From February 19, 2020 to February 19, 2021 I’m GOING ON A NO BUY! I’m disgusted that this no-buy challenge will end in 2021, just because that sounds so far in the future. I chose to start it on my birthday only because I knew it’d be easy to remember. So here’s the deal: I’m not buying ANY clothes, shoes, purses, accessories or fun makeup. I will be restocking select items, which we’ll get to below.
Why I’m Going on a No-Buy:
- Expenses: I am drastically cutting back on my expenses this year. For starters I am cancelling my Ella Bliss membership where I get my nails/facials done in March. While this is a luxury I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, I know I can achieve most of the same services at home. I also cancelled my Fab Fit Fun membership, because as fun as it’s been, I just don’t need it. To help with my budget I’m going to start the weekly cash rule – I take out cash on Sunday and can use that and ONLY that money throughout the week. I’m going to keep my cards at home but have Apple Pay if there’s an emergency.
- Organization: I recently did a huge purge in our apartment and got super organized. It feels great. I can clearly see all of my clothes and accessories and know where everything is. I do not want to be back in a position where I feel overwhelmed by my own closet again.
- The Environment: In 2019 I really cut down on fast fashion. I think I might have shopped at a Forever 21 once or twice. At the end of the day, buying clothes, and online ordering, is really hard on the environment. If you want your shopping to be a little more green, check out sustainable brands or thrift (Poshmark blog post coming next week!).
- Done Shopping: When I lost my weight, I replaced some staples of mine like my faux leather jacket, suede jacket, denim and everyday tees. I did this over the course of a few months to really make sure I was buying things I loved, but it also cost a lot. I’m now at a point where I don’t see my body changing too much so that I’ll need to buy new clothes and I’m really happy with the closet I have.
Exceptions: I have a wedding to attend in the fall and don’t think I have an appropriate dress. I will either rent, borrow or buy a dress that is second-hand, but I won’t be buying a new dress.
Makeup / Body Care Plan:
- Only replace “staple” items that run out/need to be thrown out for sanitary reasons (e.g. mascara, eyeliner).
- Only repurchase an item that is completely used up and no buying a new moisturizer until I am literally OUT of my current one.
- Shower products: I’ll be on the hunt for clean beauty products that are plastic free! I need to do some research here, but that includes shampoo, conditioner and body wash (I don’t plan on coloring my hair in the foreseeable future, so I’m not too worried about color-safe products). Stay tuned for updates/new products as I find them.
The End Goal:
- Reflect: My plan for the next year is to write down every piece of clothing/product that I probably would’ve purchased if I wasn’t on a no-buy challenge. That way, I can look back at the end of the year and see how much money I would’ve spent.
- Save Money: Most notably, I’m excited to save money. Because bills. And car. And (one day) a house.
- Refresh: I’ve gone on a few 100-day-no-buy challenges with just makeup and found that at the end of each one I rarely wanted to buy anything, if much. I’m hoping that this will cleanse my shopping palette and challenge me to get creative.
So, that’s it! I’ll keep you updated on here, and my Instagram as well throughout the year. If there’s anything else you’re curious about, let me know!
