Have you ever had the thought of a life with no shopping? No new clothes, gadgets, or seasonal decor?
Shopping has become so ingrained in our lives that the idea of not shopping for new possessions seems daunting, but what if I told you that it’s possible… possible to go without shopping for a long period of time?
For about a year now, I’ve been simplifying and decluttering my material possessions in order to focus on what’s more important in life: experiences, friends, and family. I’ve noticed that when my focus shifted from searching for new clothes and material possessions to seeking new experiences instead, I haven’t had the urge to go to a clothing store just to aimlessly walk around and waste time and money that could be used elsewhere.
Believe it or not the only new materialistic purchases I’ve made in the year of 2019 is a new sweater and leggings… that’s it. After reflecting on this, I figured why not intentionally go a year without buying new things?
For you, it may be easier to set a goal to not shop for one month. Or maybe even six if you’re up to the challenge. But having a why behind your no buy challenge is helpful. I use the philosophy of minimalism in order to keep me on track with this challenge, but your why may be to save up in order to treat yourself to a vacation or finally buy tickets to your favorite concert.
A lot of people take their no buy year to the extreme. For example, a youtuber I’ve been watching challenged herself to not spend money on clothing, books, coffee, clubs, etc. But your no buy year can be unique to you. My goal this year is to not spend money on anything but essentials and experiences (and yes… coffee counts as essential!).
Going into the new year, I hope this no spend challenge will make it on your new year’s resolution list. Below I’ve linked videos to expand on this topic that I feel will inspire many of you to tackle this challenge head on. Enjoy!
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