NEW YORK (AP) – A 35-year-old Brooklyn man has given up buying new clothes. A 22-year-old San Diego man swore off the retail therapy at Target. A 26-year-old woman in England banned soda from her shopping list.
These three women, who don’t know each other, all started the year by resolving to spend money only on essential purchases, or what is popularly known as engaging in a no-shopping challenge. The self-imposed rules of the challenge are simple: participants pledge to stop buying non-essential items, be it unnecessary shoes, beauty supplements or other impulse purchases for a set time, usually 12 months.
What started a few years ago as a blogging experiment in budgeting and mindful spending has become a popular trend on social media. A Reddit group where people share their experiences has 51,000 members. The challenge primarily gained popularity on TikTok, where some videos of users seeking to hold themselves accountable receive hundreds of thousands of views.
Elysia Berman, a creative director living in Brooklyn, decided she needed to drastically change her spending habits after amassing a collection of vintage designer clothes and five-figure credit card debt. Her no-shopping pledge included not buying new clothes, picking up makeup and hair products only after she used up what she had, and limiting social outings to low- or no-cost activities.
For Berman, adopting a more frugal lifestyle serves one purpose: paying off her credit card debt. “I didn’t want to challenge myself. I’m really in a position where this is a necessary next step for me,” she said.
Both keeping her commitment and making progress toward her financial goal have proven more difficult than Berman expected. Within two weeks of starting her challenge, she couldn’t resist buying a new beret. Next came a new pair of boots. Although the challenge has helped her reduce her expenses, she isn’t accumulating savings as much as living within her means.
“Having this lifestyle adjustment, I anticipated it would make a huge difference in my ability to pay off my debt,” Berman said.
Talking about any personal financial struggles is difficult for most people, but Berman approached it directly by discussing her financial struggles with friends and family and then posting about the issues on social media. The latter action resulted in more exposure than she originally expected; she has over 60,000 followers on TikTok, where a video in which she showcased her bare skin and hair products received over 1 million views.
While the trend has been on the rise for some time, the start of 2024 gave people another opportunity to regain agency over their finances after the “penalty costs” of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate for personal finance company Credit Karma.
“It’s just people trying to recover from what has been a rampant cycle of overspending, to be able to fix their financial situation and be able to save money,” Alev said.
Not everyone who chooses to join the no-buy trend has debt. Amea Wadsworth, who moved back home to San Diego, California after graduating college, wanted to use her first full-time job as a chance to save, the environment, and money for her future.
After moving back in with her mom, she began to notice how much space she had. Working on a sustainability app has also made her more aware of her personal contribution to the world’s mountains of waste.
“I’m tracking everything I’m spending. I’m writing it all down,” said Wadsworth, who also writes down the times she wants to buy something but doesn’t. She reviews the entries at the end of the month to determine whether her purchases were truly necessary purchases or a response to a rush.
Mia Westrap, a PhD student from Southampton, England, also uses TikTok as a way to keep herself accountable during her shopping-free year. Her goal is to save three months’ rent, as she currently lives month to month. While Berman’s Achilles’ heel was fashion items, Westrap’s was food and drink.
“I realized I was spending four figures just on sodas and Pepsi Max,” she said.
Since social activities like going out for dinner or drinks involve spending money, Westrap decided to stop dating during her one-year shopping-free challenge.
“I don’t want to go on a date and expect them to pay for me,” she said. “And I also don’t want to go out and meet someone and be like, ‘Oh look, I make these TikToks.’ spent no money and here I am'”
Other cost-free participants give themselves some freedom. Wadsworth, for example, isn’t buying any physical items, but allows herself the occasional meal out with friends and the cost of visiting her long-distance boyfriend.
Sabrina Pare, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, approached cutting back on shopping from an environmental perspective. A fan of sustainable living with a large social media following, Pare decided to take part in the No Shopping Year as a way to limit her contribution to the world’s waste.
She started by decluttering her closet and then looked for eco-friendly ways to build a minimalist wardrobe, like hosting a clothing swap and avoiding fashion trends. At every step, Pare brings her followers along by filming short videos and sharing tips.
“If you buy less, it’s better for the planet. “Overconsumption is such an issue in our society,” she said.
But just as social media can be used for accountability and support when taking part in the No Shopping Year challenge, it’s also one of the reasons many overspend. Berman, for example, stopped following many fashion influencers to reduce the urge to buy things.
Learning to avoid impulse buying requires rethinking your habits and becoming aware of your triggers, said Carrie Rattle, CEO of Behavioral Cents, a financial coaching company.
“(The challenge) helps you try to counteract the need for dopamine. Every time we shop, every one of us buys, we get that little hit of dopamine,” Rattle said.
While the challenge is meant to last for a year, people who try it say they are learning new techniques to help them avoid overspending in the future.
Westrap carries a bag big enough to hold something to read when she leaves her apartment, so she won’t have an excuse to buy more books. Pare unsubscribed from magazines that tempted her to buy clothes and skin care products. Berman dyed her hair back to her natural brown color, as salon appointments to keep the bright blonde color were expensive.
“My consumer habits have changed so much through this,” Berman said. “Just because you see all the garbage and you’re like, ‘Why is this necessary? Why buy a million little things when you can buy just one big thing, and it’s even better if it’s refillable’”
After she makes a significant dent in her credit card debt, Berman hopes to start saving and investing. Wadsworth plans to focus on spending her money on experiences with loved ones rather than material things. Pare hopes to pay off her student loans.
Wadsworth advises anyone who listens to the no-purchase challenge and can’t imagine doing one to try it out, even if it’s just for a month.
“They say it sounds very difficult, and yes, it seemed difficult to me too. “But if it sounds so scary, it probably means you need it,” she said.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is split from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
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