00:00 What if I spent nothing for the next 337 days? Would it change my life?
00:04 I challenge myself to a no spend year and the number one question I've been asked is
00:07 why on earth would I trade a life of convenience for this?
00:10 Good question.
00:12 Over the last few months something in me has been calling to a life of minimalism in some way.
00:16 I stopped going to the nail salon a few months ago, I cut down my hair appointments,
00:20 I've actively been trying to not fall into the trap of a lifestyle creep,
00:23 spending more as I earn more.
00:25 And it's only been a week but there's something really calming about not needing anything,
00:29 not impulsively buying the best or the latest and a newfound appreciation for things I already have.
00:34 As someone who could very easily spend a lot in a week,
00:38 there's been a sense of stillness in just not doing it.
00:41 Today's total spend? £1.95.
00:44 I challenge myself to a no spend year and a huge question has been well,
00:48 what about friends and birthdays and self-care?
00:50 The beauty of a no spend challenge though is you can decide what's essential to you and what's not.
00:54 For me, my Pilates classes are essential.
00:57 It's one of the things I look forward to the most in my day so I kept it as part of my essentials budget.
01:02 Birthdays, mine and my friends, are also a big deal to me so it's part of my essentials budget.
01:06 General social meetups do look different now though, I'm more creative with my plans so it's affordable
01:11 and it really helps you think outside the box of another dinner date.
01:16 A no spend challenge isn't about deprivation,
01:18 it's about getting your money priorities together and focusing on what really matters to you.
01:22 Today's total spend? £0.
01:25 I challenge myself to a no spend year and three weeks in, I noticed something major.
01:29 It taught me how to slow down.
01:31 As someone who always seemed to be in a rush and chose the fastest, usually the most expensive route,
01:36 now choosing to wait for the bus or take the long walk home isn't so bad.
01:40 I learned that there was nothing I was really rushing for, that it's okay to slow the pace down.
01:45 It's okay to spend an hour extra cooking a meal instead of waiting for an instant delivery.
01:49 It's okay to just leisurely walk home. You're not wasting time.
01:54 As a Londoner, you easily adopt the false sense of urgency around you,
01:58 but when you give yourself time to take it all in, you learn the beauty of unhurried moments.
02:03 There's been a layer of mindfulness unlocked during this challenge that I honestly did not see coming.
02:08 I was just here to save some extra coins, but frankly, I'm loving it.
02:12 Today's total spend? £0.
02:14 What if I spent nothing for the next 315 days? Would it change my life?
02:19 I challenged myself to a no spend year and week four?
02:23 It was a hot mess. After 4 lunches, 3 Ubers, 2 Amazon orders and 1 takeaway, I was so ready to give up.
02:30 It felt like one of those weeks where money just kept slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I tried.
02:35 I will say though, I'm proud of myself for not allowing the domino effect to happen,
02:39 spending more because I've already started.
02:41 I've made so many changes to my spending habits already that a few rocky days shouldn't matter
02:46 in comparison to how much I've learned.
02:48 I guess it was one of those weeks where I was reminded that sometimes life just happens.
02:52 This week's total spend £172.98.
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