7 Steps To Nail Your Spending Freeze & Save Money Fast

In this ultimate spending freeze guide, you’ll learn how to not only try but nail your first or next spending freeze—no matter your lifestyle or income—with less stress and more money in your pocket.

This post builds on two foundational posts:

• What Is A Spending Freeze? (& How It Works)
• Save Money Fast: Why The 7-Day Spending Freeze Works Best

Frugal Living Mindset Shifts That Set You Up for Success

Chances are, this money-saving challenge will feel tough—especially if you’re not already living frugally. One of the biggest hurdles? Self-control and learning to say NO to spending. It’s something many of us have lost in our fast-paced, convenience-driven lives. And it’s even harder for kids. They often have that urge to get what they want right now. I shared how we support our children with this mindset in the post How I Teach My Kids To Invest For Financial Independence.

But the whole purpose of a spending freeze challenge is that it’s supposed to be a bit uncomfortable. That’s what makes it powerful. And that’s okay. Saying no to spending money is hard—but only until you discover new ways to make things work and stay focused on your “why” for taking on this challenge. That’s what keeps you going.

If you want to be truly successful at your spending freeze, it’s crucial to adopt a frugal living mindset—at least during the challenge. The first and most important step? Know and name your spending triggers. That’s how you begin to change your money habits—possibly even beyond the freeze.

Think about your biggest weaknesses and bad money habits—like impulse buying. Then find a practical solution. Start building a “default” behavior and have ready-to-go alternatives. For example:

• Stay home (more often) to avoid temptation
• Take a different route to work
• Plan your errands in advance so you’re not browsing unnecessarily

This mindset shift not only helps you save money fast, it also builds long-term discipline. It’s the kind of mindset that supports spending habit transformation—so you can achieve your bigger goals, like financial independence.

Making Your Spending Freeze Work For You

Many people who try the spending freeze challenge and fail do so because they feel the challenge is too difficult to complete—often due to a lack of flexible money-saving rules. They wrongly assume they lack the financial self-discipline needed, and believe they can’t create a personalized saving plan.

But the truth is: your spending freeze challenge is all about you. You set the rules that work for your lifestyle, and you don’t need extreme no-spend challenge guidelines if they would cause your freeze to backfire. If entertainment spending is one of your biggest triggers, prepare your go-to alternatives early. This will make your spending freeze challenge feel much easier—we’ll cover ideas in a later section.

Please, customize your money-saving challenge to fit your household, routine, and needs. There are two key decisions that will help you make the challenge a success:

How Restrictive Should The Freeze Be For Your Current Lifestyle?

Too hard to live on a bare-bones budget? You don’t have to. Find it exciting? Then go for it! You can prepare an optional emergency buffer for true necessities. I’ve found this much easier than going all-in and feeling like a failure just because I spent €1 or €2 on a bottle of milk for my toddler that I forgot to buy in advance.

What’s Your Ideal Spending Freeze Length?

Choose a challenge length that feels realistic but motivating. Don’t push too hard the first time. Try a 1-day freeze, or go for a weekend or work-week freeze. Start wherever you can—and work your way up to a full 7-day spending freeze or even a month-long money-saving challenge.

How To Make Your Spending Freeze Easy (And Even Fun)

You can make your spending freeze easy—and with just a few smart swaps, you might even enjoy it. Try these simple ideas to keep things light and stress-free.

Unsubscribe From Store Emails

Reduce temptation from subject lines like “Flash Sale Today!” so you can stop impulse buying before it starts.

Delete Auto-Pay Options On Platforms Like Amazon

Or (less radically) hide them on another screen: Putting spending apps out of sight reduces your chances of scrolling and purchasing.

Create A List Of Free, Fun Ways To Save Money

Explore Outdoor Play Activity Ideas, visit your local library (we go on Sundays and borrow free books and board games), or try a new nature trail.

Start A Zero-Cost Project

Declutter your kids’ overflowing stash of toys, books, or games and rediscover forgotten favorites in the basement. Or take on a DIY project using only materials you already have at home.

Experiment In The Kitchen

My favorite tip, since I love being in the kitchen: Make your own special coffee or tea, try a new family meal, and pack both for work or school. These small changes help you spend less money without sacrificing joy.

Make It A Learning Experience

Listen to a podcast or read a blog post or magazine or book about frugal living or budgeting while you’re on the challenge (hey, you’re already off to a great start).

Make It Easier For Your Kids

Avoid walking by tempting places like ice cream shops during your money-saving challenge. Also, write down everything you want to buy. In the evenings, compare lists—it’s fun! After the spending freeze, let each person choose one item to buy. How do you feel about not buying the rest?

How To Prepare For A Spending Freeze: 7 Steps To Save Money

My first spending freeze was a disaster—but after trying a few more, I’ve learned exactly what to do beforehand so I can actually enjoy this money-saving challenge. I swear by these 7 steps to save money fast, avoid stress, and make your spending freeze a real success.

1. Take a budget snapshot: Look at what‘s left in your bank account and transfer money
2. Plan meals ahead with what you already have in your pantry: Dig through the refrigerator, pantry and freezer
3. Check your stock of essentials like paper goods, toothpaste and other toiletries. Restock any that are running low or are at risk of running out during your challenge.
4. Set expectations with family & friends: talk to your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors
5. Remove cards from your wallet or (even better) leave your wallet at home or put it away: Put away your wallet & all credit cards

Keywords: how to prepare for a spending freeze, budgeting tips for beginners, 7 steps to save money, no-spend week prep

Look Through Your Calendar

Are there any special events or playdates during your spending freeze that require spending quite a bit of money? Could you postpone them (to reduce spending temptations) or switch to a low-cost alternative like a garden party at your house?

What about upcoming birthdays? Maybe you have a gift stash at home to dig through—like I do—with gifts that work for kids and adults throughout the year. If not, be sure to buy that gift before the spending freeze starts.

Do you need to drive to work during your money-saving challenge? Make sure to fill up your gas tank ahead of time. Or maybe try carpooling with neighbors or colleagues? Also, check that you have food and drinks prepped to take with you to work.

Don’t postpone your spending freeze just because this week seems like an exception. Every week will bring “special” circumstances—and if you keep waiting, you may never get started.

Review Upcoming Bills

Is there still a bill sitting on your table that needs to be paid? Pay it before your spending freeze begins. Expecting a bill during your money-saving challenge—like a car payment or credit card bill? Set up an automatic payment in advance. If an unexpected bill arrives in your mailbox, reach out to your credit issuer and ask if they can wait just a couple of days.

But what’s the point of all this if you’re paying your bills anyway?

Well, it forces you to engage with your finances on a deeper level—maybe for the first time ever. And that alone can become a powerful money lesson you didn’t expect.

Get A Quick Budget Overview

Do you already know how much money you usually spend during an entire month? If so, divide that amount by the number of days in the month. Let’s say you want to do a 7-day spending freeze. Then, literally transfer the money you plan to save for one week into your savings account. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind—and that reduces the temptation to touch it. Whatever you do, don’t dip into that money!

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, or you’re a budgeting beginner, you may want to start here (check out the section: A Simple Budget & Frugal Living).

Plan Meals Ahead

Don’t overcomplicate this step. Simply make a short list of must-haves you want on hand—like bread, milk, and eggs. Then, before you go grocery shopping, dig through your fridge, pantry, and freezer. I bet you’ll find at least one hidden treasure to whip up a delicious family meal. Use AllRecipes to plug in ingredients you already have and get easy meals from around the world. Lastly, finish your grocery list and shop only to fill the gaps—just enough to complete your meals.

Bonus tip: Take a strategic approach. Make a list of your family’s weekly essentials—both food and toiletries. What’s on mine? Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, butter, high-quality meat and cheese, toilet paper, soap, and many more. What would be on yours?

Set Expectations With Family & Friends

Talk to your family and friends before you start your spending freeze. Not only will they understand—they might even get inspired to try it themselves. Share the why behind your decision with your partner, and even your kids if they’re old enough to join in. When they understand the goal, they’ll be far more supportive—and might even feel proud to be part of the challenge.

Remove Cards From Your Wallet

Ideally, put your wallet away entirely during your spending freeze. But if you do need to carry it, take out your credit cards, debit cards, and any cash—except for a small amount if you’ve set an emergency buffer. If needed, lock them away somewhere safe to reduce the temptation to spend.

Overcome Temptations During A Spending Freeze

No matter how well you prepare, spending freeze setbacks can still happen. Maybe you gave in to temptation or forgot about a bill. If you slip during a spending freeze, just get back on track with your budget. One misstep doesn’t cancel your progress. Instead, use it as a learning moment. Remember your “why” and lean into that money-saving motivation to keep going strong.

Spending Freeze FAQs

Bonus tip: Create a simple budget for the month of your money-saving challenge. Let’s say you plan a 7-day spending freeze in October—right before the holiday season kicks in. Break your monthly budget down into four weeks, and you’ll see how much you can save by pressing pause on your spending for just one of them.

🚀 Now it’s your turn: Use this guide to tailor your freeze and put it into action. Tried one of the tips? Let me know how it went in the comments below—your story could inspire someone else to start.

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