When I first joined the Debt Free Community (DFC) on social media, I noticed that the same hashtags kept popping up in my feed, referencing various DFC games and/or challenges. I was really intrigued and wanted to join in the fun, but I had no idea what the “rules” even were, or where to begin.
To prevent any current and future DFC newbies from being in the dark about how to participate in our challenges, I’ve decided to conduct a bit of research and compile my findings here. That way, we can all get in on the action!
At the time of this writing, I have not tried any of these challenges just yet (with the exception of the “Cash Only” one, because it’s just our daily lifestyle now), as they are still rather new to me, too. Although Mr. Lincoln and I have been living this debt free lifestyle since 2016, I’ve only been part of the DFC on IG since March.
Please let me know in the comments if you’ve tried – or are currently trying – any of the following challenges or games, and how you did with each!
Also let me know if I have missed anything, so I can continue adding challenges to this list.
My ultimate goal is to create a dynamic, master list that I can update on a regular basis with input from my fellow Debt Free Community members.
Master List of
Debt Free Community
Games + Challenges
The Minimalist Game by @theminimalists
#MINSGAME
Type: Decluttering challenge
Purpose: To remove unneeded items from your home and possibly earn money by selling whatever you eliminate
Length of Time: One month
Rules: On day one, get rid of one thing; day two, get rid of two things, and so on through the last day of the month.
The Pantry Challenge & The Freezer Challenge
#PANTRYCHALLENGE / #FREEZERCHALLENGE
Type: “Use what you have” food challenge
Purpose: To save money by eliminating unnecessary spending on food
Length of Time: One week or one month
Rules: Live off of the items in your pantry and/or freezer for either one week or one month. Note: You are permitted to purchase perishable items, such as milk, produce, etc.
No Spend Week & No Spend Month
#NOSPENDWEEK / #NOSPENDMONTH
Type: No-spend challenge
Purpose: To save money by eliminating miscellaneous purchases
Length of Time: One week or one month
Rules: Don’t buy it if it’s unnecessary and not already in the budget. No extraneous spending! Examples of prohibited purchases would include impulse buys like a pack of gum from the checkout aisle, or a bottle of water from the convenience store. Examples of permissible purchases would be something like gas for your car, or groceries.
Dime Challenge
#DIMECHALLENGE
Type: Coin saving challenge
Purpose: To save for a rainy day and put your random change to good use
Length of Time: Indefinite; could be months or years depending on how fast you can collect change.
Rules: Find an empty two-liter bottle. Start filling it with only dimes (or an equivalent low-value coin depending on which country you’re in). You should have around $500 when you’re done.
Five Dollar Bill Challenge
#FIVEDOLLARBILLCHALLENGE
Type: Cash saving challenge
Purpose: To save for a rainy day and to be intentional about saving cash
Length of Time: Indefinite; could be months or years depending on how fast you can collect $5 bills and how much money you would like to save total.
Rules: Collect every $5 bill you come across. Keep adding to the pile until you reach your goal amount.
Cash-Only Challenge
#CASHONLYCHALLENGE
Type: “Use what you have” cash challenge
Purpose: To save money and eliminate wasteful spending in general
Length of Time: Monthly, or ongoing depending on how committed you are
Rules: Use cash-only for all purchases. If you don’t have the cash to buy what you want, save up for it! (Note: A lot of us in the Debt Free Community live this way by default, but it’s an excellent challenge for DFC newbies!)
What games or challenges did I miss?
Let me know in the comments and I will add them to this post! Please remember to include Type, Purpose, Length of Time and Rules!
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