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I love January. It is one of those months for me with fewer commitments. Fewer obligations. Less chaos. More focusing on myself.
It feels like a fresh start or a reset after December. My birthday is in December as well as all of the holidays. Halloween until New Year’s Day really feels like a 2 month party in my world.
And I am an extrovert, but I always find myself exhausted. Ready for a shift. Ready for slow down and rest.
I do No Spend Months 4 times a year (January, April, July, September) and it really gives me space to analyze my habits and goals. But for some reason, No Spend January is my favorite out of all the months.
Every year I do No Spend January to focus on my house, my free time, my relationships, and my self care.
These are some of the questions that I am reflecting on through No Spend January.
- What clutter am I holding onto for the sake of “just in case?”
- What supplies do I have in excess and how can I be creative with them?
- How am I spending my free time? And how could I do it better?
- Could I do more things that I enjoy?
- How am I showing up in friendships? (Am I showing up or am I just spending money with a person?)
- How am I taking care of myself? or Am I just putting a bandaid on it?
- Are the things on my wish list for me or for a person that I am trying to be?
- What business and money goals do I have for this year?
I use it as a time to declutter my space.
This year I am really focused on decluttering my office, my kid’s space and my garage, which has inconveniently become a dumping pile of belongings that don’t belong in my house recently, especially with my boyfriend moving in. I want to remove some of this excess stuff. I know some people declutter before the holidays to make room for gifts that are coming in, but with my birthday, it never seems to happen no matter the intentions.
The goal is to use up what I already have spent money on
I want to read more books I already have on my shelf. I want to do crafts with things already in our craft closet. I want enjoy some of the new things I was gifted for the holidays. The goal is to wear clothes that are already in my closet. My makeup and skincare bags have plenty of items in them. I want to take time to appreciate the things I already have in my home.
It is hard to appreciate what I already have if I keep buying more.
I don’t want to just keep accumulating things that I never get to use or appreciate. I want to know where things are and use them regularly. When I do spend money, I want it to be on things that enhance my life more. Things that I truly enjoy and use.
This time of year feels quiet.
I have read some things that suggest that the new year should start in the spring when things come back to life and that the winter season is for rest and recovery. And while I agree that January feels like a time to slow down and reflect, I don’t want to throw away this time to keep working on my goals. I want to use this as a time to intentionally pay attention to the future that I am building and the life I want because as I build the financial freedom I crave, life will be a lot more slow in a lot more seasons of life than just the winter.
This is not a time of deprivation
When I talk about a No Spend Month, I often get met with the conversation that it sounds like I am restricting my spending too much. Or I am depriving myself, but really I want to challenge you to think: Can you only be happy if you are spending money? Is all of your joy and fun attached to spending?
And if the answer is yes then that is a time to reflect how else you would like to spend your time. Some of my favorite evenings are spent with friends around the dining room table with homemade food and a deck of cards, laughing into the night. Or morning snuggles on the couch with a cup of coffee, a blanket, and my son. Or going for a walk as the chill and the sun hit my face.
I challenge you to really dig deep into your favorite moments that are calm and filled with joy.
I love No Spend January.
I do have a No Spend Guide filled with tons of tips and tricks to make No Spend Months just a little bit easier. You can check it out right here.
