5 Things I Learned While on a Spending Freeze (and how you can take one, too)

The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!

Have you ever heard of going on a spending freeze? Whether out of necessity because the family budget dictates or whether it was to just refresh my perspective on what is important in life, I have done this a few different times. It is one of the most life changing things that I have ever done each time that I have done it.

I think in society today, we can so easily fall into the trap of materialism. We live in a material world, and the last thing I want is to be a material girl because it only breeds discontent in my life. Our society is one of instant gratification that gives way to impulse buying everything from the songs we listen to, the clothes we wear, and the latest app we want on our phone.

As a reader here, you have most likely figured out that I am a frugal gal, and living on a shoestring budget is simply the reality that I am in right now with my husband and I both working less hours.

A spending freeze forces us to step back, to exercise self control, and in most cases, to find a new appreciation for the people and things that we have in our lives. A spending freeze is not only kind to our pocketbook, but also to our daily lives as we simply have less “stuff” to deal with since new things aren’t coming in.

My most recent spending freeze ended a few months ago, and it lasted for a month, but I’ve taken one for as long as six months!

What does my spending freeze look like? It’s probably pretty close to what you would picture when you hear the words “spending freeze.”

It means that I am buying no extraneous things. Not one thing. The ONLY exception to this are necessities and I mean absolute necessities. Throughout this past spending freeze I only purchased new curriculum for my oldest daughter’s school, new tennis shoes for my kids this spring, a couple of awesome sale finds for gifts for a couple of my boys, and new team bathing suits for my girls who are on the swim team. That’s it aside from food and other daily necessities. My buying list would also include a new part for our dryer, but I think we can all agree that this became a necessity at some point.

So that’s what my spending freeze looks like, but how do I do it?! These are the things I do, and the things I don’t do, that make my spending freeze possible.

I unfollow the sale groups that I am a member of on Facebook

These groups are an awesome way to find amazing things and I have used them extensively in the past. You can even read about How I Made Money Redecorating My Home on Money Saving Mom, but seeing the never-ending possibilities that people are selling that we really could use is just too tempting for me. Seeing new baseball cleats that someone is selling is great, but not when you are not buying them.

I stop pursuing the sale sites as much

When I do go there, it is only for the things I am specifically looking for. Things like Redbox codes for free movies, free magazine offers, and other free stuff.

I spend less time in stores

I have really scaled back on my Target shopping because there are too many other things to look at there. Although there are some great grocery deals to find at Target, I simply go there much, much less than I used to in order to avoid that temptation.

When I do have to go to a store like Target for specific grocery items, I am focused on the things I came there for like a laser beam focused in on a target

My head does not look to the left or to the right, and I am most certainly not looking at anything clearance there. I have spoken many times of the great deals that I find to stock my gift closet or to take advantage of the end of the season purchases, but during a spending freeze I may not even look to avoid buying something that I reason is a need.

I don’t browse online

Seriously. Nothing like Groupon, Zulily, or Cents of Style. These are all great places that I find amazing deals, but not during a spending freeze. Therefore, I don’t even look.

What have I learned during times that I am on a spending freeze? More importantly, why would YOU want to take one.

I have learned that I really need much less than I would have ever thought otherwise

I am again reminded that I do not find my joy, my contentment, or my fulfillment in “things.”

I have learned that many things I deem as needs are really just wants

I realize how easily my sense of judgement gets blurred in regards to these two things.

I have learned that little savings really do add up to big savings over time

 I talk about it all the time, but spending a little here and a little there equate to many dollars slipping right through my fingers.

I have learned how much time being a super deal shopper actually takes up in my life

When I am not focused on watching for amazing deals all day, I have so much more time to focus on other things.

I have learned how much more the people in my life mean to me

When we take the fluff out of our lives and are only left with the bare bones, we realize how much more valuable people are than things.

Could your budget benefit from a spending freeze? Are you looking to make a radical difference in where your focus lies? Would more time in your day be a benefit to you?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, a spending freeze may be of great value to you. If a month seems to drastic to you, start smaller.

Try it out for only a week and see how it makes a difference in your life just to shift your focus away from the things we want, the things we need, and the things we think we deserve. However, I will say that from experience, it often takes a good 10 days to a couple of weeks to really start to see the extreme benefits. I would challenge you to take on the entire month.

Taking a spending freeze is an amazing step toward living a more intentional life and learning to discern who and what we want to be. And, it is a great place to start when learning how to be frugal!

Have you taken a spending freeze before? Does a spending freeze sound inviting to you? Please share in the comments.