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Recently my wife left to visit her family for several days.

I took the opportunity to give myself a little challenge: spend a week spending as little money as possible and see the lessons I could take away from it.

The result impressed me: I spent only € 49.01 in a whole week.

But more importantly, I learned a lot from this experience.

The principle of the thrifty week

The goal was to spend as little money as possible. This included 2 types of expenses:

1. The expenses I needed to pay for all the things (like restaurants).

2. Expenses that I had already made (for example, milk that I had already purchased).

I did not include the amount of my rent in this experiment. Why ? Because the only way for me to save on my rent was to move.

On the other hand, I managed to reduce my electricity consumption as I explain below.

The goal was to keep everything to a bare minimum for a whole week and see how I got out of it.

I admit that at the beginning I didn't really know what I could get out of this experience. But it was something I had wanted to do for a long time to gain a better understanding of life based on simplicity and sobriety.

I would like to take this opportunity to advise you on Pierre Rabhi's book on the subject.

Daily sobriety

During this week of sobriety, I really reduced everything I could to a minimum. And one of the big surprises of this lifestyle is that I felt much better, with more energy than normal.

Why ? Probably because I ate less and spent more time outside.

Food

Throughout the week, I ate pasta and fresh vegetables that my wife had prepared ahead of time.

I also took the opportunity to finish off the leftovers that we had put in the freezer.

So I was able to eat homemade dumplings my wife had made.

Price: € 28.52 (according to my wife)

At the end of the 4th day, I broke a bit because I really wanted an ice cream. So I bought myself a big jar of private label ice cream for € 4.99.

Price: € 0.49 (for 2 scoops)

Electricity

I have done all I can to keep my electricity consumption to a minimum in the house.

To do this, I unplugged all the electrical appliances in the house. On average, our electricity bill comes to us at € 100 per month.

Since I only used the microwave during my thrifty week, my estimate is:

Price: 20 €

Water

Eating less hasn't been difficult. However, I couldn't drink less water.

My solution was to fill a few bottles of water at my gym's water cooler.

That was more than enough for the week - and free.

Price: 0 €

Entertainment

I did a lot of sports during my thrifty week. In the evening, I took long walks.

It’s really amazing the simple and beneficial things you forget to do when you are in a rush all the time.

Plus, every time I came home from my outdoor activities, I was completely invigorated.

It did me a lot of good! This is definitely something that I will continue to do.

I also took the opportunity to resume reading, since the television and computer were unplugged.

The benefits of reading are recognized: click here to discover them.

Price: 0 €

What I learned

There are a lot of things that we don't integrate until we have tried them for ourselves.

No matter how much you hear about or read good ideas, you don't fully assimilate them before having lived them.

During my thrifty week, I really had a different lifestyle and although it was a short experience, I learned quite a few interesting things:

You consume more than what you really need

This experience confirmed my belief that most people who think they can't spend less are definitely not trying hard enough.

The next time someone asks me how to spend less and tells me they can't cut spending, at least I'll know what to say ...

It's easier than you think

Now I know it's possible to live just as happily without all of the little "extras" in life.

It will give me more control over my impulses to buy things that I don't necessarily need and to splurge for no reason.

It's important to know that, because it makes me stronger every day. And it also strengthens my desire to be a thrifty person.

You can do it !

One notion particularly struck me: it is that living while spending as little as possible is possible!

I can live extremely frugally - without diminishing my comfort or my happiness.

When you think about it, it's a very powerful notion, because now I'm not afraid of living in "survival" mode.

I now have a point of reference that defines my real needs.

It also gives me more courage to follow my passion without worrying too much about my income.

Why ? Because I know that even if in the future I have less money than expected, I could easily reduce my lifestyle while being happy.

The final word

Obviously, this experience took place over just a short week.

I might have a different opinion if I had taken it over a longer period of time.

However, I think this experience was a real success because it gave me new perspectives on life.

If you too have an opinion on this, please share it with us in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you !

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Also to discover:

23 Great Activities to Do as a Couple WITHOUT Breaking the Bank.

5 Easy Tips To Improve Your Health On A Tight Budget.