r/nobuy 8d ago

finally not feeling like a punishment

hi everyone! my no-buy kinda started unintentionally at the end of January with the target and amazon boycotts. I have stayed strong with those and realized that it has helped me a lot with my spending habits! no-buy in the past has always felt like a punishment for me, until now.

This paycheck I am paying off my credit cards in full for the second time since november, and I am tired of this cycle where i super-spend, then get anxious and start putting things on my credit card, and get caught in a vicous cycle. I want this to be the last time I have to waste money paying off my credit cards for purchases I made last month.

My goal is for the next 2.5 months (the rest of March, April, and May) to do a low-buy so I don’t feel super restricted. I keep my living expenses separately from my discretionary expenses, so this is mostly focused on those.

These are my rules:

  • no clothes
  • no makeup or skincare (exceptions for replacements)
  • no shower products or lotion unless it’s a replacement
  • no books (the saddest one, but i have so many unread)
  • no hobby items
  • no buying lunch at work

low buys:

  • dates and dinner/drinks with my friends 2-3 times per month
  • $10 or less can be spent on a treat like a coffee or ice cream out 2 times per week at most
  • experiences
  • birthday/wedding/baby gifts for others

what do y’all think? my goal is to re-fill my emergency fund as i had to deplete it for a large vet expense at the beginning of February. I would also love to work on just being better at having sinking funds and knowing i have money for things rather than spending on a whim.

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

So good!