It's February 1 which means the sun has set on my No Spend January Challenge. I've been doing this for a few years now and have to say that it gets easier every time. This month was great.

In short, there was no recreational shopping to speak of and I bought nothing online. No books were purchased and it didn't hurt a bit.

I did hit TJ Maxx this weekend for a gift. However, that was necessary and I didn't shop for myself. I ate fast food just a handful of times and only when I really didn't have a choice.

I did continue grocery shopping as normal instead of only buying the necessities like I have in past years. This is partly because I had opportunity to stock my freezer with sale items that will no doubt be more expensive when I need them thanks to rising grocery prices. I also am attempting to clean up some bad eating habits and was sort of particular about foods I wanted to eat.

The other benefit is I spent my free time resting, walking outdoors, reading and doing stuff around the house. I purged and organized, donated some stuff and got the house ready for spring cleaning.

There's value in appreciating what you have and realizing that all that unwanted stuff was once something you were dying to buy. It kills the urge to go out and buy more.

My plan is to continue the challenge into February with a few rule changes. I have plans with a friend one day and intend to buy my February Book of the Month. I have a haircut appointment next week but I view that as a need.

So there's the rundown. It's not very exciting but I'm calling the challenge a success!