How to Succeed with Your No-Buy

Disclaimer: This is only based on my own experiences and might not work for you.

So you've decided to go on a no-buy, eh? Well done! You're one step closer to your goals! I'm really proud of you and I want to help you on your journey to a fuller savings account, more freedom and less clutter. Take out a notebook and a pencil and lets begin.

First of all I want you to understand why you want to be on a no-buy. Is it to save money? Is it to curb a shopping addiction? Is it simply because you've realized you already have enough and bringing more in is pointless? Whatever your reasons are, I want you to write them all down. Make sure you're honest with yourself or this won't work.

Second of all, I want you to write down your rules. Are you going on a full no-buy or are you allowing yourself replacements? What counts as replacements? Personally, I highly recommend you go on a replacement-only no-buy (RONB) in order to avoid the stress of a full no-buy that might lead you to stock up on products you're afraid to run out off during the no-buy. That's quite counter productive, don't you think? These were/are my no-buy rules.



After you've set up your rules its time to take a look at your habits and triggers and make a game plan. When do you usually buy makeup? What changes can you make in your life to avoid these situations and what should you do in case you did end up in one of those situations? Identify all the triggers and write exactly what to do to. You'll thank yourself later. Also make sure to update this list during your no-buy whenever you find yourself in a situation that might make you spend money on unnecessary things.

And last of all, don't beat yourself up when you make a mistake. Acknowledge the mistake, think about what made you break the no-buy and try to learn from it. And most importantly, continue your no-buy. I've written another post about what to do when you've broken your no-buy earlier this week so take a look at that if you want more tips and tricks!

Are you on a no-buy? Why or why not? Please leave a comment down below, I'd love to continue the discussion there.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I am on an replacement only no buy. One thing i have noticed is that buying one product at a time is triggering for me. It makes me go to the drugstore or make up store a few times a week or month, depending on how fast things are panned. So i have been trying out a way to deal with that. I have been looking at items that are going to empty this week and then i will repurchase that in one go. I will not open it and use it untill the 'old' thing is done. That way i still have a 'new shiny thing'. I do need to look at my triggers more in terms of emotions. Maybe i should write down what i am feeling when i want to buy something. That could help me figuring out what is going on.
Maria said…
Ah i forgot my name. That was me Maria lol. I was to focused on proving that i am not a robot.
Ida B said…
@Anonymous That's great! Buying things in one go is my approach too, I take a look at what I'll need within the near future and then I purchase accordingly. When it comes to skincare and haircare I try to only purchase new things 2-3 times a year to not overspend.
StepStrong said…
I'm currently on a replacement only no-buy until December 31st, 2020. I wasn't a fan of the whole "one year" only concept because I realized waiting until the new year was silly. However, I am a fan of an end date. My no-buy did include just makeup and skincare, but after the last month (still haven't broken the no-buy!), I realized I wanted to extend my no-buy to other aspects of my life including clothing, candles, etc that I already have a plethora of. I've noticed I'm no longer doing the things I enjoyed anymore, e.g. reading or going on walks (now I have a new puppy in the house) that I should focus on more! I'm very excited about what's to come now that I'm 24 days into it. Btw, my name is Arda :)