The concept of challenging yourself to a no buy month has been around for ages in the personal finance space, but recently, it’s gained traction in the sustainable fashion community as well.

With everyone constantly sharing about innovative new beauty products and flattering viral dresses, it’s hard not to fall into the online shopping spiral.

But, you know better.

Overconsumption not only drains your wallet, but also has major implications for climate change.

It’s just so hard to break the habit. I get it.

And that’s where a one month, no buy challenge comes in. Deciding not to spend a single dime on clothes, accessories, or consumer goods for 30 whole days allows you to take a step back and reassess your relationship with shopping. 

So if you’re ready to get your budget in check and consume a little more consciously, here are some top tips to help you excel at your first no buy month.

A no buy month is exactly as it sounds: it’s a month in which you don’t spend any money on anything, except for the bare essentials. 

It’s a good way to significantly cut back on overspending and to reduce the amount of waste that you produce.

In the context of sustainable fashion, it means avoiding all clothing and accessory purchases for the month. After your no spend month, you can reflect on your experience and then decide if you want to extend the experiment! Trust me, a month flies by faster than you think.

✨ Thinking about doing a No Buy Month? I’m hosting a challenge for this JULY (2024)!

The beauty of the no buy month is that it can be adapted to your unique circumstances. However, below are the two principles that most people abide by.

• No new purchases for the month. Make sure that you define this clearly using the tips outlined below.

• It’s okay to spend on essentials and emergencies. Remember, you still need to live so make sure that you’re covering your basic expenses.

You’ll save money. 

When you spend less, you save more. Whether you’re trying to build up your emergency fund or work your way to financial independence, a no spend month can help you get a jumpstart on your financial goals. Furthermore, you can also allocate the money that you save towards big-budget items that you really want, like a trip to Italy or your wedding.

You’ll help the environment out. 

So much of what we buy ends up in the landfill. By saying no to fast fashion and other convenience-based goods, you generate less waste in the long run. 

Reel in impulse purchases and emotional spending.

Whether you’re shopping to cope with stress or are trying to numb something else out, a no buy month can help you take a long hard look at why you spend the way you do.

It’ll help you set (and stick to) your budget.

A budget audit can be scary, but it’s also empowering. A no buy month forces you to take a peek under the hood and assess where your money is actually. Only when you understand your spending habits can you budget correctly to feel satisfied (and not deprived).

It’ll free up mental space.

Shopping generates decision fatigue so when you decide to go cold turkey, you suddenly free up a bunch of mental space. A no buy will also help you break out of the search-buy-declutter cycle and save you a bunch of time on scrolling through online listings. 

Say effe you to the capitalist system.

Stop making rich people even richer while you (and the planet) get poorer every month. If you’re a little rebel at heart (the way that I am), a huge benefit to doing a no buy month is that you take yourself completely out of the capitalist system. Break the cycle and just say no.

I’ve been shopping sustainably for a few years now and have even participated in Slow Fashion Season 2019 and 2020, so here are some of my top tips for your first no buy month.

Know Your Why + Set Intentions

Everything’s easier when we’re clear on motivation. Start your no spend challenge by writing down your intentions and return to them when you see something that you like. Writing down your goals can help you stay strong in your commitments and visualize what you hope to gain from this experience.

Set Clear Ground Rules

Having concrete rules for your experience will help you more easily say “no.” Ask yourself:

• Which categories am I refraining from shopping?

• What counts as an essential need vs a want?

• Do secondhand items count?

• Are cheat days allowed?

• Are there any consequences for mistakes?

• How will I reward myself for each successful week?

By pre-establishing these rules, you take the guesswork out of the equation. 

Be Smart About Timing

A lot of people choose January for their first no buy month. It makes sense. We spend a ton and purchase a whole lot through the holiday season, so in the following month, there’s this tendency to want to remediate that by cutting back and honoring what we already own.

That being said, you can obviously start your no buy whenever it is convenient for you.

Just make sure that you don’t have any big trips or events coming up. Having this bit of foresight will allow you to anticipate any potential purchases and give you time to scour swap groups or no buy communities to find the things that you need instead.

Assess Your Budget + Conduct An Inventory Check 

Before you begin, I highly recommend that you get crystal clear on what you own and how much you normally spend. This way, you can budget appropriately for essentials.

Setting Your Budget

When setting your budget, you should look over your spending habits for at least the past three months. Then give yourself a spending range for each category: groceries, shelter, utilities, transportation, medical, debts, and entertainment. 

Conduct An Inventory Check

For your one month no buy challenge, you’ll have to work with what you already own. 

Most people have a good idea of what they have around the house but lose track when it comes to their closet. So we’ll talk exclusively about the fashion component.

Begin a wardrobe inventory check by conducting a closet mass index and then tracking your garments in an app like Stylebook or recording them down manually. Doing this before your challenge will help you get a better feel for what you own and in turn, help you style creative outfits throughout the course of the month.

From there, joining a few Instagram outfit challenges or watching styling videos on Youtube can help you to get through this no buy month and still have fun with fashion.

Join Relevant Communities

Join your local no buy groups on Facebook or do some research on swap communities. You can also ask a friend to participate in this no buy challenge with you and opt to borrow from each other when necessary. Just because you’re committed to a no spend month doesn’t mean that you’re limited to using only what you have.

Go Public For Accountability

Telling someone about your no buy commitments can add an additional level of accountability. Whether you're sharing on Instagram or simply telling your best friend, vocalizing this undertaking will make it that much more concrete.

Unfollow Influencers + Unsubscribe From Newsletters

Okay, okay, maybe unfollowing is a bit harsh…but you should at least mute them for the time being.

Sticking to your no buy becomes so much easier when you don’t have people on social media telling you to purchase more. If you use influencers as a way of finding new inspiration and love the creative interaction behind that, get into the habit of bookmarking their recommendations instead.

Rather than purchasing an item right then and there, save it to a list of “potential purchases" and then revisit that list in a few months. If you still want those items, consider looking for them secondhand. More likely than not, the trend will have passed and you might not want it anymore.

In that same vein, unsubscribe from marketing newsletters. If there’s a brand that you really love and still want to hear from, see if you can change the frequency of their emails. That way, you’ll still hear about major deals but don’t have to fight the urge to buy every other day.

Track Your Progress + Stay Motivated

It’s easy to see a no buy month as self deprivation, but not if you make a game out of it! 

Use a printable tracker like these recommended by Frugal Confessions or browse this Reddit thread for suggested apps. Then treat yourself to a budget-friendly reward when you succeed at each no buy week!

Stay motivated by joining frugal or minimalism communities. Whether that’s via social media or in real life, connecting with people on the same path makes the experience that much more fun.

Be Kind + Don’t Give Up

We all make mistakes. If you end up purchasing something, give yourself grace. Reflect on your actions and then decide whether or not you want to do better.

From there, let go of any guilt or shame and allow yourself to fully enjoy that purchase for a long time. Take care of your clothes and if you’d like to reset the counter on your no buy, you can continue to push yourself to attain a new streak.

Late stage capitalism and excessive consumerism not only drains your wallet but also harms the environment. Instead, we need to center the conversation around degrowth and cut down the rate at which we consume.

If you’ve decided to participate in a no buy month, congratulations! I’m super excited for you to be on this journey and hope that this blog post was helpful in preparing you for what’s to come.

If you have any additional hacks, please leave them in the comments below. For more on minimalism and slow living, here are 5 questions to ask yourself before impulse buying and the ultimate guide to sustainable living apps.

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