Hey girl, hey!
How many times have you been ready to turn up for the weekend, but after looking at your account balance your “turn down for what” mood quickly changes into “turn down for real”?
Listen… we’ve all been there and I can speak from personal experience. But just because your funds are low doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun weekend… it just takes a little creativity.
“So I’m supposed to go all weekend without spending anything, Elle?!”
Ummm…. Yeah, girlfriend!
I know, I know... just the mere thought of not spending any money can send some people into a full-blown panic attack, but it can be a lot easier than you think.
One thing you absolutely have to remember (especially as a beginner budgeter) is that financial freedom is a marathon, not a sprint. Just as you wouldn’t go to the gym for 30 days and expect to have your perfect, ideal body… the same works for budgeting. The key is to keep going.
When you’re first starting out, budgeting can seem scary, overwhelming, and sometimes downright painful, but girlfriend… no pain, no gain… right?! I’ve had people adamantly express to me how they’ve been budgeting faithfully for 3. whole. months. but cannot understand why they can’t do all the traveling, all the shopping, all the ballin’ out they want to do.
But the fact of the matter is… there has to be some sacrificing initially to get to where you want to be ultimately.
How can you enjoy the fruits of your labor when your “labor” is minimal or non-existent?
No hunty, it takes real work and dedication to get to the enjoyable side of your financial situation, and you have to be realistic about your expectations.
How long did it take you to rack up that credit card debt?
How long have you been indulging in poor money management habits?
How long have you been disregarding your financial obligations only to satisfy your needs for instant gratification by spending money on things that 1 month, 6 months, or a year from now will basically be...meaningless?
So in all honesty, you’re setting yourself up for failure thinking that you can erase all the financial damage you’ve done your entire life with just a couple months of budgeting. Nah girlfriend… not gon happen. I’m being blunt because there’s no time for sugar coating.
It takes several months, sometimes years to see real changes in your finances... but that is solely with steadfast consistency. And anything worth having is definitely worth working and waiting for… right?
The keyword here is: SACRIFICE….
Say it with me… SAC-RI-FICE. (Yeah.. you got it!)
In order to change your whole financial situation, you must change your whole mindset. Budgeting is a lifestyle change… not a diet.
So don’t worry about where Erica and Lisa are going this weekend and what they’re spending.
Don’t worry about what kind of luxury cars Jasmine and Destiny are driving.
And don’t worry about where Amy and Krystal are going on vacation.
Listen… people straight up FRONT in real-life and on social media (not all, but many), so while you’re sitting over there sacrificing and trying to get your sh*t together, you may see your friends out and about “having the time of their lives”... but don’t believe the hype...
If you were ever able to actually see the inside of their financial situations, I’m sure a lot of things would be put into perspective for you.
Focus on you. Focus on YOUR goals… because you only have one life to live, so why not make it the best.
So with that being said, below I have listed 40 fun, guilt-free activities that you can do on a no-spend weekend to help you stay focused on bettering your financial situation.
Play a board game.
See what meals you can make from what you already have in your pantry.
Paint your nails and toes with polish you already have.
Invite a friend over for girl talk.
Have a movie marathon on Netflix.
Take a walk.
Create / Re-create your budget.
Read Girlfriend’s, Budget! blog posts.
Call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Organize your closet.
Deep clean your house or apartment.
Go to the library.
Surf the internet to learn something new.
Research your next travel destination.
Catch up on laundry.
Start a blog or journal.
Find things to recycle.
Meditate.
Create a vision board.
Exercise at home or around your neighborhood.
Relax in a bath.
Catch up on rest.
Explore your city and take pictures.
Clip coupons.
Listen to music.
Hang out at a local pool.
Think of short term and long term goals and write them down.
Find a nearby volunteer event.
Finish up some projects around the house.
Write down ways you can make more money.
Have a garage sale.
Spend quality snuggling time with your partner.
Rearrange your furniture.
Learn a foreign language.
Create a Will.
Go to church.
Find a free concert to attend.
Babysit (and maybe earn some extra cash)
Take your kids to the playground.
Read a new book.
Who can be bored with all these FREE things to do? And there’s really so much more if you just start thinking creatively.
But more importantly, you’ll gain fulfillment in knowing that you can accomplish things you may have put off and enjoy yourself all without spending a dime.
Girlfriend, I tell ya… a no-spend weekend can really do wonders for you and your budget. And when the week starts over… you’ll realize how much extra cash you have leftover in your spending account, which then can either be dumped into your savings or used to pay off some extra debt! (Work it, girl!)
RELATED:How Should I Organize and Separate My Money?
I highly suggest doing a no-spend weekend at least once (maybe twice) a month depending on your financial situation. Well... to be honest, any financial situation can benefit from a no spend weekend every so often!
Dee and I will be documenting our no-spend weekend activities on snapchat (mselle21 & prettygreen_21), so join us and hashtag your own no-spend activities with #nospendweekend #GFB
You can do this… hang in there and take it one day at a time!
So are you up for the challenge? Cancel your plans… let’s start this weekend! Your bank account and future self will thank you for it.
Drop a line below and let me know how you liked this post.
Until Next Time,
Elle
Thank you for the encouragement, those are actually fun things to do. Appreciate the share