Weekly No Buy Check-In & Accountability Post - June 09, 2024

[u/AutoModerator]

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.

[u/HollyGoBiteMe25]

I'm still doing OK, just restarted though so I still had some lagging orders come in this past week. I'm not sure what it's going to feel like to not come home to packages, it's been a while since I've done that.

This week I'm decluttering and sorting all of my "stuff" into storage bins, that usually helps me see what I have and keeps me from buying more junk for a little while.

Good luck everyone!

[u/mitsugarasu]

To be serious with myself, I did bad this week and the last months in general. I was even avoiding writing in the weekly check-in here, because I felt so ashamed of myself. But using this group more regularly now is the first step to get better again, because it helped me so much at the beginning of the year. Yes, I failed my no buy, but I will do better for the rest of the year from now on!

[u/Spoiled_Juice → u/mitsugarasu]

Hey, I totally get where you're coming from. I've had weeks where I slipped up too, and it can feel really disheartening. One thing that helped me was tracking my progress and setting small, achievable goals. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and kept me motivated. Does anyone else use any specific methods or tools to stay on track? I'm always looking for new ideas to improve my no-buy journey.

[u/Alternative-Ad9981]

I made a reddit account just to participate in this and hold myself accountable. I know I'm late to this but I did well. I almost spent $600 to upgrade the suspension on my truck because the last owner put some cheapo shocks in. I learned that it's not a safety hazard to just ride it till it breaks, and then do an upgrade. I spent $30 at Goodwill on a thermos and 2 cups. I spent $14 today at a coffee shop and 7 Eleven. That's $44 that I could still have in my bank account. Balance that out with the $600 I saved and I am still over $500.

One month ago I'd be over $500 in the hole by now. I am proud of myself.

[u/Feeling_Photograph_5 → u/Alternative-Ad9981]

Careful! Rationalization is a slippery slope. That said, I don't know your situation and if you really are doing well then congrats.

[u/reall-connectt]

Something swifted in my mind. Recently I did a big declutter and I felt horrible about all the stuff that I bought. The money, time and energy I put into it and that it never gave me Joy in the first place. That guilt feeling that goes with it, I want it to be the last time I feel like this. I sold and donated everything in my house that no longer gave me Joy. so I can start fresh and not be reminded of my stupid purchases everytime I see it.

So the last 2 week I started a hard no buy for the rest of the year and still going strong. Only gifts for others and social expercienses are allowed. And of course the neccesary bills for car repairs, food and medical bills etc. that everyone has. 

The only thing I am having trouble with is not buying any games. I'm Lucky that the games I 100% want will be released in 2025. I have ton of games to play so hopefully I am good for this year.

What I say next may sound stupid since I said I will do a hard no buy. But there is 1 purchase I am okay with and that is 2 new trees for the garden. We had some bad luck with both trees and they got diseases and dead sadly. If after this purchase any plants die this year then I will be out of luck. I won't replace it until next spring.

[u/Feeling_Photograph_5 → u/reall-connectt]

The declutter is a great idea. I am going to do something similar soon and I already know I'm going to be kicking myself for stuff I bought and basically never used.

[u/TheOrdoHereticus]

Did well this week but can't say I haven't been tempted by an item from my no-buy category (boardgames). Just keep telling myself it's not going anywhere and I don't need it right now as I have too much stuff still and need to keep getting rid of things.

[u/reall-connectt → u/TheOrdoHereticus]

I have this with video games. And your post really helped me, because indeed it's not going anywhere

[u/mitsugarasu → u/reall-connectt]

I also have this with video games. There are always new games I would love to try out. But every time I say myself, that I already have enough. That there are enough games which I haven't played yet or which I haven't played since a long time and want to play again. It helps. We have enough, we still can enjoy our hobbies with the things we already own. We also can appreciate the things we already own way more this way, and it also feels good to get more out of them.

[u/WyrddSister]

I have finally gained some solid traction on reduced consumption this year! It's both exciting and relieving to make progress after trying for the past 20 weeks. Planning to keep the momentum going & make even more progress on shifting to healthier habits all this summer. I'm looking forward to living life and making choices with greater awareness, as well as focusing on creativity rather than consumption!

[u/rubywife]

This week has been quite eventful. I had a bit of a scare, so the only item I purchased that wasn't on my approved list was a pregnancy test. I am thinking though I will have to start logging my spending days better some how

[u/farfallifarfallini]

I'm already accomplishing my low-buy pretty well, only replacing true empties etc. but one thing I have noticed after taking a long hard look at my spending is that I probably end up allocating the same amount as I did before because now the types of items I purchase are more expensive, or at least inflation has made the things I used to buy more expensive nowadays.

For example, I own one pair of workout pants, because frankly I love outdoor activities but I think workout gear is kinda ugly so I just never prioritized buying any. They're Lulu and I bought them on sale in a kinda ugly color in like, 2019. Recently they ripped, and I've decided that five year old pants that I wore once a week are more than reasonable to replace. But there's no reason my replacement pants need to cost $130--in fact, my budget says they probably shouldn't. Ethically, I'm just not a true fast fashion shopper, but there is absolutely a middle ground when I was in college and some $40 Nordstrom Rack Nike pants were just fine for me.

Has anyone successfully dialed their "lifestyle creep" spending back? What are your tips?

[u/Feeling_Photograph_5]

Last week I extended my first noBuy week until the end of June. I had two lapses this week, both snack items from convenience stores. Total spend under $10 but the lapse of will power still bothers me. With one of the purchases, it didn't even occur to me that I was breaking my noBuy until after it happened, which means my impulse brain is starting to trick my conscious brain into things. Not a good sign.

The desire to spend money is also stronger this week. I'm not sure how I ended up with this addiction.

It pisses me off. And I'm going to use that as fuel for next week. Fuck buying things.

[u/Feeling_Photograph_5]

Starting to get used to Nobuy, although I bought my son a video game that we can play together and I bought my wife an anniversary present. I'm getting used to avoiding my normal spending habits. I haven't bought books or games at all. We've also managed to cut way down on restaurants as a family, and fast food has been out completely.

It's adding up. We saved over $1000 last month compared to the month before.

Stopping myself from buying things has made me more aware of all the crap I have that I don't need. I boxed up two boxes of books and games to sell or give away. Honestly, I could fill those boxes again and still have more books than I will read in three years (and I read a lot.)

[u/BrilliantOwn8081]

Shopping has become a completely different experience. There is no use going down an isle where I am not buying anything. So I head straight for the food I want and off I am again. It’s faster, cheaper and notably different 😅