Matilda Relefors, a 28-year-old from Gloucester, managed to save an impressive £1,500 in November by committing to a ‘no spend challenge.’
Inspired by TikTok videos of others taking on similar money-saving journeys and feeling the pressure of rising living costs, Matilda set clear rules for herself.
She limited her spending to a single £100 grocery shop for the entire month, avoided social events, cut out fashion and beauty purchases, skipped transport costs, and resisted doing any ‘top-up’ food shops.
READ MORE: British teenager kicks spending habit and manages to save £15,000 in just one year
Matilda, who works as a social media manager and content creator, stuck to her plan throughout November and was amazed by how much she saved.
Explaining her motivation, she said, “I realised I had cupboards and a freezer full of food but still kept buying more. So I decided to just eat what I already had and stay home for a month – and it turns out I could save a lot.”
Even with a self-employed income of £2,000 before tax, Matilda closely monitored her spending. Her essential expenses included £310 on bills, £20 on an unplanned meal (which she balanced by donating the same amount to a charity for Palestine), and the set £100 grocery budget.
Since her rent was already paid and she worked from home, she successfully saved £1,550 that would usually have gone toward everyday spending.
Planning was key to Matilda’s success, though she admits the challenge was far from easy. On her TikTok account (@brunchingblondie), she documented her experience and reflected on the hardest part – making one food shop last an entire month.
She carefully planned which foods to eat first and relied heavily on her freezer to stretch her supplies. Staples like apples, oranges, potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger lasted the full month, and she became even more aware of food waste.
“People throw away food too easily, and this challenge really made me conscious of that,” she said.
Her biggest tip for anyone attempting a similar challenge is to plan meals in advance. “Plan your meals around what’s close to expiring so nothing goes to waste,” she advised.
Matilda also pointed out that many pantry staples and refrigerated products last far beyond their use-by dates, especially items like alternative milks, frozen fruits and vegetables, and long-life essentials.
In a TikTok summarizing her month, she shared, “The challenge showed me how long I can go without buying anything new and made me think a lot more carefully about what I spend. ”The experience has reshaped her approach to budgeting and spending, inspiring her to continue with monthly budgeting goals
“This has definitely changed the way I think about money,” she said.“I’ll keep doing these £100 monthly food shops and will never impulse buy again.”
During her £100 shop, Matilda stocked up on a wide variety of essentials, including fruit, bread rolls, soft cheese, vegetables, pasta, ham, stock cubes, sausages, eggs, houmous, coconut milk, toiletries, seasonings, chicken, yoghurt, and cheese.
With these ingredients, she created a diverse menu throughout the month from apple crumble baked oats and Basque cheesecake to butter sage chicken pasta and sausage carbonara.Staying mindful of her health, she also practiced batch cooking and meal prep.
“Every month, I make a big batch of Bolognese sauce, divide it into freezer bags, and defrost it whenever I need a quick meal,” she explained.“For breakfast, I’ve been making smoothies with oat milk, frozen berries, and spinach. Other days, I stick to curries, sandwiches, pasta dishes, and stir-fries.”
Matilda’s story proves that with discipline, creativity, and a bit of planning, saving big – even in just one month is entirely possible.
READ MORE: British teenager kicks spending habit and manages to save £15,000 in just one year
