials.

No calling in to the op shop to see what's new (or no buying anyway!).

No online shopping.

No morning tea or lunch out.

2018 is three and a bit weeks in and so far, so good. I've just come in from my weekly banking and shopping expedition and it feels good. The fridge is restocked, the pantry topped up. I put a little petrol in the car (at $1.50/L I wasn't going to fill it up). I spent some of my Christmas money on some stationery that I really wanted and have been eyeing off for months - and it was 66% off, saved myself $10, that I still have to spend on something else later in the year.

My plan is to make a note in my diary of things I may want to buy - not the normal groceries, medicines and so on, but the things like stationery, books (my weakness!), clothes etc. with the price, and when spending day comes around, I'll add it to my "money we didn't spend" list.

Of course, If it's something I really want, will use, or need and it's within our budget, then I may buy it.

This week I needed some new refills for my planner. Now normally I would wait until they were on half-price sale and buy them, then go back to add the missing info. Instead, because I wanted them *right now* and didn't want to wait until today, I sat down with last year's and used them as templates to MOO them. I didn't spend $14.95, and I have forms that suit exactly what I want to use them for (I usually adjust the bought refills).

It's kind of like a version of the $100/24 Hour Rule supercharged.

So, who's up for the challenge? You don't need to have six no spend days, try one no spend day a week and see how much you haven't spent at the end of the year.