2026 No Buy

[Eatingmusselsfromashell]

I am planning a strict 2026 clothes no buy. I’ve tried in the past but the maximum I achieved was 3 months or so.
I’m sick of the cycle of seeing/ wanting / buying. I want to couple my No Buy with some other habit changes. I would like to limit screen time to one hour a day (except when listening to podcasts/ books and language learning). This is the year to brush up my Spanish and German for trips later in the year. I am annoyed at the hours of life I have wasted scrolling online sites.
I’ve tidied wardrobe in preparation and am ebaying / charity shopping anything which isn’t currently working for me.
Anyone else want to join me for moral support?

I found a different lone glove on the walk but not mine. How strange. I’m trying to decide if I can buy replacement gloves or if I can’t because I own another pair. I love the leather ones and am so cross with myself for losing on.

I got a lovely pair of brand new leather gloves from Vinted - John Lewis.

Its annoying losing one glove and also a little bit sad thinking of that loved glove out there .

My aunt made me some wonderful fingerless wrist warmer things that I've worn over several winters - do you think I can find them this winter?

Of course, @CortieTat. Lovely to have you here. And welcome also to @Mercurial123!

Lots of really helpful and thoughtful posts. I think signing up for fitness classes is such a positive distraction. I’ve significantly upped my exercise and am finding it useful as a displacement activity (spinning, fast walking and that old favourite from the past ‘callanetics’). Am also working hard at improving my Spanish and German and have read lots more since starting my challenge on December 5th.

@IndianSummer78that is a very interesting definition of addiction and I agree completely that reminding oneself that there are always other items available is useful.

I got an email yesterday from Boden yesterday saying they had despatched a belt to me. I was bemused initially but then remembered I’d ordered one in early November which wasn’t coming back into stock until January. This one is a bit of a grey area but I think if it is nice I will keep it as it was ordered well before the challenge started. Otherwise I have not been seriously tempted in the last few weeks and am staying away from fashion websites.

I would like to recommend ‘Not Needing New’ on Instagram - she is a lovely woman and quite inspiring in her low buy and secondhand lifestyle. She has a book coming out later this year which I am looking forward to reading.

I've found it really interesting how often I've ended up on a shopping website this week. Its really hard to avoid if you are online - all roads lead to "buy something". the internet really is just a giant all purpose shopping mall.

Still I see it now & I can quickly intervene & get off the site.

Like @Eatingmusselsfromashell I am redirecting my energies - this weekend I might sew a dress, or at least get stuck into my mend/repurpose pile. And declutter a few bits. I love the "wear the wardrobe" ethos and I am getting more playful with the clothing I have.

I've lost a lot of weight but one of my fav dresses still works - its just extra flowing. I could do with one of those fabric obi belts to wear with the dress - cinch in the waist & style it differently. I've added that to my "must make" list.

I love following Not Needing New too @Eatingmusselsfromashell. The vintage tweed coat she had relined with vintage fabric was absolutely beautiful.I also think she's beautiful & naturally elegant & with that you can wear anything well.

Can you re walk the walk? Or post on a local Facebook group where the walk is? I lost my car keys once on a country walk miles from home. Facebook saved me!

I read something about an ‘Analogue Bag’ - a bag of things to do instead of going on your phone, which usually ends in me looking at something to buy. I am going to set one up. I have a tote I really like from a bookshop, going to put in my copy of a book I am doing a slow read with, and maybe start knitting some socks. Both things I have already but just don’t get to. I have begun a new job where I actually have a lunch break (I used to be a teacher) so this would work well I think.

Yeah there is a lot in this I think, I've got loads of 'hobby' type stuff I could be doing instead of scrolling, but back to the phone I go. I'm considering putting my phone in another room for a few hours in the evening, to try and get away from the post dinner scroll.

Love the idea of an analogue bag. I've got a bag with my cross stitch kit in and I've been doing it most evenings. Stops the scroll!
This small monthly budget is working for me. I ordered some sunglasses for holiday.. not quite right.. returned..I would have probably just kept them in the past and not worn them!
Anything I buy this month will be from charity shops.. which from what I've seen are totally rammed with both donations and customers at the moment!!

Thank you @WhitegreeNcandle I rewalked the walk, and the visitor’s centre took down my number. They were so lovely and helpful. Fingers crossed.

I love the idea of an analogue bag too.

In a similar mindset, I’ve set up a puzzle tray and have a jigsaw on the go. Tomorrow I’ve plans to make a little art cart with one of those Ikea trolleys, to do some watercolour in the evenings.

This is a really useful thread, thank you.
I woke up on Jan 1st and thought "ok, buy nothing this month'. That lasted about an hour until I opened Vinted.

I had a huge Vinted splurge, and I think it has really cured me, because for the first time I ended up with so much useless stuff.

Some items I just chose badly. They were as described, but not anything I would really wear or need. I was chasing some sort of poorly defined idea of what I thought I wanted. In some cases, I was trying to recreate things I got rid of and wish I hadn't. That excellent chocolate brown pencil skirt; that lovely shirt; all victims of a brief Marie Kondo style clear out some years ago, and they were bought far too long ago for me to find the exact ones again.

But for the first time I received some real rubbish; fleeces that had shrunk in the dryer, but looked ok on the photos; trousers that were several sizes smaller than the description; a top with bizarrely short sleeves. I decided I could not be bothered with trying to return them, nothing was very expensive, and it would be a good lesson for me.

I'm in. I'm going to try very hard this year to not buy any item of clothing. At all. Good luck everyone.

Evening all - may I join?

Like others, I've lost a boatload of weight - seven stone - in the last 2 years and Vinted has been a saviour both for buying and selling. Mostly buying... And now I need to clear out some of those purchases! I've been buying elsewhere too and I know I've spent too much - I think it's a reaction to having a body that I feel more comfortable in and that I've returned to how I felt in my 20s when I enjoyed clothes. I suppose it's a case now that I enjoy getting dressed rather than simply putting on clothes.

I have bought a lot of Sahara, Gudrun Sjoden and far too much bargain cashmere... And scarves. Oh goodness, I have so many scarves. I've been justifying it by saying that I've only bought good quality items that i would have bought anyway but that's no excuse.

I do have gaps in my wardrobe and I'm going to allow myself to purchase those items - ideally via Vinted as I'm still working out what my actual style is. I'll need a couple of pairs of light linen trousers when we get to summer and I could do with a couple of shirts that I can wear open over a top for wafting about it. And I need to replace a couple of pairs of leggings for Pilates but I'll limit myself to sales for those.

My plan is (underwear and socks excepted) to not allow myself to buy anything beyond what's on my list unless it's from my Vinted sales, either on that app or by withdrawing it to my bank account.

And, like others, I want to spend more time away from my phone - knitting, sewing and so on. We've moved house recently and I have a new garden to play with when the weather improves.

So it's a low buy year for me, rather than a no-buy. A frugal year where all purchases have to be carefully considered. Can I still be part of the gang?

Can I join please?

I don't need anything and I have nothing on a wishlist at the moment. I really should do a totally 'no buy' year but I manage better if I factor in a small dopamine kick now and again.

I will give myself £100 a month 'pocket money' - for books/kindles, makeup, toiletries, clothing, cakes/sweets, takeaways, coffees out (on own), homewares, candles and flowers etc.

Socialising/experiences/holidays, groceries, home maintenance/ cleaning, gifts, haircuts and essentials/essential replacements are excluded (pretty much anything I'd allow on a standard 'no buy' year).

Under those rules, I've spent £89 already in Jan so I reckon I've got a couple of coffees and a kindle 99p book deal left this month ☺️.

I was clearing out some old vinted messages and I came across a purchase that I couldn't recall...Turns out it is in my wardrobe but I still have not worn it.
It just goes to show...

I have now read the whole thread and had to resist buying the recommended books 🤦‍♀️

It’s been an eye-opening experience for me so far. I used to smoke many years ago and I feel exactly the same as when I tried to quit smoking (many times before I finally succeeded). I have physical symptoms - I’m restless, sad and grumpy, feeling like I have lost my best friend. I don’t know what is worse - the shopping ban or the realisation how much of an addiction this is.

Having said that I broke the ban and got something from my wishlist today, a scarf. I have a sizeable collection of scarves which are all loved, taken care of and in regular use.

I am very good at letting things go, I sell enough every month on Vestiaire Collective and Vinted to supplement my maternity pay. Interestingly, selling gives me a similar thrill to buying so I rather like it, including dealing with all the time wasters.

My wardrobe is very well organised, I use the Stylebook app and I dutifully record everything I wear (since 2023). I also have enough space, so in theory I could keep on buying. It’s just the enormous sense of guilt, and the feeling that I am working, earning and living to “curate” my clothes (wtf does this even mean). I also feel guilty when I am not buying anything - 99% of my purchases are from small businesses and made in Europe so it feels like a moral duty to support the local manufacturing.

I have an analogue bag - a 1000 pieces jigsaw puzzle and several knitting projects to finish. I still find it difficult to focus on anything, I constantly think about things on my wishlist.

I need to do this. I was the OP for the no-buy 2025 thread, and I started off ok - but the second half of the year was full of emotional spending. What I'm trying to do this year instead is read one books - so rather than look at my phone and get tempted, I will open a book instead.

This year will be expensive and I need to save - I also need nothing apart from a bra. I only have 2. I hate bra shopping with a vengeance. I'm also allowing myself 3 items, in case I see (and cave) to something I see on person. But I won't shop online.

Really interested by other posts - I am increasingly connecting this No Buy challenge with my social media use and that is helping me feel more determined - I don’t like to feel I am being manipulated! I read Dopamine Nation (from the library) a while ago and that really opened my eyes to the effect of immediate spending, immediate social media use.

I have still not bought anything apart from the cat basket - will pick that up tomorrow. I am about to sit near the wood burner and read my book for my slow read I have joined.

@Pigtailsandall - I joined that thread and hopelessly lapsed. I've done some reflection and need to go deeper this year.

I buy too much because I a) browse online (social media, mumsnet, retail sites, editorials etc) and b) then respond too easily to buying triggers (marketeers or simply someone on a Mumsnet thread saying they like something). I don't generally buy too much in person unless I'm with an enabling friend (overbuyers like to encourage others) so I'm going to shop alone. I don't feel the need to keep up with the Joneses but FOMO can be a problem at sales time and I 'enjoy' the process of 'hunting down' a deal (pure dopamine hit). I'm going to avoid triggers (e.g. have unsubscribed from everything) and will build a break between impulse and action (if I put things on a wait list for 2 weeks, 95% of them lose their appeal and never get bought).

Finally, I'm going keep reminding myself why I want to buy less. My main reasons are a) having less stuff makes me calmer and happier and b) I'm getting more and more uncomfortable about the amount of waste going on. Every Sunday I'm going to read/watch something about the benefits of minimalism/less clutter and watch one video/clip showing the huge waste/landfill mountains we continue to build up,

Wishing everyone the best with their intentions.

I’ve downloaded the Whering app today - uploaded a few items from my wardrobe today. Quite time consuming and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth using daily but it has made me think about each item as a photograph it.

is Whering the best app or am I missing a trick?

I use Stylebook, not sure if it’s better because I have over 700-day long streak on it but yes, it takes time at the beginning. I often download the packshot when buying the item and then use the packshot. I got as far as avoiding brands that don’t show a flat picture against a white background in their online stores!

It may have changed but stylebook was Apple only when I last looked.

My small budget and delayed buying is starting to kick into my head. I send myself a link if I see something. Within a week it's been forgotten about. Written a note of the actual gaps in my wardrobe.
I've listed so many things oh vinted this week. It's satisfying sending it off and each time I think that cost X new.

I've followed lots of low and no buy accounts on Instagram, and people that buy second hand, people saving money etc so I'm starting to see a much more positive vibe rather than 'Run don't walk' posts.

It is all alot harder than I thought. I hadn't realised how much time I spend looking at new things and the Vinted algorithm is a nightmare for suggesting good things.

i was biding my time joining this thread because I felt that I, and others, had maybe derailed last years. I did buy less though. My 2025 budget was 25 items but I ended up with 20 (including two Boxing Day sale items). This year I am going to aim for no more than 20 again. I love a bargain and it’s my birthday month so I do buy in the post Christmas sales but will hopefully drastically calm down!

Stepping into the confessional box with linen trousers, cream jeans, fine merino jumper and a silk shirt (today). I have bog all excuse for the silk shirt unfortunately. It is pretty and second hand though.

I have followed some of the recommended no buyers on Insta. I have been colouring in to reduce my scrolling time too. Love the term slow reading and have been given a physical book in a series I’m reading for Christmas.