Hello Everyone,
This is an extra edition of the Saturday Savers Club to launch September No Buy Month. If you'd like to know more about Saturday Savers Club, scroll down to see the information section at the bottom and all our registered savers.
September is a really great month for a No-Buy. In the Northern hemisphere the summer holidays are over, we're back to work, school and routine. In the Southern hemisphere we're looking forward to longer days.
Strictly speaking, No-Buy is not literally about buying nothing. It is about reviewing your spending and seeing where changes can be made. In the UK, where I'm based, we've seen large price fluctuations in housing, utilities, food and transport. In addition, if it's been a while since you reviewed your regular outgoings, this might be the time to check what's going on and whether you can get any better deals.
I came across the No Buy idea through a writer called Cinzia Du Bois. Cinzia talked about how she had always said that she could never save as she was on a minimum wage. One year, she earned more, but still didn't have any savings at the end of it. That caused her to wonder what was going on ...
I know my spending has got out of sync due to changes in mortgage rates and energy prices. I'm also making some major life changes including having work done on my house. And I'm involved in some research about healthy aging and my eating habits will be changing over the next few months. There has been so much going on that it has been difficult to stay on top of everything - time for a reset!
What is No-Buy Month?
A no-buy month is a month when you set your self some intentional rules about what you are and are not going to buy. You decide your budget and what is permissible within your rules:
Last time we did a no-buy, one person had a challenge about buying things for the new school year. That's okay: build those known expenses into your rules and allowed expenses for the month.
Of course, you continue to pay essential expenditure like housing costs, but you may want to use the month to review household bills and whether you can get a better deal. You consider whether there is food you can use up from your store cupboard, freezer and garden. Last but not least, you think about what intentional spending you want to include - maybe birthday presents, or social events with friends.
No Buy Rules September 2023
Here's the set of rules that 
ALLOWED EXPENSES
Food - but aiming to finish up packets, tins and jars.
Essential toiletries and housekeeping replacements.
Essential repairs or replacements.
1 coffee or meal with friends or family per week.
Voices in Art Class subscription.
Rowan September Connect Workshops.
Travel or fuel.NO-NO-BUY
No shop-bought non-essential treats.
No books, stationary, yarn, fabric or notions.
No "new" (ie not replacements) clothes.
No "new" (ie not replacements) furniture, household items, telecoms.
No seeds or plants or houseplants or cut flowers.REVIEW
Household bills - energy, insurance, council tax, subscriptions.
Personal and business accounts for first half of year.
Savings and emergency fund goals.
I'm torn on one: perhaps you can help. Should I have a budget for purchasing more HIVE if the price drops further? Is it a weekly budget or a single one for the month?
Last time I did this, I set a goal to reduce monthly expenditure by 10%. I did pretty well that time, and managed to save 25% for that month, so a nice boost to my savings!
How to Take Part
If you'd like to join in the September no-buy month, leave a comment below with your no-buy rules and your target for the percentage of savings you would like to make during the month. If you prefer you can make a separate post and link it in a comment. An HSBI sponsored by 
You can find more No Buy information in the table at the bottom of this post - weeks 35-39.
Saturday Savings Club 2023
Remember for success - Start Small, Start Today
It can be any day, and it can be any day when you've had a break and want to start again.
- the best way to build wealth is to save small amounts regularly.
If you know anyone else who is interested in saving, please do tell them about the Saturday Savers Club, we love meeting people, sharing ideas and supporting each other. You'll find all the FAQs in this post and all the information about the first year's progress in this post. Write a post to tell your friends and followers about us and drop a link in the comments below!
Today's post by
Many thanks to 
EDS, 
