Why are you doing low buy / no buy 2022?

[DeloresMadrigal]

I am trying this. Today I came really close to buying some pretty unnecessary stuff and then I remembered why I'm doing it!

In my case, I'm saving for a breast reduction. Also, just feel guilty about the fashion industry and the carbon footprint associated with buying things all the time.

Wondered what other people's reasons for doing it are and also thought it might help anyone who nearly cracked already like I nearly did

Me! I have too much stuff, too many clothes, I buy stuff cos I’m bored.

We need to get our house decorated, and I need to save money for that, not fritter it away on crap.

But it’s soooo hard!!!

I need to build my savings, want a new kitchen. Trouble is I get bored and buy stuff I don't actually need. What doesn't help is knowing all my card details off the top of my head 😤😤
Plan is to cancel the cards so no spending/low spending.

It is surprisingly hard! Only on day 11 of no buy 🤣. I have a bra in my basket. I could argue that it's a bargain in the sale and I don't really own that many bras, but NO! I can make do with what I have. And anyway, when I get my surgery I won't need bras that size anymore, so investing in them is a mistake I think.

Also nearly bought some health and fitness type stuff today, which again I do not need. What I do need is to actually just do some exercise. I have a spin bike which is just sitting there barely used

Fgs only day 10 I mean!

I want to stop shitting on the environment, save money for a mortgage and stop my shopping addiction! Pleased to have not spent anything on clothes yet and I’m returning the last purchase I made after Christmas.

Also I’ve not been drinking this month and it’s made it much easier to resist impulse purchases!

I'd quite like not to run out of money before payday. But I bought 2 nail varnishes today so am not very good at no spending!
I sink a lot of money in the supermarkets, which has to stop.

To finish off paying for an unexpected family funeral and build up my savings again.

And to stop wasting food. I live alone and try to use everything up but it’s not always easy. Need to get that supermarket bill down.

I want to have an amazing holiday this summer after two years of visiting bits of the UK in the rain, and I need to save for that.

@IvorCutler

Also I’ve not been drinking this month and it’s made it much easier to resist impulse purchases!

Omg same

Embarrassed at how much of a difference no alcohol has made to my shopping habits. How many unnecessary things have I drunk-purchased ?

I'm pregnant so not really wanting to spend much on clothes, I can think of better things to spend my money on, but will buy as and when I need something for my changing body shape.

I think this is the longest I've ever gone into a new year without buying something to wear . Having said that, I found very little I wanted to buy last autumn/winter so I spent a lot less than usual which has made avoiding the sales a lot easier.

In my case I've reached the age of 53 and decided to get deadly serious about retiring sooner rather than later. I finish paying my credit card off this summer and want to start ramping up my cash savings between now and 65 so that I'm not just relying on my (albeit good) pensions. I won't need half the clothes I currently have when I do retire so I've decided to focus on sorting out and wearing more of what I own. Working from home also helped me prioritise what I wanted to spend on and I want to focus on getting my home sorted and my fitness back to pre-pandemic level.

Good luck to everyone trying to buy less this year

I have too much stuff too.

I can afford it, but want to think of the planet.
I need a new swimsuit (mine is so saggy it is getting indecent, even more embarrassing if I go with the DCs) and I have just ordered that.
I am going to try and mend some socks that have holes, but if that doesn't work I will probably have to buy them.
I also really need a new cycling jacket/trousers to get to work.

I will try and check back here to confirm I haven't bought anything!

I also sew but I have SO MUCH fabric it's unreal so I don't need to get any fabric either.

I’m trying to buy less ‘stuff’. I was tempted to bid on some shoes on eBay for going back to the office but I might have a new job that doesn’t require office wear so it’s a good job I didn’t… particularly as I have shoes that would ‘do’ anyway

I did buy a hat that I need but it’s now lost in the Amazon system and I have neither hat nor refund currently!

I did sign up to a Jo Malone online event next month but that’s fragrance so that is okay because I’ve unsubscribed to a beauty box

I want to be less complicit in the wanton destruction of the environment for one thing, and also to learn to appreciate what I already have. I have cracked almost daily since the start of the month, which has made me realise just how addicted I was to shopping, particularly when I’m feeling down/stressed which is most of the time atm Doesn’t help that I’m now stuck at home with covid I’m hoping it’ll get easier after the first few weeks!

I just feel like I have a lot of stuff. Obviously all the workwear has been unused for a couple of years, so no need to replace any of that. I'm WFH so casual clothing is on heavy rotation and it doesn't matter if that's a bit tatty.

I feel like I want to wear out some items and also stop buying fast fashion. I have piles of socks and underwear - that is ridiculous!

And I'm trying to reduce plastic - so part of that is reducing and simplifying the beauty haul. I'm tired of all the bottles - do I really need all that?!

Like PP I have far more clothes, shoes/boots and skincare stuff than I'll likely ever need, and I need to build my savings back up after the last couple of years pretty much annihilated them.

I tried allowing myself second hand stuff last year, but I still just bought far too much and even after a couple of weeks of not endlessly looking through more stuff I don't need I'm feeling far more in control. Plus it isn't just the money - I'm enjoying picking out things I've rarely worn or used and I've found a few I'd forgotten almost altogether which is nearly as good as having new things .

I have way too many clothes and shoes already and not enough time to enjoy wearing them. I could wear a different outfit every day for months. 😳

Also hoping to lose the dress size or two I've gained as then I could fit into some of my old favourite clothes again.

I'm also worried about the cost of living in general going up and realise I can't spend ££££ on clothes.

I feel environmental guilt knowing even the most eco friendly organic clothing production is still bad and we shouldn't consume as much as we do.

And finally I'm thinking of going back to study/training in a specific profession and would like to build up some savings.

Because everything we buy has an environmental impact, be it in the production or the disposal and cheap clothing is ruining the planet.

Because everything I spend money on is less money put aside for a rainy day when I might rue the day I wasted loads of money on stuff I just didn't need.

I am doing a no skincare/beauty/make up spend. I made a comprehensive list of all my hair and beauty products at in about November, and I absolutely do not need to buy anything new as I have so many items still to use. I am only going to buy more when I’ve used them up. I’ve even made myself targets of the products that I am going to use up in January and also in February. I’m aiming to keep going through to December.

I’m not saving for anything, but I’d like to be able to do it and resist temptation. The replacements I have take up loads of storage space and it feels slightly obscene.

Because we’re hoping to complete major renovation work on our house & will have to move out, likely into a small flat & put all our stuff in storage so we need to reduce the amount of “stuff” we have.

I’m also guilty of not wearing 90% of my clothes, especially since lockdown and WFH

Now I have a young child & WFH I have no need for more than one or two smart or going out type outfits so I absolutely need to stop buying pretty dresses and high heels and things that do not suit my lifestyle and never get worn.

Also environmental reasons. To be fair 90% of my wardrobe is second hand but even stuff like Vinted has an environmental cost - all those parcels being driven around in vans etc

I’m planning to retire this summer. My income will be very low so I need to a) get used to not spending and b) save. Having said that I bought two houseplants today.
I like the idea of ‘shopping my wardrobe’ and am trying to wear things I’ve not worn for ages.
I’d like to be braver about wearing things in different combinations too but don’t really feel confident about this. There used to be an instagrammer called I think Not Buying New, who posted her outfits every day. But I can’t find her now. She was really good at finding different ways of wearing one item of clothing.

I'm also saving for a few things. We want to move house at some point soon-ish and I also want a decent emergency fund. I also just want to live with less stuff. Will also make the eventual move a lot easier if there's less to move!

I'm doing very low spend. No clothes secondhand or otherwise, except pants, bras and socks if needed. Or, if I need to pay towards a new work uniform, (I may change jobs).

I’m doing low buy.

I did “nothing new year” in 2008 and really felt good about it. Got about eight months in and bought a fair trade bag made out of woven recycled juice packets.

Then went to work for a big environmental organisation and got very disillusioned. But recently the disillusionment is wearing off. A few things have contributed to that, including Don’t Look Up.

I’ve worn out a lot less stuff (especially shows) the last couple of years so I’ve got plenty of things. So I’m not going to buy anything that expands my wardrobe this year. If something essential wears out and I’ve got nothing that would do the same job I’ll get a replacement but that’s it. I think that’s more realistic for me than no buy.

Also DH had a 50% salary cut for part of 2020 and no bo is. We realised we could live on less. His company gave him a very good bonus at the end of last year to say thank you/make up for the cut. It’s boosted our savings a lot.

So we realise now that if we keep living costs at the same level or thereabouts, we could save more and he could either retire a few years early or cut back on hours for his last years there. I’ve got a chronic illness and it would be great if we could spend more time together.