I started my No Buy year on January 1st, after doing a Low Buy in November and December. I’d already had a No Buy last January, but this year I am committed to a full year.

For success, I laid out a set of basic rules for myself for the month of January and for the year. Doing a No Buy or no spend period can be hard at any time, but committing to an entire year and really sticking with it is going to be very hard.

Why?

Dopamine. The desire for instant gratification.

Instant Gratification is Everywhere

Much like our desire for quick, easy food like chips, soda, ice cream and candy bars, shopping and buying things has the same level of gratification in our brains.

We crave instant gratification and now it’s easier than ever before. The internet gave us access to information so fast that now we rarely bother truly learning things. Why when it’s just a click away?

The same goes for our choices in music and movies, and shopping.

You can buy almost anything you want (as long as you have money) and have it shipped to your door within a day or two.

What does this do to our self-care and patience? It destroys it. I am 100% guilty of this and my year-long No Buy is part of my journey to correct this imbalance.

What I’ve avoided so far

I have some fairly basic rules for my No Buy year.

Of course, all essentials are covered like food, gas, car repairs, home repairs, any necessary payments like mortgage and insurance.

What I am not buying are any extra things that I truly don’t need. Late last year I considered getting a newer car (and even thought of getting a brand new car, something I’ve never had).

This month I avoided buying any clothes, any new books (I bought a few used books, as those are on my approved list), movies or games.

I am changing my relationship to how I look at buying things. I’m no longer shopping or buying things because I’m bored or stressed. I have more free time to read, exercise, or meditate.

I started my No Buy for 2025 with the intention that this deprivation would be good for me, and a way to reconnect with myself.

Now I am starting to see that I am not depriving myself of anything; I am simply relearning what my life and days should be about.