The first time I announced a no-spend weekend, Owen asked if that meant we weren't allowed to eat. Ella asked if the library counted as spending. And Rosie cried because she thought it meant no ice cream ever again. So, a rocky start.
That was two summers ago. Now we do one no-spend weekend a month, usually the last weekend before payday when the checking account is looking thin anyway. School let out last week, the pool hasn't opened yet, and this weekend is our first one of the summer. It turns out that with three kids, a no-spend weekend isn't about deprivation at all. It just takes a little planning.
What "no-spend" means for us
We set the rules together, so everybody knew what to expect:
- No stores, no drive-throughs, no restaurants, no online orders.
- No paid admission anywhere.
- Bills that are already scheduled still get paid; that's not spending, that's life.
- Gas is allowed only if the tank is low for Monday's commute. Usually, we don't drive much anyway.
- Real emergencies override everything. A fever means medicine. Nobody gets points for suffering.
The Thursday prep
A no-spend weekend actually starts on Thursday with a regular grocery trip, not a big one. Our regular budget is about $1,200 a month for the five of us, and this doesn't add to it. I just make sure our Thursday Aldi run covers the weekend meals, so there's no "we're out of milk" emergency on Saturday afternoon.
I also plan every meal for the weekend and write it on the whiteboard on the fridge. This is the part that makes or breaks it. Most of our accidental spending on weekends used to be food: a pizza on Friday because I was tired, donuts after soccer, drive-through on the way home from the park. If the meals are planned and the kitchen is stocked, those temptations mostly disappear.
A typical weekend menu:
- Friday: homemade pizza night (dough from scratch, the kids pick toppings)
- Saturday breakfast: pancakes
- Saturday lunch: a picnic at the park
- Saturday dinner: burgers on the grill, corn, watermelon
- Sunday breakfast: scrambled eggs and toast
- Sunday dinner: slow cooker pulled pork and coleslaw, with leftovers for Monday
And yes, there's a treat. I make a batch of popsicles from juice and yogurt on Thursday. Rosie's fear of never having ice cream again was addressed.
What we actually do all weekend
The key for us is having a loose plan for each day, with one big thing in the morning and quiet time in the afternoon. Otherwise, by 2 p.m. on Saturday, everyone is bored and I'm tempted to "just run to Target."
Outside
- The big park across town, with a packed lunch and a soccer ball
- A bike ride on the rail trail; Rosie rides in the trailer behind Mike
- A backyard campout in the tent, when the weather cooperates
- Sidewalk chalk "art gallery" on the driveway, with the neighbors invited to tour it
- Water day: sprinkler, buckets, and a tarp with dish soap as a slide
Inside
- A library haul on Friday afternoon (free, and yes, it counts as allowed)
- Board game tournament, with a paper crown for the winner
- Blanket fort movie night with a DVD we already own and homemade popcorn
- Baking something together: cookies, bread, or muffins for the week
Around the house
The kids actually enjoy helping with "projects" if they're framed that way. Last time, we cleaned out the garage together and found a box of Mike's old baseball cards, which kept Owen busy for two hours. Weeding the garden with a prize for the biggest weed also works surprisingly well.
What went wrong (a few times)
The second no-spend weekend we tried, I didn't plan meals. By Saturday evening I was standing in front of the fridge with nothing thawed and three hungry kids, and we ordered pizza. $38. That's why the meal plan is non-negotiable now.
Another time, it rained all weekend and we were climbing the walls by Sunday. Now I keep a "rainy day box" in the hall closet with craft supplies, a new puzzle I buy on clearance and hide, and a few activity books. It gets opened only on no-spend weekends when the weather won't cooperate.
And I've learned not to be rigid about it. When a friend invited the girls to a birthday party, we brought a gift from our gift closet (clearance toys I pick up throughout the year). No new money spent.
Does it actually save anything?
I compared our spending the last several months. On a regular weekend, we typically spend $80 to $120 on food out, small store runs, and "just a few things." On a no-spend weekend, it's zero, and the groceries were already bought. So roughly $100 a month stays in our account, about $1,200 a year.
But honestly, that's not the main reason we keep doing it. The kids have started asking when the next one is. Ella has already requested a backyard campout for this weekend, and Owen wants a rematch in Uno. The popsicles are in the freezer. I think we're ready.
