Margaret Arnold • December 7, 2024
November: Gratitude In a No Spending Month

I made it through my “No Spend November” and it was a restorative reset.


After a few years of reading articles, books and podcasts about simplicity, I discovered an intriguing challenge: the “no-spend month.”  One of my favorite pieces was by my inspiration and favorite author Ann Patchett titled “My Year of No Shopping.” I learned there are strict no spend months (only essential expenses like food and home bills) and categorical no spend months (allowing some flexibility).


A strict no spend month during a transitional period was relatively easy and quite freeing, as I had little desire to accumulate more while in temporary housing.


I chose this November for my second no spend month. I picked this month, partly for the playful alliteration, but mostly because I desired a reset after a busy summer and fall of spending on travel, family events and more and before the busy holidays.


I DESIRED A RESET AFTER A BUSY SUMMER AND FALL ...




Here are some learnings of a no spend month as an intentional financial strategy:


  • No spend “why” and rules are personal. A spending freeze is personal and what you want to achieve. My no spend month, a spending detox, was cleansing, but I didn’t miss celebrating special moments, including the purchase of an engagement gift for my daughter, while maintaining overall spending discipline.
  • Mindful purchasing is a decision reflection. While the impulse was there to add an item to my cart, I spent more time thinking whether I “really” needed it. I would pause, leave, return and then decided against the purchase. And I have learned the present decision not to put it in the cart also kept at bay, for now, a future decision about that item – where and how it leaves my life.
  • Desire to purchase was suppressed. Keeping a list of the items I passed on during November (seven personal items or services in the $800 range), helped me see that the urgency for those same items quickly dissipated. Here are some examples: a) an orange baseball cap for walking in the woods (I had an old one that was just fine); b) a new dress and a manicure and pedicure for a special wedding (I attended in a dress only worn twice and did a home manicure and pedicure); c) the “perfect” coffee tumbler my daughter showed me (again, I pulled out an old one that fit my car cup holder); d) cleaning a dry clean-only dress at home with a product that I researched and felt safe using.


A no spend month during a month that celebrates gratitude and abundance (and on the eve of a month of holiday spending creep) was challenging but also special as it had many lessons, including restorative appreciation for a simplified life and space that gives me joy and peace every day.



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Past Blogs

A tote bag is sitting on a counter next to bottles of cleaning supplies.

A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

By Margaret Arnold • May 17, 2025
When my four children were in elementary and middle school, an annual Christmas card and letter that arrived each year gave me a glimpse of the life stage that awaited our family. I recall the usual family news but what struck me about this particular holiday update was the amount of moves her four children made in those college and post-college years and the loving assistance she provided. Little did she know she was modeling how I wanted to be, and have been, for my children these past 13 years and 18+ moves (counting three for my husband and me). From college dorm room to first apartments and now to first homes, I have had the joy of helping my kids settle into their spaces. What an exciting time it is for them! A key role I’ve played during these move-ins and occasional move-outs has been that of a cleaner. I like to clean – I mean I really like it. Not only do I enjoy the physical work I especially like the mental and organizational challenge and doing this domestic task better, deeper and, in the last three years, more sustainable. A KEY ROLE I'VE PLAYED DURING THESE MOVE-INS ... HAS BEEN THAT OF CLEANER.

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

By Margaret Arnold • April 26, 2025
Earth Day has significant meaning for me. Beyond falling during my wedding anniversary week (4.23), this global day has involved cleaning ditches with my children and outdoor spring projects. It's ideal for honoring Earth's wonders as nature awakens in Minnesota. For a third year, my gift to Earth is a forest management project first shared last year on LinkedIn . My husband and I have tackled buckthorn eradication , transforming our woods to reveal 300-year-old oaks, black cherry, cedar trees and the land's natural contour. While I attempt to embrace simplicity, this conservation project isn't simple! Eradicating this invasive shrub (and larger old trees) from our forest will take a decade or more. It demands physical work and resources, but the rewards extend beyond restoring native habitats in my corner of the world. my gift to the earth is a forest management project ...

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

By Margaret Arnold • April 13, 2025
Last Sunday, three friends and I celebrated spring birthdays with a long walk and brunch. Though still brisk walkers as former "runner girls," we paused to appreciate the beautiful spring morning as we wound through streets, a wooded trail with frozen ground, and finally a shared-use path. Greeting passing runners reminded me of my younger self, but I've grown content with my natural walking habit. Four years ago, I retired from decades of running for a consistent walking routine. I no longer feel compelled to justify my walking routine against running and have fully embraced this new habit and discovered unexpected treasures beyond the well-known health benefits. EACH WALK OFFERS BRILLANT SUNRISES, UNIQUE CLOUD FORMATIONS, CHATTERING BIRDSONGS ...