7 no-spend ideas to help you through the rest of the month if you celebrated too hard during the Euros

Millions of football fans will wake up this morning with bad heads and empty wallets after England narrowly lost in the final to Spain last night.

Brits spent more than £3.1 billion over the past month supporting the national team, according to research by GlobalData Retail for VoucherCodes.

The data also showed that more than £405 million was spent yesterday alone in pubs and supermarkets for the final.  

With Euros fever hitting millions of fans’ pockets, we’ve pulled together our seven no-spend hacks for cutting costs to zero and offsetting July’s sporting expense.

What’s the no spend challenge?

TikTok made no spend months popular as the cost-of-living crisis kicked in.  Anyone taking part is encouraged to go on a spend ‘fasts’ by not buying anything but the bare essentials while sharing their journeys online to help others.

Here’s our top seven no spend hacks 

Make money less accessible

Take out the amount of cash you think you’ll need for essentials for the remainder of the month, and then hide your debt and credit cards. Some people even choose to put them in water and freeze them so they’re harder to access. People tend to spend less when paying with cash because it is more tangible than a plastic card. When you spend it, you have less in your wallet. Once you see this, you’re more likely to process your spending.

Meal plan

Say no to takeaways, restaurants, and Deliveroo for the rest of the month. Go through your cupboards, fridge and freezer and plan meals around what’s there. Eat up leftovers hiding at the bottom of the freezer and pack out meals with cheap essentials such as rice, pasta, and lentils. Most people can survive on what they have in for a week or two, which should take you through to payday.

If you find yourself running low, check out local Facebook groups where neighbours give away food they won’t be able to use. Or download apps like Too Good To Go, Olio or Karma – Save Food With A Tap – all of which give away food close to its sell-by date or sell it off at hugely reduced prices.

If your problems with affording to fill your fridge are greater than an overexuberant month, you could be entitled to help from your local food bank. You’ll need a referral from someone like us, Citizen’s Advice, your child’s school, or social services to be able to access a food bank, so if you’re struggling make sure you ask for help.

Cut back on transport spending

While not always practical, cut back as much as you can on non-essential travel costs by planning your time better. Set off to wherever you’re going earlier so you can walk or cycle – but remember to pack a brolly because the rain is here to stay. This will save spending on Ubers and cabs, trams, and trains. And the added bonus is you won’t have to spend as long in the gym for the remainder of the month either as you’ll be getting your exercise in too.

Going out is the new staying in

If you’ve gone all out on Euro celebrations, your liver could probably do with a detox as much as your wallet. Spend the rest of July embracing activities at home such as old-fashioned board games, and computer games, pick up a book you’ve had lying around for a while, or start a boxset.

Research free activities

Not spending doesn’t have to be a punishment, especially as every area has tonnes of free activities going on. Museums, galleries, and theatres often look to fill their venues and give away tickets to get people through the door. Research what’s going on online, in your local paper or Facebook groups, and make the most of what’s on offer. You could even experience something new that you might never have tried if you weren’t looking to save.

Cancel subscriptions

If you find yourself staying in more for the rest of the month so you’re not tempted to spend, use the time wisely and audit your subscriptions. Brits spend £695 a year on subscription apps and services according to the European Subscription Wars report from Bango. Get rid of any you rarely or don’t use and do away with any that could catch you out with auto renews.

Understand your spending triggers

Not splurging will help you understand what triggers you to spend. Do you splash out when you’ve had a bad day at work, get sucked into sales and promotions, or order takeaway when you’re too tired to cook? Identifying these triggers will help you avoid them in the future and from there you can create a budget to see you through the rest of the year.

Budgets are fairly easy to create. You can do it yourself or use a free tool like ours. All you’ll need is your bank statements so you can see what you have coming in and what you’re spending on priority bills and essentials such as rent or mortgage, energy, council tax, etc. You then have a clear picture of what you have left to spend or save.

When creating your budget, it’s also worth reviewing whether you’re entitled to any benefits or extra money. Around £23 billion of support goes unclaimed each year including universal credit, child benefit, carer’s allowance, free school meals, social tariffs, and free TV licenses. You can use our free online tool to see if you’re missing out on any support.