No-Spend November Has Begun!!

Okay ladies and gents, it is Day 3 of No-Spend November. I've had so many people jump on board with this idea, and it's exciting! How has it been going? So far I've spent $40 on gas this week. And I turned down a date with myself to Costa Vida. Which was...tough. As I'm sure I have previously stated, I keep Costa Vida in business. Speaking of CV, here's a spending secret. So Costa has a daily $6 special, which is a decently sized meal with a drink included. Each day the special changes, but if you're a student, you can order any special on any day. Six bucks, folks!!! But this time, instead of eating out, it's an extra $6 I saved. Instead I ate at home, which was actually pretty good! Lemon garlic spaghetti is yummy. And cheap.

So like I promised, I'm doing some research about some money-saving ideas. But until I find some great tips for you guys, here are a few things I've found that I'll let you know about.

1. Have you discovered Winco? I just did a few weeks ago. Yes, it's a little far if you live in Provo, but once a month or so it's definitely worth the trip. Because it's employee-owned, somehow their prices are able to remain lower. $2.00 Special K? Yes please. Parmesan cheese, which I cook quite a bit with, is about $3-4 for a block rather than the $5-7 at other grocery stores. Guys, this place is a gold mine. Wincofoods.com has some great coupons, too.

2. Plato's Closet and Trendy Xchange are both consignment stores in the Provo/Orem area. I will freely admit that I'm a clothes horse. And I don't wear a lot of what I own. So every month I clean out my entire closet and sell some of the good quality things I don't wear anymore to one of these places. I've made up to $75 in one go on my old clothes. And if you don't mind the idea of wearing clothes that someone else has worn a few times before, stores like these are great places to shop. Remember when I fell in love with these shoes? Consignment store, baby.

Do you have some great saving tips? Want to guest post on this lovely little blog? Leave a comment below. Also check out what my friend Breanna has to say about her No-Spend November experience over here. Nighty-night! I'll leave you with this little gem. Don't judge me, but I might do this to my little chitlins someday.

No-Money November

Pinterest

"One of the better ways to simplify our lives is to follow the counsel we have so often received to live within our income, stay out of debt, and save for a rainy day. We should practice and increase our habits of thrift, industry, economy, and frugality. Members of a well-managed family do not pay interest; they earn it." L. Tom Perry, "Let Him Do It With Simplicity," November 2008 Ensign

I think I've mentioned this before, but for the last couple of months I've been taking care of myself financially (except for my foot. Thank you, parents, for paying that little medical bill). But school, gas, food, and rent have come out of my pocket. And while it can be tough, it's been really fun! I feel like a real adult, learning how to budget and save. My Personal Finance class has definitely been a huge help, as well. Because of this, I decided to do a little challenge next month. I'm going to call it No-Spend November. I'm not going to buy anything except the essentials: food, gas, and rent. No clothes, no toys, nothing. I want to see if I can do this for a whole month. Want to join me? Leave a comment at the bottom and we'll work on it together. I'll even post tips and tricks I've found to help you save some dinero every day. Here's to saving!