Noticed a weird pattern with those "no spend" challenges

People keep saying they saved $500 in a month by not buying anything extra, but they're not counting the $80 they spent restocking pantry staples or gas for their car. I saw three people in different groups do this last week, and it makes the whole budget look fake.

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_mason30m ago

Hits the same thing I see with people bragging about cutting their grocery bill by shopping at discount stores, then conveniently leaving out the $40 they dropped on a specialty item at the regular store later that week.

mila_harris2h ago

Did you catch that one thread where someone broke down the math on these challenges? They pointed out that people often skip the "sinking fund" stuff like car repairs or doctor visits, and just count the fun spending they skipped. So they saved on takeout but forgot the new brake pads they had to buy later. It makes the whole savings number feel kinda hollow when you think about it.