I went full in this past month and really stuck to tracking no/low buy days versus days where I made purchases from my red categories. I also did my best to track my overall mood/health to see any patterns. My resilience is down for sure when I am sick (and I spent most of the month being ill from one thing or another). But I managed to do a lot better than I thought.

https://preview.redd.it/0g1bqiyevyge1.jpg?width=2297&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff64228d3a45b8669f2e5c1c52db0264de0a89fe

I also compared all my extraneous spending for January 2024 versus January 2025. I tracked the following categories (which are typical problem areas for me): coffee/snacks; take out; beauty/hair; and shopping (which covers clothing, shoes, homewares).

January 2024:
Total spent: $774.87
coffee/snacks: $60.00
take out: $116.00
beauty/hair: $306.00
shopping: $293.00

January 2025
Total spent: $473.52
coffee/snacks: $32.42
take out: $60.28
beauty/hair: $204.00
shopping: $176.82

Overall, I made great progress. I even managed to put away some money into savings. I'd like the total this month to be even smaller. I know I can do it, I just have to keep reminding myself of these small wins.

I’m slipping a little, I can feel the shopping troll 🧌 telling me to shop.

It all started with my Amazon gift card…. Long story short my best friend is a makeup artist. And I never thought to ask her to do my make up or what makeup is best for me and my skin. (Last time I bought makeup I just picked by the ratings at Sephora, I have very little care for makeup, most of the time I wear none) But hated almost all of what I bought. I showed it to her and explained why I hated it. I also spent $200 on all of it (before my nobuy) I was floored on the products she used, and her “holy grails” that made me look alive again. (I’m getting ready to go back to work after 18 months of maternity leave) All together I spent $64 to replace the items I didn’t like and I used a $50 gift card I’ve been saving.

But now I keep going into Amazon and seeing other things I want, like I wouldn’t mind an eyeshadow palette even tho the ones I own are fine, I would love a new make up bag, even tho the one I own is doing its job.

I was doing so well, and I didn’t take into account the step back in strength I would feel after using a gift card. It’s like my body got that dopamine hit after a long time and went wild.

I’ll be taking things min by min until it passes. Good luck everyone! Some days are hard, we will make it through it.

• Destink

It's perfectly fine clothing. I try vinegar and some odor cide and extra strength athletic wear detergent. But I'm just going through the day sometimes I will realize something I'm wearing has gotten stinky. I'm tempted to trash it as I find it. I had a shirt I've tried to get the stink out of 3 times already and...it still stinks

Also thinking of using a timer to remind me to stick things in the dryer...for the future

https://preview.redd.it/5mwlxaialtge1.png?width=1052&format=png&auto=webp&s=14ed8d8ea380e26eb0f909774cfcf676077704a1

Here is my messy record keeping for January! I did okay. If my napkin math is correct I spent $97 on nonessentials, which is better than I have before. Biggest expense category getting 'fun' food out ($56), which I don't really regret since I only did this 4 times during the month.

The orange day I bought something on my red list (notebooks)... and justified it to myself by saying I wanted work notebooks (easy date format, cheap, I don't get attached to them) and not fun notebooks (which I would be sad about using for work reasons).

I wrote down things I wanted to get instead of buying them. I recently moved to a new apartment and I'm having the biggest itch to get some decor items for my walls... I've been thinking of going to a thrift shop and seeing what I can get for cheap, with the caveat I only buy things I really really love. I had a couple things bookmarked on etsy, but they're expensive and likely drop-shipped. Trying to hold strong against the plant temptation!

Overall I could be better, but I'm not super upset about the first month.

Hi, I need to join. I need to figure out some realistic guidelines going into 2025.

I need to accept that 'popping into target' isnt happening. That 'wandering around TJMAXX' is a horrible idea.

What is OK- i have gift cards for starbucks, I'm totally allowed coffee treats with gift cards. I have LOWES gift cards and that should cover household cleaning supplies etc for 6 months or so.

I dont need clothes, I have casual office clothes and weekend clothes. If its a really good mark down i might pick something up. I don't need much right now. I'm going to need several pair of sandals. Its hot here and sandals are worn all the time.

FOOD: I have zero idea how to budget for food. This is what brought me here. I have celiac and a couple food allergies. Groceries always run on the high side and convenience is important. I do like to bake but again, convenience. So I'm more likely to pick a packaged back mix vs going 100% from scratch.

Medical is costly. I can't just stop medication or dr's appointments, health insurance is insane. Dental and vision is the same- RX is a mystery.

My downfall is books, (and yarn). I love to read and I tend to buy most of my books, i try to wait for buy 2 get 1 free. I do utilize the library as well.

This feels like so much 2020 all over again.

NOBUY 2025 wasnt planned and I'm a more than overwhelmed right now

❤️ red light:

• makeup, clothes, jewelry, perfume, bags, accessories, skincare, nail polish

• doordash (except for 1x/week)

• eating out alone

• new hobby hyper-fixations (i.e. journaling, coloring, etc.)

• tattoos

• outfits/things i think i need for attending wedding & san diego trip

💛 yellow light:

• exact replacements of skincare & makeup items as long as i dont have any other in that category

• 1 diamond art (must finish all projects first)

• 1 woobles/crochet (must finish all projects first)

• one piercing for my bday?

• 1-2 sports bras & leggings for running

💚 green light:

• social outings/date nights

• home decor purchased with husband

• basic necessities for us & pets

• experiences for san diego & planning (i.e. dog boarding)

• doordash 1x/week

• for every 10 trips to the gym/run, can buy one item under $50 or save $50 towards one item on wishlist

————

i’m starting right now to may when i go on my trip. i’m feeling anxious and not excited at all to be honest. i have some packages coming so that usually tides me over but this is going to be hard 😩

Hello! I recently found this sub and have been looking for it for a while. I kept searching no spend instead of no buy. Well now I feel silly.

But anyway I have been shopping at thrift stores, game shops, comic book shops as a way to entertain myself. Even when I'm with friends we'll go shopping.

Now that its a new year and new month I decided to make some better habits. I want to do more free things and get rid of stuff. I've been checking out Little free libraries to donate books and have been leaving things on my work free table.

Anyone else doing a no spend Feb?

I have some rules because I enjoy selling things. If I spend $100 and make a $100 selling something then can that count as a no buy? Ideally I'd like to sell and not buy anything so I can pay myself back for last years spending.

Also I'd like to pick up more free hobbies and enjoy what I already have.

So January went pretty well, I was able to save over $800. I didn't buy anything that was unnecessary (minus a couple of Christmas gift cards to get rid of and even then I tried to use them in ways to help me be more sustainable). But I have also been struggling with depression (medicated) and I realized last night that I absolutely HAD to force myself to clean out my cats' litter box because it had been way too long. I felt so bad for neglecting that chore. I had been thinking about a litter robot for a long time, but I never wanted to spend the money. I got scared off of knock offs due to cats being injured/killed by the mechanism. So at 1am last night I decided to purchase the litter robot 4 (mark of an impulse buy lol). I did use a referral link for $50 off but it was still $700. I guess my question this morning is should I go ahead and return it when it gets here? I do actually feel like it will improve my and my cats' quality of life though, so I am really torn. Part of me says what if I swear off coffee runs and take out foods that I had previously allowed this month to make it up?

ETA: I have no doubt that seeing my "successful" numbers for last month encouraged me to go for this purchase. Ugh. This cycle is hard to break.

I did a decent job with the low buy in January but there were three essential things I bought and every single one either arrived broken or quickly broke after one use. One of them was a smart lightbulb that I spent a couple of hours trying to get to work myself, and then dealing with the manufacturer’s chat bot and then a live chat, just for them to confirm it was faulty and I should send it back to the retailer. So now I have to waste more of my time packing it back up and going to the Post Office.

It’s really made me think about how the poor quality of most things we buy now, and the customer service we receive when there’s a problem, is actually not worth it. It makes me not want to buy anything ever again just to avoid the hassle. Even best case scenario when you order something online and it’s great you still have the packaging to dispose of, which is a chore, and it’s so wasteful. I’m sick of waiting in for deliveries, and sick of waiting again when they’re inevitably delayed, all for something that may turn out to be a piece of crap.

It’s actually making it easier for me to carry on the low buy. These companies don’t deserve my money and giving it to them just creates more work for me.

The political news is coning fast and furious, and making my anxiety rear its ugly head, so I've been not so on track the last couple of days (I'm an emotional eater, and fast food is one way that I cope), but one thing I did do last night was "shop" my parents' house (which used to be my grandmother's) for some new (to me) plates and bowls.

I've been using a set of melamine for a long time, and had read about how it was bad for hot food, since plastic off-gasses when it's hot. I never used them in the microwave, but even just putting hot food in/on them can do it. So I decided to get some real plates and dinner bowls, but I didn't want to spend the money. My grandma was a yardsale shopper, and collected lots of random dishes, so I was able to get some of her old bowls and plates to use. My parents are hoarders, and they're drowning in both her stuff and their own, so at least I was able to lighten the load a little bit. My melamine plates and bowls are still in good condition, so I'll be donating them to a thrift store.

Still fighting the good fight! I'm not giving up.

Okay. So, I'm a prepper. Not a doomsday zombie apocalypse prepper. I'm more of a "pay attention and prepare for emergencies" prepper. I blame growing up where hurricanes happened and living through a financial crisis (2008) and a global pandemic (2020, duh). I prep financially by having an emergency fund and physically by having a few months worth of food and supplies stashed at all times.

I budget for my preps. And I was doing fantastic on my no-buy. My budget includes $225 a month for discretionary spending and in January I only spent $20 of that! I was doing so good...until this weekend. This tariff nonsense has me stressed. I literally blew $150 in one day yesterday stockpiling/panic buying.

I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. But I think today I'm going to take an inventory of what I already have. Not just prep stuff but stuff stuff. I truly don't need anything. But man the psychological aspect of buying shit is just insidious. I need to recognize when my anxiety is overwhelming me and remind myself that more stuff isn't the answer.

I recently started journaling and decided to focus on two major goals for this year: reach my target weight and get my finances in order. I have specified what those mean and how I can achieve those goals. I’m finally in a position where I can save some money and build a financial buffer. The best way to save money is to not spend it.

Last year I started a no-buy and focused on things I wasn’t allowed to buy for a certain time. It really helped me to be more intentional about spending and realize what I have and need. This year I’m taking an extra step and trying to have several days where I don’t spend any money at all, including groceries. Last month I made a habit tracker for these no-spend days and things like exercise and eating fruits and veggies. It feels good to challenge myself this way and try to build a streak, plus I’m much more mindful about spending. Do I really want to break my streak today just because I want some chocolate? The only exception were automated bills like insurance and rent, but other bills I needed to pay manually weren’t. I’m changing that for this month for several reasons. 1. I have no choice, I have to pay those bills like city taxes. It’s not my decision and feels unfair. 2. Once I do break my streak and spend even a little money, I tend to spend a lot more. ‘I don’t get to check off today, so I might as well…’

Do any of you have a similar approach? What are your experiences?

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.

I really lost control of my no buy in mid Jan. Had my 30th birthday and had a party (which I had accounted for).

But splurged and got my makeup done for it, and paid for lots of takeaway food when I was hungover the next day.

I've had an injury the last 6 weeks and it's finally on the mend. But being unable to exercise due to it has really thrown my mental health around and left me itching for the next dopamine hit.

Resetting now in Feb and already feeling much better.. I've rejigged my finances and set goals to make sure I don't overspend. Trying to really find some extra side hustle work to get my debt and savings back on track. Feeling excited to see where things go.

Hello everyone I am currently obsessing about a pair of earrings... I do not own any and saw some beautiful ones. Please deinfluence me from buying them 🥹

I'm struggling with my wishes to buy makeup that I don't need. I'm trying to make it easier on me so I just unfollowed some IG accounts and YouTube channels, I think I must go cold turkey for a while. Too much pressure to buy the newest shadow palette or a trendy lip gloss :(

I failed so many times in January. 😱 I feel very bad for all the mistakes, but even more determined now to make the the rest of the year better, and to learn from those mistakes. I came to realize that the first half of the month is always ok, but the last 10 days, I get extremely anxious for some reason and I want to buy stuff to make myself a bit happier. I have to explore where this anxiety comes from. Do you guys have any advice or words of encouragement? Everything is welcomed (even some tough love, I don't have a problem with criticism) 😉

So I got a neat packet from my credit union credit card detailing all my purchases from the year...

I'm sure there's more than this because sometimes I pay cash. But I've spent $613.21 last year on coffee and a sweet treat.

I couldn't believe it. I knew I was overspending on coffee but because I wasn't going every day or even every week I told myself it was fine.

Thankfully so far all I've spent this year has been $5 on a Panera sip club membership and one coffee shop outing where I spent $15.

Ugh… I went ALL January not buying ONE thing.. and today on February first I relapsed. I online shopped for 2 bags and a skirt. I was like, “it’s my birthday month, why not” like any addiction I need to start all over again. Just looking for encouragement.

Okay so I just want to vent because I am so frustrated with myself. When I shop, I feel like I am in a trance, and I really do convince myself that I NEED something and that it will change my life, that I will be living my fantasy self. UGH.

I bought some clothes which is a no no for my no buy and I really convinced myself that I needed them. To make things right, I will be returning them and getting back $160 in my saving account. I also bought some pants second hand and unfortunately I can't really return those so I am pretty bummed about that.

The thing is, I love love love exploring different styles, colors, textures, etc and I always feel like I need to diversify my closet. How do you feed this urge when you're on a no buy? I recently sold some clothing to get money back and declutter my space which was nice, but sometimes things just don't sell and I get antsy. I have a lot of accessories so maybe I can switch it up that way, but the urge to try everything is crazy.

TLDR: how do you explore fashion when you're on a clothing no buy (for money and clutter reasons)

Hello, I'm reducing my spending in 2025 and need help coming up with ideas for my LD bf and I's 2 year anniversary/Valentines. He likes soccer, video games, computer bits, and anime.

Already in the making: Relationship scrapbook and Kingdom heart crochet plush

So far so good this month however did make red light purchases that totalled up to 49.45$ on work drinks, something I had told myself I would stop spending on but I caved in. Didn’t spend astronomically on eating out, I have spent 142.98$ on eating out which is definitely out of my budget of just 50$ so that’s a bummer. Planning to put the amount I’ve overspent into my savings account as a consequence (a good consequence) but I have to pat myself on the back for not doing any unnecessary online purchases, no clothes or books, makeup, etc. January was my first no buy month, hoping to keep strong until December!

Made it through all of January!

February I’ll have some small non essentials for gifts to send out of state, but I’m committed to spending as little as possible on non essentials this year.

To those struggling—it does get easier over time! I feel like with any of this stuff the more you exercise over time, the easier resisting buying non essentials will get. So don’t get discouraged if you aren’t perfect right away.

Boycotting Amazon is good for your no spend, the planet, and sticking it to an overstepping billionaire.

Happy February!