My No-Buy Challenge // Ten Week Update

No-buy challenge ten week update

Here we are, smack in the middle of what is essentially the Superbowl of shopping, and me in the middle of a no-buy challenge! Thought I’d hit ya with another update, and a place to chat if you’re participating in the challenge too. So far it sounds like most of you who are playing along are doing it for the same reasons I am, which basically boils down to simplifying life a little bit. Too much stuff coming and going out of our household was just feeling silly, excessive, and wasteful. So this was one part of my solution. You can read my full reasoning and guidelines here, and the first update here.

First of all, in case you’re wondering: I bought the shirt. There was a workhorse staple of my wardrobe that finally bit the dust and I asked whether you all thought I should replace it. Most of you said yes, which was my gut feeling, too. One thing that I don’t want this challenge to do is to get in my head and make me feel crazy, or obsess over small things. I waited for a sale and I got it, and I’ve already worn it multiple times since. And I don’t feel one bit bad about it.

Since our last update, I’ve only made one purchase that technically wasn’t a necessity. Old Navy was having a sale and I just wanted some dang sweat pants. Ha! So I got some. But now we’re deep in the midst of holiday shopping, and I feel like buying or making gifts for other people has seriously been scratching the itch to shop, so I haven’t really felt pulled otherwise to shop for myself. There have probably been some borderline purchases for a few holiday decorations that I needed for the blog and then ended up using them as decor in our house. But again, not feeling too terribly bad about that.

All in all, the whole no-buy thing has been taking the pressure off of that feeling that I need to hit every holiday sale and buy everything in sight because “it’ll never be this cheap again.” It also has me feeling a little lighter so far this holiday season, and has me focusing more on spending time rather than spending money. Which feels so good. We’re spending time making gifts, reading, baking, playing, adventuring, and just generally being together as a family.

I should probably say that it’s not always easy. Usually at least at one point during each shopping trip I make, I see something that I would love to just toss into my cart and take to the cash register. So that impulse is still there. But it really does make you take an honest account of what you need versus what you want, and helps you see that you actually don’t need much to do life pretty fully.

Anyway! Anybody still in it with me? Or is anybody joining recently? I had initially said I would try to take it to the end of the year, so we’ll see how that goes. But if it’s inspiring to you or you want to try, just make your own parameters and see how it feels. It’s been a pretty interesting project so far. If you’re following along, share how you’re doing in the comments! xoxo

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2 Comments

  1. I definitely have stopped buying clothes! I have so many clothes I really don’t need more. I’m only buying essentials (for me, it’s home goods to stock up to buy a house in 2019/early 2020!) it’s TOUGH to pass up these sales but I find myself unfollowing a lot of fashion bloggers these days and unsubscribing from emails from retailers that don’t fit into my future. I did slip and buy a pair of red workout leggings that were on crazy sale but I’m not beating myself up about it – I workout a lot and will get a lot of use out of them. Love this challenge! I listened to a podcast yesterday and it said to make three goals for the new year and being intentional about my purchases/saving money is one of my three! Going to incorporate this challenge into that goal to help!

    1. Love this, Katie! Thanks for sharing! And I love that idea about the three goals for the new year. Sounds like a good way to set yourself up for positivity. 🙂