Well I’m officially one month into the No-Buy challenge or No Spend Year as some call it, and I’m still here! If you’re looking for a recap on the parameters I’ve set, take a look at my introductory post on my No-Buy rules.
But if it was a bit too TLDR; The key objective that I’m trying to establish from this self imposed challenge is to spend less on non essentials (beauty, clothing and books) so that I can instead save that money to spend on travel (this is primarily a travel blog after all!).
January No-Buy Lessons
- Old shopping habits die hard and slow. While I’ve made big strides in terms of less window shopping both virtually and in reality, in the visual and ad filled world we live in, it’s difficult to completely abstain from. What has helped me is every time I get an urge to buy something, I simply add it to my “Buy in 2020” list and that seems to satisfy my temporary craving. The thought that I may purchase it come the end of the year leaves me with an exciting build up but also allows me to review that list to see what triggered these impulses with a clear mind a few days later. I’m genuinely looking forward to tracking those wants and having the opportunity to re-evaluate come year end.
- Inventory, Inventory, Inventory. I realized the need to do a better inventory, particularly of my makeup and skincare capsules. It’s important (not only during a No-Buy) to take stock of what you already own; it helps to prevent the purchase of unnecessary duplicates and also reminds you to use up what you already have. When is the last time you did a count or review of how many lip products you have (and where they are!)? Who else is guilty of having lipsticks, lip glosses and lip chap in the car, at the office, in your purse, in your make up bag… everywhere! But of course when you need one, you can never find one. I’ve taken some time to put all like items together and put out the ones that need to be used up first and then move towards the replacements BEFORE going out to buy a new item.
- You CAN spend less, even on necessities. This month we finally reigned in our spending on groceries. I spent a lot of the time I would have originally spent online window shopping on making meals out of our fridge, freezer and pantry items. It was actually fun experimenting and it felt incredible to not be wasting food and getting the most out of every morsel.
- Sell unused items. If there are items in your home that you no longer love, use or appreciate, then it may be time to find them another home. I definitely need to spend more time decluttering, but I’m happy that at least I’ve made some effort in this department and have plans for more in the short term as well.
January Spending Recap
This month I had a few items run out and as I mentioned in my No-Buy intro post, whatever items run out, I will take the time to re-evaluate if a replacement is needed. If a replacement is needed, is it immediate or can it wait? If I have existing products that can fulfill the same need, can I do without?
- Black Leggings $14.68: My one and only pair of leggings had gotten some holes because of wear and tear. While I had repaired them a few times, they continued to rip and I realized it was time to part ways. I’ve been wearing them a lot under dresses because well.. Canadian winters, they’ve really been a great buy. I did however rush to buy this pair and wish I had taken some time to buy a better quality pair and am afraid these may have the same fate.
- Micellar Water $0: I found a half empty bottle in my bathroom cabinet and fell back in love with the product. It’s a really effective make up remover, but once it was used up, I really gave it some thought as to whether I would replace or not. Afterall, I had been fine without it all year before I rediscovered it. For now, this is not an immediate need and I’ll continue to use up other cleansers before potentially repurchasing.
No-Buy Travel Fund Balance: $270.69
The contributions from this month are coming from:
- +$170 from the No-Buy (the estimated monthly amount I’m no longer spending on my No-Buy items)
- +$80 from the sale of an old laptop
- +$20.69 from the sale of jeans at a local consignment shop
I’m keeping the trip location a secret for now – mostly because I have too many destinations in mind and haven’t been able to decide. But I’m also really excited to see how much I’ll be able to save.
What would you be able to do or where would you travel to if you spent less on non necessities?
Frugal February is up next and I’m excited to see what it will bring!
Monthly Spending Updates:
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