“Sale” no longer means anything.

I received an email yesterday saying that a brand I use frequently’s Boxing Day sale was ending at midnight. I then received an email this morning saying their New Year sale is now on.

A shoe company I keep forgetting to unsubscribe from emailed me throughout the year with “sales” ranging from 10-30% off, some of them one after the other. One offered 15% off in their “end of Spring” sale, and the immediate weekend after it was a “Summer” 20% off sale. Friday to Saturday. “Spring” to “Summer”.

It used to be that if you missed out on a sale, you really missed out. The January Sales here in Scotland - and I imagine other places - was a whole Thing. My mum used to do a lot of shopping for the following Christmas, and save an absolute fortune. A lot of us will have grown up with that exact mentality. Now we save 15% in one sale, and go back and save 20% in the next because we feel like we missed out the first time. We’ve been conditioned to trust the word “sale”, and companies have just gone absolutely daft with it.

On top of it all - everything is all gumff. Fast fashion and convenience buying means these companies are happy to throw away overstock, seasonal dressing is a thing of the past and clothes are all made from crap they don’t care about taking a loss on. “Sale” is now a tool they use to capitalise on your FOMO or a way to get you to go back and spend more.

All this to say - please don’t be fooled by “sales” if you’re starting your no buy in January. There are no January sales anymore. Black Friday means nothing.

In the time it’s taken me to write this, I’ve had another “early access” January sale email, from a company who had a Boxing Day sale and a Christmas sale and a Cyber Monday sale and a Black Friday sale… you get the point!

As I sit here at about 7am in the morning and have already spent $20 without even leaving my house, I can’t help but think how easy it used to be to not buy stuff before the internet. I’m 43 so do still remember a time before internet shopping being so ubiquitous. If you were at home you weren’t spending unless you were calling in to QVC or something, which was probably a pain and you had plenty of time to think about your purchase while calling in, instead of just clicking a “buy” button. You could flip through catalogs in your house and browse but you didn’t have every product all around the world available to buy at any time of day, and even then you had to call the order in and wait ages for it OR I do even remember as a teenager having to fill out a form and mail checks in, haha. If you were at work you weren’t spending either unless you were going to a store on lunch break or something. Now I spend while I am bored at work. When I’m at home and remember something I want to buy (this morning it was for a new shower door handle. So not totally useless but still) I feel like everything is against me doing this. Like you used to have to actually go out of your way to spend money.

I’ve removed credit cards from PayPal, Apple Pay, Amazon, anything else I can think of. I’m so over this. Like another post said, why should those rich assholes get my money? I know this no buy will be difficult and take an extreme amount of vigilance I don’t know if I actually have.

Is there a daily check in thread on this sub? I think it would help a lot to keep accountable! Or is there a “talk me out of this impulse buy” thread where people post what they have in their cart and want to buy and other posters try to talk them out of it?

Good luck to us all, I’m going to sit down this weekend and really nail down my rules. 2024 was a year of stagnancy for me and I’m determined to make 2025 different.

I’m new to the concept of no/lowbuy, but after realising I spend 1k on average each month despite living at home rent free (uk 25f) things have got to change. I earn in the 20’s too in my start up position, so I don’t even have the means to spend as much as I do.

if anyone else is new, or wanting to try this out as I am, join me for a no buy January. Just try a month to start. My goal is to save 1k, not spend it. I’ve only just started going into finances and never had a savings account before! The larger goal is to save up to move out in the next year or two.

I don’t even know what I buy to spend so much. Wasted expensive food, books I don’t read, extra charity/thrift clothes etc. But it was quite shocking to realise I spend way more than I save.

Posting here to motivate and beauce I hope to come back at the end of Jan successful with the experience! After no buy Jan I hope to go up to 3 months, and to generally do a low buy year. But I think big habitual shifts to life like this need to be small and deliberate, so I’m starting out with just one month. Join me if you‘re up for it!

any tips appreciated!

• I went though and combed my bank statements for subscriptions I’m not using and canceled them or downgraded them. Some examples: I was paying for the family plan on Netflix, and we only watch it on one device (our TV). I've gotten the family plan to share with my relatives, but literally nobody uses it and haven’t for years.
• I recently started grad school, so I went through and switched my Spotify, YouTube premium, and Hulu over to student plans. My Hulu went from $11 a month down to two dollars a month for the next year, I believe. My Spotify went from $16 a month down to, I think, seven dollars a month. YouTube went from $15 a month down to six dollars a month. Don't quote me on these exact amounts, but it will save a few hundred over the course of the next year. I still use the services and want to keep paying for them because they are worth it to me, but I will still be saving a ton of money.
• I canceled Scentbird. I have enough.
• I canceled a credit card that had an annual fee and got the fee reversed. They downgraded the card to a free card and didn’t charge me. I wouldn’t have noticed this if I hadn’t been looking through my statements for subscriptions to cancel!
• I deleted the shopping apps from my phone. Sephora, Ulta, Lush, Mercari, Amazon. For essentials that I purchase from Amazon, I can wait until I’m at my laptop if it’s that important, but for now I’m reducing the friction between what I think I need and the ability to buy things with a few clicks.
• I created a spreadsheet that combines all of my various savings accounts and investment accounts so I can watch them grow month over a month over the next year. My plan is to actually start investing more and really building up my savings account, but it's a little bit difficult when I have like five or six different accounts. This spreadsheet will total up all of the balances at the end of the month so I can see how much more money I have compared to the previous month.
• I also created a spreadsheet to add all of my purchases to. Yes, all of them. Categorized by date, type, etc. I used to use Mint for this but I haven’t found a reliable Mint alternative so I guess I’m the Mint alternative now.
• I gave away some of the things that I have, but don’t love or won’t use.
• For Christmas, I asked my husband for a bunch of supplies to make things that I would normally buy. Bath bombs, wax melts, lotions, etc. When I run out, I’ll make them. Creation over consumption.
• I went through and unsubscribed from all marketing emails. Every time I get a new marketing email or text message, I immediately unsubscribe. I'm not going to just survive this low buy year if I keep getting these tempting emails.
• I started a wishlist to add things to when I want them instead of just buying them.
• I went through and unfollowed a bunch of influencers and corporate accounts on things like TikTok and Facebook. I'm tired of being sold shit.

I’d love to hear if anyone has any other examples of things they did to prepare (mentally or otherwise).

Hey Everyone! I’m (f51) just saying hello as I’m new here and want to keep myself accountable. I am a low income shopaholic who has decided to take accountability for the financial mess I’ve created for myself.

I cancelled my Amazon prime yesterday and deleted all of my shopping apps from my phone. I’ve unsubscribed to all of the marketing emails from stores I buy from.

I plan on sticking to a strict budget this year with the goal of paying off two credit cards and to build my savings. I’m allowing myself a $50 spending limit per month towards anything beyond bills, gas and groceries.

After I get my savings to my emergency fund goal, all extra money will go towards debt and my IRA.

Thank you all for being here and sharing your stories as I will be visiting this sub daily to keep me going!

I nearly broke my self-imposed no-buy rule for December, all because of one top from Aritzia. I found myself mentally crafting excuses—holiday gatherings, wardrobe versatility, even the allure of a 'timeless piece.' But then I paused and asked the question that mattered: Is this fleeting desire worth compromising the commitment I made to myself? It wasn’t just about the top—it was about staying disciplined in a promise I made to prioritize intentionality over impulse. The answer was clear, and the top stayed where it belonged: in the store.

I almost broke my no buy at Walmart today. I’ve been really wanting the new dove crumbl body wash. Up until today, it’s been easy not to buy because it’s out of stock everywhere. Today, my Walmart had a full shelf of it. I went as far as putting it in my cart, before finally returning to put it back in the shelf. What helped me resist: 1. I had my eye on the strawberry to match a strawberry lotion I got for Christmas. However, the strawberry really didn’t smell that great. I ended up grabbing the lemon hand soap. So, not being able to use it for my intended purpose put a strike against it. 2. I went to the hand soap section to remind myself that there are always good smelling soaps available. You don’t need to buy now out of fear that there won’t be any in the future. If not this soap, a different one that’s just as good. 3. I have a ton of soap at home that I need to use up first. Panning has helped me realize just how much we over-consume…body care lasts far longer than we expect. 4. I’d have to start over my ‘days since’ tracker.

I read a post yesterday about being influenced and it reminded me of some Tool lyrics:

“All you read and wear or see and hear on TV is a product waiting for your fat ass, dirty dollar.”

Since realizing I am such an over consumer I realized how EVERYTHING is an ad. Everything and everyone is trying to sell me something. It kind of makes me feel like an idiot but now that I see it I kind of feel like I got this.

I started early with my no buy year.

I think it’s been easier for the last 10 days because Christmas has been keeping me busy.

I’m curious what your rules around the money and gift cards you received for Christmas. Are you saving the cash? Are gift cards fair game? If you’re returning things, is the money meant for savings, or are you replacing the returned gift with something you want/need?

I didn’t think of rules for this situation.

First post here! I’m 22 ftm living on my own with crazy impulsive and distractible ADHD. I’m an artist who transferred from art institution to art institution and would constantly burn myself out trying to live and study on my own dollar. The debt I’ve accumulated from studies that only seemed to drain my wallet and creative spirit has slammed me to rock bottom and I’m determined to get back up.

I’m paying off as much as I can while I commit to a no-buy year with the hopeful goal of moving to Philadelphia next year. My budget is layed out, and I’ve cancelled all of my subscriptions! I’m feeling hopeful

Currently a sahm with no income. Entered into this arrangement with my own savings but after a year of repairs on our house + impulse spending mostly relating to home improvement I'm dedicated to reigning it in this year. I want my remaining savings reserved for my personal sense of security and also as an emergency fund.

The fact is we haven't really been living on one income and it's not sustainable.

Made it through the Christmas purchases about a week ago and haven't spent an unnecessary dime sense. Been fighting some temptations. Forgot my watch charger and won't be home for three weeks and it's going to drive me crazy. But I'll live right?

Supposedly my husband is on board. But I find myself feeling like a nag. We had a light jokey argument about new better toothbrush heads even though we have a pack of replacement heads at home. And then I found out he up charged his train ticket home for a more comfortable experience. Like I get that holiday train travel kinda sucks and he's traveling back to work while I take the car and kid to visit family and friends. But it's enough of an upcharge that I feel foolish pinching pennies over a charger and rewashing the same sippy cup back to back when I could just go to the store, get a few more and make my life a little easier.

I don't know if this post is a vent or if I'm seeking advice. I guess some of both. And maybe it's just a journalling exercise.

I'm doing no/low buy for a number of reasons. To work on impulse control, regulate dopamine, cultivate mindfulness and gratitude, anti consumption and waste, and just generally slow down and live simpler.

I feel overstimulated. Between adding a baby to our lives and home, all the things that come with that and the repair work so much of my life has become so focused on managing stuff. Like our physical junk. Just moving it around the house to deal with repairs. And moving it around to limit toddler access. I'm just questioning how all this stuff serves me. And how I can serve myself in this pursuit regardless of the choices my husband makes. Because micromanaging his purchases sounds downright exhausting. But I also feel like my (very shortlived efforts so far) are invalidated by his impulse purchases. And again- I struggle with impulse purchases so it feels hypocritical to feel that way. And ultimately I just have to focus on making improvements for myself.

I’d love to join 🙂

With the new year approaching I wanted to share another method I've approached to "No Buy" and being more mindful with what I spend money on. Previous Post - I know this sub's primary focused on "Not Buying" but I do want to share the mindset that helps me continue to not buy, rather than just supressing urges that may emerge when a sale approaches.

I'm a huge gamer, and one of the terms that circle around the type of games I play is "Best in Slot" essentially meaning that of the different categories of your characters equipment, its statistically the "Best in that Slot."

The method is really simple, I do not buy unless the purchase will be better than whatever the item's category is, or I'm replacing a broken item.

Example: I had a Sony A6000 camera, and I wanted to get a Fujifilm instead because I enjoy the film simulations. I sold the A6000 and bought the Fujifilm camera to replace the Sony.

How do I know what's "Best-In-Slot"?

That's the neat part, you don't. Products come out so often, and our lives are constantly changing. Back to the camera situation I wasn't always a camera person, but I recently picked up the hobby with some of my friends and that "added a slot" because it became incredibly valuable to me and boosted my quality of life.

2 Questions that I ask myself before purchasing an item:

• What will this purchase replace?
• If it is not replacing it, what problem is it solving?
• Is there an alternative solution to this problem?

When I say "alternative solution" I really just mean ways to solve it without buying something. Think, borrowing an item to try it out before buying or just borrowing it with the purpose to solve the problem and return to it later.

I'm not really the best at writing things, but I do want to share some of my methods as they come to mind in longer form.

Note: Remember, you are in control. You control the swipe/insert of your card, or typing in your details.

I play a lot of video games and that term in my circles means its the "Best item within that category to equip." I apply the same logic to my spending as best as I can. I had a longer post written out before it got accidentally deleted, but the process is really simple.

• Only Buy when you are replacing an item with a better one or it's broken.
• Sell or Donate the old item that was "Best-in-Slot"

My focus is primarily on the mindfulness aspect of spending rather than the restriction, when I tried restricting myself, I kept making strange justifications and binge buying because it would be "just this once."

Example: I purchased a camera to get into a photography hobby with friends. As I was learning my hobby, I discovered that my camera did not have features I needed to do the type of photography I wanted. I sold my old camera to buy a new one.

I am not going to buy another camera until there is a justification to have a second one, or I am replacing the one I have.

"What would be a Justification?"

Typically when having multiple of something improves the quality of life. I have an Aeropress, to save on going out for coffee, I bought another one to keep at my office instead of moving it around back and forth. Also saving me on Coffee when I'm at the office.

"How do I know what's Best in Slot?"

That's the neat part, you don't. Technology changes, better products are made, the only thing you need to remember is to be mindful about why you are buying things. Mindless spending is what got me addicted to buying new things even if I didn't need it.

Remember, you're in control.

Clothes are my vice. Not makeup, not skincare, not candles... I'm super minimal when it comes to those. But clothes, how I dress and present myself is a huge part of my identity. I'm 32 and my body/weight has changed over the past few years and so I've needed to invest in work appropriate clothes that fit my current body. But it's a pattern of overconsumption for me.

This year I have a few weddings to attend, planning my own wedding, and some travel and i've been considering getting a clothing subscription service like nuuly for those months, so I can stop purchasing dresses I'll only wear once or twice, and still get the option to feel like I have new things in my wardrobe. I do thrift, and I've thrifted a lot more in the past, but even that tends to become a pattern of overconsumption for me. What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear. And yes the cost of the clothing rental, assuming I would pause for the months I don't need, would be significantly lower than the overall cost of clothes I purchase.