MARCH 1ST - Beginning My 3rd Participation in the NO-BUY MONTH Challenge | SATURDAY SAVERS CLUB

It's March 1st, and that means time for me to start my NO-BUY CHALLENGE. After @shanibeer proposed the no-buy month initiative for its 2022 members, I decided to participate again. I compiled my lists of buy and no-buy items, then presented them two weeks for my readers to see what my plans were for March savings in the Club.

It's called the NO-BUY MONTH. We've all heard of the term, "make do or do without". Last year we held a No-Buy Month in August, and it was a huge success. I was successful, so I participated again in September.

To build upon the Club members, including myself, awesome success stories, the Saturday Savers Club decided we'd hold our first no-buy challenge for 2022 in March.

I've pledged my participation. I'm already a two-time success story. I love a challenge. So, for this year's March No-Buy Month, I've decided on a different tactic to saving with a few different goals. If you'd like to see what this challenge is about, check out @eddie-earner's official post here: Saturday Savers Club with @susie-saver | Week 7 - Saturday 12 February 2022 | Getting Ready for a No-Buy Month | Win EDS for Comments - everyone welcome!.

The NO-BUY month starts March 1st and continues through March 31, 2022. Everyone is welcome to join.

Here's how it works. You decide what you want to do without or cut back on during the 31-day period of March. You set your own rules for what is or isn't allowed to be purchased during the 31 days. Simple as that.

MY GOAL: Save 50% of normal monthly expenses. That equates to: 1500 USD

Here's mine:

And Here's my plan:

Breakdown of my monthly spending:

Expense	% of Monthly Budget	Dollar Amount Equivalent	Actual Spent
Household	60%
Entertainment	15%	$450 equivalent in monthly spending
Investments	10%	$300 in investments (including crypto)
Savings	10%	$300 in savings
Other-Assistance	5%	$150 in gifts
Goal	Save 50%	$1,500
	Actually Saved ?%	$?	To be seen

As you can see, Entertainment is the next highest percentage of spending after my monthly household upkeep. At 15%, Entertainment equates to about $450 monthly. Just like last year, this is a considerable amount. And this is where I want to focus the most attention in order to realize the most reduction in expenditures.

• Of the $450 monthly spent on Entertainment:
  • About $180 is spent on dining in or take-out (2 - 4 times/week);
  • About $270 is spent on shopping, travel expenses, souvenir gifts when taking trips, and buying antiques.

This is my initial post. I'll provide a status mid-month. I hope you'll visit to see how I'm progressing.

Now, let's get started on my March NO-BUY Month.

I've set my own rules about what I'm allowed to buy or not buy during the month. Here they are:

ALLOWABLE EXPENSES:

• food - only dairy, bread, produce).
• repairs or replacements alredy budgeted.
• 1 takeout each week totaling less than 20 USD.
• travel and fuel.*

NO-BUY ITEMS:

The items below are a definite no-go for 31 days.

silver or gold coins, or collectibles.
antiques, trading cards, or other books.
crypto or offline traditional investments.
pantry storage stock items.
shop-bought sweets treats.
ready-to-eat cereals.
new clothing, furniture or household items.
reading subscriptions; and
postage (already purchased this month).

NOTES TO SELF:

HAVE FUN RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

I'm ready.
Give status report on March 15th .
Invite all my readers to join us in this exciting challenge.