The time has come… I’m taking a year-long break from shopping.
I’m not going to lie… I’ve tried this before and failed. As in failed within a matter of a few days failed. I’ve been on a 5-year long journey with minimalism and still don’t feel there yet. With drawers packed to the brim with socks, or a closet and accompanying boxes full of clothes, I’m in a constant battle of feeling I still have “too much stuff!”. Clothes and make up actually last a long time, and it feels like I’ve got a lifetime supply worth!
Being a data nerd, I also can’t help but feel there’s an opportunity cost of all the money being spent on “stuff”. Money that could otherwise be spent on experiences, investments or even just for a rainy day.
I’m not the first or the last blogger to share their journeys online. There’s tons of inspiration and my binging of others no-buy is what has led me to try this again – and this time for real.
Update: My year has come to an end, read about it here in my 12 month update!
The Rules:
While everyone’s rules may vary, these are the rules I’m setting for myself for my no spend or no-buy year.
I took a look at my 2018 budget and saw where I tended to overspend and those are my areas of focus for my no-buy. Below is what I can’t buy:
- No clothing or accessories
- No make-up or skincare products
- No books
Bills of course – must be paid and I’m allowing myself to buy experiences (dining out and travel – within the allotted budgets I’ve set out for each category).
The only exception being I can replace only whatever gets used up and for which I either have no suitable alternatives already or I can’t live without.
This is to help restrict my spending and help me focus on using up and appreciating what I already have.
The Why:
People often do these self imposed no-buys for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s to declutter or save money, a no spend for a defined period of time sounds both appealing and scary.
My first motivation is simple, saving money to spend on a trip instead. The joy of a new dress or eyeshadow is temporary, but the memories from a trip in my opinion can last a lifetime. I’m trying to be more intentional with my money and would prefer to spend is to travel somewhere new instead of adding to a full closet or bookshelf.
The second motivation is to use up my current products. That blush that you’ve had for over a year that seems never ending or those clothes you forget you own – it’s time to either find them a new home or use them up! I would even like to go as far as minimizing other areas of my life, like our kitchen pantry and trying to use up old sauces, pastas and others before buying anything new.
The Goals:
My aim is to instead save the money that in any given year I would have put towards non-essential expenses, to put towards an experience.
Last year I spent over $2000 on the categories that I’m restricting myself on this year, books, clothing and personal beauty. Whether or not you consider that to be a lot or a little, in my eyes it’s still money spent on items that weren’t necessities. $2000 – that could be a week in the Caribbean or if you’re budget savvy, a trip to Greece!
My goal is every month to set this amount aside to then at the end of the year put towards a trip!
And my question to you is – where would you travel to if you spent less?
I’m planning to write monthly posts, so please follow along to see my candid experience of a no spend year!
Monthly Spending Updates:
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WOW! Impressive. What about deodorants are you still buying them 😛 ?
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Haha! Great question – I won’t be smelly for a year no! I plan to replace any essential items that I run out of, like deodorant 🙂