"No Spending Challenges are for Wussies"-- A Rebuttal

Last week Debt Ninja wrote this post calling out anyone who particpiated in no-spend challenges "wussies". Yeah, that's right, he called me a wussie. If you are participating in the 30x30 challenge he called you a wussie, and Alyson since you gave up shopping for an entire year you must be a mega-wussie.

To quote the man himself he said "Personally, I think these no spend challenges are for wussies. Or at least for people who need a false sense of self-control."

My first reaction was to get "all no he didn't" in the comment section but it was getting close to when I had to leave for work and my hair wasn't straightened yet so I just walked away. It really got me thinking though. I think it's interesting that debt ninja, a natural saver, would criticize an activity that promotes saving and in some cases punching debt in the face.The words that come to mind are "easy for you to say"

I'm going to assume that a majority of the people that commit to these challenges are other spenders like myself. Whether its compulsive, impulsive, or emotionally fuelled it doesn't matter, we (spenders) are hard-wired to spend. Even after I had committed myself to becoming credit-card debt free I continued to shop and accrue debt because I never made an attempt to change my shopping habits. I went to the mall as "something to do" which only fueled my addiction. It sounds like a no-brainer to just avoid the allure but shopping was such a part of my life, like breathing, that it was hard to just stop. That's where no spending challenges entered my life. I can only speak for myself but giving up shopping not only gave me a sense of control but also changed the way I saw the activity. Shopping became less of a routine and more of an special activity. The act of shopping became engaging and thoughtful instead of mindless. Most importantly, no spending, helped me appreciate a swelling bank account and understand myself better.By separating myself from the activity of shopping I figured out what fuelled it. No-spending challenges didn't give me a "false sense of control" they gave me the psychological edge I needed to get my finances under control, once and for all.

With that said, no spend challenges are not for wussies but for people looking to make a change in their life. No-spend challenges take away what once was routine, whether it be a trip to the mall, starbucks, or dinner out. That is no easy feat and therefore not for wussies.
So what do you think, are no-spending challenges legit? Or are they the monetary equivalent of a fad diet?