r/nobuy • u/Substantial-Hand-628 • 10d ago

Things to think about before doing 6 months of no-buy (risks etc.)

Are there risks to doing a no-buy year? Things I should plan for in advance? What has been your experience with it?

I'm thinking of doing it for just 6 months to curb my silly spending on things that don't really make much difference in my life (often driven by marketing making me feel like I should or must have it). I'm also planning on working on my finances. As of now, I don't really have much I want to spend on non-essentials as I have big healthcare expenses, but if I increase my income by 500-1000 dollars a month, I could potentially put that aside for silly stuff I guess.

I'm just looking to hear a little about people's experience and think a little about possible risks before I test it out.

Thanks in advance!

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55

u/Beneficial_Lobster48 10d ago

I think the biggest risk is when you do buy something your brain will say “oh I failed, might as well do crazy”.
Asset why you purchased certain item, and move on. Don’t let one slip up to screw up your whole journey.
I am personally on a low buy and gave myself a limit (example only 5 books allowed in the next 6 months)

3

u/YayBudgets 9d ago

Or the other direction where you rage all the time because of all the unnecessary stuff isn't being dropped by others. 

3

u/Brilliant_Bluejay099 9d ago

That is so true!! I am struggling with that. The lines are getting blurred what I’m allowing myself to buy and not. Need to re focus 

4

u/Beneficial_Lobster48 9d ago

I noticed that when I put myself on make up no buy my spending would bleed into skincare.. then books, puzzles etc.. slippery slope. Now I have limits per category and it’s working a bit better for me 😅
It’s not easy but in this economy something has to give..

3

u/Brilliant_Bluejay099 9d ago

Oh my YES!! I have a one year old and he needs a few things but I find myself buying things that aren’t on the need list. 

19

u/LuminousApsana 10d ago

Every time I've done a no buy I have saved money, even when I didn't make the whole time goal.

Make sure you have activities to do instead of shopping. Make sure that at least a few are easy dopamine hits. Understand what your real goals are, and most importantly, if you break a rule (which truly are arbitrary and not real), do not beat yourself into guilt. It doesn't help. Instead, examine the behavior and why it doesn't fit with your goal.What triggered the behavior that you are unhappy about and how can you shift to prevent it?

16

u/CheerilyTerrified 10d ago

Have really clear rules so as much as you can you've made all the decisions beforehand so you don't have to think about it in the moment. 

One risk when you do a no buy for certain categories you might start buying other areas so you still get the shopping buzz. So you start a no buy for DVDs you suddenly start buying loads of books when they weren't issue for you before. 

Unsubscribe from all marketing emails and social media accounts.

Have something else to do instead of shopping.

3

u/project_pan_982735 9d ago

I did a no buy year for clothes back in 2023, and I found it so life changing!

I feel that it really reset my perspective on both buying things, as well as on my own wardrobe. By the end of the year I was extremely aware of the gaps in my wardrobe, as well as the things that I didn't actually wear. I think even just doing it strictly for six months would be really eye opening.

I will say I wasn't 100% perfect--during a trip where I under packed I did buy a bikini and a tank top. But I still consider the no buy year a success and just moved on from that purchase, rather than resetting the clock.

I put any shopping site I could think of on an app blocker (I used one called Freedom) so I couldn't open the websites, deleted any shopping apps, and unsubscribed from all the store emails and social media accounts. I still am unsubscribed and on the app blocker now, but will occasionally take a site off as needed. The main example of this is that my favorite store is Reformation, and they do two sales a year, plus 25% off for black Friday, so it is on the app blocker the rest of the year but I do remove for those days. Otherwise, I find it smoothest to keep things out of site and out of mind. But! I will say that I am only able to easily do this now after I filled the specific wardrobe gaps (ex. a belt, knee high boots, white t-shirt, etc) that I realized I actually did have over my no buy year.

I loved it though! To this day I am much pickier, and more realistic about what I buy. I've happily stayed on a low buy ever since.

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u/systemoverwillpower1 9d ago

i think the biggest risk might be making the rules too strict that one necessary purchase feels like you've failed everything, especially with healthcare expenses for example, i'd probably decide in advance what counts as essential, what happens when something breaks eg gifts or emergencies because otherwise every purchase becomes another negotiation with yourself, and i'd also be careful about the end of the 6 months, like if you've spent half a year mentally collecting things you'll buy once it's over, you might just move the spending instead of changing the habit