Woman saves £1,500 a month by adopting ‘zero spend’ method
A woman managed to save over a whopping £1,500 in a month by adopting the ‘zero spend’ method.
Matilda Relefors adopted the viral trend by attempting to get through all of November without (kind of) spending anything.
I mean, that’s quite the challenge. It feels like every time I step out the front door at the moment I’ve lost 20 quid.
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But the 28-year-old was super strict, only cashing out on food and bills and not spending on clothes, socialising or transport.
Watch her explain the month here:
Let’s be real first though; this isn’t exactly achievable for a lot of us based on the fact we have to commute to work alone.
Plus, socialising can be important for many people’s mental health.
Matilda said: “When I do a ‘No Spend Month’ I’m only allowed one food shop in the whole month. I plan my meals and get it delivered on the 1st of the month. My budget for that is £100.
“My rules are I only spend money on bills, and if my dog needs something urgently.”
She decided November wasn’t ‘that hard’ because it’s the ‘most boring month’.
But she did point out: “It would be a lot harder if I still lived in London or it was summer time because then I want to go out and do stuff all the time.
"If I have to pick one hardest thing it would be that I only did one food shop at the start of the month that had to last me for the whole month.
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"I had to be thrifty and figure out what I needed to eat first and what I could save for later on in the month, utilising my freezer a lot.”
Typically, she spends £1,800 every month of bills, clothes, food, rent and going out.
But during her ‘zero spend’ month, she saved a mega £1,550.
Matilda recognised that it’s ‘not a sustainable lifestyle’ but great every now and again ‘for a financial reset’.
“I feel very calm and happy about my achievement, it’s made me more mindful about spending, which are habits I’ll take with me forever, and it’s made me want to hold on to my money more,” she said.
“Not in a lack mindset kind of way, but more that I will think harder about a purchase decision and ask myself: ‘do I really need this?’”
I guess that’s something we could all do with thinking more about next time we’re at the shops.
Jess Battison