7 . Your guide to a no-spend challenge

A no-spend challenge isn’t about total deprivation (剥夺) or freezing your bank account.     1    . The most common form of the challenge is to purchase only necessities and restrain from buying wants and impulse desires.

Before delving (深入探究) into the no-spend challenge, take the time to assess and differentiate your essential needs from your wants. Identify recurring bills, necessary expenditures and essential items. Distinguish them from free spending on non-essential products and services. This initial step lays the foundation for a realistic and sustainable challenge.     2    .

A successful no-spend challenge is rooted in the development of a well-crafted budget that reflects your financial reality.     3    . Allocate specific amounts for variable expenses such as groceries and bills, enhancing accountability and providing a clear roadmap for responsible spending during the challenge.

    4    . A firm support system that understands and respects your financial goals creates a positive environment, fostering motivation and solidarity. Share tips, experiences and celebrate milestones together, turning the challenge into a shared journey towards financial consciousness.

As your challenge concludes, take enough time to reflect on the entire experience. What insights did you gain into your spending habits and priorities? Identify positive changes you want to maintain and integrate them into your long-term financial strategy.

The no-spend challenge is not merely a temporary exercise; it serves as a catalyst for enduring financial wellness. Embrace the journey, learn from the experience and watch as your financial goals transform into realities.

8 . With a fragrance (芳香) through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine (UCI)neuroscientists gained a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially preventing dementia (痴呆).

The project was conducted through the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. It involved men and women aged 60 to 85 without memory impairment. All were given seven small containers, each containing a single and different natural oil. People in the enriched group received full-strength oils. Control group participants were given the oils in tiny amounts. Participants put a different container into their room each evening prior to going to bed, and it activated for two hours as they slept.

People in the enriched group showed a 226% increase in cognitive performance compared to the control group, as measured by a word list test commonly used to evaluate memory. Participants also reported sleeping more soundly. The researchers say the results from their study bear out what scientists learned about the connection between smell and memory.

Scientists have long known that the loss of ability to smell, can predict development of nearly 70 neurological and psychiatric diseases. These include Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Parkinson’s and alcoholism. Researchers have previously found that exposing people with moderate dementia to up to 40 different smells twice a day over a period of time improved their memories and language skills, eased depression and improved their sense of smell.

The team would next like to study the technique’s impact on people with diagnosed cognitive loss. A product based on their study and designed for people to use at home is expected to come onto the market this fall.

9 . Hotels Where Wild Animals Wander Free

Check in to one of these hotels where wild animals wander free, and you could be sharing your breakfast table with giraffes, relaxing poolside with elephants, or viewing out from your hotel room window penguins.

Located within the Madikwe Game Reserve, the Makanyane Safari Lodge offers guests up close views of the surrounding bush and the wildlife that resides within it. The suites have floor- to-ceiling glass windows perfect for watching passing elephants, and the main lodge is conveniently located next to a water hole visited by a variety of wildlife.

A stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort in Orlando will feel more like a visit to Africa than Florida. Take a walk around the grounds, and you’re likely to spot more than 30 species of African wildlife. The lodge is home to 200 resident animals and birds, including gazelles, flamingos, zebras, and giraffes.

This hotel outside of Nairobi lets you get up close and personal with Rothschild giraffes. The original place was built in 1932 and has served as a giraffe shelter since the 1970s. Today, Giraffe Manor has six bedrooms and offers guests the chance to share their breakfast table with the eight resident giraffes. All of the hotel’s profits go to support the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

Despite the name, it isn’t sea lions you should look out for here: A group of Gentoo penguins has been known to set up camp next to Sea Lion Lodge, a comfortable 3-star hotel in the Falkland Islands. Aside from penguin spotting, the lodge offers expansive views of the South Atlantic Ocean where nothing but water separates you from Antarctica.