No Spend March - How did I do?

So it's April. What did I learn from my no-spend March? Quite a lot actually! 

But first where did I go wrong, what was I tempted by and did I have any money wins?

 Money Fails ❌ 

• £8 on a bottle of wine from Lidl. Yes, I said "no wine" but this was for a lunch I was invited to. I also took a roast vegetable salad (which I consider regular groceries spending), and a bottle of bubbles which I had in my cupboard.
• £26 at Isla. If you've read my 23 in 23 follow-up you'll know that visiting Isla was on my list, and so I had pre-arranged this outing. It was great, I would definitely go back, and I really tried to keep my spending relatively low.
• £45 sister drinks at Forza Wine Peckham (such a nice spot, even in the pouring rain!) and The Sourcing Table (delicious wine and cheese). Okay, this was definitely unplanned, but my sister is not big on going out, so I could not say no.
• £21 at Top Secret Comedy Club. This was a work social, and while tickets were only £3, they do ask for a donation at the end of the show. It was hilarious, and I definitely fell for the "anchor" number given by the MC - no regrets! I did also buy a drink for me and a colleague as I just can't help myself (£12)
• £15 at Nando's. I normally grab a sandwich or some soup when I go into the office, but on this day some friends suggested Nando's. Could I refuse? No.
• £47.40 at birthday drinks for a friend. Ouch. But it was a nice group of people, and we were buying rounds. Plus, this was my in my calendar for a while, so I knew it was coming up.
• £24.25 Putney brunch. I went to Putney to witness a document for some friends, and we got brunch. These things just add up so quickly!
• £18 on the When Forms Come Alive exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. I went with my sister, and technically this wasn't a money fail as I was allowed to spend on things on my #24in24 list (in this case #8)
• £101.14 on Easter lunch I was hosting so I got some flowers (£5), Easter Eggs (£31 from Mango & Pippin and £5 from M&S), groceries (£48.14), and lest I forget £12 on an Easter cocktail during our post-lunch walk.

Temptations Resisted 💪

• Fuchsia pink fluffy slippers (£28), shower foam (not available online), candle stick holders (£19 for two) and a beautiful vase from Oliver Bonas
• New black boots (I was sorely tempted when I chose to walk into work on the rainiest day of the month)
• Josh Wood Hair Gloss (£19), probably prompted by my friend's kid pointing out my greys lol! In this case I shopped my stash, and used my Christophe Robin Temporary Colour Gel
• The Inkey List SPF (£7.99) from TK Maxx 
• Jigsaw polo jumper (currently £84) in black and/or navy
• A solar lantern (£25), some wall art (£55), a stunning and very highly rated bookshelf (£299), and a very cute mushroom lamp (£40) from Dunelm
• Black crossbody bag from M&S. I realized that none of my small bags go with my grey coat so I was suddenly desperate for a solution!
• A close dupe of a bag that has now sold out from La Redoute. This was extra hard to resist, but I managed.
• A bent glass table that I found for a good price at Wilko

• I sold an item on Facebook for £25
• I cancelled two work-related subscriptions (Media modifier £8.79 and Smartsheet £21.86)

Big Purchases💰

• £242.82 on B-School Module 1. Again this was inline with my #24in24 (#20) but there is also a much longer history. I have followed Marie Forleo for aaaages, and was always interested in B-School but could never justify the price tag. This was an opportunity to try a module of the course (also a module that I heard was highly rated) and see what all the fuss was about.
• £1000 on gas pipe repairs 😭This story is too painful, and too boring to go into, but I had to get it repaired as I had no hot water or heating for a month.

Money Insights 🤓

• First up, just wow. There are just so many demands on one's money. I want to live a good life now (travel, see friends, pursue hobbies), but I also want to save for big projects or expenses (like a new kitchen), help family, and also save and invest for the future. My money most be exhausted! But basically what this means is that every purchase comes with an opportunity cost, and this challenge really highlighted that for me.
• Secondly, I find saying no to others is very hard. I was only able to turn down two last-minute trips because I felt like I had a legitimate excuse (that gas repair bill I mentioned). And I wasn't even that keen on the one trip! 
• Thirdly, I can overspend on others. I did not need to take two bottles of wine/bubbles to a lunch (we didn't event get to drink the wine!), and I probably did not need to spend £36 on Easter eggs for my guests.
•  Finally, it's not all bad news - I did really get enjoyment and satisfaction from "shopping my stash". For example, instead of stocking up on wine, I used ingredients I already had to finally perfect a tamarind cocktail (something from my #23for23 list).

Changed Behaviour 🆕

• I pay much more attention to bank notifications now. During this challenge I realized how hard it is to have a no-spend day (never mind a month!), and there's nothing quite like the constant buzz of bank notifications to drive that point home (even when I am at home minding my own business!) However, it's helpful to keep an eye on them, especially to spot any expenses that can be cut.
• The only thing I ordered online during March was the easter eggs. Now that I am free to shop again I find myself trying to get the order amount down to a minimum. I ask myself "Do I really need this?", "Will I use it right away?", and "Do I have anything I can use instead?".
• I am going to put aside an audacious savings goal every month, and then draw down from it as the month progresses. This will create extra friction and inconvenience every time I want to shop, and if there's one thing I hate it's inconvenience!

Money Results 💷

• I paid my eye-wateringly large gas repair bill without using my savings 
• I saved extra £442

I also haven't gone back and bought any of the items I was tempted by, although I have bought another black bag from M&S.

 So that was a long post! Overall, I'm happy I did the challenge, as recently I have been drifting when it comes to money.

I had automated savings with Chip, but there was a lot more I could do, and I feel like the challenge will help me be much more intentional about where I deploy my money.

Have you done a no-spend challenge? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Natalie x