Want more videos like this? Comment "SHOW ME THE MONEY" or drop a money emoji 🤑💰💸 in the comments to let me know! (Past Frugal February playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLuvKKRbMBrm83wL6d9r8vydzJw80HGIFa&si=gORDAT5AsFucojve)
I'm a minimalist, but one thing I find hardest about this life, is connection. A lot of people are just super materialistic or in debt, they are happy with that stressed life in the suburbs. Personally I hate that lifestyle. I don't relate to a lot of people. When you life differently it's really hard to be accepted in a community.
That's hard. I try to be pretty minimal with my stuff and schedule. Though, I have several family members or friends who either love stuff/have a hard time letting go of stuff or are chronically busy. I am still able to find connection through, activities, (I think every single person I am thinking of likes board games 😂) or going out for a treat or whatever. The hard part for me is when they complain about one of these aspects. My brain is like, "Ooh, ooh! I know the answer! I know it!" But I find when I try to offer too many suggestions or help too much, it really doesn't help. It is tricky. And sometimes I find myself worrying too much about these things about those in my circle. I have to try and remember that the worry doesn't help anybody and usually leads to actions that I regret or make them feel uncomfortable. Recently, I was working with some members of my church group and one suggested an idea for an Activity which was actually a really good idea. However, I believed could be executed more simply. So, I tried to ask if there was a way we could make the food aspect more simple. Which would have made the Activity much easier to be in charge of. I seemed to be alone in thinking that out of the four of us. So, that was just another lesson to me that everyone is different and people don't think the same. And some people actually get joy out of things that are stressful to me. I hope that you can still find connection with people. Maybe redirect the conversation? There was a time when a person we would regularly visit was in this slump of complaining or telling sad stories. So, I would bring a board game when we would visit so, if that started happening I could very easily redirect😂
I completely understand. Your values just don't align. When there is no materialistic life, individualistic endeavors and instant gratification what will happen to next to your mental health and no legacy for the next generation. Isolation is less stressful I can't go back to being "busy". I stresses me to hear people complain about things they know the solutions to.
I feel the same. I do find that this community in A to Zen life is a great help, Honestly just reading the comments makes me feel like I'm not the only person who's not interested in more stuff or the (supposed) latest and greatest. I don't have any answers for you, but I'm hoping you find what you're looking for 🥰
@JD-de5mq I could not agree with you more. This "no buy" trend is nothing new to me - it has been my lifestyle since 2007. And yes -- it is hard to find people who are like-minded and who DON'T MIND how we live.
When I first started my own business I was concerned about expenses. I started a jar and every time I made a decision not to buy a coffee or something that I didn’t really need I wrote the amount on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. At the end of the year I added up all the money that I had saved by not making the purchase that I had considered
This video was helpful, thanks! Also, good luck with the dry January and extending it throughout the year. I used to drink alcohol about 2-3 times a week, mostly at restaurants. I cut out alcohol in anticipation of a second pregnancy, but ran into infertility issues and then a miscarriage, which made me extend it more. And then wonderfully I got pregnant (extending it even more)! And now I’m breastfeeding, extending it even more, haha! It’s been almost 4 years, and I don’t miss the alcohol. :) If I had made the goal to cut out alcohol for all time, I would’ve laughed and rolled my eyes. But the trick was doing it in shorter bursts of time, discovering that I adapted and life went on as before, and before you know it…. years have passed.
Thank you for sharing and so sorry to hear about your loss. 🙏❤️ I also struggled with this and had a miscarriage which took a LONG time for my body to recover from (I also have PCOS). Fingers crossed 🤞 We see a big difference with no alcohol 🍷 🍻
These videos have been great for me. Our home was flooded in Helene, and we lost everything. So I cannot do a 'no buy year' since we literally have to replace everything. But these videos have helped me so much in being intential about what I replace and slowing down. Thank you for breaking it down so beautifully how much money you saved from impulse purchases. I want to do that, too. I think i will make a list of everything i need to repurchase and then start tracking impulse purchases to see how much money I can save to be able to buy items from the list of things I really want to replace. Now that I have a chance to start fresh i want to be more minimal-ish and intential with what I buy.
I really like this idea of journaling my no buys. I often find the strength to say no to buying things but tired after. I think looking back and adding up how much money I save by not buying things will energize me! I also appreciate that you included impulse food purchases because too much food and things go bad you are wasting money as well. I am very poor, below the federal poverty line poor, things are looking up from last year but I still really need to be as careful as possible. I even need to save on essentials. Ironically though I was recently gifted a fold up bed tray! I am trying to use older kitchen towels instead of paper towels and I still had half a pack of paper towels from last year and haven't even used a whole roll in 2 months!
I did a “no spend” January. What surprised me was how hard it was to resist buying a nonessential item. It felt almost like a physical reaction. I managed to resist all of the impulses & it was surprising how much money we saved.
Even though I was following along with all the items you didn't buy in January, I literally gasped when to said the total. That's a LOT of money! It gives me incentive to do the same, and I already own the perfect little notebook that will fit in my purse. Thanks for all the tips and inspiration!
SHOW ME THE MONEY!! We switched up sourcing audio books from audible to our local library through the Libby app. Wow! so many FREE choices!! I haven't even looked at the periodicals available but will soon. (I don't have any subscriptions to print publications). One thing to do: I need to review my streaming services. We just got some trial offers for free or very low and are binge watching some shows. We have noted when the trial is over but I think there are some that are sneaking by!! I'm unsubscribing to some blogs which tend to SELL, SELL, SELL their specialty items (mostly cooking blogs, like you, I'm a sucker for cookbooks and recipes). Sunday mornings are so nice when you post a video. Love spending time with you.
I also noticed that I am quite lucky to be so busy at work that I often don't have time to go to the shopping mall or the bigger stores. And I don't like going shopping on the weekends. So, you cannot get tempted if you don't see it. But Amazon is available 24/7, so that's my personal challenge 😅
Oh man, I used to make SO many impulse buys back when I worked at the mall because it was so easy to browse on my lunch break and they incentivized us to spend with a 10% employee discount, hahaha. Delete that Amazon app ASAP!
I have finally been able to get my husband onboard with decluttering! Yay! Besides getting rid of one item per person per day (just the 2 of us in the house) I do a "No Buy February". The only things I purchase all month is fresh vegetables and dairy products. This forces us to clean out our freezer and pantry of all the food we purchased because it was on sale, left overs or we bought planning on making a meal that we never made. I use after Christmas sales to "stock up" on paper products and Health and Beauty items to make sure I don't have an "excuse" to go shopping. In our decluttering we don't throw out "consumable" items, so when we run out of things like soap or shampoo we are forced to use what we have even if it isn't our favorite brand, many we found on sale or were given as gifts. This February "reboot" makes me more conscious of what I'm buying which saves me money all year. I don't get notifications from any shopping apps, but my Amazon Shopping List gets quite long. I let the items sit and go back once a month or so to look at what I was thinking of buying and most of the time I no longer want the items.
Great topic and interesting to hear your experience. After my No Buy year, two years ago, I was also shocked at my shopping habit “as if I was going to miss a deal!” I tracked my spending and quickly saw the weakest places in my spending. I realized my shopping was a habit not a necessity. I don’t go to thrift stores or regular stores at all now unless I am completely out of something I NEED. Not only did I save money but gained so much precious time for other activities.
We have fully removed ALL of the kids' outgrown clothes, shoes, and random garbage from our basement. We started building the walls this week! We cannot wait to have a fun, family space instead of mountains of old clothes and just trash!
I did a no-spend January, and thank goodness! On the 28th of January I ended up with emergency veterinary medical bills for my dog and was able to pay the bills without credit or going into debt. I am going to SERIOUSLY continue this! Each day gets easier, and any purchases are carefully thought out. Even budgeting for groceries is a win. Thank you so much for your videos! Please keep them coming. (And my vet bill was almost $1000.00).
I guess I did save 5 bucks on a video game DLC I put on my wishlist but ended up not buying and 5 on a ball of yarn I purchased and then returned because I didn't like working with it. It's really cool to see what was saved from not buying impulse buys! I'll start journaling my impulses too! Also it's always relaxing and informative to watch your video, even though our living and financial situations are very different! But it's great because everyone can get inspired!
Love the video and you had a ton of helpful tips. Want to mention your purchases at Micheal's. You could get the exact same items at Dollar Tree and save 70 percent off those purchases. Micheal's is lovely, but I only purchase when there are coupons as it's just too expensive. Big Hugs
I think we need to differentiate "window shopping" from "almost impulse buying". I come from a culture in which window shopping is almost an Olimpic event. I'm a consummated window shopper! I can go to a store, spend a whole hour there, touch almost everything, go oh!, and ah! over a hundred items, an leave the store without buying a thing. If I were to count all that looking and grabbing as "almost impulse shopping", I can promise you, I would take 1st place in the "saving money" category. In my case almost impulse shopping would be if I actually had put the item in my cart and started walking towards the cash register but stopped, turned around, and left the item where I found it. Anything less than that is just "window shopping".
This video perfectly personifies my last months NO BUY January. I spent my gift card only and was able to pay off a credit card balance that was on a plan for a 6 month payoff. New subscriber here!
Books and fabric are my biggest challenges to resist buying. For books, I go to the library and also the Friends of the Library sale shelves in the library. For fabrics, I have enough for probably the rest of my life so I need to avoid going into fabric/quilting stores to resist temptation. I am also practicing looking at quilting stores on-line and admiring the new products without buying them. It inspires me to use what I have and desensitizes me to new things. We can love looking but treat the items as you would something in a museum. Beautiful but not for sale.
Glad to be here to find other weird people 😆 the little impulse buys at the grocery store is TOTALLY me, so this was convicting, thank you! Edit: the sapphire comment was hysterical 🤣🤣
I hate the idea retailers love exploiting our impulse-buy, impulses - so many things out there we never knew we needed. Sometimes I think the things in my closets and cabinets reproduce while I sleep! As I am doing a 2025 clean-out, I am astounded at how much I still have that I can get rid of. A wise person once told me if life doesn't feel too great right now, stop looking for things to add to it, and instead start looking for things to subtract. So that's what I'm doing as the year begins. Two of my favorite minimalist quotes are, "You can never get enough of what you don't need.", and "If you can't be happy with everything you have, how could you possibly be happy with more." I fall prey to the impulse to continually improve my home environment; upgrading a version of something I already have or need to replace (but now with a more expensive, aesthetically-designed version). The things in my home I enjoy the most are the most comfortable, coziest, and most functional items, not the most expensive, trendy or chic. Who knew?
Tried to do a no buy January,but had to replace the furnace. Still calling January a success! New furnace is essential. Luckily, the emergency fund covered it!
I 100% agree, Lori -- a furnace in winter is an absolute essential and would be counted towards an "exception." Glad your emergency fund was able to cover it!
Excellent video! I especially enjoy the thought process in order not to give in to the impulse spending. We can certainly admire things without actually giving in.
I love Sherri's the curated life. Happy New Year! We are doing a low buy year too. Trying to shop locally and staying out of big box stores. I need a smaller size in clothing, so I decided to only shop second hand, quality, not quantity.
I saw that cute Chinese new year stuff at Target and if it had been a year of the tiger, I probably would’ve bought something because I’m a tiger. I was not tempted by snake. I love that chair you showed, that folding chair from Wayfair. I’m glad you said it had bad reviews because it kept me from going over there and looking at it.
PS - LOVE this new video series and I'm excited about the free ways to have fun video coming soon. I love the coloring chart you are using! Because we eat and cook at home so often, one of my favorite things is going on a picnic! It's the same concept of not buying prepared food but enjoying your home made items in a new environment can be free! I thrifted the most adorable picnic basket and it's one of my favorite things. ❤❤❤
Thank you and I love that you thrifted a nice picnic basket! I always look for them at the thrift store, but they're never in good condition, ugh. 😅 I have a picnic blanket that I adore and have been using for 10+ years; I mentioned it in this video on underconsumption: ruclips.net/video/yVvKC82Kwug/видео.html
I did a low buy January, in combination with "To the pan(try)". Loved it, so I am continuing it for another month. Also, thanks for the tip with the impulse buy tracker😃.
Amazing insight! I have been getting rid of a lot of nonessential stuffs. Your video is very helpful because it is "Real life minimalism OVER TIME". Thank you. I have experienced depressing feeling so often especially when I look at no breathing empty space or I surround by UFOs. I have so much progress recently and feel much better. I have been doing 'low buy' since 2023 and now I can use the money to replace my super old dinning set from a thrift store. :) Can you share with me your dining set information?
It’s my third year of doing no buy:) on my channel I also talk about minimalism and no buy and in so happy that so many more people are jumping on this trend. 🙏🏻 great videos thank you❤❤
Show me the money! Thanks for sharing this. I do succumb to retail therapy at times, but I think keeping a journal about what I didn't buy is a great idea. Gonna work on it! Looking forward to your monthly updates.
I started on a low-buy season by choice but as of yesterday, it will be out of necessity. My husband works in manufacturing so if the factory ramps down production, our family is in a pickle.
Hey I just saved $18,000+ dollars this past January by not purchasing the things I wanted! 😉 i understand your purpose in outlining impulse purchases that you ultimately resisted. I’ve been doing that all my life and yet never seem to get ahead. We have lived comfortably doing this but certainly not extravagantly. I find it interesting that so many more people are doing a no buy or low buy challenge. I have to say that my goal is no buy on clothes for myself (I have enough) and a low buy on everything else over the next four years. This is largely in response to my political views but I do not wish to debate that in any way here. Unfortunately, this will have to extend to medications that we can no longer afford. We are nearly retirement age and are self-employed. We spent over $33,000 last year just on a high deductible health insurance plan and medications not covered by that plan. We simply cannot afford to do that anymore. I will be discontinuing those medications for myself and if there is not an affordable alternative, I will go without. I will be skipping any health maintenance visits. I am no longer sure of the future of Medicare so I am not anticipating any relief from that at this point and our health savings accounts have been depleted. We already have never traveled outside of the United States and rarely within as our livestock and crop farm keep us close to home. We are driving a 13 year old car and a 24 year old work truck, both of which are becoming increasingly unreliable. I will spend money on gifts of experiences, food and flowers/plants for my children and grandchildren as well as contribute regularly to church and worthwhile charities and that is about it for the foreseeable future.
I get paid bi-weekly and auto deposit 75% of my check into a HYS so what I have left is intended to last me 2 weeks until the next pay day where I then do the same thing and auto deposit 75% of my income. Seeing the minimal amount that is left in my checking account triggers a minimalist mindset because I don't want to blow through what is left or go into a negative balance.. Meanwhile, I'm growing my savings insane every year with compounding 4% interest so I'm essentially paying myself as a reward for frugal financial habbits. I def. need to uninstall spending apps on my phone which is still a weakness... Along with thrifting. Lastly, I have a nightly wind down check list where I reflect the daily habbits I hope to implement, and no frivolous spending and no eating out is on that list to reinforce my money saving goals. When I blow big money, it's always experience based or health based.. I love to travel, I love to work out, I love massages, and I love theme parks.
This is fantastic and an excellent example of aligning your spending with your priorities and goals. I love that you know the things you like to spend money on and allocate funds towards those...Ramit Sethi calls these "money dials" and I think that's a great term; turn them up or down according to your values!
Great video. I use the journal app on the iPhone. I think there’s something similar on android and you can program a shortcut button to instantly take you into the new journal entry for that day. I found it very useful.
It’s funny bc I don’t use social media really except for RUclips and Pinterest, and I also decided to do my first no-buy this month without even realizing it’s been trending so clearly everybody’s just been feeling the squeeze lately lol!
I find it hard to actually buy the things I do need. Like new bras, stoped breastfeeding some month ago and now I am a smaller size but just don't make the time to go to a store. Working 32h a week, drives my son to and from the kindergarten and on the weekends restorating a small cottage doesn't make time to go to any stores. The thing I bought today were seeds for vegetables this year, that was a treat but I could stop myself to not buy to many. And then I really like go grocery shopping but the store I often go to just have food, no clothes ex. So I guess beeing busy with other things in life could keep you from shopping?
Marissa thank you for the advice. I'm going to track my impulse buying for the month of February. I'm curious how much I'll save buy not purchasing those items. 💰
I did well last month except that i bought those lead testing swabs you showed in a video. It's true about the influence of social media. It wasn't something i was thinking of before.
Oh dear! Were your plates lead safe? TBF I have been wanting to replace some things mentioned in that video, esp. my non-stick pan, even though I wasn’t planning on buying kitchen stuff this year. 😥
I love the description “redken sticky stuff) 😂. We brew our own Kombucha it is so easy and tastes so much better. We have a large family so all the bottles and scoby (which you can often get for I was feeling lazy so I amazoned it) cost about 60-80$. We brewed dozens and dozens of bottles for that price. Ingredients are sugar tea and Kombucha from the last batch. My kids love making it. Brewing Kombucha can be done for pennies.
Just a note: We've had a de facto "low buy" year since we were married. It was easy at the beginning because we were married while still in college. Graduate school (and law school) re-enforced this trend. There have been some total impulse purchases, of course, but these were the exception. The point of this is, as a result, we are quite comfortable in retirement -- coming up on anniversary #60. This may not be a low-buy year because we are planning to move house (and country, probably), but I am sure that there will be no impulse purchases -- other than the totally extravagant move.
With cost of living and inflation up, I’m sure! 😢 I went through it myself when I graduated in the midst of the Great Recession in 2008. That’s one reason I’m so passionate about helping other people with this!
Wanting something seen in the video - guilty as charged, as I absolutely love your glass tea cup and was looking for it for quite a long time 😅 found similar ones, but my kitchen cabinets told that there is no space for another...
I am trying to have a low buy year since we are building our house and all our money will be going there. More like 5 years 😂 of low buy. January didn’t go so well 😅.
Me: oh yay Marissa is doing another low buy/no buy video! I love these I’m working to pay off some financed loans and build an emergency fund Also me: that’s such a cute chair and such a cute mug 😂 Bonus: I’m turning 36 this year so I’m also a 🐍 so it’s been extra hard to resist buying snake Chinese new year stuff. Hopefully it can be in my budget 12 year from now 😊
Oh my goodness, is the struggle not real!? It's shocking how many minimalism/simple living/no-buy videos have adorable stuff that makes me want to spend money...we need to be resilient! 🤝 I could see how it would be hard to resist snake stuff this year as a snake, hahaha. 😂
I don’t count that like „saving“ is just not buying. I understand everyone look from other perspectives 👌🏻 Saving is put a side amount of money and giving up maybe some „habits“ for goal of save. For nightstand i agree, im not minimalistic in way but never needed and owned one 👌🏻 for me that is just place to clutter 😅
Marissa, how do you keep your snake plant so upright? Mine is really bending outward and sometimes I stick a rod in it and then use dental floss to make it stand up more so it’s more attractive. I have three of them and they’re all spreading outward and it’s bugging me. Is it too much water, not enough water, not enough light I have no idea?
Are you counting the cost of everything you looked at (in store or via link) or are these items you would have purchased but you stopped yourself, reminded yourself you didn't need/want use etc.? I've been tracking things I had in hand that I put back etc. I've looked at lots of things but without intent to buy so didn't count those. I'm curious on what people are tracking and the amounts they have each month!
Those are things I felt an impulse to buy but stopped myself! It’s impossible to say if I would have gone through with all of them or not, but when I felt a strong pull I wrote it down. ✍️
This seem like a good plan with the journal, but my ADHD brain will not keep up with the journal. haha I do think about the purchase before I make it. I do like to imagine the items, but think about my adult children having to deal with it if I die, or me having to donate it later. haha
My husband had a professional job and he used cremo hair pomade from Walmart ($8) it works really well I recommend your husband tries to switch to a cheaper less luxury brand than RedKen to save money and achieve the same results. No one can tell what brand of hair cream you use anyway
💰 i would love book and tip recommendations, as well as any useful apps for saving/ managing pots. By accident I've been on a no buy since Christmas and it's impressively hard even though i hate shopping!
@@AtoZenLife l have been so surprised to learn that l thought that l had this mindset of simple living and decuttering for so many years that it was quite surprising to find out how easily l would still buy stuff, l don't need on a whim, once l payed attention to my behavior 😳 and then you post about it😃
@AtoZenlife I have decluttered many things over the years and feel in general that I have succeeded in simplifying. But my situation has changed recently, I'll be moving into a new flat in a couple of months and need to declutter much more to be able to do it 🙃 😅
I’ve purchased one item from Wayfair-never again! The piece we purchased makes IKEA look like Ethan Allen. This notebook strategy helped me when I had to pay off a big purchase in 2019. It also helped me realize how much sugary foods I was eating.
the mic audio is a bit lower than it should, its picking up your words but not to what they should sound. I'd get a new mic if you were to spend anything
I’m on my first No Buy for Jan - Feb. I definitely wanted to stop impulse purchasing. I’m also trying to control the influx of “stuff” into our house. We been minimalist for over 5 years. My husband decided today we are going to apple it to food as well which I’m really excited about.
Such a bizarre concept - writing down unbought purchases and being happy at the end by the money saved. So childish. Let alone the time spent thinking, writing, revisiting, etc. Get a job, get busy, read actual literature, not "self-help" books, get out in the nature... So many things to do other than sitting down and thinking about possible impulse purchases...
The 1st step in solving a problem is becoming AWARE that there IS a problem. Keeping a written journal requires effort (YES) and develops further consciousness of the extent of the issue. The financial tally of items avoided points out how potentially devastating impulse buying can be. Often, the dollar amount is scary enough to rein in one's behavior. I used to do an audit of my check register every few months, which put me back on track to more sensible spending and SAVING. There is nothing frivolous about this discussion and no one-size-fits-all solution. There is room for many to have their say - just as you have had yours. BTW, I and others have found some helpful advice in various self-help books. (Not all of every book, but parts of many. It's a bit of a scavenger hunt at times, but worthwhile.) If it hasn't worked for you ... yet, don't give up hope.
Wow! Very harsh. I think Marissa’s idea of an impulse buy journal is a fantastic idea especially for people who really struggle with retail therapy. It’s not childish and actually a responsible and mature way of dealing with an addiction to buying things that we don’t need.
@ It seemed like that because when you walked through the stores or online your eye caught things you were tempted to buy. Like…you were there to get what you needed but were shopping while there. So when I go to a store to get something, I’m typically in and out. I don’t usually look around while I’m there. I’m more “on a mission”. I do find myself seeing things I’d like online though…and with those I’ll take a screenshot and revisit it later (which I rarely do) or I add it to cart but let it sit there a while. Usually have a ton of things in “favorites” that never make it to the cart. What’s interesting on you tube are the makeup reviewers who are touting a no-buy 2025 yet buying new products and reviewing them is their job…so a no-buy makes no sense. It’s almost like people are just jumping on the trend as you said…advertising their no-buy yet I suspect it’s bs.
My hobby is knitting (which has a budget!). My husband and I are very lean in our spending, so one of the fun things I do is use leftover yarn to make scrappy projects. I have enough to keep me busy and having fun for years! 🧶😃 P.S. The yarn is contained in a finite space 😆
Want more videos like this? Comment "SHOW ME THE MONEY" or drop a money emoji 🤑💰💸 in the comments to let me know! (Past Frugal February playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLuvKKRbMBrm83wL6d9r8vydzJw80HGIFa&si=gORDAT5AsFucojve)
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🤑💰💸Yes please!
I'm a minimalist, but one thing I find hardest about this life, is connection. A lot of people are just super materialistic or in debt, they are happy with that stressed life in the suburbs. Personally I hate that lifestyle. I don't relate to a lot of people. When you life differently it's really hard to be accepted in a community.
I hear you! Could you look for online communities instead? There are some on Facebook, if you’re on there (I know a lot of minimalists aren’t 😅).
That's hard. I try to be pretty minimal with my stuff and schedule. Though, I have several family members or friends who either love stuff/have a hard time letting go of stuff or are chronically busy. I am still able to find connection through, activities, (I think every single person I am thinking of likes board games 😂) or going out for a treat or whatever. The hard part for me is when they complain about one of these aspects. My brain is like, "Ooh, ooh! I know the answer! I know it!" But I find when I try to offer too many suggestions or help too much, it really doesn't help. It is tricky. And sometimes I find myself worrying too much about these things about those in my circle. I have to try and remember that the worry doesn't help anybody and usually leads to actions that I regret or make them feel uncomfortable.
Recently, I was working with some members of my church group and one suggested an idea for an Activity which was actually a really good idea. However, I believed could be executed more simply. So, I tried to ask if there was a way we could make the food aspect more simple. Which would have made the Activity much easier to be in charge of. I seemed to be alone in thinking that out of the four of us. So, that was just another lesson to me that everyone is different and people don't think the same. And some people actually get joy out of things that are stressful to me.
I hope that you can still find connection with people. Maybe redirect the conversation? There was a time when a person we would regularly visit was in this slump of complaining or telling sad stories. So, I would bring a board game when we would visit so, if that started happening I could very easily redirect😂
I completely understand. Your values just don't align. When there is no materialistic life, individualistic endeavors and instant gratification what will happen to next to your mental health and no legacy for the next generation.
Isolation is less stressful I can't go back to being "busy". I stresses me to hear people complain about things they know the solutions to.
I feel the same. I do find that this community in A to Zen life is a great help, Honestly just reading the comments makes me feel like I'm not the only person who's not interested in more stuff or the (supposed) latest and greatest. I don't have any answers for you, but I'm hoping you find what you're looking for 🥰
@JD-de5mq I could not agree with you more. This "no buy" trend is nothing new to me - it has been my lifestyle since 2007. And yes -- it is hard to find people who are like-minded and who DON'T MIND how we live.
When I first started my own business I was concerned about expenses. I started a jar and every time I made a decision not to buy a coffee or something that I didn’t really need I wrote the amount on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. At the end of the year I added up all the money that I had saved by not making the purchase that I had considered
I do that, I put the money in the jar and open it at the end of the year
This video was helpful, thanks! Also, good luck with the dry January and extending it throughout the year. I used to drink alcohol about 2-3 times a week, mostly at restaurants. I cut out alcohol in anticipation of a second pregnancy, but ran into infertility issues and then a miscarriage, which made me extend it more. And then wonderfully I got pregnant (extending it even more)! And now I’m breastfeeding, extending it even more, haha! It’s been almost 4 years, and I don’t miss the alcohol. :)
If I had made the goal to cut out alcohol for all time, I would’ve laughed and rolled my eyes. But the trick was doing it in shorter bursts of time, discovering that I adapted and life went on as before, and before you know it…. years have passed.
Thank you for sharing and so sorry to hear about your loss. 🙏❤️ I also struggled with this and had a miscarriage which took a LONG time for my body to recover from (I also have PCOS). Fingers crossed 🤞 We see a big difference with no alcohol 🍷 🍻
These videos have been great for me. Our home was flooded in Helene, and we lost everything. So I cannot do a 'no buy year' since we literally have to replace everything. But these videos have helped me so much in being intential about what I replace and slowing down.
Thank you for breaking it down so beautifully how much money you saved from impulse purchases. I want to do that, too. I think i will make a list of everything i need to repurchase and then start tracking impulse purchases to see how much money I can save to be able to buy items from the list of things I really want to replace. Now that I have a chance to start fresh i want to be more minimal-ish and intential with what I buy.
I’m sorry to hear that. Wishing you all the best 🙏
I really like this idea of journaling my no buys. I often find the strength to say no to buying things but tired after. I think looking back and adding up how much money I save by not buying things will energize me! I also appreciate that you included impulse food purchases because too much food and things go bad you are wasting money as well. I am very poor, below the federal poverty line poor, things are looking up from last year but I still really need to be as careful as possible. I even need to save on essentials. Ironically though I was recently gifted a fold up bed tray! I am trying to use older kitchen towels instead of paper towels and I still had half a pack of paper towels from last year and haven't even used a whole roll in 2 months!
I hope you continue to do this every month. Your concrete examples with your thought process really helps
I did a “no spend” January. What surprised me was how hard it was to resist buying a nonessential item. It felt almost like a physical reaction. I managed to resist all of the impulses & it was surprising how much money we saved.
YES, it's like a magnetic pull or something! The good news is just like any muscle, it will get stronger with time and practice. 😉
Even though I was following along with all the items you didn't buy in January, I literally gasped when to said the total. That's a LOT of money! It gives me incentive to do the same, and I already own the perfect little notebook that will fit in my purse. Thanks for all the tips and inspiration!
Thanks so much! It’s crazy how much all of those random purchases can add up…all the best with your journaling! ❤️🙏
Most of us save thousands every month by not buying the things we want. The money just is t in the bank at all!😂
SHOW ME THE MONEY!! We switched up sourcing audio books from audible to our local library through the Libby app. Wow! so many FREE choices!! I haven't even looked at the periodicals available but will soon. (I don't have any subscriptions to print publications). One thing to do: I need to review my streaming services. We just got some trial offers for free or very low and are binge watching some shows. We have noted when the trial is over but I think there are some that are sneaking by!! I'm unsubscribing to some blogs which tend to SELL, SELL, SELL their specialty items (mostly cooking blogs, like you, I'm a sucker for cookbooks and recipes). Sunday mornings are so nice when you post a video. Love spending time with you.
I also noticed that I am quite lucky to be so busy at work that I often don't have time to go to the shopping mall or the bigger stores. And I don't like going shopping on the weekends. So, you cannot get tempted if you don't see it. But Amazon is available 24/7, so that's my personal challenge 😅
Oh man, I used to make SO many impulse buys back when I worked at the mall because it was so easy to browse on my lunch break and they incentivized us to spend with a 10% employee discount, hahaha. Delete that Amazon app ASAP!
I am on a low buy this year! I am trying to save money and be debt free. Thank you for the inspo!!!!
I have finally been able to get my husband onboard with decluttering! Yay! Besides getting rid of one item per person per day (just the 2 of us in the house) I do a "No Buy February". The only things I purchase all month is fresh vegetables and dairy products. This forces us to clean out our freezer and pantry of all the food we purchased because it was on sale, left overs or we bought planning on making a meal that we never made. I use after Christmas sales to "stock up" on paper products and Health and Beauty items to make sure I don't have an "excuse" to go shopping. In our decluttering we don't throw out "consumable" items, so when we run out of things like soap or shampoo we are forced to use what we have even if it isn't our favorite brand, many we found on sale or were given as gifts.
This February "reboot" makes me more conscious of what I'm buying which saves me money all year.
I don't get notifications from any shopping apps, but my Amazon Shopping List gets quite long. I let the items sit and go back once a month or so to look at what I was thinking of buying and most of the time I no longer want the items.
Great topic and interesting to hear your experience. After my No Buy year, two years ago, I was also shocked at my shopping habit “as if I was going to miss a deal!” I tracked my spending and quickly saw the weakest places in my spending. I realized my shopping was a habit not a necessity. I don’t go to thrift stores or regular stores at all now unless I am completely out of something I NEED. Not only did I save money but gained so much precious time for other activities.
We have fully removed ALL of the kids' outgrown clothes, shoes, and random garbage from our basement. We started building the walls this week! We cannot wait to have a fun, family space instead of mountains of old clothes and just trash!
I’m so excited for you! 🙌
I did a no-spend January, and thank goodness! On the 28th of January I ended up with emergency veterinary medical bills for my dog and was able to pay the bills without credit or going into debt. I am going to SERIOUSLY continue this! Each day gets easier, and any purchases are carefully thought out. Even budgeting for groceries is a win. Thank you so much for your videos! Please keep them coming. (And my vet bill was almost $1000.00).
I like this video! I always focus and stress about things I DO buy but not so much on things I actually DON’T buy! 😊
I guess I did save 5 bucks on a video game DLC I put on my wishlist but ended up not buying and 5 on a ball of yarn I purchased and then returned because I didn't like working with it. It's really cool to see what was saved from not buying impulse buys! I'll start journaling my impulses too!
Also it's always relaxing and informative to watch your video, even though our living and financial situations are very different! But it's great because everyone can get inspired!
I did a no spend 2024. Got derailed several times but righted myself as fast as I could.
Ended up changing my life.
It really is life changing!
Love the video and you had a ton of helpful tips. Want to mention your purchases at Micheal's. You could get the exact same items at Dollar Tree and save 70 percent off those purchases. Micheal's is lovely, but I only purchase when there are coupons as it's just too expensive. Big Hugs
Dear Marissa I’m literally saying Yay!!! Every Sunday when I see the notification of your new video😍🥰❤ thank you, they are very helpful.
Thank you so much! I’m glad to have you here with me every Sunday, Edith. 🥰
I think we need to differentiate "window shopping" from "almost impulse buying". I come from a culture in which window shopping is almost an Olimpic event. I'm a consummated window shopper! I can go to a store, spend a whole hour there, touch almost everything, go oh!, and ah! over a hundred items, an leave the store without buying a thing. If I were to count all that looking and grabbing as "almost impulse shopping", I can promise you, I would take 1st place in the "saving money" category. In my case almost impulse shopping would be if I actually had put the item in my cart and started walking towards the cash register but stopped, turned around, and left the item where I found it. Anything less than that is just "window shopping".
All of these things that I mentioned in the video were things that I felt a pull to purchase, which is why I included them in the tally. 👍
@@AtoZenLife Gotcha! ❤️
This video perfectly personifies my last months NO BUY January. I spent my gift card only and was able to pay off a credit card balance that was on a plan for a 6 month payoff. New subscriber here!
That was great! The thing about underconsumption is that you can’t go back to overconsumption . You slowly find your happy median/balance.
Books and fabric are my biggest challenges to resist buying. For books, I go to the library and also the Friends of the Library sale shelves in the library. For fabrics, I have enough for probably the rest of my life so I need to avoid going into fabric/quilting stores to resist temptation. I am also practicing looking at quilting stores on-line and admiring the new products without buying them. It inspires me to use what I have and desensitizes me to new things. We can love looking but treat the items as you would something in a museum. Beautiful but not for sale.
Glad to be here to find other weird people 😆 the little impulse buys at the grocery store is TOTALLY me, so this was convicting, thank you! Edit: the sapphire comment was hysterical 🤣🤣
Glad to have you here and I found that comment funny as well. 😅 We all have our own values and priorities! 💍😉
I hate the idea retailers love exploiting our impulse-buy, impulses - so many things out there we never knew we needed. Sometimes I think the things in my closets and cabinets reproduce while I sleep! As I am doing a 2025 clean-out, I am astounded at how much I still have that I can get rid of. A wise person once told me if life doesn't feel too great right now, stop looking for things to add to it, and instead start looking for things to subtract. So that's what I'm doing as the year begins. Two of my favorite minimalist quotes are, "You can never get enough of what you don't need.", and "If you can't be happy with everything you have, how could you possibly be happy with more." I fall prey to the impulse to continually improve my home environment; upgrading a version of something I already have or need to replace (but now with a more expensive, aesthetically-designed version). The things in my home I enjoy the most are the most comfortable, coziest, and most functional items, not the most expensive, trendy or chic. Who knew?
Tried to do a no buy January,but had to replace the furnace. Still calling January a success! New furnace is essential. Luckily, the emergency fund covered it!
I 100% agree, Lori -- a furnace in winter is an absolute essential and would be counted towards an "exception." Glad your emergency fund was able to cover it!
Excellent video! I especially enjoy the thought process in order not to give in to the impulse spending. We can certainly admire things without actually giving in.
Inspired...but blew it Day One of February...TWO Starbucks!! And i made my morning coffee at home and everything...try again today 😁💗👍
Don't let one slip up drag you down! Get back up on the bicycle and keep riding. 🚲
I just found the curated life youtube channel as well! Love her videos!
It's amazing how much stuff we can be tempted to buy in just one month!
I am doing the low buy year also and i am mesmerised by how much I didn't buy .
I'm so glad you're giving updates❤
My husband is Chinese TOO! Not spending on lunar new year is SO hard lol but I stayed strong. Glad you did too
So much temptation, hahaha. We also did cleaning before CNY for all that good luck
🍀 ☺️❤️ and ate a bunch of lucky foods!
I love Sherri's the curated life. Happy New Year! We are doing a low buy year too. Trying to shop locally and staying out of big box stores. I need a smaller size in clothing, so I decided to only shop second hand, quality, not quantity.
Sherri has such a nice voice and her videos are really relatable and soothing to me! Good luck with your low-buy year!
Fascinating! Very helpful, I’m trying to journal my low buying, it’s a new challenge for me.🤑
I saw that cute Chinese new year stuff at Target and if it had been a year of the tiger, I probably would’ve bought something because I’m a tiger. I was not tempted by snake. I love that chair you showed, that folding chair from Wayfair. I’m glad you said it had bad reviews because it kept me from going over there and looking at it.
I’m on a meaningful spend this year ❤
PS - LOVE this new video series and I'm excited about the free ways to have fun video coming soon. I love the coloring chart you are using! Because we eat and cook at home so often, one of my favorite things is going on a picnic! It's the same concept of not buying prepared food but enjoying your home made items in a new environment can be free! I thrifted the most adorable picnic basket and it's one of my favorite things. ❤❤❤
Thank you and I love that you thrifted a nice picnic basket! I always look for them at the thrift store, but they're never in good condition, ugh. 😅 I have a picnic blanket that I adore and have been using for 10+ years; I mentioned it in this video on underconsumption: ruclips.net/video/yVvKC82Kwug/видео.html
I did a low buy January, in combination with "To the pan(try)". Loved it, so I am continuing it for another month. Also, thanks for the tip with the impulse buy tracker😃.
Starting my impulse buys I Avoided journal right now! What a great idea!
Love kombucha - GTS. Started my low buy list today. Great video 😊
💰💰💰💰 great video !! Please keep them coming 😊
Thanks and will do, Debbie Sue. :)
Love this series!
Amazing insight! I have been getting rid of a lot of nonessential stuffs. Your video is very helpful because it is "Real life minimalism OVER TIME". Thank you. I have experienced depressing feeling so often especially when I look at no breathing empty space or I surround by UFOs. I have so much progress recently and feel much better. I have been doing 'low buy' since 2023 and now I can use the money to replace my super old dinning set from a thrift store. :) Can you share with me your dining set information?
It’s my third year of doing no buy:) on my channel I also talk about minimalism and no buy and in so happy that so many more people are jumping on this trend. 🙏🏻 great videos thank you❤❤
I love your channel !
I hope libraries are going to be in the free activities video, we use ours all the time!
For sure! 👍
Show me the money! Thanks for sharing this. I do succumb to retail therapy at times, but I think keeping a journal about what I didn't buy is a great idea. Gonna work on it! Looking forward to your monthly updates.
Thanks Cheryl, wishing you lot of luck with your journaling and glad to have you along with me for this!
Thank you for sharing your struggle with no spend with us. I totally relate to seeing cool things you like in minimalist videos. 😅
Glad you appreciate it and thanks for watching! ☺🙏
I started on a low-buy season by choice but as of yesterday, it will be out of necessity. My husband works in manufacturing so if the factory ramps down production, our family is in a pickle.
Hey I just saved $18,000+ dollars this past January by not purchasing the things I wanted! 😉 i understand your purpose in outlining impulse purchases that you ultimately resisted. I’ve been doing that all my life and yet never seem to get ahead. We have lived comfortably doing this but certainly not extravagantly. I find it interesting that so many more people are doing a no buy or low buy challenge. I have to say that my goal is no buy on clothes for myself (I have enough) and a low buy on everything else over the next four years. This is largely in response to my political views but I do not wish to debate that in any way here. Unfortunately, this will have to extend to medications that we can no longer afford. We are nearly retirement age and are self-employed. We spent over $33,000 last year just on a high deductible health insurance plan and medications not covered by that plan. We simply cannot afford to do that anymore. I will be discontinuing those medications for myself and if there is not an affordable alternative, I will go without. I will be skipping any health maintenance visits. I am no longer sure of the future of Medicare so I am not anticipating any relief from that at this point and our health savings accounts have been depleted. We already have never traveled outside of the United States and rarely within as our livestock and crop farm keep us close to home. We are driving a 13 year old car and a 24 year old work truck, both of which are becoming increasingly unreliable. I will spend money on gifts of experiences, food and flowers/plants for my children and grandchildren as well as contribute regularly to church and worthwhile charities and that is about it for the foreseeable future.
I get paid bi-weekly and auto deposit 75% of my check into a HYS so what I have left is intended to last me 2 weeks until the next pay day where I then do the same thing and auto deposit 75% of my income. Seeing the minimal amount that is left in my checking account triggers a minimalist mindset because I don't want to blow through what is left or go into a negative balance.. Meanwhile, I'm growing my savings insane every year with compounding 4% interest so I'm essentially paying myself as a reward for frugal financial habbits. I def. need to uninstall spending apps on my phone which is still a weakness... Along with thrifting. Lastly, I have a nightly wind down check list where I reflect the daily habbits I hope to implement, and no frivolous spending and no eating out is on that list to reinforce my money saving goals. When I blow big money, it's always experience based or health based.. I love to travel, I love to work out, I love massages, and I love theme parks.
This is fantastic and an excellent example of aligning your spending with your priorities and goals. I love that you know the things you like to spend money on and allocate funds towards those...Ramit Sethi calls these "money dials" and I think that's a great term; turn them up or down according to your values!
@AtoZenLife Yes!! I read his book called I Will Teach You to be Rich and it's been a game changer!
With all the tariffs this is the best way to go.
Show me the money! 💸 Stuff like this is so interesting to me. 😊
Glad you think so too! 🤗
Great video. I use the journal app on the iPhone. I think there’s something similar on android and you can program a shortcut button to instantly take you into the new journal entry for that day. I found it very useful.
It’s funny bc I don’t use social media really except for RUclips and Pinterest, and I also decided to do my first no-buy this month without even realizing it’s been trending so clearly everybody’s just been feeling the squeeze lately lol!
I find it hard to actually buy the things I do need. Like new bras, stoped breastfeeding some month ago and now I am a smaller size but just don't make the time to go to a store. Working 32h a week, drives my son to and from the kindergarten and on the weekends restorating a small cottage doesn't make time to go to any stores. The thing I bought today were seeds for vegetables this year, that was a treat but I could stop myself to not buy to many. And then I really like go grocery shopping but the store I often go to just have food, no clothes ex.
So I guess beeing busy with other things in life could keep you from shopping?
Marissa thank you for the advice. I'm going to track my impulse buying for the month of February. I'm curious how much I'll save buy not purchasing those items. 💰
I did buy a fire extinguisher and food sealer also bags , for sealer.
I have to have a nightstand for my CPAP machine. It is what it is!
Totally legit! 🙌
I did well last month except that i bought those lead testing swabs you showed in a video. It's true about the influence of social media. It wasn't something i was thinking of before.
Oh dear! Were your plates lead safe? TBF I have been wanting to replace some things mentioned in that video, esp. my non-stick pan, even though I wasn’t planning on buying kitchen stuff this year. 😥
I love the description “redken sticky stuff) 😂. We brew our own Kombucha it is so easy and tastes so much better. We have a large family so all the bottles and scoby (which you can often get for I was feeling lazy so I amazoned it) cost about 60-80$. We brewed dozens and dozens of bottles for that price. Ingredients are sugar tea and Kombucha from the last batch. My kids love making it. Brewing Kombucha can be done for pennies.
Oh that is so fun! Do you have any video/blog recommendations where I can read more about kombucha brewing?
Just a note: We've had a de facto "low buy" year since we were married. It was easy at the beginning because we were married while still in college. Graduate school (and law school) re-enforced this trend. There have been some total impulse purchases, of course, but these were the exception. The point of this is, as a result, we are quite comfortable in retirement -- coming up on anniversary #60. This may not be a low-buy year because we are planning to move house (and country, probably), but I am sure that there will be no impulse purchases -- other than the totally extravagant move.
Thank you for sharing and congratulations on your 60th anniversary coming up! That's huge! ❤🙏
I think many people are starting to do it out of necessity. I’m not sure it’s going to be just a trend for fun for very long😞
With cost of living and inflation up, I’m sure! 😢 I went through it myself when I graduated in the midst of the Great Recession in 2008. That’s one reason I’m so passionate about helping other people with this!
Wanting something seen in the video - guilty as charged, as I absolutely love your glass tea cup and was looking for it for quite a long time 😅 found similar ones, but my kitchen cabinets told that there is no space for another...
You are not alone! I get a LOT of questions about that cup. 😂🙏❤
I was really wondering where you were going with silence of the lambs. 😂
Did the message come through? I was struggling to put it into words without spoiling the entire video for the young-uns who might not have seen it. 😅
@ It did when you mentioned coveting. The transition just made me laugh.
I am trying to have a low buy year since we are building our house and all our money will be going there. More like 5 years 😂 of low buy. January didn’t go so well 😅.
In January I throwed out a non stick skillet and plastic cutting board.shreedded papers . I felt better . when done🎉😮
Me: oh yay Marissa is doing another low buy/no buy video! I love these I’m working to pay off some financed loans and build an emergency fund
Also me: that’s such a cute chair and such a cute mug 😂
Bonus: I’m turning 36 this year so I’m also a 🐍 so it’s been extra hard to resist buying snake Chinese new year stuff. Hopefully it can be in my budget 12 year from now 😊
Oh my goodness, is the struggle not real!? It's shocking how many minimalism/simple living/no-buy videos have adorable stuff that makes me want to spend money...we need to be resilient! 🤝 I could see how it would be hard to resist snake stuff this year as a snake, hahaha. 😂
I can no longer relate to the no-buy trends, I can’t even afford to buy non-essentials to begin with 🤣
By the time you finish all the books you currently have to read, the new book will probably be at your local library.
I actually signed up for the audiobook at the library…but there are 36 people in the queue ahead of me. 🤣
I don’t count that like „saving“ is just not buying. I understand everyone look from other perspectives 👌🏻
Saving is put a side amount of money and giving up maybe some „habits“ for goal of save.
For nightstand i agree, im not minimalistic in way but never needed and owned one 👌🏻 for me that is just place to clutter 😅
Marissa, how do you keep your snake plant so upright? Mine is really bending outward and sometimes I stick a rod in it and then use dental floss to make it stand up more so it’s more attractive. I have three of them and they’re all spreading outward and it’s bugging me. Is it too much water, not enough water, not enough light I have no idea?
Could they possibly be leaning toward the light?
@ no, it’s not just going one way it’s splaying out in all directions.
I just saved $1,600 doing the January no-buy! I’m doing it again! I wonder how much I can save in a short month??
That's AMAZING! 😳
Are you counting the cost of everything you looked at (in store or via link) or are these items you would have purchased but you stopped yourself, reminded yourself you didn't need/want use etc.? I've been tracking things I had in hand that I put back etc. I've looked at lots of things but without intent to buy so didn't count those. I'm curious on what people are tracking and the amounts they have each month!
Those are things I felt an impulse to buy but stopped myself! It’s impossible to say if I would have gone through with all of them or not, but when I felt a strong pull I wrote it down. ✍️
This seem like a good plan with the journal, but my ADHD brain will not keep up with the journal. haha I do think about the purchase before I make it. I do like to imagine the items, but think about my adult children having to deal with it if I die, or me having to donate it later. haha
If you do a no spend month, do you have exceptions for kid party gifts or playdate invites at trampoline parks, etc?
We would make exceptions for birthdays and gifts for those, but no playdates or excursions for a total no-spend - only free ones! 👍
My husband had a professional job and he used cremo hair pomade from Walmart ($8) it works really well I recommend your husband tries to switch to a cheaper less luxury brand than RedKen to save money and achieve the same results. No one can tell what brand of hair cream you use anyway
*has
💰 i would love book and tip recommendations, as well as any useful apps for saving/ managing pots. By accident I've been on a no buy since Christmas and it's impressively hard even though i hate shopping!
That’s great! What kind of books are you interested in? 🤔 Knowing the topic would help my recommendation!
@AtoZenLife anything to do with streamlining finances that you've found useful x
26:27 OH YES. This is the truth right here! You can't buy what you don't know about. 😅
🇩🇰👋 exactly my experience in recent 6 months, after 5 years of simplifying and decluttering😅
That’s fantastic! Do you mind sharing more tips or details? It’s so great to have real people sharing their stories and inspiring others! ☺️🙏❤️
@@AtoZenLife l have been so surprised to learn that l thought that l had this mindset of simple living and decuttering for so many years that it was quite surprising to find out how easily l would still buy stuff, l don't need on a whim, once l payed attention to my behavior 😳 and then you post about it😃
@AtoZenlife I have decluttered many things over the years and feel in general that I have succeeded in simplifying. But my situation has changed recently, I'll be moving into a new flat in a couple of months and need to declutter much more to be able to do it 🙃 😅
My husband and I agreed to do a no buy in January. I ended up buying a new Jeep. We will try again in February 🙄🤣
Oh my goodness. 😂 Stay tuned for Frugal February! ✌️
@AtoZenLife I will clearly need it 🤣
İ am a book warm so this is my weakness 😅
16:27 😮
And that’s just the extra savings! 😳 💸
@ you are amazing 💕🌸
Make a list .gas money ,going s😅o much .trying going once or twice a month shopping . make a list.i am a senior in Pennsylvania
I’ve purchased one item from Wayfair-never again! The piece we purchased makes IKEA look like Ethan Allen. This notebook strategy helped me when I had to pay off a big purchase in 2019. It also helped me realize how much sugary foods I was eating.
the mic audio is a bit lower than it should, its picking up your words but not to what they should sound. I'd get a new mic if you were to spend anything
Sounded absolutely fine to me.
💰💸
🤑💰💸
👍💸
🎉💵💸🏦😊
SHOW ME THE 💰
💶💴
I’m on my first No Buy for Jan - Feb. I definitely wanted to stop impulse purchasing. I’m also trying to control the influx of “stuff” into our house. We been minimalist for over 5 years. My husband decided today we are going to apple it to food as well which I’m really excited about.
Because no one can afford anything 😅
Such a bizarre concept - writing down unbought purchases and being happy at the end by the money saved. So childish. Let alone the time spent thinking, writing, revisiting, etc.
Get a job, get busy, read actual literature, not "self-help" books, get out in the nature... So many things to do other than sitting down and thinking about possible impulse purchases...
Judgment is a mirror, wishing you hugs and healing. 🪞❤️🩹🙏
The 1st step in solving a problem is becoming AWARE that there IS a problem.
Keeping a written journal requires effort (YES) and develops further consciousness of the extent of the issue.
The financial tally of items avoided points out how potentially devastating impulse buying can be. Often, the dollar amount is scary enough to rein in one's behavior.
I used to do an audit of my check register every few months, which put me back on track to more sensible spending and SAVING.
There is nothing frivolous about this discussion and no one-size-fits-all solution.
There is room for many to have their say - just as you have had yours.
BTW, I and others have found some helpful advice in various self-help books. (Not all of every book, but parts of many. It's a bit of a scavenger hunt at times, but worthwhile.)
If it hasn't worked for you ... yet, don't give up hope.
Wow! Very harsh. I think Marissa’s idea of an impulse buy journal is a fantastic idea especially for people who really struggle with retail therapy. It’s not childish and actually a responsible and mature way of dealing with an addiction to buying things that we don’t need.
Love you gf
😘🙏
You seem like you really like to shop. I’m surprised you’re a minimalist. You have A LOT of self control.
I'm surprised that you think I like to shop! 🤔 Definitely need to develop those self-control muscles, hahaha.
@ It seemed like that because when you walked through the stores or online your eye caught things you were tempted to buy. Like…you were there to get what you needed but were shopping while there. So when I go to a store to get something, I’m typically in and out. I don’t usually look around while I’m there. I’m more “on a mission”. I do find myself seeing things I’d like online though…and with those I’ll take a screenshot and revisit it later (which I rarely do) or I add it to cart but let it sit there a while. Usually have a ton of things in “favorites” that never make it to the cart. What’s interesting on you tube are the makeup reviewers who are touting a no-buy 2025 yet buying new products and reviewing them is their job…so a no-buy makes no sense. It’s almost like people are just jumping on the trend as you said…advertising their no-buy yet I suspect it’s bs.
My hobby is knitting (which has a budget!). My husband and I are very lean in our spending, so one of the fun things I do is use leftover yarn to make scrappy projects. I have enough to keep me busy and having fun for years! 🧶😃
P.S. The yarn is contained in a finite space 😆
In January I throwed out a non stick skillet and plastic cutting board.shreedded papers . I felt better . when done🎉😮