Going On A No-Buy

Hey there! It's been awhile since I've written. Since getting a puppy I've got less and less free time and I've been a bit less focused on reducing my waste. However, with Earth Day just around the corner. I really need to get back on being less wasteful and consuming fewer things. So I decided to go on a "no-buy". What's a no-buy you ask? A no-buy is when you set a timeframe for yourself where you buy nothing except necessities in order to cut back on spending/consuming and re-focus yourself. You can do it for a week, a month, or even a year! Make it a challenge for yourself based on how much you tend to consume but also don't make it so hard off the bat that you're miserable! There will always be future no-buys where you can up the ante.

What are the benefits to doing a no-buy? First, less consumerism is better for the planet. Buying things (especially new) come with carbon footprints and reducing is one of the biggest ways we as individuals can help the planet! It can also help you see if there was any unnecessary spending before that you can cut out entirely. After your no-buy be sure to review your credit card/bank statements and see how much money you've been able to save. 

So how exactly do you do a no-buy? Obviously there is necessary spending on things like food, gas, and housing where you will have to spend money. But you can also work on trying to reduce those things by eating what's in your pantry before grocery shopping, walking where you can, etc. 

Everyone does their no-buy differently and has their own rules, there isn't a right or wrong way to do one. However, to help get you started I'm going to share the rules I've decided for my no-buy below. I'm starting my no-buy today and will have it go through July 1. I'll be going on vacation in July and I want to be able to spend some money on myself without guilt! I do have a few exceptions I've outlined below that I'm willing to allow for myself as well. Really the main things are not just shopping to shop. 

Rules for my No-Buy:

• No new-to-me clothes
• No new-to-me books 
• Eat through the pantry for my lunches
• No unnecessary pet purchases

Exceptions to my no-buy: 

• Birthday & Mother's/Father's Day gifts
• Traveling: I have two road trips coming up during this time so I will need to be able to buy accommodations and will likely eat out more often on those trips
•  Using a gift card to buy coffee out
• Replace any products used up or dog toys that have been destroyed

Have you ever done a no-buy? And if so, what were your rules? Comment down below and let me know!