So, you decide to do a ‘No Buy Year’ and go in with every good intention that you’ll be able to last the whole 12 months without making a purchase. And then you go ahead and blow it within the first week of January. Yeah, that was me. I thought I’d be better than this because I rarely buy things in general, but I guess, put a restriction on me and I can’t help but whip out my credit card again and again and again.
However, upon reflection, I’m glad I failed. I learnt a lot in a mere month, and I aim to do better during the year – although that again is proving difficult. Whether you’re in the middle of a ‘No Buy Year’, you’re considering doing one, curious, or interested, in this article I’m going to discuss why I’m glad I failed, what I bought and why, what I’ve learnt along the way as well as my overall challenge rules.
> My Rules:
I have been referring to this year as a ‘No Buy Year’, when in fact, it is a ‘Low Spend Year’ because those doing the former are usually very, very strict. IE. no eating out, no going to events etc. My rules are a little different because I’ve made some allowances, and are as follows (within reason):
1. Replacements
I’m allowed to buy replacement items of things I can no longer use/wear. I say within reason because I can’t just replace something I never wear with something else I don’t wear. I also can’t replace a red sparkly ball gown with a sleek yellow gown… that’s not a replacement that counts.
For example, I bought a black dress from &me/Big W which replaced a similar black dress I got from Atmos & Here via The Salvos that I unfortunately shrunk in the wash. As I wore that dress a LOT and it was now too short, it felt like an item worth replacing. It’s now mid-February and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve worn the new dress making it a good purchase.
I also have empty skincare and a broken pair of heels I’d like to replace, amongst other minor things.
2. Wishlist Items From Last Year
This category comprises of items I wanted to buy in 2023 but never got around to.
The first was a romper which I’d hope to go on sale during Boxing Day sales – it didn’t so I thought I’d wait until next year. However, around mid-January, they were giving out $100 vouchers for their 11th birthday, bringing the item down to a staggering $59, so I jumped… The second is a knitted jumper that I want to try on in store but have yet to do so, so it remains on my wishlist for the time being.
3. Discontinued Items
This is more a random category based on different factors, mainly I allowed myself to buy a dinner set from Savers because the brown colour is no longer sold and it matches crockery I already own. I bought this example sometime last year but if I found more in the same style, I would buy them. So, this category/rule refers to items like that. Unexpected purchases but seemingly necessary ones.
4. Going Out To Events
As I mentioned earlier, a LOT of people cut events out of their ‘No Buy Year’, but I am not. I lived without cinema and theatre (my favourites) during the pandemic and that left me feeling extremely empty – and I don’t want to go through that again.
However, I didn’t restrict myself in 2023 and saw every movie/show that tickled my fancy. This year I’m going to be more selective. In terms of cinema, I’m going to be picky with the films I choose to see, then opting to go on Tuesday for half price tickets instead. I’m allowing myself a choc top from the candy bar too.
For the theatre, that also means being more selective with what shows I see, but getting a rush, lottery or cheap ticket where possible. Buying a programme is a must for me so I factor that cost in too.
Often times this includes eating a meal out, I’m going to try and reduce my eating out spending but not restrict myself too. This will vary situation to situation though...
5. Boost Juice
This is definitely a random one, but I’m allowing myself a $6 Boost Juice on their special days (within reason) otherwise I need to be stricter as it’s expensive. I’ve been good except for treating myself to a $10 Boost Juice before they take the Peach Hayze away. Here is an example of me breaking my own rules and justifying it. But Peach is my favourite and rare, so you have to get it when you can.
> What I Bought:
Overall, January was an expensive month.
My car rego was due, I needed a new watch battery, I had part payments still left over from Christmas and I had to pay tax on some art I purchased in 2023. The total equalled close to my monthly wage. Not to mention my Mum called in her IOU birthday present – taking her to gold class with ticket cost, food and drinks all included/paid for by me – so that cost a pretty penny.
I’m not proud of my choices, but I’m going to say what I bought, why and how much I spent. I’ve put asterisks next to the items that were within the rules I set myself as above.
*1. Black &me/Big W Dress $30
I spoke about this earlier as well as in this post here. It falls into my replacement category, and I’ve worn the heck out of it since I bought it. I did use gifted Christmas money so does it count as free?
2. Blue's Clues Earrings $7ish
I had been looking for Blue's Clues related items for my nephew’s first birthday. They went on sale; I jumped and wore them to his birthday. I do like them but overall, it was a stupid financial purchase.
*3. Presents for Theodore $55ish
Like I said above, it was my nephew’s birthday, and my sister would never allow me to show up empty handed. Technically presents are allowed in a ‘No Buy Year’ but still worth mentioning. I did purchase half of it locally so was able to pick up from the warehouse, so I did save some money there.
*4. Peter Alexander PJ Shorts $21
This was another replacement item. I had originally purchased them in a smaller size from the Salvos website. Although they fit, I wanted them more oversized, so I ended up tracking them down on eBay and buying them. This includes $10 plus $11 postage.
*5. Lenni Romper $75
I spoke about this earlier. I had had my eye on it since 2023 and was waiting for a sale. An $100 saving seemed good to me – with $15 delivery ugh – so I jumped. I’m not 100% happy with my purchase (and they don’t take refunds/only credit) but I have worn it quite a lot. I also own nothing like it.
*6. Mascara $23.50
I almost left this one out because I had a voucher from last year that I didn’t want to go to waste. Instead of trying out a new product, however, I bought my regular mascara to replace my current tube when it runs out. It cost me $23.50 even with the voucher but there was consideration put into this purchase.
7. Black Dress $49.99
Let’s just call this a weak moment while shopping at TK Maxx. I have no other excuse. It is definitely more a winter dress though, so it has yet to be worn. The brand is Y.A.S., and it originally cost $169.95.
8. Dusk Lobster $12
Towards the end of 2023 I had fallen in love with this lobster incense holder from Dusk. I stepped away from buying it but continued to think about it. I bought it the next time I saw it. Probably a stupid purchase (especially as I’ll need to buy incense for it, have no room for it and incense gives me a headache so wouldn’t actually use it as intended) but I love it.
9. Drinking Glasses $45
I spent $45 on drinking glasses while at the Salvos one afternoon. I can’t say that I really needed them but they’re IKEA vintage and resell for a lot of money. I’m not planning on selling them myself, but perhaps one day. I only purchased a couple of glasses and then returned the following day to buy the rest.
I also got this Darwin the Crocodile by noofies for a neat $2 and he’s been sitting on my shelf ever since.
10. White Fox Loungewear $100ish
This could technically fall into a wishlist item because I’ve wanted to try White Fox since forever. I had originally been looking on Depop for a set that they no longer sell but I had a bad experience, so I decided to buy another set off the website. I bought a jumper and a pair of shorts with a discount code for around $100 in total.
I will wear it, however, in hindsight, I do consider this a bad purchase. I prefer loungewear items I already own. I might one day end up selling it but will decide when the weather gets cool enough to wear it.
11. Noel Fielding T-shirt $46.95
I had been looking for this t-shirt for the longest time. They no longer make it. It’s rare AF. So when it popped up on depop, I jumped, quickly. Snagged it within 10 hours of it being listed. The seller actually told me that she was in talks with someone in the US but the time difference meant I got it first. I guess I at least know that I could potentially resell it when/if that time comes.
Total spent: $465.44 (or $260.94 for items removed within the rules)
I will just add that I did go to the cinema twice ($95ish in total) and the theatre once ($85ish in total). I saw Mean Girls (half-price ticket and choc top) and The Color Purple (as I said earlier, a gift, ticket plus food and drink). As for the theatre I saw Groundhog Day and bought a programme too.
I also ate out more than expected/I wanted but I’m working on that...
Tacking On February So Far...
I’m just going to quickly tack on the beginning of February because weakness got the better of me again.
Apart from the $10 summer doona I bought in Target because I needed it, I ended up buying a pair of $79.95 heeled sandals from Novo and a horoscope necklace from a pop-up market stall for $39.95.
I’m in two minds about the sandals as they’re actually a great purchase – comfy AF, like nothing else I own, and are a nice alternative to wearing flat sandals at a casual event or high heels at a dressy event (they’re that nice in between). I wore them to the opening night of The Rocky Horror Show and they didn’t hurt my feet, which is a miracle. They’re also perfect for daily wear, so, in that regard, it was a good purchase in terms of wearability and versatility – did I need them? Well, that’s for you to decide…
The necklace too. Did I really need it? No. But it’s great. It comes with three different pendants (citrine, black onyx and malachite – my colours) and one chain so you can mix and match. Blame my astrologist who told me I needed to wear more citrine, but I have been wearing it constantly. Again, you decide.
More to come on February later on…
> What I’ve Learnt Along The Way and Why I’m Glad I Failed
My shopping in general is usually pretty minimal but I feel like I shopped a lot in January. My shopping habits are pretty consistent year on year where I don’t spend for months and months, but then will buy a lot in a short time and regret almost everything. So, 2024 so far has just seen me in that spending mood.
I will give myself credit though. Looking at what I bought this year, I regret buying everything but not what I bought, which is saying a lot for me. Yes, I do feel guilty that I bought anything, but it shows me that I did put some thought into my purchases. Yes, I bought more than expected, but I did think about them before I did, whereas, in other years, I’d buy without hesitation, so there is some recognisable progress there.
The real challenge will be in a couple of months when that feeling of temptation comes around again. I am proud I am able to recognise that in myself. I think a big part of a ‘No Buy Year’ is recognising your patterns and what tempts you – and for me I’m almost too good and then I crack. I hope I can break that cycle.
And, as you can see from what I bought, I can pretty much justify any purchase made.
Doing a ‘No Buy Year’ has definitely made me think more carefully about the purchases I make. I know it looks like I bought a lot, and I did, but I think about the number of items I could have bought. I’ve been tempted by SO many things but have been able to turn my back on most of them which I’m proud of.
And if you don’t believe when I say temptation, things I can rattle off off the top of my head that I was tempted to buy were some cotton pillowcases, a Scorpio t-shirt, a green dress, silver sequin boots, silver cowboy boots, a white baby doll dress, various books and video games, skincare and haircare, a vintage Mickey Mouse jumper, a yellow sundress, a puzzle, a cheetah print casual shirt, a denim boiler suit thing, Coca-Cola t-shirt… I could go on and on and on. And it’s only mid-February...
I recognise I’m more tempted by online purchases rather than in store. One of my unofficial rules is to rule out buying online as I’ve done my fair share of returns over the years. This has helped a lot, but the temptation is always there. It’s not so much that I get influenced easily, but I do enjoy a browse online. I do it a lot. When I find myself browsing, I recognise it and choose to spend my time online more wisely. If I do see something I like online, I make it a priority to go into the store instead. This helps too.
Another thing when it comes to online purchases that helps me is making online wishlists. I share a lot of items on my blog but often then forget about them. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still love them nor are tempted by them, but I just now recognise that I don’t really need/want it at all.
Like, looking at my blog and using the Dragon Denim jacket as an example. I LOVE it and I tell myself (even now, still) that if I bought it, I would force myself to wear a denim jacket. But in my heart, I know that I don’t ever wear denim jackets so as much as I like it – and I really REALLY do – it wouldn’t be a wise purchase and I don’t need it. I accept it, recognise the temptation, but don’t purchase it.
Alternatively, there are website extensions to pin items. It can tell you when it goes on sale, for example, but it’s also a great place to store items you like. After a predetermined amount of time, it’s unlikely that you will actually want most of those things and you can then recongise it as a momentary temptation.
When it comes to clothing, knowing what my style is and what suits me is a godsend. If I see someone online rocking a hot pink bodycon dress looking hot AF, you better believe the temptation to go out and buy one is there. But I know that bodycon dresses don’t suit me, nor do I wear hot pink, so I can happily walk away knowing that if I bought it, it would just go unworn, or I’d have to pay to return it.
This also means that I’m not tempted by trends. I know what I like and what suits me. And if the people around me are all in trendy items, that’s okay. If they mock me, that’s okay too. While some might laugh at my choices, there are others who share/appreciate my alternative style, and that’s okay too.
My main issue is the fear of things selling out. I do a lot of secondhand shopping, and the nature of shopping second hand is never finding an item again. I’ve found that not making decisions quickly is the key to my spending. I may put it in my cart but before I check out, I look at it, ask myself if I need it, and then decide if it’s worth getting. I often think of money as time too, for example, say I was to make $20 an hour. If something sells for $20, is this item worth an hour of my life? Little things like this help me.
I also know shoes are my greatest weakness and I always go to the shoe section when I’m shopping. I’ve gotten better but often I’ve left something and wished I had bought it. But in the long run I recognise this as a momentary temptation or me telling myself that I need something when I clearly don’t.
I now appreciate what I have more than previously, certainly in terms of skincare. I have been given so many samples that I never used so I decided to start using them. This is great because when it comes time to replace an item, I know what product/s I want and won't have to go through a lot of trial and error. I'm also a religious wearer of Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder but I would use them up to a certain point and then buy another, leaving me with eight tubs at the beginning of the year. I'm now down to three and will buy another when I'm down to my final one. It's only small but a great feeling.
Which ties in to replacing items only when necessary. I use my Peter Alexander shorts as an example. Had I not purchased them, I do have other shorts I could easily wear in their place. It also ties into my discontinued rule as who knows when it would be available on eBay again... I guess this is an exception as it was a later purchase in 2023 but moving forward, I will make smarter choices.
Another thing for me is learning to invest in quality. I would often buy different hair and skincare products that were rubbish for my skin and hair. This year I'm investing in quality products (quality doesn't necessarily mean expensive but sadly for me it does). My shampoo and conditioner are well rated, high-quality brands, and I only use drmtlgy skincare (save 30% off your first purchase via my link). Yes, there is some trial and error but with thorough research and reading reviews, I know these products work for me and are worth it. drmtlgy especially I stopped using when I used up my other samples and I noticed a difference in my skin, so take that as you will. But again, making smarter choices, I will only replace items when they need replacing and when there's a sale.
The greatest thing I’ve learnt is that my online temptation greatly comes out of boredom. The busier I am, the less time I have to mindlessly scroll. Reading a book on the train, for example, instead of looking at my phone. If I’m on my computer, spending that time more wisely. That goes for shopping in store too. If bored, going shopping is the obvious answer. If I have a busy schedule, this is less of a problem.
Which brings me to hobbies because it might be wiser to spend $100 on an art kit vs. spending thousands on clothes to cure that boredom. Obviously, this will vary from person to person, but again this comes down to knowing your triggers and patterns and changing them. If art isn’t your thing, then find something else – a sport, exercise, sewing, another language, reading etc. The options are endless.
As a side rant > I once read that if you’re bored, you should learn a new skill or hobby. If you enjoy it, you might get so good that one day it will make you money and then your hobby becomes your career. For example, you might start sewing your own clothes and people take notice, so you start your own fashion line. You might join a sporting club, get so good you become a coach or alternatively, find a new friendship group who you can do fun stuff with. You might start a book club, a new app, become a personal trainer etc. So, not only could a hobby or skill help cure boredom and help your spending overall, but it could also make you money, help you find likeminded people and change your life. And it all starts from breaking a habit.
To summarise, I’m glad I failed because I have learnt what my triggers, weaknesses and habits are. Have I broken them? No. Will I ever break them? No. But in recognising them, I can make better decisions.
> Moving Forward
I’m not so much taking this as a failure but instead a learning opportunity. No one ever said it was meant to be easy. It’s a challenge, and challenges are meant to be challenging, that’s obvious.
So, moving forward, I’m continuing on with this ‘Low Spend Year’. I may fail again and most likely will, but with every fail comes another lesson – and that’s motivation to keep going.
I'll keep you updated on how I go...
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