Oooh gurl, the economy is still in shambles and we need to continue tightening the purse strings. Last year, I joined the boycott against Target and set out on my first no-buy year.
Because I’m already a minimalist, my no-buy strategy was to simply reduce the number of days I spent money versus creating category of things I wouldn’t buy. I might not be big into buying clothes, but I love treating myself to snacky snacks from the corner store. For every day that I didn’t spend money, I put $3 into my savings. At the end of the year, I added that money to what I’d already set aside for student loan repayments. This helped me to finish paying of one of two remaining loans.
If you find that you are susceptible to ads, influencer, or just find random reasons to treat yourself, this video by Alyssa Barber should help deinfluence you from certain purchases and hopefully reduce how much you consume this year.
On a no-buy journey this year? Tell us about the companies or products you’re saying no to.
Alyssa Barber (@NewLifestyleABB) is an environmental educator, activist, and digital creator based in the Midwest. Her work focuses on sustainable living and climate action through a community-focused lens. She shares practical tips for “imperfect” sustainability, covering topics like “No Buy” years, conscious consumerism, thrifting, and deinfluencing viral products.