Anyone else feel like December was a constant stream of spending? From the start of the month, buying new clothes for the 72 festive events for kids and adults, to the end of the month and “evening out” gifts for your kids, the entire 31 days was basically a case study in throwing money at a problem. But the problem is, of course, the January credit card bill.
Enter No–Spend January, a social media trend we’re hoping will actually influence us for good. The idea is to spend as little as possible for the next few weeks, to save a little and reset spending habits for the new year.
But…extreme spending diets don’t really go hand in hand with running a household. For one, kids can be picky eaters (making pantry eating impossible). For two, you may have kids who grew a whole size in the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. So here’s our realistic, Local Moms Network Guide to No–Spend January. Hopefully it helps reduce your bill next month and helps you downsize the holiday clutter.
Make Your Coffee, Breakfast & Lunch
Making your own coffee and lunch instead of stopping on the way to work or back home from drop off is the easiest way to start to spend more mindfully. Picking something up takes more time, and money, than planning ahead (more on this later!).
Buy Only Essentials (Online and In Stores)
Some more stringent (aka non family-friendly) No–Spend January rules will have you pausing your Amazon Prime membership for the month. And if you can do that, more power to you. It’s a simple way to be more mindful of your purchases since you have to physically go to the store. But if Amazon is the only thing keeping you from losing your mind as you dive back into routines, just take a beat and add any “wants” to “save for later” and only order “needs”.
Meal Plan to Avoid Takeout
Fast-food drive-throughs and Favor are parent-friendly tools we’re grateful exist, but can really add up (not to mention not being generally as healthy as home-cooked meals). Plan out your meals before you grocery shop and then chop anything that needs to get chopped before you put them away. While you probably can’t eat only from your pantry and freezer while cooking for picky eaters, you can use what you have first if you plan ahead.
Avoid Buying Stuff to Entertain Kids
This is a tough one—January is dark, cold depending on where you live and lasts for 102 days. It can be easy to pick up something every time you’re out to brighten your kids’ day, keep them off screens and from destroying your house. But taking a few minutes to go through old toys can help you clean out clutter and find toys they’ve forgotten about to pull back into the rotation.
Plan Free Adventures
Again, indoor play spaces, movies and other excursions take up time and get everyone out of the house—and your hair. But check out your local library (many have free playgroups but also are just great for reading and exploring), museum for free days (some have them for families), bundle up and go for a hike or beach, or do a scavenger hunt in your own backyard.
Shop Your Closet
Do a deep-dive into your wardrobe and start wearing what you have instead of ordering more. Even better, sell anything you’re not wearing to put some extra money in your wallet, and donate the rest.
And if a No–Spend January seems too ambitious? Try a no–spend weekend, or just take one tip from this list. Even small changes can add up, without causing more stress. Because nobody needs that, especially moms.
