By Laura Mills
ONE WOMAN managed to save a whopping £1,550 in one month just by following her own ‘no spend month’ rules and has revealed her top tips for others.
Matilda Relefors, 28, The Cotswolds, went viral on TikTok after completing a month without spending a penny.
Matilda, originally from Stockholm, Sweden, was inspired to take on this challenge after noticing the rising cost in living, as well as wanting to avoid food waste.
Since completing this challenge, she has not only saved a great amount of money but also feels much more secure and calm, and is now sharing her tips with other budding savvy savers.
She 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 were I only spend on bills and if my dog needs something urgently.
“It honestly wasn’t that hard because it was November, the most boring month, and I didn’t want to go out anyway.
“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.
“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.
“In a normal month, not a no spend month, I normally spend around £1800 on rent, bills, food, clothes, and going out.
“I was inspired to do this challenge by similar videos I’ve seen on TikTok, and the rising cost of living which feels overwhelming sometimes.
“I realised I had large amounts of food sitting in my cupboards and freezer and yet I was still buying new food continuously and thought surely I can just eat this food and stay in for a month without socialising and I could save so much money.
“30 days later I had saved £1,550 and gained over 35,000 new followers on social media.”
Matilda has revealed that although a ‘no spend month’ isn’t completely sustainable, it is a great way to save.
She added: “It’s not a sustainable lifestyle but it’s great to do every once in a while for a financial reset, especially if you want to save quickly.
“It’s caused me to be incredibly mindful about what I spend, and it’s been a real eye opener in terms of how long some food actually lasts and how long I can go without spending a penny.
“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.
“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?
“For others thinking of doing the same, I have a Facebook group of likeminded people who want to do the challenge in January.
“This is called No Spend Challenge which can be found in the link in my bio on TikTok and Instagram.”
Matilda has also explained what the reaction online was like to this frugal way of living, and what her friends and family thoughts were.
She said: “I blew up on Tiktok and gained thousands of new followers from doing it, and 99% of the feedback has been positive. People have so many questions and are so curious about it.
“My friends and family have been super supportive – all my friends are in London or my hometown of Stockholm so we’re used to a long distance friendship by now.
“I am extra social when I’m not doing a No Spend Month and I’ve always got lots of social plans after it’s over.
“My parents are especially proud that I’m taking charge of my finances.”
Matilda’s top tips include:
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(If possible) Work from home! I’ve only been leaving the house to go on walks with my dog.
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Make your own rules on what works best for you.
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Shop your wardrobe and your cupboards first – don’t buy any new clothes or food. You have enough.
