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Check out the $10K Net Worth Money Challenge for 2019!

So I decided to do something different this year for the saving money challenge. If you remember last year we did a challenge that focused on income level. This year I have gathered 12 challenges that we will do each month, all year long!

I have done all of these challenges in the past and they are great for saving money and they are family friendly. I will be participating in each challenge with you and we can share our results in my soon-to-come Facebook Group! I’m serious, we are in this together. We can do this!

Until I get the Facebook Group up and going, I would like to know about your saving money challenge progress. Sign-up for my newsletter to tell me all about it!

Saving Money Challenge

January – One Week Pantry Challenge

Rules: You must skip one weekly trip to the grocery store and eat whatever is in the pantry and refrigerator. According to the American Chemistry Council, the average family wastes $640 of food every year. Let’s save that money. Get creative, get the kids involved and try some new meal ideas with the ingredients you already have at home.

February – No Spend Challenge

Rules: No spending on “wants” such as entertainment, dining out, and “just because” purchases. You can only spend money on “needs” such as housing, grocery shopping, and transportation.

I chose this month because it is the shortest month of the year. I know there is Valentine’s Day this month so make sure you purchase your other-half’s gift in January (wink-wink) or be creative such as cooking a romantic dinner together. Ok, that last one is mine so don’t tell my husband (sshhhhh).

Read more about a No-Spend Challenge for more money free ideas!

March – Water Only Challenge

Rules: You cannot purchase any soft- drinks, juices, coffee or tea this month. I call this the water only challenge because water is usually free (or cheap). Whether you are dining out, grocery shopping, or trolling the vending machines at work, only get water especially if it’s free. You will be surprised how much the cost of soft-drinks and juices can add up on your bill.

April – Sell Some Stuff Challenge

Rules: You must sell some stuff…that’s it. Take some time and declutter your home. Sell the stuff that you don’t use anymore. If you are anything like me, you have one spot in your house where you keep your old electronics. Sell those. Sell the kids old toys, books, and whatever else you don’t need or want anymore. No more putting it off. It is time to turn those items into cash.

A few places you can sell your items are Ebay, Craigslist, garage sale, and gazelle.com for electronics (never used them but I would like to).

May – Bring Lunch Every Day Challenge

Rules: There is no buying lunch allowed. If your company is hosting a free lunch, that is ok just as long as you do not have to BUY anything. Meal prepping will come in handy this month if you are not used to taking your lunch every day. It’s time to try those fun Pinterest recipes that we keep pinning!

June – Cash Only Challenge

Rules: Put away the debit card and only use cash this month. This will stop you from over-spending. Once the cash is gone, it’s gone. Make sure you get to the end of the month before you get to the end of your money.

If you want to take it a step further, reduce some expenses like your dining out budget. This will help you learn how to stretch your dollar. Order the daily special, order water, and whatever else you can think of to save money on your bill. Please don’t cut back on the waiter’s, or waitress’ tip, though.

Don’t forget that I want to know how your savings are going? Keep track and send me your progress. Sign-up here for the newsletter to let me know!

July – No Dining Out for Dinner Challenge

Rules: No going out to eat for dinner. This is probably going to be the hardest for me. I love restaurants! They are my weakness. Now it is time to get back on Pinterest and find some quick and cheap meal ideas. Meal planning will be my BFF!

August – Stay in for Breakfast Challenge

Rules: Now that we stayed in for dinner, it is time to stay-in for breakfast. I am going to include morning coffee for this month. No more stopping at Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or any other guilty pleasure for breakfast. It is time to make coffee at home or drink the free stuff at work. Pack your breakfast every morning. (I recently found out about overnight oats. THEY. ARE. AMAZING!)

September – Two Meatless Weeks Challenge

Rules: Let’s go meatless for at least 2 weeks. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can cut out a different expensive protein from your meals. Meat is known to be expensive so imagine how much we could save if we didn’t buy it? There are many other sources of protein to keep our diet balanced J

October – Money Match Challenge

Rules: Also known as a dollar for dollar challenge, for every dollar you spend on any unnecessary habit you must put the same amount of money in your savings account. This habit can be morning coffee, favorite candy, manicures, and pedicures. Pick one habit and follow through until the end of the month.

Example: If you spend $20 on a manicure then add $20 to your savings account.

November – Cut Back Expenses Challenge

Rules: Review your monthly bills and expenses and cut anything you are not using. No more putting these tasks off for later, now is the time to cancel those subscriptions that you are not using before they automatically charge your account again. Besides, you can use that extra money for the holidays!

December – Spavings Challenge

Spavings means the money you save when you spend. Example: if you purchase a shirt and you get 20% off, the 20% you saved is your spavings.

Rules: Track and save all spavings. This should be fun with all of the holiday shopping this month. So look for extra coupons to rack up those spavings! At the end of the month, add all your spavings to your savings account. Since it is the holidays and you decide to spend your spavings on yourself…I won’t tell. Your secret is safe with me 😉

Ready for the fun saving money challenge? You can start and stop anytime. I will be participating and giving an update of my progress every month. I would love to include your progress too in my monthly round-up!

Will you take the fun saving money challenge with me?