Every Month is No-Spend November When You Live in Poverty

I’ve been participating in this challenge all year long

*Missy*
4 min readOct 31, 2023
A brown-haired woman with glasses smiles at her phone. She is holding several shopping bags.
Image Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

My friends keep talking about No-Spend November. Some of them are excited — they love a good challenge. Others are worried they won’t make it through the month without splurging on a nonessential purchase.

My friends are good people. I love them, but we have different ideas when it comes to living on a budget. If I say I’m broke, I mean that I have zero dollars — or, if we’re being honest, a negative balance — in my bank accounts. When my friends say they’re broke, they mean that they probably shouldn’t DoorDash half their meals each week, but they can still pay their mortgage and utilities on time if they do.

There’s a disconnect when it comes to our finances, and that’s fine. Other people can manage their money however they want, even if that means complaining funds are tight while still grabbing Chipotle several times a week. Like others living in poverty, I just can’t relate. My financial situation is different.

When my friends mention No-Spend November, I say nothing. I want to tell them that every month is a no-spend month when you’re poor, but I don’t. Why make others uncomfortable when they’re just trying to improve their lives? Most folks don’t realize this fun challenge…

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*Missy*
*Missy*

Written by *Missy*

Working through my trauma one story at a time. I enjoy writing flash fiction, too. Whether you're here for fiction or nonfiction, thanks for joining me! :)

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