No Spend November Recap

Was "No Spend November" beneficial for me you ask. The answer is a huge yes. My credit card was a quarter of the previous one and the exercise got us back on-top of things financially.

What I've learnt from this challenge is that it isn't really about making huge cuts to the things that you love to do or buy. The most money I saved was simply from thinking about what we NEED and planning/researching before I bought anything/went anywhere. The thrill of "making do" or finding the cheap/free option over spending money was addictive.

I sold a few things on Gumtree and made a few hundred dollars. I did a lot more DIY (like cooking, gifts, my own conveyancing (property transfers)) and saved thousands in the process (the conveyancing saved me $1100 in professional fees alone). So for a little hard work, I was able to achieve more than just savings on my hip pocket, I also learnt a few new skills (thanks to the internet! You can find out how to do just about anything online.)

I feel like I've reset my financial frivolity and ongoing I'll be a lot better about sticking to my budget and not making unnecessary purchases. That said, I'm looking forward to being a little more flexible and allowing myself to do the odd discretionary purchase again!

So going forward, I don't plan on being this "tight" with money every month however I do plan on doing it every few months because it was a great exercise for getting ahead a bit. Now I feel like I can face the silly season. Bring it on I say!

COMPLETED! WOOHOO!