5 Things To Try This Month

 1 

No-Spend February

A no-spend month—spending an entire month avoiding all unnecessary purchases—is a terrific way to examine your spending habits and rediscover things you already own. Use this free worksheet to identify your ground rules and design an approach that works for you.

 2 

Trade in your coins

If you’re doing No-Spend February, here’s an activity that doesn’t cost money—you’ll make money and clear some clutter, too. Gather up all your loose change and trade it in for cash. Helpful hack: Your bank may make the trade for free, or you may need to put the coins into rolls. Also, many grocery stores have Coinstar machines, where you can just dump your coins in. If you choose to convert your coins into a gift card or charitable donation, you can avoid the cut Coinstar usually takes.

 3 

Use up a luxury

Are you saving a bottle of wine, a special outfit, a scented candle, or beautiful stationery for a nonspecific special occasion? Not using things can be as wasteful as throwing them away. Spend out.

 4 

Try a Jump-Start challenge

Happy news: The Happier app now includes on-demand Jump-Starts. Choose a 14-day challenge and work through the prompts to reset your habits and shift your mindset on topics like relationships, organization, and more.

 5 

No bad weather

Research shows that spending time outdoors brings both physical and mental health benefits, but this time of year, the weather can make it hard. Remember that old proverb, “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes,” and suit up. Adding long underwear and a neck warmer makes a big difference.

INTERVIEW

Annabelle Gurwitch

Annabelle Gurwitch is a New York Times bestselling author  and two-time finalist for the Thurber Prize. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New Yorker, and Washington Post, and she's a former NPR commentator and host of Dinner & a Movie on TBS. Her sixth memoir, The End of My Life is Killing Me, will be published by Zibby Media on March 17, 2026.