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Episode 3608:
Amanda Brownlow shares practical strategies for completing a successful no-spend month without feeling deprived, from planning ahead for special occasions to finding free local activities and reconnecting with old hobbies. Her approach shows how reducing discretionary spending can strengthen finances, encourage creativity, and create more meaningful ways to spend time with family and friends.
Read along with the original article(s) here: https://hellobrownlow.com/2018/06/04/5-tips-to-have-a-successful-no-spend-month/
Quotes to ponder:
"Before you head into your no-spend month, double check your calendar and see what you have going on."
"Getting outside allows you to detox from your phone, TV, and computer and lets your mind wonder."
"Shopping and going out takes up a lot of time. That is time that could be doing stuff that you used to love."
Episode references:
Cards Against Humanity: https://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/
Small World: https://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/
Wealthfront’s high-yield Cash Account: https://wealthfront.com/OFD
This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. The Optimal Finance Daily Podcast, Diana Merriam (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their video, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms.
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[00:00:01] I'm not giving up. I am selling the building. The final season of FX is the Bear. The restaurant is flooded. Everything's either gonna be okay or not. We are outgunned and we are outmanned, but we have each other. FX is the Bear, the final season. All episodes now streaming on Disney Plus.
[00:00:28] And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the match day spread. He's reaching for the Buffalo wing. Perfect! Hang on, what's this? Oh, he's going for a can of Pepsi too! Incredible! What a finish! Sensational combination! Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi Zero Sugar for today's match.
[00:00:57] It's poetry in motion! This is Optimal Finance Daily. 5 Tips to Have a Successful No Spend Month by Amanda Brownlow of HelloBrownlow.com
[00:01:09] A month of no spending sounds quite daunting, right? No eating out, no shopping, no going to the movies, no wine. It can be hard to picture a full month without those things. But when you buckle down, whether it be for financial reasons or you just want to simplify how you spend time with your family, it can make for an amazing month.
[00:01:30] D and I regularly do no spend months. The primary reason was to get our emergency fund fully funded. The second reason was because we were expecting a new baby. He ended up being a full five weeks early. We wanted to be able to pay my medical bills. An emergency C-section and a stay in the NICU for little guy was very expensive. And have money to fall back on since we were both taking leave from work.
[00:01:57] Since we had the idea for a no spend month several years ago, we had almost perfected how to do it. Yes, we still spend money on groceries, gas for the cars, and bills, but nothing on eating out, entertainment, or shopping. Here are our top tips on how to have a successful no spend month and save money. Number one, check your calendar. Wedding season is upon us and events like birthdays and anniversaries can sneak up on us.
[00:02:26] Before you head into your no spend month, double check your calendar and see what you have going on. Plan to buy gifts and cards the month prior. I like to go ahead and wrap them too, so I don't even have to worry about it. Alternatively, you can go the DIY route and plan to create gifts out of things you already have in the house. I'm a personal fan of homemade cards and baked goods for birthdays. Most of the people in my life do not need more junk stuff. Cookies and cake are always winners.
[00:02:57] We also check the oil in our cars and our air and water filters to see if those need to be replaced and plan accordingly. Home and car maintenance is never something that should be put off, so if it's in the month for it, do it. Number two, get your friends involved. Since you won't be spending money on going to the bars or going out to dinner with friends, invite them over for a potluck or game night. You can make a crowd-pleasing meal and play a board game or two.
[00:03:25] We have quite a stock of games that are more than two players. Ticket to Ride, Small World, and Cards Against Humanity are always top picks that our friends and family like to join in on. If board games aren't your thing, you could always opt for a movie night. There's something new on Netflix or Amazon Prime all the time. Make cookies and popcorn, drag all the pillows into your living room, and you have the night made. Number three, check out the free stuff in town.
[00:03:55] I won't lie, I just realized how amazing the library system in our county is. Our library system has great free events on a regular basis. They also have a wide variety of media to check out for cardholders. Since I've stayed home with the little guy these past few months, I've made time to read more, and I've really gotten back into it. If I would have paid for the books I read, I would have been out a couple hundred bucks. No thanks.
[00:04:22] Instead, we check out books and devour them before they're due. We also have a really nice downtown area that's packed with events every other weekend in the summer. There are free concerts in the park and festivals that are free to walk into. Weather permitting is a great way to get outside and be with family and friends. They also have one night a month that provides free admission to all the museums, which we take advantage of. A simple Google search will provide you with all the events going on in your town.
[00:04:52] Number four, get outside. Most cities have dedicated green space and walking trails. On weekends, we go to the park with little guy and walk, or we go to several good hiking spots close to town. And spend a few hours hiking. My dad calls this getting your vitamin N, or nature. Getting outside allows you to detox from your phone, TV, and computer, and lets your mind wander.
[00:05:19] We see hundreds of ads for products and services every day. I personally need a break from that on a regular basis. It also calms my impulse purchasing reflex, so to speak. If I can't see it, I won't want to buy it. And number five, pick up an old hobby again. Shopping and going out takes up a lot of time. That's time that could be doing stuff that you used to love. For me, it's reading and sewing.
[00:05:46] For my husband, it's reading and playing the guitar. These hobbies are free. Even sewing, as I like to refashion clothing or use my fabric scraps for projects. And can stimulate our minds in ways it hasn't been in a long time. This also allows you to make a little bit of money, too. I'm about to reopen my Etsy shop and sell all the crafty things I've been making lately. If your hobby can double as a side hustle, do it.
[00:06:15] Hopefully, these helpful tips have inspired you to make next month a no-spend one. I'm always excited to save money in any way we can. You just listened to the post titled, 5 Tips to Have a Successful No-Spend Month, by Amanda Brownlow of HelloBrownlow.com. My philosophy with money? It's a tool for freedom, not a source of anxiety. Wealthfront helps you tune out the noise and earn more on every dollar with a high-yield cash account
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[00:07:42] Client experiences will vary. Wealthfront brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is as of January 30th, 2026, and subject to change. For more information, please see the episode description. Whatever your thing. It could be anything. Canva helps you make that thing a thing. Canva is a simple online tool thing. It's a way to design with our magic AI tool things. You can social media your thing, generate images or videos of your thing,
[00:08:12] make decks for presentations to show your thing. Whatever needs to be done for your thing, Canva can make it an even better and bigger thing. Canva, the thing that makes anything a thing. A great benefit to no-spend months is that they force you to be resourceful about getting your needs met. For example, I know people who have gone years without buying new clothing. And I myself went a considerable amount of time without shopping for new clothes. But that's because I started attending
[00:08:41] and hosting clothing exchanges. I've hosted clothing exchanges on both a small and large scale. And they're tons of fun. Invite your friends to clean out their closets, cart, the clothing over to your house, and spend a lazy Sunday afternoon drinking mimosas, listening to music, and trying on each other's clothes. Every time I've done this, everyone always leaves with much less than they brought, and we donate any leftovers. There are also buy nothing groups all over the country
[00:09:10] where you can find almost anything you might need for free from your neighbors. That'll do it for today. Thank you for being here every day and listening. Have a great rest of your day. Have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.