Picks from an Insta outfit challenge
So for those who want to try a No Buy July with me, I thought I’d give you some pointers and tips. This is my third No Buy July and though I’m not a seasoned pro, this is not my first rodeo. You might think not buying anything for one month is going to be easy, but let me tell you it’s not for the faint of heart. And that’s because July is the start of the summer sale season. I know this because this is what derailed my second No Buy July attempt (but I did succeed the first time). So here are some of my tips for a successful No Buy July:
1) Write down the ground rules
This is of course going to be personal and you can make it as detailed as you’d like (though I’d say the more details the better). My ground rules are: 1) no purchasing of any wardrobe items whether from a store or online and 2) no makeup or skin care products unless it’s to replace an empty. But that’s it. I’m still going to let myself buy things for Emi if she needs it or household items since I don’t really have a problem controlling my spending when it comes to those categories. But I should warn you that sometimes abstaining from purchasing in one category can lead to an increase in buying in another category because you’re essentially continuing your consumption habit. This happened to me when I tried a No Buy year when it came to clothes (and I just ended up buying a ton of makeup 🤦🏻♀️). But the point of a No Buy is to be more mindful of what you’re spending your money on, so just keep an eye on yourself (and your wallet) and add rules if necessary.
2) Have Distraction Strategies
One of the best ways to successfully complete a No Buy challenge is by not browsing. Seems like a “no duh” idea, but these days marketing is so sneaky. So during a No Buy period I don’t go to any malls or into any stores (easy), I don’t look at the promotions in my emails (a little bit harder), and I try to spend less time on Instagram (very hard). I also delete my most used shopping apps (so bye bye TRR, Etsy, and eBay). You can always re-download these apps at the end of the month. As for my distraction tactics, I usually try to focus on my other hobbies during a No Buy month. So I plan to give a lot more love and attention to my plants in July and hopefully spend more time giving back to my community (volunteering and other non-profit work really helps me see the bigger picture and helps me feel more grateful). Working on that gratitude muscle keeps me focused on all that I already have and is a great antidote from seeking more, more, more. Another great distraction technique for me is cleaning out and re-organizing my closet (because every time I do that I’m like “Wow look at all the clothes, shoes and accessories I have” lol). Or do a 10x10 challenge (as in 10 items of clothing worn in 10 outfits over 10 days).
3) Resist the FOMO
This is especially important during sale seasons. No matter how hard I try, there is always something I’ll stumble upon during a No Buy Challenge that I have to have. The trick for me is to write it down and revisit it later. If I still love it after the No Buy Challenge then it’s ok to buy it (at least I had a lot of time to think about it). And it’s ok if it’s not on sale later because if I really love it then I’d be willing to spend retail. If it’s something that is going to sell out and never be restocked ever again, then think long and hard before breaking the No Buy rule. Trust me, you probably don’t need it and that item will not make you smarter, prettier, more loved etc. And it will only make you happy for a hot minute before the dopamine hit wears off. But if you end up failing (like I did last year)…
4) Don’t be too hard on yourself
This little exercise in restraint isn’t a miracle cure. You’re not going to suddenly be a minimalist saint after a one month No Buy (or even a year for that matter). This is just a reset so that hopefully you can work on flexing that restraint/gratitude muscle whenever you need it again in the future. And like I said, I’ve failed at this once before 🤷🏻♀️. What can you do but pick yourself up and try again?
{June 2025 Update: I did a No Buy May this year, and wow I found it hard. My spending had ramped up again thanks to some bad online habits, and I really needed the spending detox this year. It’s made me realize things are always cyclical and sometimes you fall back into bad habits. I referenced this post to help me, but since it’s been a bit since I did a No Buy Month I thought I would add a couple more pointers that helped me this year:
5) Watch de-influencing videos
There’s nothing like watching some experienced de-influencing YouTubers to help motivate you to not fall into the usual consumeristic traps. My go-tos are Shawna Ripari and Ashley Viola. Any time you have an itch to spend, watch one or two of their videos first and wait for the urge to pass.
6) Take stock of what you already have
There’s nothing like itemizing everything you already have to make you feel like you have more than enough. I use a closet tracking app like the StyleBook App (there are several out there, and this is just the one I started with 4+ years ago) to help me keep track of all me stuff and all my wears. I like it since it gives me cost per wear, and stats like most and least worn items. I don’t have alll my stuff in there, but the bulk of it. During my No Buy Month I tried to add the rest of the things in my closet, and wow do I have a lot. So anytime I felt the itch to click buy, I switched to my closet app and added more things to that instead. Also a closet tracking app will show you how little you actually wear everything (it’s always a lot less than you think), and how much you’ve already spent. And if your problem isn’t overspending on clothes, but on other things (beauty, home, etc.) there might not be an app to track your stuff, but you can always do a clean out and take stock of what you already have.
7) Try to sell your stuff/get rid of stuff/use up your stuff
After you’ve taken stock of all your items, there’s inevitably some things you’ll want to get rid of or sell (because presumably you’re doing a No Buy due to an excess of buying). Just seeing how hard it is to get rid of your valuables, especially via selling, may wake you up to the harsh reality that everyone (or most everyone) has too much stuff and they don’t want your stuff. So all the things that you thought were of value (perhaps maybe even “investments”) aren’t really going to get much back (unless you have an excess of Birkin or Kelly bags 😂). Hopefully that wakes you up on the harsh realities of overconsumption (ie you’re just wasting your hard earned money). If your excess buying is of something that can’t be resold (like makeup), then try using up all your items (“hitting pan”). And again you should see how much you have, how long it would take you to use everything up, and how all the extras are just a waste of money.
8) Write down what you want
After all that and the urge to buy persist, just write down a list of things that you’ll buy when the No Buy period is over. I guarantee that you won’t want at least half that list when you get back to it at the end of the month. My list was long, but what I actually bought after May was very few.