7 tips for making it through a week of no money:

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January can be a tough month for many of us as we recover from December’s spending and get a head start on the year ahead. If you’re a little tight for money this month, or simply want to cut down on unnecessary spending, a no spend week is a great idea. Not spending for a week will help you to save money, as well as breaking bad spending habits that you may have fallen into.

Prepaid Mastercard® provider, icount, have put together some top tips for making a it through a week without any spending. Read on to find out more!

1. Take a packed lunch

If you’re guilty of treating yourself to lunch during the work week, you could save a small fortune by taking a packed lunch. Raid your cupboards and freezer to find food that you might have forgotten about, and take a nutritious and delicious lunch to work to keep you on top form all day long!

2. Borrow items

Whether it’s a lawnmower or a slow cooker, there’s no need to purchase household items when you can just borrow them! Ask your neighbours or friends, and make the most of social networks by posting a request in local groups. Alternatively, services such as Streetbank make it quick and easy to find what you need in your local community.

3. Make your own entertainment

Just because you’re having a no spend week, doesn’t mean it has to be a no fun week too! Make the most of local museums, galleries and free events in your local community. Alternatively, invite friends over for a night in with films or homemade beauty treatments, or host a potluck dinner where guests bring dishes with them.

4. Travel for free

Instead of taking your car or public transport to work, consider free modes of transport. Get up a little earlier and walk to work, or dust off your bike and cycle in. If you’re a little too far away from your workplace to do this, consider sharing a car with local colleagues, or take a look at websites such as Carshare, to see if you can grab a lift with someone travelling in your direction.

5. Get crafty

Whether it’s face cleanser or oven cleaner, you will find DIY recipes all over the internet to make essentials from everyday ingredients that you’ve almost certainly got in your cupboard. Take to Google to find a crafty remedy to anything you need during your no-spend week.

6. Find freebies

There are a wealth of offers and freebies to take advantage of during your no spend week. Take a look at websites such as Money Saving Expert or Latest Deals to find free samples and goodies to help you make it through the week.

7. Make do and mend

Instead of throwing away clothes or items that are getting a little old, why not try mending them yourself? Darning socks and patching up clothes can be done in minutes, and it provides a great opportunity to dust off those high school sewing skills. Take a look at how-to videos on YouTube to get you started.

These simple tips will help you to manage your first no spend week and will make sure that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything!