Financial Fasting: Are You Spending Yourself Into Extinction?

Financial Fasting: Can You Survive?

Have you ever found yourself at the end of the month, staring at your bank account or credit card bill and wondering, Where did all my money go? It’s not like you did anything different this month, but somehow, you have nothing left.

This happens to me every single year—and no matter how much I try to audit my spending, cancel forgotten subscriptions, or negotiate better deals, somehow my spending gets worse. I even canceled my husband's violin rental—yes, the violin he swore he would master but now just sits in the corner collecting dust month after month. And yet, despite my best efforts, my bank account still looks like a barren wasteland by month's end. How did I work so hard to not have much left - answer is I spent it all!

Sure, inflation is a thing, but that doesn’t explain why I still don’t have any money left over at the end of the month.

I am exceptionally skilled at creating my own stress—more spending, more unnecessary things, and less saved for the inevitable rainy day (which, knowing my luck, will be a full-blown monsoon). Do I stress about the what-ifs in life? Absolutely. Have I prepared for them? Of course not. Instead, I buy things I think I need, like bulk candles for a "relaxing ambiance" that I’ll never light because I’m too busy stressing.

What if I suddenly couldn’t work? What if my husband—who, let’s be honest, handles things I don’t even know need handling—wasn’t here anymore? Would I be ready? Or would I be buried under a mountain of AI-driven impulse spending, courtesy of targeted ads that know me better than I know myself? Maybe it’s time to rethink things—am I taking control of my future, or just hoping nothing goes wrong? Either way, at least I’d go down with an impressive collection of unused home décor to panic in.

Introducing: The Financial Fast

For one month, we live as if spending is an absolute last resort—like need a doctor right now kind of necessary. Just like people cut out alcohol, sugar, chocolate, caffeine, or carbs for a detox, we cut out spending. Everyone has tried a fad diet or exercise routine at some point—did it have some health benefits? Sure. But this? This is real—actual dollars saved, not just imaginary weight lost.

And the biggest challenge? Putting my very expensive right pointer finger on a strict timeout—no more mindlessly hitting the “Buy Now” button like it’s a reflex during my nightly binge bedtime shopping. Turns out, resisting impulse purchases is harder than resisting dessert—but at least this detox leaves me with a fatter bank account instead of a sad pile of kale smoothies.

And no, this isn’t some bleak, ramen-noodles-every-night kind of survival test. It’s more like a game—breaking habits, getting creative, and proving to myself that I don’t actually need half the stuff I’ve been buying. Because somehow, despite my best intentions, I’ve managed to accumulate an alarming amount of things that none of us even want or like!

The best part? It’s a couple’s bonding experience. My husband and I have a strong relationship, and we love a good laugh at ourselves—nothing says bonding like collectively questioning our spending choices and wondering if AI is secretly trying to insert itself into our relationship by constantly suggesting things our household needs.

Because imagine if we got more good old-fashioned human-to-human interaction—you know, like they did in the olden days before one-click shopping and targeted ads. Who knows the possibilities when we can go to bed without scrolling through Amazon first! 😉

How a Financial Fast Works

For one month, we stop spending. I put the credit card down—literally—buried deep in my purse so it takes actual effort to find. No more mindless swiping! Essentials like groceries? Yes, but even those get scrutinized. Do I really need more strawberries? Ugh, BOGO—how to resist? Even fresh fruit and veggie shopping becomes a game of “what’s on sale?” Peaches? We haven’t had peaches in forever! Or will they just sit in the fridge, slowly rotting while my kids pretend they don’t exist, only to be discovered when they start leaking at the bottom of the crisper drawer? (There once was a piece of fish...)

Amazon? That “Buy Now” button is off-limits. If I really need something, it goes into Save for Later—because let’s be honest, sometimes I just need the thrill of adding it to my cart. Then I move it to Save for Later like some kind of shopping Jedi. The buy urge is too strong—I might accidentally place an order in my sleep! And let’s be real—by the time later rolls around, half of those items no longer feel necessary. Mind. Blown.

We resist impulse buys. No more Costco trips where we somehow walk out with a 10-pack of pajamas and a lifetime supply of granola bars. If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t come home with us.

And speaking of lists—sticking to one is a must. Without it, I inevitably buy random things I already own, like the extra loofahs currently sitting in a Walmart bag on my bathroom counter. (Yes, I did think we needed them. No, I did not check first.) Or the hooks in the Home Depot bag we thought would be great.

Do you have money just sitting around your house, waiting to be returned? The effort to take back a $1 loofah is just too much. Why did I even buy it? Why?! I was on some weird germ kick that day—but I was wrong.

And Here’s the Wild Part—Everything in Life Gets Better

When you start planning what you buy, you start planning everything. You eat out less, and when you do, you actually eat less—maybe even have a small snack before dinner so you’re not impulse-ordering everything on the menu because it all looks good. You stop treating every meal out like your last supper.

You think before you act—before you shop, before you order, before you let AI convince you that you need a gadget that cooks eggs in a shape you will never actually use. Suddenly, you’re more mindful, less stressed, and shockingly, even your bank account seems to like you again.

Eating Through the Pantry Like It’s Doomsday Prepping

During our financial fast, our meals become a game of "What Can We Make Without Going to the Store?" That forgotten can of beans? Chili night. The freezer-burned chicken thighs? Marinate, pray, and hope for the best. That pasta sauce I bought six months ago for a recipe I swore I’d make? It’s finally happening. And you know what? It feels good!

By the end of the fast, our fridge is clear, our pantry is manageable, and our freezer isn’t a black hole of abandoned food experiments. It’s like a cleanse—except instead of choking down green juice, I’m finally using the ingredients I mindlessly stockpiled "just in case."

Dining Out: A New Strategy

Dining out isn’t just about eating—it’s about the experience. It’s getting dressed up, having a conversation without kids interrupting, and actually eating hot food without inhaling it like a competitive eater. It’s a lifestyle choice, a healthy habit that should feel special, not just another routine Tuesday night because we didn’t feel like cooking.

Before our financial fast, my husband and I would go out and order everything—appetizers, full meals, drinks—only for me to eat about a third of mine, pack up the leftovers, and let them sit in the fridge until they became science experiments. We’d leave feeling overly full, slightly guilty, and inevitably, my husband would compare every dish to my cooking. And when every meal ends with "You could make this better at home," the excitement fades, and suddenly, we’re just eating sushi on repeat because at least I don’t make that.

Now? We order smarter. A shared salad, one entrée, maybe an appetizer. No wasted food, no wasted money, and we can go out twice as often because we’re spending half as much. Plus, my hangry over-ordering stays at home, because I’ve learned the magic of a pre-dinner snack—turns out, when I’m not ravenous, I don’t feel the need to order half the menu. The real challenge? Walking away without a to-go box.

How empowering to leave without the bag of over-ordering shame! No sad, forgotten leftovers, no fridge full of guilt—just the satisfaction of enjoying the moment and making smarter choices.

Financial Fasting: The Easiest Game You’ll Ever Win

Turns out, no tribal council is needed, and we are nowhere near being Naked and Afraid—financial fasting is shockingly easy once you get past the impulse to buy random stuff you don’t need. No one is rationing food, foraging for berries, or fashioning clothes out of palm leaves. In fact, the irony is that we already have everything we need—we just never noticed because we were too busy restocking out of habit.

Instead of outwitting, outlasting, and out-saving, it’s more like out-thinking, out-pausing, and outsmarting your own spending habits. And honestly? That’s the easiest challenge we’ve ever taken on—no fire-starting skills required.

The Costco Problem

Costco is both a dream and a nightmare. You go in for milk and somehow leave with a kayak, a 10-pack of towels, and 15 pounds of snacks your kids swore they’d eat but don’t. So, during our financial fast, we had to go cold turkey—no Costco, no mindless stockpiling, just a focus on what we actually use.

Now, when we go to Costco, it’s a mission. A list-only operation. Think American Ninja Warrior, where every step is calculated, and the things you touch may be booby-trapped to land in your cart. One wrong move, and suddenly, you’re debating whether you really need a four-foot-tall container of cheese puffs. Stay focused. Stay strong. Make it to checkout unscathed.

The AI Shopping Trap

Ever notice that the moment you RSVP to a birthday party, your social media feeds suddenly bombard you with "perfect gift ideas"? That’s AI at work. The second I open an invite for a Harry Potter-themed party, my inbox magically fills with wand sets, robes, chocolate frogs, and next thing you know—I’m not just picking out a birthday present, I’m booking tickets to Universal Studios.

AI isn’t just predicting our needs—it’s creating them. And the irony? I know exactly how this works. I’ve built the technology, I understand the data, and I still fall for it. So, as part of our financial fast, we actively push back. Instead of letting tech convince us we need something unknowingly—like, "Oh, that sounds good! That’s the whatchamacallit I was looking for!" or my husband's favorite phrase I use, "the thingy," we question everything.

Do we actually need it, or was it just suggested to us? Because if I’m not careful, a simple party invite turns into an entire themed vacation package—and I definitely wasn’t planning on that, but now my family is excited.

Why a Financial Fast Works

Like any diet, you’ll slip up. You’ll cheat. (Case in point: I bought storage bins mid-fast because, well, I’m reorganizing the whole house, and it seemed silly to delay the project for the sake of a challenge.) But the important thing is the mindset shift.

Once you start, you become addicted to saving. It’s like a game—how much can I not spend? What can I repurpose instead of buying new? Suddenly, you’re more aware of your financial habits and making better choices because of it.

Funny thing is, follow the money! You start noticing exactly where it disappears—like a detective uncovering the mystery of why I somehow have 12 different water bottles but can never find one when I need it. Turns out, the culprit was me... buying a new one every time I forgot the last one in my car. 🤦‍♀️

Also, let’s be honest—there is a lot of crap out there. Things aren’t made to last; they almost seem designed to break quickly so we keep spending. Every holiday, every school event, every random celebration demands stuff. My four kids alone require over 100 Valentine’s—and let’s not even talk about the Easter egg count. Every event somehow requires goodie bags filled with slime that will 100% end up in the trash.

We’ve become complacent with "the way it works." BREAK OUT of your habits! Nothing hurts to try!

That said... I currently have room for improvement on our Fabulous February Financial Fast. 😬 But at least I’m trying! Is my spending out of control? Not even close. But why not March into another one? (I got the jokes... maybe?)

And honestly, just the mere act of trying means we have more of what actually matters—more savings, more awareness, and definitely less stress (and scented candles). Bet AI will try to edit these out! 🕵️‍♀️🔥

One Last Thought (And a Confession)

And because this whole experience fascinated me (and let’s be honest, cracked me up), I had to share it with the world.

If you don’t believe in the power of marketing manipulation, subliminal messages, let me tell you about my accidental Super Bowl grocery haul.

I was at the store, sticking to my list, feeling very in control. And then—somehow—I ended up with crab dip, spinach dip, and chips. Why? I had no idea it was Super Bowl Sunday, but clearly, the grocery store did. Everything was on sale, perfectly placed, and strategically designed to trigger my subconscious into believing that dips and chips were a necessity.

Worse yet? I was shopping hungry! Rookie mistake. I didn’t just fall for the marketing—I sprinted straight into it, arms full of snacks I hadn’t even planned on buying.

And guess what? A friend invited us over last minutes, and when she told me what food she had, I realized: Oh wow! I already have dips and chips! My brain had been tricked into prepping for an event I didn’t even know was happening.

So yes, I cheated on my financial fast. But hey, at least I had something to bring. AI: 1, Me: 0.

Final Challenge: Take Control of Your Spending

Try a financial fast for a month. See how much you can save. Stop impulse spending, challenge your habits, and resist AI-driven consumer traps that are way too good at knowing what you’ll buy before you do.

Most importantly, recognize that we create our own financial problems. But the good news? We’re also the ones who can fix them.

So put that expensive pointer finger back in your pocket, keep your cart full of Saved for Later items, and take charge of your financial future. You got this!

And the best part? Once you start saving, it becomes addictive. You start seeing just how far you can push it—challenging yourself to spend even less, to outsmart AI’s sneaky marketing tricks, and to break the Costco cycle before you find yourself debating bulk-sized cheese wheels again.

So if you’re up for it, I dare you: Try a financial fast for one month. See how much money you can save.

Put that ‘Buy Now’ finger in your pocket and step away from the cart.

Who knows? You might just outwit, outlast, and out-save yourself.

And in an apocalypse? Your house wins.

Because let’s be real—if you’ve read this far (and yes, I know I’m long-winded when making a point), and you don’t do a Financial Fast, it means you’re fully committed to stockpiling food, candles, and emergency loofahs.

Party at your house!

It just makes sense.

The Next Step: Making Your Money Work for You

Once you master the financial fast, the next chapter is learning how to make your money work for you. We all spend money to survive, but how do we make it grow?

This year, I’m shifting my focus to making money while I sleep—not just through property appreciation and stock investments, but by spending smarter. Because honestly, when I compare my investments to my spending habits, the balance isn’t exactly where I want it to be.

If I can put my right pointer finger on an "Invest Now" button, I can definitely start making intentional financial moves—because financial freedom isn’t just about saving, it’s about growing.

I mean, think about 4 Bitcoin today instead of 4 loofahs! One appreciates in value... the other just sits in a Walmart bag reminding me of my questionable decision-making. 🤦‍♀️