There’s something really special about the start of a new year; it feels fresh and full of possibilities. But that fresh start can happen whenever you choose to begin a new thing, not just on January 1st. This year, I am continuing to be intentional with my purchases and my spending, and I’m participating in a no-buy. Here are the three things I’m not buying this year:
It can be easy to get caught up in a cycle of consumerism, especially around the holidays. There are a ton of ads trying to get you to buy their product, and constant sales/promotions to get you to spend money. Next thing you know, there are packages being delivered everyday and you can’t even remember what you ordered.
Benefits of Making Intentional Purchases
So much of consumerism is emotional — we buy things because we think it will make us feel a certain way. But no things can heal your emotions. Being intentional with your purchases and what products you choose to consume can help you in a lot of ways:
Make Time For You
When you take a step back from making impulse purchases and change your relationship with shopping, you will become more conscious of your choices and why you make those decisions. It’s empowering to break the cycle of consumerism, clear your mind, and to learn to be more disciplined. You’ll have more time and energy to focus on other things that are more fulfilling.
Help the Environment
Shopping creates a demand for more products to be manufactured. The logistics of creating a new product and delivering it all have an impact on the environment. When you reduce the amount of things you consume, you create less waste and reduce your carbon footprint.
Reset Your Budget
When you purchase fewer things, you’ll obviously save money. If you don’t already have a budget, it’s easy to make one today. Gaining control of your spending habits can help you direct your money in more beneficial ways — paying off debt, or funding a retirement account. Having a budget is the easiest way to assess your spending habits.
No-Buy Month
Participating in a No-Buy Month is a great way to reset your mindset and challenge your spending habits. If you aren’t familiar with a “no-buy”, it’s a set period of time where you don’t buy certain things. You make the rules for whatever your no-buy entails in advance.
What Are Your Goals?
Everyone’s goals are different — maybe you realize that you are an impulse shopper; maybe you have too much clutter at home and want to stop acquiring so much; maybe you want to save money; or maybe it’s something else.
Whatever your goal is for your no-buy, write it down. Once you’ve got your goal in mind, determine your rules for your no-buy.
What Are Your No-Buy Rules?
First, write out what types of purchases are ok to buy (this is where it’s helpful to have your budget in place). Aside from the necessities to survive (food/shelter/etc.), approved purchases may include:
- specialty coffee once a month
- toiletries that run out
- car repairs
- online courses/books
Next, determine what purchases you will not buy. Use your budget and no-buy goal to be honest with yourself about what you should take a break from buying. Your list may include:
- clothes/shoes
- eating at restaurants/take out
- home decor/seasonal items
- gifts
Prep For Your No-Buy
Once your goal and no-buy rules are set, help yourself prepare for your no-buy month. If you aren’t used to controlling your spending, this time may be challenging for you.
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM MARKETING EMAILS
We are constantly bombarded with ads, some that you may not even be aware of. Logos are everywhere, commercials on tv, ads all over the internet — and opted-in to your email inbox. If you’ve ever purchased something online or given your email for a discount, chances are you’re still receiving marketing emails all the time. You may delete the email and move on, but subconsciously, you were made aware of that brand/product again, and it will most likely trigger a purchase you weren’t intending.
Declutter your inbox and remove the temptation to make a spontaneous purchase by unsubscribing from all emails. There will always be a sale, so don’t worry about “missing out” on a discount for your favorite product.
BLOCK SITES & UNFOLLOW
You know the sites you frequent, and the people on social who encourage you to spend. Take some time to block, mute, and unfollow so you aren’t tempted to make an impulse purchase.
DELETE YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO
If you save your credit card information on frequent shopping sites, delete it to prevent spur of the moment checkouts. In fact, it’s a good idea to use Apple Pay or manually type in your credit card information each time anyway since a lot of sites are getting hacked/servers breached. Don’t make it easy to get your information stolen or to make an impulse purchase all at the same time.
DON’T STOCK UP NOW
Just because you’re planning on going on a no-buy doesn’t mean you have to stock up on items now. That defeats the entire purpose of a no-buy. Anything you need for living/survival should already be on your allow list; so you don’t need to worry about being without a necessity. Panic buying/stocking up is an example of the exact type of impulse purchases that the no-buy will help you realize.
PLAN HOW YOU’LL SEPEND YOUR TIME
If you spend a lot of time ‘adding to cart’ while watching tv, or you just enjoy scrolling through product pages, plan for another way to spend your time. Block those sites if it’ll be too difficult for you, and think of something else you can enjoy.
This is a great time to break unhealthy habits of mindless spending. If you’re shopping out of boredom or trying to push away unhappy feelings, consider channeling your time and energy into something productive. Can you focus on decluttering your home, or taking up a new hobby, or will you focus on introspection and setting goals for other areas of your life?
Document Your Progress
As you go through your no-buy month, track each purchase on your budget. Write out how you feel; what triggers you to want to shop? Explore those emotions and be honest with yourself. This experiment will help you to be more conscious of why/what you consume, and hopefully make better choices each month/all year.
Celebrate Being More Mindful
Congratulations on making a commitment to a no-buy weekend/month/year! It’s a great step to being a more conscious consumer and making informed/intentional purchases.
If you made it through your first milestone of time, consider keeping up with your no-buy. Adjust your goals and rules as necessary, but be honest with yourself. A no-buy isn’t a punishment; it’s a better way of thinking about how and why you consume.
3 Things I’m NOT Buying in 2021
I’ve been working on decluttering and only making mindful purchases for a few years now, but I still have to remind myself to be intentional whenever I see something I want to buy.
Questions for Intentional Buying
A few questions I ask myself when considering buying something:
- Do I need this?
- Do I already have something like this?
- How often will I use this?
- Do I love this/Does it spark joy?
- Where will I store this/put it?
- How often will I need to clean this?
- How/when will I dispose of this?
Once I go through these few questions, I may realize that I don’t need to buy the thing now. It’s empowering to know that the things I bring into my home have a place, purpose, and bring me joy. I never want to have so much stuff that I can’t appreciate it and use it.
This year, I want to challenge myself with a few specific no-buy items:
1. Restaurant/Take Out
I love all the variety and convenience of eating out at restaurants. We are only doing take out now since the stay at home order, but I want to limit that this year. We have a few grocery stores within walking distance so there’s no reason not to cook more at home.
2. New Tech
I’ve had my iPhone 8 Plus for a few years now and I’ve definitely noticed a decline in battery life and performance, especially compared to my husband’s phone. But my phone still does what I need it to, so even though I’m tempted to upgrade, I will continue to use it as long as I can.
3. Yarn*
I have fallen in love with knitting and creating with beautiful yarn. I used to only buy the specific quantity of yarn for each project, but lately I’ve built up a little stash. I plan on doing a post about it since I love it so much, but on the other hand I realize that I don’t need to buy anymore until I use what I have. I do have a plan for all the projects I want to make this year with the yarn I have, so I feel like my purchases are intentional. *But until I use up what yarn I have, yarn is on my no-buy this year.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Having the option to participate in a no-buy is a privilege. Not everyone has the means to buy things, or the ability to choose not to consume. Think of your no-buy as an opportunity to use and enjoy the things you already have, rather than a restriction on buying something you want.
Living with less enables you to focus on new things and shift your energy. It frees up your time from the distraction of material things to focus on your happiness and true purpose.
