Elysia Berman remembers the moment she realized her shopping spree was out of control. Last December, he went into the store to buy gloves. And he came out with a $600 suit he didn’t need and couldn’t afford.
“That was my breaking point,” she recalls.
So Berman, 35, decided to do something drastic. They will try the no-buy challenge, a popular social media experiment that encourages people to buy cheaper items. For a specified period of time – in his case, a year – he will stop spending money on non-essentials. No clothes. No makeup. No home decor. Instead, they will use what they have and buy second-hand.
The challenge is harder than it looks. Berman, who documented it they don’t buy travel on TikTokmust break the habit of buying 10 to 30 new items per week. And as a fashion industry professional, he is surrounded by temptations to shop.
Since starting the challenge in January, Berman has saved tens of thousands of dollars, paid down a quarter of her debt — and says her mental health has improved. “Essentially, I’ve been detoxing and withdrawing from the dopamine you get from shopping.”
Anyone can try the no-buy challenge. What is your reason to avoid spending, reduce fast mode or reduce your carbon footprint (approx 10% of all carbon emissions come from the fashion industry, according to the United Nations), here are some tips to help you get started.
Make a “yes” and “no” shopping list.
Grab a pen and paper and write down a list of non-essentials that you will stop buying — and keep buying — for a while. It will help you determine which items you tend to overspend on, and be more deliberate about what to buy. It can also help you focus on the goal of a no-purchase experiment.
“The no-buy rule is going to be different for everyone,” Berman said. She knows she has a weakness for fashion, so the “no” column includes clothes, beauty products, perfume, jewelry and bathing suits.
Your “yes” column should target items that enhance your life and support your hobbies, he said. Berman’s list includes fresh flowers, museum tickets, pilates classes and budget travel.
Set the timeline — and the rules
Berman decided to do the Don’t Buy Challenge for a year. If that feels too restrictive, try it for a few months — or even a few weeks.
You can also change the rules of the experiment to make it more fun. Sustainable fashion writer Don’t Barber run an online community where they encourage people to consume mindfully. “I challenge people not to buy new clothes this year. That forces people to be creative, but does not limit everything,” he said. “I also challenge readers to buy 50% of second-hand clothes.”
Reduce the temptation to shop
In a world of flash sales and ads that follow you from site to site, the temptation to shop is everywhere. So limit your exposure to shopping deals — and “get your social media on,” says Barber.
- Delete social media accounts that tempt you to spend moneysaid Berman. That includes fashion influencers, stylists and clothing brands.
- Unsubscribe from your favorite brand’s email listsaid Barber. Asking for daily or weekly updates on sales and price reductions is not helpful.Block websites you tend to shop on. Berman did this with some of his top fashion sites at the beginning of the year not buying. “That way, I’m not even tempted to browse,” she said.
- Follow influencers and conscious consumption groups. Berman makes it a point to follow people who are also trying to change their spending habits. “They’re almost like a support group,” she said.
Change your shopping habits
It’s easy to overspend in fast fashion. But when you start to humanize the supply chain, you’ll see that a tremendous deal, say, dress $8 Sheinnot so awesome after all.
Fast fashion is fast and cheap because the company cut every possible corner and costs, said Dilys Williams, director at Sustainable Fashion Center at the University of the Arts in London. That often means using it oil-based fabrics like polyesterthat do not biodegrade, and factories that pollute and often drastically underpay or mistreat workers.
As a result of this system, more people than ever, and the consequences are real, said Barber. There’s a giant pile of discarded clothing in Chile’s Atacama Desert that’s so big it can be seen from space. And the beach in Ghana has been overtaken by clothes thrown on the beach.
So, recalibrate your idea of ​​what is normal when it comes to the value of clothing. Support sustainable fashion brands. And know the harm of fast fashion, said Barber.
Months into the challenge, Berman says the no-buy trip has helped him consume more mindfully. And there have been other payoffs as well.
“I’m very proud of myself,” he said. “I’ve seen a new level of dedication and focus that I didn’t know I could do before.”
The audio portion of this episode was produced by Margaret Cirino and edited by Malaka Gharib. Visual editor is Beck Harlan.
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