No-Spend November: Week 1

No-Spend November is a month of resetting spending habits, reevaluating priorities, and overall just making better decisions. In this post, I've detailed how my first week of No-Spend November 2022 went.

Week of November 1-7 

I used the end of October to get my priorities, resolutions, and goals lined up in preparation for this No-Spend November. One resolution I made was to use my time after work more mindfully--no more automatic bovinating (ok, this is a word I made up that means "to cow" if you're silly, or "acting cow-like" if you're less silly, and entails grazing on snacks while mindlessly watching TV). A major goal I set out to achieve was to pay off lingering credit card debt from traveling from late May to mid-October. 

Here's how I did day-by-day:

Day 1: (Tuesday) I didn't encounter any real desire to buy anything. I kept busy at work and worked out in my hospital's exercise room, then went home to cook a healthy dinner, finish reviewing my account balances, and watch a little bit of TV. To relax, I made time toward the end of the night to listen to music and blog in my home office. I made a conscious decision to go to bed early with a book in hand.

Day 2: (Wednesday) Although I had no real urge to buy anything, I did start a list of "nice to have" things that I might consider purchasing once No-Spend November is over. The list is mostly little things for my wardrobe and closet, to replace some pieces that are getting worn out. Once I got home from work, I worked out, then vacuumed the basement. I wound down for the night by having a small charcuterie plate for dinner, then went to bed early with a book again.

Day 3: (Thursday) Still no real urge to buy anything so I felt good about that. I worked out at work before leaving for the day. I came home and made a pot of tea, and decided to start watching a movie before making a vegetable stew for dinner. I went to bed late with the same book I picked up on Tuesday.

Day 4: (Friday) After work, I treated myself to a sheet mask to cool my face after a long day. I found a ticket inside for a free box, which I redeemed. I'll be sharing the spoils with friends for sure once the new box arrives. I felt exhausted so instead of doing my "Big Friday" weight training workout, I relaxed with some movies and a fresh manicure, then drank wine as I waited for dinner to cook.

Day 5: (Saturday) I took the day slow and easy. I made time for a few pots of tea, made it a point to eat well, and baked a cake for fun. After the cake was out of the oven, we took the puppy over to my MIL's farm so my SIL's puppy and ours could play together. Once home, I worked out for a while after starting laundry, then had some wine and watched a movie with my husband after dinner.

Day 6: (Sunday) To stave off some boredom that usually hits me on Sundays, I spent the late morning and early afternoon in the kitchen making hotdish for myself for lunch and then baking a double-batch of banana bread. I drank more tea and made a list of things to make as holiday gifts once December rolls around. I made empanadas for dinner (with enough left over to freeze for my husband to have later, score!) and had some cocktails with my husband to wind down for the night.

Day 7: (Monday) I spent my lunch break texting my MIL to see if I could help her with a project she mentioned over the weekend. After work, my husband and I went grocery shopping for his part of the grocery budget, and then I did my usual Monday weight training workout. I cooked up naan pizzas for dinner to keep things simple, and just drank water the rest of the night.

I had to pay utility bills and one credit card bill and get a tank of gas this week; once all of the bill payments clear, I'll be using what I have left in my checking account to pay down CC balances further. I think overall, my first week of No-Spend November was successful and I'm looking forward to the rest of the month. Hopefully, this month's upcoming paychecks will spell the end for my lingering CC debt. And that's all for week one! On to week two!