I am curious, what sort of tools do you use to be a conscious shopper for different aspects of your life (eg. Clothing, games etc) and do not buy anything unless you really need it

Hi all! I’m posting here to hold myself accountable. I started earning my own money 2 and a half years ago and ever since I’ve struggled with my shopping addiction. Recently, I realised how much money my spending habits have made me loose and decided to reduce my purchases. So far I have reduced my spending but I would like to commit to not buying anything unnecessary for the next year. Do you have any tips for when you are starting?? Thank you very much and apologies for my English!

Maybe too long for you to care to read, feel free to skip past

My journey into better and healthier spending habits have been a long and to be honest quite difficult one. I am at the capability of having a budget plan and knowing where my money is going. I also pay my debts as soon as the paycheck hits. I get to the stage of tracking every single dollar I spend and for whichever reason, a switch in me flicks and it just fails every month. I over spend because I'm either bored or feel that I need to just spend the money. I don't even buy material things, but more so snacks and buy for 2-3 at a takeaway in one sitting. I am 5'4 at 54kg so the over amount of food i'm buying is something I don't even need to do.

I am genuinely seeking tips or quick mental passages to say to myself in a moment where I see the impulsive spending is about to be triggered. The only one I know now is when I go grocery shopping, I go with a list. If I have something I want, i physically hold it in my hand for 30 seconds to a minute and then once the excitement of impulsivity subsides I put the item back because I realise I don't even want it

What would you guys say in the moment to stop yourself? What helps control the impulsiveness?

I started the new year off with such gusto and did so well at first. I was able to get my spending in check and really did a great job at saving some money and paying off most of my credit card. Overall, I think the first round was an eye-opener but a success. Yes, I still spent way more than I wanted but I also started my emergency fund and a college fund for my daughter.

But now, it's time to reset and recommit. My spending is out of control again. I find any reason and opportunity to shop online. I am also finding it so hard to stick to the "no takeout" rule. I have such a hectic schedule with work, it leaves me no time. Also my daughter has a crazy after-school schedule of gymnastics, swimming etc. I want to rewrite my rules, this time being more realistic because the first round really opened my eyes to how aggressive my plan was but also completely unrealistic.

• 2 clothing items per pay check (I am rebuilding my wardrobe after 3 years of working from home and need more clothes for the office)
• same rule for my kids clothing. She has outgrown alot, needs to now be replaced.
• takeout twice a week max (the goal is still none, but having the buffer here is realistic with my schedule)
• 1 new skincare item per month, otherwise replacements only
• cancel gym membership, your not going no matter how much you tell yourself you will
• purchase provincial parks pass, get outside instead of shopping in a mall
• assess subscriptions and cancel 50% of them, you don't watch everything
• cancel Amazon Prime again, you did perfectly fine without it.

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.

Doing a no buy month this month but it's HARD and already failed 7 days into the month. I have severy anxiety, I'm on medication and work a job now. I haven't been able to properly work in years. I work an extra job on the weekends to pay off my student loans. I keep ''rewarding'' myself for my hard work with little snacks, drinks and some clothing items but it adds up. How do you ''reward'' yourself without buying something?

So I've not done as well in life as I could have. I make 22.5k in the UK and my debts result in about £250 outgoings alone. This combined with paying the bills is crippling me but despite this I can't stop spending. Id like to attribute it to reckless spending when drunk but to be honest I've recently begun spending a good portion on vapes whilst sober. My work is the main trigger here, I hate every aspect of it. I wake up and cry to myself each time I need to go in.

I've got plan to move jobs which will come to fruition in a couple months. But until then I was wondering if anybody had advice for someone who hates their job and expesses this through reckless spending?

I am preparing to start a nobuy month for May. Is anyone using an application to keep themselves accountable with spending? I've found a few budgetting excel calculators, but they do not really match.

Appreciate any suggestions!

Hello, everyone - new here. I have done no-buy months by myself before but, it’s nice to see an encouraging community.

My husband is self-employed and he needed to buy a “new” box truck recently. Repairs on his work truck were racking up and we decided it was time. He found a good deal on a used Penske truck but, it still took a chunk out of our hard earned savings. Then, we got spanked with property taxes and income taxes right on top of each other. (Not looking forward to school taxes at all). Today, we find out vehicle registration went up and his work truck will cost $398 to register. It’s just been tax on tax and I am feeling so frustrated.

I can’t control these particular expenses but, it did light a fire under my buns to try to help out my husband by really reigning in any spending I can. So, here I am. I know the month has already begun but, better late than never!

I have done really well the first 3 months of the year. Only bought essentials. I don't know what has happened but since payday last week I've found myself into old habits. Browsing ebay I've bought a handbag and dress. I've been to Aldi twice and bought random crap. I really need to reset again and draw a line. Here I am for accountability! I'm going to examine my thoughts and why I've easily done these things. Hopefully I can identify the why. Maybe I need to be a little easier on myself and allow the odd treat?

Well, March wasn't great. It wasn't a full blown fall off the wagon, but I spent about $300 on craft supplies. I can't decide if it was okay or not. The supplies are for a couple of events that are coming up in April, May, and July. They each take a lot of time, and I didn't have what I needed at home. However, my debt repayment goals were missed in March because I didn't have the funds to pay. All other bills paid as well as a few extra like: pet licensing, car registration.

I did spend some money on a few necessities: new bras (I really did not have any that were okay anymore. So gross), but I just need sports bras so it was only like $20 for a 3-pack. I also bought a USB plug and magnesium pills. The plugs were replacements, and I am almost out of magnesium. Its a daily pill for me, and I struggle without it. I did eat out with a friend once. I think as the nicer seasons get here, I will ease up on my restrictions on restaurants and events. I need social interaction even if it costs a little money.

I did earn extra cash donating plasma this month, and for the first time in forever I don't owe on my taxes. So there will be a little wiggle room in April or May to make up for March.

Hello !

So I'm not great at timely updates. :D

Bingo update :

I managed to finish the entire bingo board by the beginning of march ! I will take that into account for the next board, because the aim is not to finish everything in two months, but in four months... I also kept up with the new good habits most of the days in february, which is great ! One thing that really helped curb my impulse to buy was unfollowing social media accounts about fashion and makeup, and limiting a lot of the time spent on social media. I replaced the screentime with reading, playing with makeup, and other creative endeavours. March Was up and down in terms of the impulse to buy, but I didn't buy anything out of budget or that I regret.

I really had to force myself to paint 10 times though, because the canvases I own are really big and I need space to let the paint dry, and I don't have the space at the moment. So instead I painted on small notebooks, just to see what the colors would look like next to each other, before embarking on a bigger project.

Anyway, full bingo board means 6 more tokens in the bank !

Overall February Goals :

I want to be perfect with the "no scrolling during the week" rule, and see if I learn anything from it :

This was a half win/half fail : There were still a few moments in the month when I was scrolling online shops or purposefully went looking for things to want by checking instagram pages, youtube videos and other influence pages. I want to not use any tokens before the 15th at least : This was a success ! I got a gift for valentine's day, but I didn't buy anything before the 19th of ferbruary. I want to be mindful of the other pruchases I make (groceries, home improvment, nights out): I didn't buy anything for my home, I was reasonable with nights out and restaurants, but I wasn't mindful at all about groceries. I want to complete the konmari method for the rest of the categories, because the first part I did already feels amazing day to day, and makes me really appreciate my belongings: I finished the konmari method, and though it felt nice to accomplish that, the resultats weren't as amazing as the first categories, because it's about stuff I don't reach for often (papers, electronics, stationery)

Experiment with a traveling for work routine (morning and bedtime):

Half worked... I managed to maintain good habits, except that I went to bed later than I would have liked. Get back into gratitude journaling : Nope, didn't happen...

I also didn't set March rules...

Low Buy :

Here is what I bought/got in ferbruary :

• A scarf as a gift from my husband, that I specifically asked for, 1 token
• 4 bralettes, no token (as mentionned in my previous update, I had got rid of a dozen and allow myself 7 replacements)
• A running vest, no token (as mentionned in my previous update)
• A ceramic bowl, 1 token. this was an impulse buy when I ate in a coffee shop right in front of my favourite ceramic shop
• A long sleeves black top, 1 token : impulse buy at the same time as the white t shirt replacement
• A lipstick, 1 token : it was planned and followed my rules
• Another lipstick, 1 token : impulse at the same time as the first lipstick My mother sewed a top for me, that I had asked for, 1 token
• Two lip balms and an eyeshadow palette on impulse, because there was a sale, 3 tokens
• A bikini, 1 token : I don't yet know if it's a great buy. It seems like I buy new swimwear every year, and I only need swimwear twice a year. I now own 6 bikinis and 2 swimsuits... At the same time, I love the way it looks and I already wore it once, and I am going on a tropical holiday at the end of april. Anyway, I'm on a strict swimwear no buy.

Budget :

I am still well within budget even if I also spent money on non physical items (repairing a bracelet, and a pair of sandals, and going out a bunch of times). I don't have any tokens left for april, and the new board will start in May.

April will be a no buy month. Other goals :

• I want to be perfect with the "no scrolling during the week" rule, and see if I learn anything from it.
• I want to be mindful of the other pruchases I make (groceries, home improvment, nights out) because in March I bought a bit of decor.
• Experiment with a traveling for work routine (morning and bedtime), starting next monday...
• Get back into gratitude journaling !
• No instagram for 2 weeks at least.

I hope the first trimester of 2024 was great for you ! Do you have T2 or april goals ?

I’ve had the fog colored alo yoga hoodie in my wishlist since December and it’s been out of stock since then. Of course, 3 days after I start my no-buy, it comes back in stock. I did not make an exception for this one piece in my rules. Totally considered breaking my no-buy and purchasing it because I’ve wanted it as a matching set and already own the sweatpants… but ultimately, I decided it was not worth it to break my no buy. The no-buy is in place for a reason, specifically to combat things like this. Am I worried that they’ll stop making that “limited” color? Yes. Am I pretty sure they’ll sell out before the end of my no buy (April)? yes. But it’s FINE. It’s not worth it to break my budget and pull money from my other priorities for this $120 sweatshirt just so I can have a matching set. It’d be different if I already had the money set aside, but I don’t, so I can’t get it until I have that money set aside. Simple as that.

I bet it’ll come back in stock again in the future too. They say it’s “limited color run” but every time they restock they keep selling out so it’s clearly a popular color.

Ultimately, even if they don’t restock the color, I will be okay. I will not die, I will not even suffer. I’ve been without it this long, I basically don’t ever actually NEED it. It’s fine & I’m fine.

Wanted to share the big/little win today. I’m very proud of myself!

I’m on the last body oil that I have. I do have lotion still and I will use it up, but I do prefer oil. The one I’m finishing now is Moroccanoil which I love the scent of but it’s expensive. Does anyone know of a dupe or have a dry body oil they recommend? I’m also open to other oils so long as it’s fast absorbing.

I tried the Neutrogena one, which I didn’t mind, and Aveno, which I hated. I used up the bottle but it was not fun lol. Trader Joe’s had a Brazilian Nut oil that I liked a lot. I used up the body oil from Necessaire but I didn’t like the dripper, the bottle, and the cost. Most of my oils clog nozzles so I’ve been pouring them into my TJ’s bottle which works like a dream.

I got a new job (yay!) but I'll be moving to a new city. This has already come with so many expenses, and I'm wondering if I should spend a bit more on some room decor. I'll be living in a small studio that doesn't really look that inviting and nice to relax in after work. It came furnished with a bed frame, desk, and chair, so I don't have to spend money on those, but I want to get a rug and bean bag chair. I like to unwind with a book in my free time but don't like sitting in bed or at a desk to read; hence, the bean bag chair. I thought the rug would make the room look a bit cozier. And I could put the bean bag chair on it to make a little reading area. I was initially thinking of getting an actual armchair but decided that's not in my budget. I was also going to get some posters but I can't really justify the cost of those since I wouldn't be putting them to use in any way. Do you guys think I should get the bean bag chair and rug? They're not technically necessities but I think I'd have a hard time without them. I just need a second opinion to make sure I'm not making impulse purchases.

So I did in fact cave.

I bought a few things off my list, and a few things on it, mostly things I’ve had on my wishlist for a few months. And most purchases I know will bring value to my everyday. My mini goal is to make use of each of the items bought in March into April with intention and gratitude.

A swimsuit, two tubes of gouache paint, camping pants (I love, have already used for camping and will be wearing to work as well), a perfume (I tried a sample, ran out and miss it), a thrifted linen dress that I’m going to alter myself, a belt and one hair bead.

Thankfully I don’t feel anxious or regret surrounding them. And that in and of itself is big. If I’m going to spend money, that’s how I want to feel at the end of it.

I’m going to resume trying again, I think I’ve got the initial spend bug out and the only thing on my list that I want is a replacement for my AirPods, I lost my right one and have been without it since October.

I did do better about spending less on groceries, and reducing food waste too.

My main goal this month is to shift my focus to other things that will support my long term values and satisfaction like exercising and creating!

I recently returned from a trip and for the first time in my adult life I came home with my allocated funds and no massive regret debts on my credit card.

It was only a weekend away, but there was drinking and big meals out. In the past I’ve really struggled with just randomly picking up the tab, but I actually chased people for money that they owed me, even if it was only €5-10. Old me would have been like “C’est la vie! What is €5?!”

I was so worried before I left, but I had my affirmations ready. I took breakfast for my wee group for our room (porridge) and also took snacks and booze for the room. It turned out others had done the same, so we ended up saving a fortune on eating out and takeaways. I also didn’t want to die tracking my calories, so two wins!

The biggest surprise was that I didn’t feel like I was missing out at all. I’m so chuffed with how far I’ve come since January. So many tips and tricks I found here helped me whilst I was away!

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I did pretty well this month. Didn't break any of my no buy rules but I did spend more on groceries than I wanted but still less than usual. Did have a couple of entertainment purchases but BTS albums/songs are definitely allowed. Next month I have to pay my house insurance (which of course went up this year) so I won't be able to save quite as much as I have the past couple months but it is really nice seeing how much I've been able to save so far this year ($4,450).

Grateful to have found this community! I recently moved to a place and have noticed I've been sliding into wanting to redefine my style in this new season of my life. This is getting expensive! I have all kinds of wishlist items piling up in my browser tabs (new Lulu workout gear, new pieces to 'make me feel more confident' for work, new chic loungewear even). I think it would be good for me to just hit pause for a few weeks at the very least because I know this cycle never ends! So am coming here for some accountability for the month of April. I have a few items on my list: a hiking pack for upcoming camping trips and a new outfit for a big work event in May. But I don't want to stray beyond these two "allowed" items. Thanks for any tips or support!

Checking in 3 months after my original post here. January and February went fairly well but I then broke lots of my rules in March, mainly whilst I was travelling. Of my "not-allowed" list, I did buy some items...

• Clothes - I was very unsuccessful at avoiding clothes whilst travelling and bought quite a few things.
• Craft supplies - Successfully avoided
• Yarn!! - Successfully avoided
• Books - I bought one physical book and read it straight away, so I don't feel bad about it. Unfortunately I also fell back into the bad habit of buying e-books on sale and then not reading them, which I want to avoid this month.
• Postcards - I bought two postcards, sent one, will frame the other one
• All other material goods - I bought one or two small items
• Alcohol to drink at home - I slipped up once or twice but in general I have been drinking much less alcohol at home, which I am pleased about :)

And my goals for 2024:

• "January" declutter challenge - I am still working on this..! I've completed about half of the days so far and just need to get my decluttering energy back to finish it
• Make 52 granny squares with scrap yarn - I've made 10 granny squares so far and am sure I can do 52 this year. (Every granny square has a different design.)

All in all the past three months haven't been perfect in terms of no-buy, but I am pleased with the progress I've made and feel motivated to continue. Although I didn't list it in my original post, being conscious of my no-buy goals and reasons has also helped me to stay very close to my grocery budget every month. My aim for April is to pay by card as much as possible, as it's easier to keep an eye on and I have a tendency not to count cash purchases towards my spending...

I hope everyone else is having a good year and good luck in April!!

March has been quite heavy on the spending side, due to influx of funds from various sources. I got a salary raise, which means I can save at a higher rate and achieve my goals of 6K emergency funds in a few months- and save up for car insurance!

Moving forward, I am not spending money on sweet treats and coffee unless treated LOL. I'll give myself some leeway in the next paycheck to buy workout clothes because I wanted to subscribe to a fitness program.Yes, I don't have clothes suitable to work out in. I enjoyed the free trial and felt like I could allocate some funds there because I've been working from home with minimal movement and not enjoying my time with quality experience. I do feel quite hesitant for this addition of expense but I want to be a little more selfish in the way I experience life and spend money. LOL I hope you understand this dilemma!

If you fail low buy/no buy before, tell me how you resolved the guilt and placing systems in check so you wont get sidetracked again?

I sew and crochet mostly, but I also do other things such as embroider, paint, and sculpt. Over the years I have accumulated A LOT of craft supplies such as yarns, fabrics, threads, and other sewing notions. I decided starting this year (or starting this April 🤷🏻) I'm only going to use what I already have. Over the weekend I went over all my fabrics and discovered long lost treasures, and it made me realize how much materials are essentially going to waste when I'm not using them, even if they're not actually being thrown out. As well I'm going to stop procrastinating with my mending pile and start taking better care of my clothes. Wish me luck!

I’ve been doing pretty well overall so far, but things are tight right now, so I need to cut back even more. I have enough groceries to feed myself and the kitties for a week. The only exception will be public transport costs since I have a job interview on Tuesday. 🤞

It’s something I need to do, but it feels challenging. Posting it here makes it more real and I makes me accountable. 😉

UPDATE: Oopsie, I fell off the wagon. 😔 I’m working on a craft project for when I go to Eurovision in a few weeks and I need more fabric. It has to be this specific fabric and I need it asap. There’s absolutely no way I could use something else and I need to finish it before the end of the month.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up. 💪 No more spending this week and at least this project will keep me busy. One mistake doesn’t mean I should throw it all out of the window.

Hi everyone! For the most part I was way more successful this month than February or even January. I was able to save an extra 900 on top of my normal savings, so I'm pretty content.

I did fail with the below; 180 on clothes for the weather warming up, 100 on the ff7 concert, 53 for a facial on Groupon -- my skin has been bad, 15 from the steam spring sale, and $37 from the psn spring sale.

I keep telling my friends to stop inviting me to concerts from here on out, I got 3 to go to.

April is gonna be a bit harder to save as much since I did an impromptu weekend trip to Hawaii to visit a friend (I used my points), I have to pay my car tags ($170), I'm also taking the bf to San Diego for his birthday and going to buy the zoo tickets. If I stay more in budget I can save an extra 500 at least!

I will also be using my traveling savings to get the Norway ticket, and hopefully the New Zealand one in a few months, and I got some overtime coming up.

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.

Good month with fewer new items going onto my wish list. I'm getting a little bored by beauty youtube, actually. I received my tax refund, which went into my regular savings account. I transferred the extra money I saved this month into my RothIRA account. I donated 2 bags of clothing and accessories to a local thrift shop. Most were items I'd been saving to donate for a long time, or which I'd been putting aside to make sure I wanted to donate them. My closet is much more spacious and organized now. I also took out a shoe rack that was taking up too much space and just line my shoes up on the closet floor. I returned 3 unworn pairs of underwear (ordered online and hate the fabric).

As I wrote in another post, I exchanged a pair of black jeans I wasn't wearing for blue jeans after my only pair of blue jeans wore out (completely lost elasticity/fit after years of frequent wearing). I now have 3 pairs of black pants and 1 pair of blue jeans, which makes more sense for me than 4 pairs of black pants. I've already worn the new jeans a lot so I feel good about this decision.

Empties: Bar hand soap, liquid shampoo, "snow" body butter, rose body lotion, piercing cleanser, coconut bubble bath, cherry bar soap (body), aubergine eyeliner, citrus perfume

Replacements: Piercing cleanser (I have an actively healing piercing), body lotion, blue jeans, allergy meds

Items not bought: 3 new lip gloss colors by an Etsy vendor, $12 each

Highlights of allowed things I spent money on: Dinner and mini cake for gf's sober birthday, haircut I really like, ticket for Shakespeare play in April

I can’t get my spending under control! I’ll try to budget at home but then I’ll impulsively get fast food or toys for my kids and charge it. Happy kids means happy mom especially with seasonal depression. Any good podcasts for motivation to be frugal? I used to listen to Dave Ramsey and that helped. But now the show is a bit different and some of my values are different. Any recommendations for books or podcasts or support groups? Thanks!

I spent a lot of money thrift shopping and just general clothes shopping this month. Thrifting can sometimes be a slippery slope for me - I think, oh I got those two items on such a good deal, two nice things for under $40 total, what a steal! But then my brain takes that and says, well it was only $20 for those jeans or $14 for that vintage tee, what could it hurt to buy a few more? At the end of March, I’ve acquired 15 new items of clothing/accessories/shoes and spent around $500 total!!! Wtffff.

I also recently started watching a lot of fashion bloggers/influencers and watching them has made me want to “redefine” my style, and I use this an excuse to buy stuff. I can feel myself doing the thing where I’m buying stuff to distract myself or make me feel like I’m fixing some problem where there really is none. I have plenty of clothes to style, I don’t need more.

I’m going to take some time thinking about the parameters of my upcoming no-buy but I’m definitely not allowing any clothes shopping since that seems to be my Achilles heel, & tbh always has been.

How did you do for the month of March? Did you just start?

Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be! This is my first post of my 3rd year trying to fix my spending. I did not post in January of February because I was traveling. I went around Texas and Mexico! I tried to stay in control of my budget, but my tracking wasn't as good as previous months so I didn't analyze and post.

I have two massive accomplishments! Las week I applied to a job at my work place that I have a good shot at getting that pays $12,000 more than my current position. Last year it paid $8k less, and I made it to the third round of interviews. Keep every finger crossed for me :D I also started cooking FROM SCRATCH for the first time in my life. I still ended up eating some fast food, but I am overall less tempted and I can see the potential for saving money.

I did not track these three months very well. I know I did not go over budget, and I am thankful for that, it shows that I am learning good habits, but I miss my records. I still do better with them. I also want to be able to plan out two kinda big goals. If I can go until April 15th without spending money (except for a renaissance faire), then I will invest in these goals.

I am considering a last minute trip to Chicago in April or May. I found a hotel and hostel for about $350, and I did not get it because I did not know my upcoming medical bills, but I have found, so I want to look for other cheap flights.

I also want to try to put more money into my Roth IRA for 2023 since I did not contribute anything last year. I have contributed $2,000 total this year. April 15th is the last day to contribute money for 2023, so I want to put everything pre-next paycheck in my account into it once my April 15th paycheck hits.

I do have three upcoming expenses though, I am starting a new medication next month, getting an MRI, and having to take my car to the mechanic again :( This will all seriously put my goals back for the entire year, but these are things I need.

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Thoughts:

• My smaller goals are to not eat out (except ren faire), go for a walk every single day, go to the gym at least one time a week,
• Tiktok sharing videos of the community cooking during the Kelloggs and Nestle boycott has also been tremendously helpful with keeping me motivated
• I hope that everyone had a good month! And for anyone that wasn't able to, I hope you can still look forward to trying again!