When I started this no-spend challenge, I figured my biggest hurdles would be resisting Target runs, dodging fast food drive-thrus, avoiding Amazon impulse buys, and convincing my two-year old that we don’t need every lollipop in the checkout aisle. What I didn’t anticipate was throwing a battle with breast cancer into the mix. Hello, plot twist! But hey, what’s another obstacle to jump through in order to reach my goals? It’s just going to make crossing the finish line that much sweeter. So let’s dive in to how this week played out, shall we?
Yo Ho Ho, It’s the Pirate’s Life for Me!
Let’s start with a win–because we’re keeping it positive here, people. My ten-year-old needed a pirate costume for her starring role of Jukes in her school’s upcoming Peter Pan play, debuting on March 1st. The old me would’ve instantly jumped on Amazon, ordering whatever overpriced costume was available for the sake of convenience. But no-spend me? I got resourceful. I’ve been on the hunt for a secondhand pirate costume for months, so when the time came, I found the perfect one on eBay, along with a matching pair of boots, all without breaking my budget. ARRRR! No panic-buying here! One small financial victory in the midst of an otherwise chaotic life.
Valentine’s Day: Paper Hearts Over Price Tags
Here’s where things get interesting. I learned the hard way from some not-so-nice people in a no-spend challenge Facebook group that I’m in the minority for giving my kids Valentine’s Day gifts. Some folks believe that Valentine’s is a couple-only holiday with NO ROOM FOR EXCEPTIONS EVER (apparently, I’m the crazy one for thinking it could be about love in general, including for my children). But I digress. I wanted to do something special for my kids on Valentine’s Day, but my no-spend rules left me with limited options. Plus, I worked hard to declutter my house last year (thank you, Marie Kondo), so I didn’t want to add more unnecessary stuff to the mix.
Thankfully, one kind soul among the sea of internet trolls shared a beautiful idea: sentimental paper hearts. So, I cut out 28 hearts for each kid—one for each day of February. I didn’t have red or pink paper, so I used white cardstock and took the time to color each heart. On each one, I wrote something special I love about my kids, then decorated their bedroom doors with them. My ten-year-old read them aloud, with her usual dry wit, as if it were an awards ceremony. She might’ve been a little disappointed that there wasn’t a material gift involved (because she’s ten after all), but I think somewhere deep down my words touched her. My two-year-old mostly just tried to peel his hearts off his door and eat them. So, mission accomplished… sort of.
The Plot Twist: Turns Out Cancer Doesn’t Care About My Financial Goals
And now, for the unexpected chapter of this story: on February 11th, in the middle of church, I found out I have breast cancer. Not exactly the news you’re ever ready to hear, right? But you know what? I couldn’t have been in a better place to receive such a heavy blow. Surrounded by love, prayers, and shoulders to cry on, I felt supported from the moment I got the news. Of course, my first instinct when I left church was to drive straight to a fast food window and drown my emotions in deep-fried comfort food. But did I do it? Nope. Not today, Satan. Instead, I went home and heated up some leftovers.
Then something beautiful happened: my community showed up. One friend sent us a generous DoorDash gift card, giving me the chance to enjoy some McDonald’s guilt-free. Another friend ordered us pizza (plus spaghetti with meatballs and chocolate cannolis—because she gets me). And my mom, in true mom fashion, made us a homemade Shepherd’s Pie and delivered it right to our doorstep. My village knew I was on this no-spend challenge, but they also knew I needed comfort, and they made sure I had both. Bonus: all that free food definitely helped me save on groceries this week.
It’s been a week filled with tough news, but also overflowing with kindness, generosity, and support. For that, I am deeply grateful.
Moving Forward
This no-spend challenge has turned into something so much bigger than just saving money–it’s about resourcefulness, gratitude, and realizing that sometimes, the best things in life really are free. I don’t know what the rest of this year is going to look like for me, but I do know that I’m surrounded by love, I have a solid stash of cannoli-fueled resilience, and I can still keep this challenge going and reach my financial goals–even if the universe threw a ridiculous plot twist my way. Above all, I have a God that’s bigger than any problem I could ever face, and I have full confidence He will be with me through it all.
O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
2 Samuel 22: 29-30
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