I have not been tempted to buy makeup in a long time (like, 2 years now) since I rarely even wear it anymore. Excluding concealer and a bit of powder under my eyes, I only wear it on special occasions. Until last night. I was walking around to finally enjoy the weather which dropped under 70⁰ for the first time in several months & I stopped by a Japanese grocery/beauty store. They have a powder i used to love but couldn't remember what shade I am, and no samples were out for me to be sure. I thought I would get one anyway...for $16. Then I remembered I have probably a year or two worth of powder still at home that I am working through VERY slowly. I still wrestled for a good 20 minutes about whether or not to purchase this powder.

Finally, I put it down. Im going on a lovely trip to NYC this weekend and can spend that money on my experiences there instead. It was surprisingly still difficult, but im glad I told myself no.

I am trying to pay down debt (from shopping!) and get my financial house in order. I have successfully stopped shopping at "regular" stores (Amazon, Target, Anthropologie Lol) but find myself hitting thrift stores about once a week.

I am very proud that I have reduced my inventory at home (light hoarding) and resist most impulse buys (for myself). My kids, on the other hand, always seem to need stuff - school supplies, Halloween costumes, new shoes- and I have turned to second hand shops to save money and reduce waste. I do feel, however, that my no buy/low buy ethos is really challenged by my kids constant needs/wants. I feel like I buy new kids water bottles once a month because they seem to disappear. Has anyone else successfully navigated these two, seemingly warring, needs (kids and low buy)?

💥

I think realising this is the key. Don’t fall for the lies in your head. Life would be so easy if just buying some item would solve all your boredom and problems, but it doesn’t work that way. But it’s easy and convenient to believe, so we fall for it. The new shoes won’t make people think you’re cool, the new golf clubs aren’t going to improve your game, the 20th book you buy that you won’t read isn’t going to make people think you’re smart and cultured, The new car isn’t going to make you someone that goes on road trips or goes camping. None of these things you buy will ever bring you any real change, change has to come from within, these items are just pacifiers, they strip you from any goals and ambitions, as it tricks your brain into thinking you have accomplished something.

Mostly writing for myself but maybe it will help others.

So I just moved out for college. For context, I’ve had to live at my parents for two years after adult hood (18-20) due to my Anorexia that needed treatment. it takes about 7-10 years to recover from THAT addiction/disorder, but after 4 years of constant treatment I’m finally in outpatient. the issue, however, is that I realized that if I used a different bad habit, the eating disorder thoughts go away.

Now, this part I might get judged for and I beg to not judge because I’m struggling with the guilt and shame of it all— I have been using my mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and aunts debit cards to go online shopping. I don’t have one of my own, and my shopping addiction gives me a greater kick when it’s not my money. I’ve probably spent around 1000 dollars on online auctions and shopping apps which I will not disclose on here. they are completely oblivious and the guilt is killing me but I can’t stop or else my eating disorder will get loud again, and that’s something I really don’t want to do. So, I’ve gone on to Reddit because I’m desperate for anyone that could possibly relate or anyone that can help me figure out how to stop this before it gets even worse. (Excuse my grammar by the way, my structure for writing in this is not good but it is because I’m learning English)

Does anyone else struggle with buying way too many groceries or ordering food more frequently than they want to? I think this is my main money issue. I’m ashamed at how much money I make versus how much money I can keep in my bank account. I honestly don’t really know where it goes, but I think my main problem is buying and wasting food. If anyone has any tips or tricks to share, I’d love to hear them.

How did your no-buy or low-buy go this week?

Share your goals, progress and how your purchasing habits have changed since starting a no buy.

If you 'failed' this week, remember that it is just a stumble in a long journey. If you did well, inspire others and encourage them when they do well or get off track.

someone can be looking at something pretty normally and then the page says only 2 left or sale ends tonight and suddenly the whole decision feels different even though literally nothing about the thing changed

you didn’t learn anything new about the quality, you didn’t suddenly need it more, there’s just now a clock attached to the decision and somehow “do i want this?” quietly turns into “am i about to miss this?”

idk i find that weird because the pressure is almost completely separate from the product itself, it’s just the possibility of losing the option that makes acting now feel more reasonable

This may sound a bit insensitive but I’ve actually been enjoying spending as little as possible, maybe because it’s not out of necessity. But there are so many things where in the past I would have spent 20 dollars here, 100 there, 40 here, yet now I am getting genuine joy from not spending. It’s like I’ve realised that I don’t need 90 percent of the junk I was buying, and when I do really need something, I buy the cheapest option that works, and it hasn’t caused any issues yet.

There are times when I have wanted certain things, I will admit that, but resisting the urges and then looking back on the success, is also bringing me so much relief and happiness. I get joy out of not having fallen for the traps.

And this may be different for other people, but a lot of the things I wanted we’re actually just upgrades of things I already had, but those upgrades would have really not made my life or situation any better. There really is a joy to be found in making do with what you have, kind of like the story/cliche of someone being able to be the best with the least amount of resources, letting your own self show your ability instead of the things you buy. And it maybe requires a mindset shift, but to anyone struggling I’d say to try and focus on your wins and the relief of not spending, instead of feeling like you are trying to survive a battle.

Does anyone else feel this way? I’d really like to hear if anyone has similar stories.

I have been wanting to do this for a while, but November includes a family holiday (I know I willl buy things), and December is Christmas month, which always means spending on gifts.

What rules do people usually use? I am thinking:

- no meals out or takeaway

- no drinks or coffees out

- no buying clothes, books, etc

- no buying any household items except to replace broken necessary items

- no buying plants or garden supplies

Obviously I'll still have to pay my bills, buy groceries and cleaning products, and cover any medical/dental expenses that arise.

I don't buy tend to buy expensive items, but I do buy far too many things I don't need, and it bleeds my bank account by a thousand little cuts.

Has it been people's experience that nobuy months help to reset patterns?

Just got back from vacation and first time there wasn’t a stack of packages waiting for me .. I am really focusing on logging into my bank accounts and seeing where my money is going each month .. Aug when I first started no but I dramatically cut my spending .. September I definitely spent more but we went on a 7 day vacation so makes sense there were more expenses .. now I’m back with no big vacations planned and refocused on no buy /low buy and no online shopping .. I have not made a purchase from Amazon since 7/26 - probably longest ever !

How did your no-buy or low-buy go this week?

Share your goals, progress and how your purchasing habits have changed since starting a no buy.

If you 'failed' this week, remember that it is just a stumble in a long journey. If you did well, inspire others and encourage them when they do well or get off track.

Starting my first no buy this month! I just finished grad school and an internship (and lost a good chunk of extra income because of it), I have CC debt and will have to start paying my loans back in February.
My goals are as follows:

1. To better understand my impulsive spending and figure out the root cause - by not buying things I’m curious to find what is lingering under the impulse.

2. To better understand wants vs needs. I currently convince myself I need things that are actually wants. I spend a lot of money shopping and even after looking at my transactions and just so confused about where my money goes.

3. Use the information I find in the no buy to set a realistic budget. I regularly make budgets and then never follow them bc it isn’t accurate to my actual spending.

4. To increase my savings and pay off some of my debt. I just moved so it knocked a good amount out of my savings.

I also hope to work through a lot of the shame and avoidance I feel around money. I know I don’t spend in accordance with my values but it’s such a deeply ingrained habit it’s hard to break.

I would love any tricks and pointers from others especially how they handle social plans while doing a no buy during the holidays. I want to still give myself a social budget so I can go out to eat with friends or see a show but within reason. I think not buying items will be hard enough I don’t want to socially isolate as well. I know there are plenty of free things to do with friends but hanging out with friends also costs so much money sometimes

After another frustrating week of "Where did my paycheck go?" I decided on a whim last night to finally do a "no buy" month for October.

It's illuminating to me how many things I have *already* been tempted to buy and it's not even NOON of the first day yet. Today is payday and I would normally just be waiting for my check to hit so I could go ahead and buy the things I have in mind, stopping before work to grab a drink somewhere.

Long story short, I was a stay-at-home mom for a long time with no spending money. We couldn't afford daycare with the money I made, so it just made more sense for me to stay home. I started working again when my youngest went to kindergarten, but was only making enough to barely cover the bills and gas to drive to work in another city. I started another job in 2024 and started making literally double what I was previously. I swore up and down that I would keep living the way I had been and save/invest all that extra money. You probably know what happened next!

Lifestyle creep got me like a mf. I had never been able to buy "nicer" things that weren't just the cheapest option - shampoos, body products, perfume, clothes, home decor, shoes, even things like extras at the grocery store. Concert tickets. Weekend trips. Gifts. Things for my kids, who just get more expensive as they get older. Using Affirm or Klarna to buy things because then the payments don't seem like a big deal.

While I make more money than I used to, we are not rolling in the dough over here. (I have been making 45k gross since 2024. I just got a 5k raise which will start this week. We live in a rural relatively LCOL area.) I grew up in a higher income household than the one I am the adult in now and it has been a struggle learning that money does not, in fact, grow on trees.

The worst part is I genuinely *hate* this new job, but I have backed myself into a corner. I've straight-up had to be medicated for anxiety and depression since I started. I don't have the savings or cushion to leave or quit while I look for something else.

I feel like I have quite literally nothing to show for the last several years of work at a job I hate. I don't want to keep feeling this way, so something has to change.

Anyway, here are some of the things that have tempted me so far:

-Aardvark book subscription (I already have Book of the Month, I can check out books at the library for free or use Libby, I have a ton of books that I've already bought and haven't read yet).

-Instant Hydration packets - Part of my "no buy" is only eating/drinking things from home. There's a local drink shop where I can easily spend $9-20 a day depending on what I get. I was trying to justify these packets as a replacement, but that's silly. I can buy drink packets when I get groceries for way cheaper.

Here are my rules for the No Buy. I know this is just how some people normally live, but I promise it's a big change for me.

-Only eating/drinking things from home. This is huge for me. So many nights I come home and just don't want to make dinner, so we order pizza or I give the kids money to go get Taco Bell or whatever. I swing through and get coffees or other "fun drinks" all the time. They feel like the only things that pull me through my misery during the work week.

-No books or clothes at all. I have enough.

-Only buying replacements if I run out of something - shampoo, conditioner, hygiene, etc.

-No random impulse purchases from Amazon, anything from ads on Instagram, TikTok, etc. (By the way, I realized literally every video I tried to watch on TT last night was an ad.)

-My birthday is the 14th. If I get birthday money, save it until November or put it toward a payment of some kind. If my husband wants to give me a gift, I have two things in mind I'd like that I can ask for from him.

-I think that's all? I will still be buying my kid's Halloween costumes, giving them money to go do things they have planned. I also haven't mentioned doing this to my husband because I don't want him to feel like he has to cut anything out - this is just about myself. I'm going to see how much money I can have saved up by the end of the month and just make it a fun little challenge with myself and you guys.

I'm thankful to hear anyone's experiences or advice!

I missed last week, so here's my monthly update. I'm trying to cut back so I can save an additional $7k before moving out. MUCH better than August lol

Shopping at Aldi and meal prepping every Sunday has been a lifesaver.

Hi! I’m wondering if anyone has any tips to combat impulse spending. I have adhd and i know it’s a dopamine seeking behavior but I can’t seem to master it. I’m also on medications that lower my inhibition (narcotics for chronic pain) and I know that contributes. I can never seem to stop myself and the pay in 4 options are fucking me over entirely. I always find a way to justify but even if it’s “justified” it’s still outside my means. Or if I’m having I terrible pain day I’m more likely to buy something. And I have a lot of shame about struggling with this and my dad keeps telling me it’s black and white just don’t buy things but I think it’s a bit more complicated than that. Idk I’m just struggling and could use some advice

I do see two therapists in the same clinic (one for process time, one for wmdr

I’ve noticed I’m getting a little out of control (for myself) on spending again and part of it is that I have overspent and so I think eh what’s a bit more. Not a good way to think. I want to be mindful of what I’m spending and why and mindful of what I really want that this money could go to instead. So I’ll start tomorrow and check in with myself and whoever wants to help me on this post I guess? Obviously will get needed items and I do try to get small things for my kids leading up to Christmas so that it’s not all at once. Wish me luck??

Holidays are coming up and that means sales and advertisements. So I decided this year I'm not falling for any of it. I struggle with the urge to buy gifts for everyone i know around this time of year but i really want to instead save my money for once. Last time I did a no-buy was just for 1 month but I feel confident I can do more. Any suggestions? What helps you with resisting overspending on gifts?

What the title says. This month I have moved away for worl and was living like Lenny in the photo because I didn't want to run out of my very very small, super tiny tiny savings. Now I got paid and I am like I have to update my wardrobe for my job and buy skincare so that I am not wrinkly like my collleagues and good food and etc etc. Please help me be happy and humble :)

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!

Basically I grew up in a really frugal house where buying clothes was not a regular thing we maybe got clothes during holidays or a birthday but that was it. everything else was hand me down or thrift and it never quite fit properly or looked stylish, clothing was more functional than anything.

I went to college and made it by borrowing clothes, repeating outfits, or returning things but buying clothes always felt frivolous and made me feel guilty. Now I am post grad and working in the hospital so I wear scrubs all the time so I still don’t need to worry about work clothes 5 days of the week, but i noticed now that im not studying all day every day in sweatpants my closet is pretty limited.

I have no college debt, make 22 an hour, try to save 550 a paycheck for PA school. I really want to start my closet from scratch but don’t know if or how much to spend or if this is impulsive to drop like 1k on staples. My two siblings birthdays and Christmas is coming up so I feel like I shld save for those, and rn I am only at about 7500 savings when my projected at this point was 9000.

How did your no-buy or low-buy go this week?

Share your goals, progress and how your purchasing habits have changed since starting a no buy.

If you 'failed' this week, remember that it is just a stumble in a long journey. If you did well, inspire others and encourage them when they do well or get off track.

someone tells me this bottle is usually €90 but tonight it’s €52 and i can fully think €90 is stupid and still somehow €52 starts feeling reasonable even though 10 seconds ago i didn’t know this wine existed and definitely wasn’t planning to spend €52 on it

like the first number can be complete bullshit and still decide what cheap means after

i don't know, i keep noticing how often sales basically change the question from do i want this to am i getting a good deal, and those are really not the same thing at all

Hi, I'm new here, doing a 3-months no buy (or low buy?) from October-December and also posting to finally hold myself accountable :)

I'm doing a PhD and working as a doctoral researcher. I'm also dealing with burnout, depression, and other mental health conditions. Some months ago, I fell into a rabbit hole around personal style because I've been stressed, unhappy with my clothes, have gained some weight, and want to look more professional now that I'm in my mid-30s, working in academia. So, on this personal-style journey, I've been experimenting and have been overspending on some random clothes and makeup, and I'm still feeling like I need more clothes. I also occasionally go to goth/darkwave parties and have been feeling like I don't have any outfits for that either anymore.

Moreover, I feel like my current apartment isn't pretty enough and that I need to improve it. I haven't put much time and money into it after moving here from a bigger apartment because I earned very little over the past few years doing my master's and working part-time.

I guess part of it is worrying what other people might think. The thing is, when I think about what I actually want, it doesn't make much sense to me to put the money into things like making my current apartment look prettier. I want to save for retirement, build financial security, and my biggest dream of all is to eventually fuck off and live near the woods :D

I've been interested in doing a no-buy year for a very long time, so I've decided to finally start. For now, I'm doing a no buy for the rest of this year and reassess at the end of the year. I've already overspent my budget this month, so technically, I'm already starting 😅

Allowed:

• Necessities: groceries, rent+gas+water, electricity, internet, cheap phone plan, German mandatory public broadcasting fee
• Replacing: household/cosmetics empties and broken necessary items
• Health: medical bills, meds, omega3 supplement, contact lenses, Gym
• Cat: food, litter, vet, cat sitter
• Spotify student subscription (I rely on brown noise at night and music to block out noise when commuting or at the office)
• Socializing with friends & in academia: if it includes food, drinks, tickets, or renting a movie, it's allowed within reason. It happens rarely and I don't want to isolate myself even more. But I won't use socializing as an excuse to buy things I don't actually need.
• Gifts
• Tax software

Not allowed:

• New anything: clothes, makeup, cosmetics, books, movies, subscriptions, classes, apps, stationary, technical equipment, household items, …
• Buying artwork or jewelry on the dark arts market in December!! (difficult! I can take photos, make a note of artists I like, and come back to the ideas after the no buy)
• Beauty treatments, haircuts
• Ordering food, takeout
• Tickets for any activities on my own
• Non-work related travel

I will track my finances in a spreadsheet, do project pan, and build capsule wardrobes for both fall and winter with clothes that I already own and then stick with them.

Resources I have and activities I could do:

• My cat
• Gym with sauna
• Green spaces in neighborhood for walks
• Free Amazon Prime for 6 months and free Audible for 2 months (offers for students, yay!)
• Lots of tea
• Cooking, e.g. soups in fall/winter :) or getting a 3€ "Rettertüte" ("rescue bag" with fruits and veggies) from LIDL and getting creative with it
• Using up food in pantry
• Cleaning while listening to Podcasts
• Doing my nails

I also have a list of resources and ideas for when I have more time and energy again. But with the PhD my main problem isn't becoming bored but rather being stressed, overwhelmed, and turning everything I do into another project. So I deliberately tried to make this list simple, comfort, energy-giving, and subjectively low-friction activities.