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Why I Am Giving Up Shopping For a Year

 

You may have already read this on my “Why I’m Doing This” page but this is the best explanation: I am planning a no buy year for a number of reasons. Even though I have cut back on buying things over the past few years, it still feels like my home is full of things that I have forgotten about. Because I have ADHD, if I can’t see something I literally forget that I have it. I do mean literally. Of course I can’t, nor do I want to, keep all of my clothes, accessories, hobby supplies, and other possessions out where I can see them.

Everything that I have read or consumed about no buys says that you need to set rules. This makes sense because if you want to be successful you have to know what success looks like. In preparation for my 2024 no buy that was cut short by my broken leg, I thought a lot about what my rules should be for the no buy year. My 2025 plans are really different than my 2024 plans were, so I have revised the rules to reflect that, while keeping the rules that still make sense.

If you are looking for my 2025 No Buy blog posts, click here!

 

 

 

Why I stopped shopping for a year no buy

“All I knew was that I seemingly had everything I wanted in my home, in my career, and in my life, and it never felt like enough. I was never satisfied. I always wanted more. But since more of anything wasn’t filling me up, maybe it was time to challenge myself to go after less.”
– Cait Flanders, The Year of Less

My Rules For the No Buy Year

 

  1. No makeup unless I have nothing in that category. For example – I can buy mascara if I have no mascara but I can’t purchase mascara just because my favorite brand is out but I have usable mascara in a brand I don’t like as much. Decluttering will also help with this because I will be getting rid of anything that is too old to use. While some makeup like eyeshadow and powder blush last pretty much forever, cream and liquid products do go bad.
  2. Skincare – the same rule applies for skincare. Nothing new until all backups are used up, including samples from my sample stash.
  3. Haircare – same rules apply.
  4. Clothes – No new clothes. Instead of buying new outfits I am shopping in my closet. If something needs to be mended, I will attempt to mend it. If I need to replace it because it’s not mend-able or it no longer fits, then I will have to make sure that I do not already have anything else that will be an adequate substitute. Unfortunately, when I was unable to walk I gained around 20 pounds. I have lost 10 of them but some of the clothes in my closet are unfortunately too small. I have replaced my everyday staples like jeans in a size that fits and I won’t buy something new unless I absolutely, undeniably need it. I do plan to lose these 10 pounds so that I can fit into the clothes that I already own again.
  5. Shoes – After my leg break, I developed a rare chronic pain disorder (I blogged a bit about it here.) Due to that, I can no longer wear high heeled shoes. This means I’m decluttering many things I did not intend to. Thankfully, the swelling in my foot went down so I can wear many of the shoes I already own. I may need to buy a pair of shoes that I simply don’t own, such as a dressy pair of flats to wear to a wedding, so I am allowing myself that. Although again, I do really have to need them. Wearing a different pair of shoes than I am used to also causes a lot of pain, so I am not as tempted as I might have been.
  6. Home goods – No new home goods or decorations. No new decorations for my office either. No new holiday decorations. I have lots of these things already! It is not necessary to redecorate our homes every season, that’s something social media has perpetuated. If something necessary breaks, it can be replaced, that’s it.
  7. Pet supplies – no toys or beds. Seriously, the 3 dogs have 12 beds between them already. Lots of toys as well. They are very spoiled as is.
  8. Plants and gardening – No new house plants or planters. I did have a “silvery ann” Scindapsus Pictus that was one of several plants my husband over-watered and killed in 2024 when I was unable to care for the plants myself. That is the one plant that I may rebuy but I have plenty of planters so it won’t need a new one.
  9. Hobby and business supplies – only replace what runs out. I run an ice dyed tie dye business so I may need to replenish a dye if I use it up but no new shades. No new “blanks” (what tie-dyers call the plain white items we dye) until I have used all the blanks in my stash.
  10. Books – I am very bad at buying books and then buying more books before I read the books I already have. I probably have 20 books that I have not touched sitting in my home office. I will not buy any new books until I read every single book that is currently unread in my home. I do subscribe to audible and I plan to keep that because I really enjoy listening to audio books while I clean and declutter.
  11. Meals out, entertainment, and local events – My husband I usually eat a meal out 1-2 times per month, typically one fast-casual takeout and one nicer meal. Usually I pay for one meal and he pays for one. I think this is reasonable to stick with. We don’t usually attend local events that cost much money to attend, although we sometimes spend money there. I will allow for admission to one local event that charges admission in 2025, since we usually use this kind of thing as a “date day.” I rarely go to the movies but I will go to Wicked 2 at a matinee whenever it is released, but I won’t buy snacks at the theater.
  12. Impulse donations – this is a difficult one because when I see a person or animals in need, I want to help. In 2024, I sent a friend who had serious unexpected health issues some money from my own emergency fund. That is probably against all advice a financial planner would give, but it felt right. I also tend to donate to animal rescues when I see them post about a specific need. I am allowing myself $25 a month for impulse donations, that may carry over to the next month if I do not donate one month. This is in addition to what my tie-dye business donates each quarter.

No Buy Rule Exceptions

There are times that I know I will be spending money and these are things that I have decided in advance that I am okay with.

 

  • Travel – I take trips several times per year. My husband and I have an annual trip with friends. Part of the reason that I want to stop mindlessly spending is so I can keep taking these trips and having experiences with the people that I love! We have already implemented some boundaries around travel that help to save money while traveling. For one we only eat one meal out per day; this saves a lot of money because eating 3 meals out adds up fast! We always have breakfast at the hotel or rental and choose whether or not to eat lunch or dinner out. Sometimes that means taking a bagged lunch like a sandwich and chips with us, which isn’t a big deal. When we travel, I always buy a magnet from each place we visit as a souvenir. I think allowing myself something reasonable like $100 for fun spending (like if I see a unique scarf or earrings I want or something) is reasonable for most trips. For small things like a hot chocolate while walking through a Christmas market or a piece of pie from a famous shop, these are always acceptable expenses to me and again, part of the reason for my no buy! Traveling is about the experience.
  • In 2025 there are several “big” trips planned. I will be going to Dollywood with a friend and we will also be seeing a concert. I have planned to allow myself a concert t-shirt if I like the design and they are under $50. If I don’t get a t-shirt at the concert, I will get a Dollywood t-shirt. I know I will want some sort of Dollywood souvenir and I think under $50 is a good rule. That friend has been having some health problems but if she is physically able to ride rides, I will be buying a “fast pass” for one day to skip some lines. A family member is getting married and we will be going to that. I don’t anticipate spending a lot of money since we will mainly be spending time with family and going to wedding-related events. Obviously a wedding gift is in the budget plus gas and lodging. The big trip that most of my savings will be going toward is a trip to New York City in December. We take an annual December trip with friends and December 2025 is a month before my 45th birthday and my friend’s 60th birthday. We wanted to do something really special because of that and I suggested NYC because I have never been. I have also always wanted to go around Christmas time because it seems so beautiful in movies. My husband and I will be staying for at least a week since there is so much to do and that will be expensive. I’m not sure how practical bagged lunches will be for this trip so there’s that added expense as well, plus admission to museums and attractions. I am not giving myself a budget for this trip, within reason. Obviously I can’t afford to go into any high-end designer stores (even if I wanted to!) and buy myself a souvenir but I am not going to skip something I really want to do because it’s a bit pricey. 

 

  • Pre-planned gardening and landscaping projects – even though gardening is my hobby, my husband and I do have some projects planned. We are going to be landscaping part of the front yard in 2025, so that is an expense that I am allowing. The plants we will need to purchase for that, plus any other materials, are adding enjoyment and value to our home. We also plan to build a retaining wall under the steps of our back deck to help with erosion. I don’t have any new flower beds planned and I am also keeping my vegetable garden small and starting from seed, so I should not need to buy any plants beyond the front yard project.
  • Gifts for others – Gifts are already in my budget and I save throughout the year toward gifts for my family and friends. I will continue to allow gifts within my already-set budget. What I plan on changing for this is trying to make sure that I am buying them something that they want and will use, not unwanted clutter for their homes.
  • Gifts to me – My parents always give me money for gifts. I usually spend it all shopping for presents for myself but in 2025I am going to buy one special thing and put the rest in my vacation savings account, which is a high yield savings account. This way I do have a gift to enjoy but I am not buying a bunch of things (typically clothing, shoes, and accessories) that I don’t really need. I have also decided to get a massage and maybe a facial for my birthday in 2025, because 2024 was just objectively a rough year. I will use gift money toward that.
  • Personal care – I get a haircut every 6-7 weeks and I plan to continue that. Feeling like my hair looks nice is something that helps me feel great on a daily basis so it’s an important expense. I no longer color my hair except “fun” colors and I plan to just use the Overtone I currently have and not purchase more.
  • Tattoos – I have several tattoos planned for the next couple years prior to our move, because I am working with a local artist. I would like to finish those
    planned tattoos with her rather than finding a different artist or traveling back to work with her. Depending on how vacation savings go, and the amount of time it takes, my usual fall tattoo may be pushed to spring 2026. Saving for this is already part of my budget, so it will continue as it has.
  • Altar supplies – I do have a personal altar and have some items that I use in spiritual practice. If I need to replenish incense or replace a candle, I will do so. I do not however plan to allow myself to buy crystals unless it seems absolutely necessary for a specific reason. This is part of my spiritual practice as well as related to the next phase of my career so some flexibility may be necessary. I do however plan to question myself and really be honest about whether something is a want or need and at this time, I have no plan to buy any crystals.

 

Rules for a no buy year

And Now Comes The Hard Part!

I know there are probably things that I have not thought of but this feels like a pretty good start! I’m sure that I will realize that there are things I need to add to the list of no buy items and there may also be other exceptions that come up as well. Lord knows that 2024 taught me to expect the unexpected! I will be sharing my experience on the blog, so if/when those things come up, I will talk about it there.

 

Your List May Be Different

If you are considering doing a no buy, your lists may look very different than mine, and that’s ok! If your expections are things like your salon hair color touch ups, occasional Botox, a monthly gym membership, occasional coffee shop coffee, one new piece of clothing every month, or a special collection like comics or vintage vases, you are totally allowed to make your no buy your own. You may not travel at all so maybe your big exceptions look way different than mine.

It’s also possible that you want to do a very strict no buy and maybe not buy mascara, even if you run completely out. That’s ok too! The point of a no buy is to make sure that we are making our money work FOR us and spending it only on things that truly matter to us. It’s going to look different for everyone. If you are mindfully considering your rules and exceptions, then you are doing exactly what I’ve set out to do, which is to stop mindlessly spending.

If you are planning to do a no buy year or just considering it, leave a comment and let me know!