I’ve embarked on No Buy journeys for the past few years, and each time I’ve made it just a bit further. I realized I was saying ‘failure’ quite often in reference to my No Buy attempts. If I’m judging myself by the rules I set forth- then yes, I did fail in 2024 and 2025.

What is a No Buy Challenge?

For those that are new to a No Buy challenge, it is a set time (week, month, year) where you spend only on what you deem essential (housing, food, etc) and include a set of your own rules (for example, no new books, but used books are OK). Some people do it to reset their out of control spending habits. Others do it to save money and try to have a better relationship with the things they buy. Everyone who attempts a No Buy challenge learns something.

I would also like to acknowledge that at this point in my life, I would consider myself neither rich nor poor, and that for some people living on a tight budget isn’t a challenge it’s daily life. I’ve lived that most of my life, having enough to pay my bills and a little left over (at one point I had $20 left after essential bills).

What are my rules?

Green: Allowed

• All essentials: Food, Housing, Utilities, Medicine
• Gifts for family (birthdays or holidays, but limited)
• Charitable contributions
• Replacements of items that are essential (if they can’t be repaired)
• Travel

YELLOW: Caution

• Books or Magazines (buy pre-owned first, or new from local shop)
• Digital movies or music (limited)
• Physical media (only one: a movie I’ve been waiting on gets a 4K release!)
• Dining out (I’ve never and will never use a modern food delivery service, so that was never on my list anyway).

RED: Not Allowed:

• Clothing or shoes unless absolutely need to be replaced
• Furniture
• Electronics including computers, hard drives, flash drives, etc
• Home decor
• Kitchenwares (plates, bowls, knives, etc)
• Craft supplies

My No Buy January Re-Cap

I started my No Buy for 2026 using some of the tactics I had for the past two attempts, and making note of the slip-ups that caused me to break my own rules. Looking back, I made exceptions for clothing items (I bought exercise shorts, shirts, etc when I had enough), I bought shoes, I bought electronics, etc.

By July 1, I realized that my No Buy was more likely a Low Buy; which is similar but not the same. The rest of the year I kind of went back to my normal spending habits.

By late December I was ready to try again January 1, 2026. One thing I did not do before that was really essential was keeping a daily log of what categories I was spending on. So, I kept a small notebook with me and wrote down what I was spending each day by general categories (Food, Essentials, Other) and included notes where appropriate. This has been incredibly helpful because I’m taking an active role in keeping track of my spending and each day I look at it, it reminds me of what I need to be doing.

Here’s what I spent in January (I’ll include month over month comparisons as the year progresses. Note that I’m not including housing or utilities here):

Groceries	$546
Essentials	$157
Other	$245

For clarity, Essentials includes vehicle fuel, non-food items like coffee, hygiene items, etc); Other is any books, media, or charitable donations, and a streaming subscription I pay for my parents.

So in total, what I spent in January was $948. Several hundred of that was for charitable donations, some of which were one-time for friends, so that’s not a monthly expense.

I can see that I’d like to get my food spending down. Essentials is about where I expected. I didn’t buy anything on my RED list but if I’m being honest, I was tempted. I’m also happy to say that I’ve only bought a few food and hygiene items from Amazon. I’m hoping to end any reliance on the convenience of easy online shopping soon.

Looking into February

This No Buy Year is an opportunity for me to build more discipline and better habits. I have some financial and lifestyle goals and that’s what I want to hit.

I think that most us of spend money when we’re stressed, bored, or just need a dopamine hit. I’m working to find solutions to each of those. If I’m bored, I’ll go for a walk, read a book, work on my hobbies, or simply clean the house. If I’m stressed, I’ll meditate or write in my journal, or go for a run or to the gym.

If you’re on a No Buy or Low Buy for 2026, or have completed one in the past and have some encouraging words, please share a comment.

Until next time, share some love and kindness with your fellow humans. That costs you absolutely nothing.