The Rules

Welcome to the longest year of my life.

When I started this blog, I couldn’t decide whether to call my 2024 challenge a “no-spend” or a “low-spend.” Eventually, I settled on “no-spend” because I really want to get into the mindset of not spending, even if I am giving myself specific allowances throughout the year. While I have allowances, no spending will be allowed outside of my strict rules. Everyone's idea of a "no-spend" or "low-spend" challenge can differ based on their goals, so here are the rules and allowances for my 2024 stationery no-spend.

• I will give myself a quarterly $100 allowance at the beginning of each quarter (January, April, July, and October).

  • I can spend this $100 on any stationery items I wish.

  • I can roll over my $100 allowance to the next quarter.

  • I may not borrow from an upcoming quarter.

• I am allowing myself to make one large purchase outside of the $100 allowances.

  • Example: A fountain pen or a PLOTTER

  • I cannot make this purchase until we’ve paid the credit card off and I actually have the cash on hand to buy it.

• When I publish a book, I will give myself an additional $100 allowance per book as a bonus incentive to publish more books in 2024.

  • I will pay myself the bonus once I receive the money in my account and all other book expenses are covered.

• I will only attend pen shows where I am hired and paid to work.

  • Any purchases at a pen show must be covered by my quarterly allowance, writing bonuses, or any pay I receive for working at the show, minus expenses like Uber, food, etc.

• Stationery purchases that are allowed outside of my allowance:

  • Glue tape or other adhesives as needed for replenishment.

  • Printer supplies, such as paper, sticker paper, or printer ink as needed for replenishment. This also applies to my photo printer.

  • Storage for my current items to help me organize and access things better.

    • No impulse buys or browsing. Measurements will be taken, and storage will be bought with intent and a specific purpose.

  • 2025 Planner Season:

    • One 2025 Planner/Notebook (Cover not included, cover must be bought with allowances or writing bonuses.)

    • 2025 PLOTTER calendar inserts

    • One 2025 daily tear away calendar

  • Postage stamps and other postage as needed.

  • My yearly PenAddict membership renewal.

  • The two current stationery-related Patreon memberships I maintain.

  • Basic PLOTTER refill pages as needed for replenishment. (Show specials don’t count)

  • A bottle of Sailor Sei-Boku, only when my current bottle runs out (this is my waterproof work ink)

Those are the rules so far! I might tweak or add a few more as I progress, but I think this is a solid starting point. I’ve even made a little infographic for myself to print and put into my journal.

What about selling items?

Since my primary goal is to save money and train myself to manage spending impulses while avoiding FOMO, I want to break away from the mindset of "selling a pen to buy a new pen.” If I assess my collection and decide a pen is not for me, I may try to sell it and add that to my budget or use it to pay off debt. It depends on the situation at the time and my reasons for selling, something I will discuss more in the future. I have plans to sell certain items, but if we're still not meeting our financial objectives, it might be a better idea to put those funds into savings or paying off debt.

What about other income sources?

I haven’t included allowances for earnings from side jobs, income from Twitch, potential subscriptions to my Substack, or the residual income from my published books. Currently, Twitch, Substack, and book residuals will go into savings. If I work a side job, I will spend the money I earn from that based on current debt, savings balance, or other unforeseen circumstances.

What qualifies as “stationery?”

I’ve had this question a couple times. If an artist I love is selling a plushie or keychains, or trading cards at an event, do those items count as stationery? If I buy a bag from The Superior Labor, does that count as stationery? If a company also makes stationery and I buy a mug from them, is it stationery? The short answer is no, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving myself the green light to buy it. I will manage additional fun purchases within the larger budget. My primary goal for the year is to reduce overall spending and instead prioritize long-term practical items, such as replacing some aging cookware and upgrading our washer and dryer. Boring adult things.

What happens if I fail?

What if I go over budget for a quarter? What happens if I miscalculate or impulse buy? Will there be consequences?

I hope this doesn’t happen, but we all make mistakes. The most important thing would be to avoid giving up just because of a single slip-up. I haven’t been able to figure out what the consequence would be. Again, I don’t want to borrow from other quarters or sell items to cover any overspending, because I don’t feel like that’s in the spirit of the challenge, so I’m still struggling to decide what the consequences of breaking the no-spend would be.

I will say that public accountability is a huge thing for me. I’m driven by the support and expectations of others. The more people cheering me on or even expressing doubt, the more I feel the need to prove myself. Shame itself is a major consequence to me. I don’t want to let y’all down, so I will do my best in 2024 to stick to my budget!

If you want to be here for every update, please make sure you’re subscribed. I plan to make all regular updates available to free subscribers, though I have ideas for printables and future special posts for paid subscribers.

The next post will explore my strategies for sticking to the no-spend, so if you’ve done a similar challenge and you have any tips please add them in the comments!