No Buy Month – The Verdict
In two previous blogs, I have explained what a No Buy Month is and how I got on with doing one. I will give you my thoughts on No Buy Challenges in today’s blog. Would I do it again? Is it useful? Who would benefit from it? What have I learned?
I found a month-long no-buy challenge harder than I thought I would. You don’t realise the number of things you buy month after month to aid convenience and make your life more pleasant without giving it a second thought. But unfortunately, my no-buy challenge was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so I didn’t have time to think it through and prepare for it.
Let me give an example; for instance when going somewhere, I never take snacks as I know I can buy them. With a no-buy month, this requires planning for such occasions. I could quickly do this in theory, but something I hadn’t thought of at the time. There were instances where I caved and spent money on buying drinks, as the alternative would have been going thirsty.
Other instances I found more challenging, but I could have done with some prior planning. For example, I attend two book groups and might have been able to source the books through public libraries. Alternatively, I could have sat in the British Library reading room and read them. (For those not from the UK, the British Library holds every book in print in English.) However, this would have required planning and wasn’t feasible for a challenge that I decided to do only a week before starting.
Oh, and what about replacing broken things? In my case, a mobile phone. In true No Buy fashion, I would have scoured my friends’ list and asked whether anyone had an old phone. But, unfortunately, I didn’t do that.
On the reverse side, there were other aspects of a no-buy challenge that I personally found incredibly easy. I know others might not. For example, I discovered that not buying random things I don’t need, such as souvenirs, while on holiday is incredibly simple. Still, I am not much of an impulse shopper anyway. I buy stuff when I need it and replace broken items, but overall don’t buy random shit on impulse. Again, this comes from being a minimalist. You train yourself not to want stuff that you know could end up on the donation pile in your next clear-out. However, our economy would suffer if everyone thought like me. Many of us still fall for advertising or appealing displays in shop windows.
I believe that the purpose behind a no-buy month is to learn to be more mindful of what you spend your money on, save money for a rainy day and reduce overall consumerism. It is a valuable exercise for people who struggle with these. Many individuals will realise how much money they waste daily and will reap the benefits of more healthy savings. As I am already good at saving and relatively minimal in my shopping habits, I did not benefit in the same way others might. My increase in savings in February was negligible compared to previous months.
A further point related to the above that I want to make is that it relates to class. People on a meagre income might greatly benefit from spending less and savings in case essential items break. On the other hand, middle-class people with a bit more disposable income might not reap the benefits in quite the same way as their coffee consumption doesn’t impact finances.
Of course, I only did it for a month; loads of people do it for a year. Perhaps a month isn’t long enough to truly experience this. So maybe I should go for a more extended period and adequately plan it at some point in the future. While I have no plans to do it straight away, I am not ruling out a more extended challenge in the future.
Overall, I think it’s an excellent exercise and something that many people would benefit from trying. Especially those of us not into minimalism and into shopping.
To get further ideas on how to get organised and more productive, check out my other posts here.
Contact me here to help get organised, and I’d be delighted to work with you.
trabantbettina
Bettina Anna Trabant, Founder of Life Organised, your professional organising and decluttering service in East London. Eco-conscious minimalist and avid tea drinker,