Ahh doughnut days, my favourite of all days. But no I don’t mean the edible sort covered in icing and sugar and sprinkles (though they are also delicious). When I refer to a doughnut day I’m meaning a day where I spend a big fat 0. Zero, zilch, zip. Nothing.
Spending money can sole many problems, however some spending is not always necessary. To prove this point, sometimes I challenge myself to a doughnut day where I spend nothing. I have to find alternatives solutions to a problem that don’t cost money. An excellent situation of this is meals. If I’ve had breakfast at home (as I would normally) leftovers for lunch and an occasion when I don’t have anything for dinner. As opposed to going out and buying something for the final meal of the day, I challenge myself to make do with what I already have in the fridge, freezer or pantry. This might equate to a frozen meal I have in the freezer or even putting together a quick fried rice or a noodle stir fry with whatever vegetables and sauces I have in the fridge/pantry at the time.
Most of us in the western world could survive for weeks and weeks with the amount of food we store in our homes and sometimes I find the challenge of a spend nothing day exactly what I need to realise that I don’t have to spend more money.By making do with what I have in this instance of dinner, I’ve saved myself about $10. As a result, I try to challenge myself to doughnut days as frequently as possible. Most of us also overspend at the supermarket by buying far too much food. By challenging yourself to eat what you already have at least once a week not only saves money but also helps to significantly reduce food waste.
The concept of these sorts of days can be applied to more than just food. For instance, If I’m wrapping a gift for someone and realise I’ve forgotten to buy wrapping paper or a card. Can I find something at home to scrounge up? Can I make my own card or wrapping paper? Is a card even necessary?
Doughnut days are designed to challenge the idea of the constant need to spend. Because there isn’t always a need and sometimes realising this is one of the easiest ways to save money. Sure, small amounts here and there but in the long run it all adds up.
I’m sure there are an infinite number of ways we can be challenged to not spend money, it’s all about considering what they might be.
How do you challenge yourself to no spend days?
This is Minimalism 