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?

A sea salt jumper has been stalking me around the internet for ages and I was so tempted. Good colours. Strong design, cheaper than Toast and then I saw a super pretty young woman walk out a service station wearing it, and in sunshine, it didn't look like the perfect answer I had in my head. Completely put me off. So it's loyally back to much loved black, Cos, mohair and I feel guilty for my emotional advertising internet based thought investment.

I’m trying to extend it this year. 2025 I probably managed to reduce by about 75%. I slightly lost my way in July as I convinced myself I needed some new holiday clothes and then in November as I got invited to several parties in December. However, it was overall a massive reduction and all my party clothes came from vinted. I’ve cancelled all my ‘pay a tenner for a year of free delivery’ subscriptions to help focus my mind. I’m not saying I won’t buy ANYTHING in 2026 as that will just make me antsy but I’m gradually starting to feel a reduction in ‘shopping noise’ and I’m surprised I’m liking that.

I managed not to buy anything today, had a lot of fun putting together an outfit with clothes I already own and sharing it here on MN. I’ve been thinking about actual rules for myself to help me avoid purchases that I don’t really need and that won’t give me any joy from wearing long term.

I don’t have any problems with beauty products (luckily), so I just decided to only buy new things when I run out of something.

@Winederlust if you mark them as junk they'll go straight into your spam folder instead of your inbox in future.

I lapsed. The last time I got some socks that were just perfect so I went back for more. That part was fine. But then I got sucked in by the "last day for super discounted discount" and ended up buying things I don't need. Did use a gift card which brought the price down. I guess overall it counts as a neutral then. Must do better.

I'm useless. I'm on holiday, cabin bag only, and I succumbed to a pair of black lightweight cotton elasticated waist barrel trousers from H & M. They slid into my cabin bag with difficulty. Fortunately as there is no room in the bag I shan't buy anything else 🙄 🤞

Hi I would like to join too please. I started the yr with good intentions to do a no buy and failed already by shopping for all the "essentials" I convinced myself to have to commence No buy.

Thank you, it’s lovely.

You could try to save your scarf. I’ve had some success in the past, when one of my favourite cashmere jumpers accidentally got in a hot wash,by soaking it in a bowl of lukewarm water with a good dollop of hair conditioner added. Then squeezing out the water & gently stretching it back into shape so it was no longer toddler size! After wearing & repeating after next time hand washing it, it was back to what it originally was.

I’ve done it, thank you! It has lost some elasticity but it’s not something that’s needed in a scarf and it can still be worn. I would feel bad throwing it away.

Doing really well. I have changed my phone to grey scale, so even when I look at Vinted it isn’t appealing.

I have also begun to use my hidden folder on my iPhone for any shopping apps - you have to put your pin in to open the folder, then pin again to open each app. Gives me pause for thought.

I have to buy two necessary house things at the weekend and have decided to go for better quality as I have saved so much money. Hopefully will last longer.

Keep going everyone! X

I’ve bought new knickers to replace some that have gone a funny colour.

I like the accountability on this thread.

Only bought a Christmas jumper from M&S so far, down to £7.79 from £28, and this was on my “needed if I see the perfect bargain” list. My last jumper was only fit for the bin last year and I didn’t want to wait till next autumn and pay full price. So very happy with my start to the year. 😊

One thing that is really working for me is the delayed purchase. I send myself a link and sit on it. I have only bought one item in the sale which was a really considered purchase that I've wanted for ages. The rest I don't even remember what they were so obviously not crucial ! Olden days, I would have got loads in the sale.

My big vinted clear out is working too and I did get some bits I needed for holiday but have transferred the balance each time so I'm not tempted!

This is making me realise its 100% clothes which is my issue. I've lost weight this year so have refound my joy. No issues at all on toiletries and make up.

Congratulations everyone on the no/ carefully considered ‘spends’ successes. No clothing purchases from me this week- despite favouriting items in Vinted in a moment of weakness! This weekend I am returning a pair of sweatpants to Sweaty Betty that I ordered before 1 January as I really don’t need more gym kit. Will need to steer clear of the final sale rail, though, to avoid my usual downfall of buying clothes just because it is a great bargain - even if I don’t love it!

Whilst I’ve not managed 💯 - I have done far better than last January. Spend has been considered and I’ve resisted many ‘bargains’.

I’ve sold 4 things on Vinted last week and I plan on getting 4 more up this week. I did spend a part of last weeks Vinted balance on Vinted trainers but I’m selling off my heels as I just can’t wear them anymore. The remainder I removed to the bank. Same as @coolcahuna, if I don’t shift it out I’d be tempted to spend it.

Im really trying to practice shopping my wardrobe - which has been fun this week. I hope it lasts 😆

This week I practiced blacklisting every place that tries to sell me something that has polyester as the main material as “wool-rich” or “wool blend”. This has helped me to get rid of M&S, Cos and Other Stories marketing emails.
It’s unbelievable that these fashion brands expect me to pay them for something that has been proven to be toxic for humans and harmful for the environment. I have children ffs!

I have succumbed to a sale, but in my defence, it's a dress that I've wanted for 3 years and they were taking it out of stock.

I've tried to buy it on Vinted and never saw one in the right size or the right price.

I'm really looking forward to wearing it, it's a summer dress so definitely not the right time of year! Perhaps I could put a jumper over the top though? Hmm 🤔

@CortieTat I have unsubscribed to Cos and &Other Stories as well for the same reason, it feels deceitful and I’m also sick of it! I placed an order with both before Christmas and the fabrics either looked horribly synthetic, or where they were fully natural fibres they were so thin they looked cheap and not worth the ££ at all. On TikTok, andreacheong_ makes interesting videos about the quality of clothing and which brands do or don’t offer quality commensurate with the prices they charge.

For those of you who have managed a successful no buy or low buy in previous years… I’m interested to know how you did it? What kept you motivated and what were your mental anchor points that you would return to, to remind yourself why you were doing it?

I actively won't touch wool on ethical grounds . I don't wear fur/leather/down/feather/suede so wool is the next step for me .

So many things I've seen and it has "15% Wool" so that's a "No"
And stops me buying

I respect your decision but do you not think polyester and the manufacture of it causes more environmental harm?

I know there are factors to consider in manufacture for sure . Even cotton needs gallons of water to clean it , And a huge % of people working in clothes manufacturing are children or poorly paid adults ,

You could also say "that animal is already dead , choosing not to wear it won't bring it back" .
I do tend to keep clothes for a long while , the other day I wore one of my favourites , a paisley top which is over 14 years old .

Are you vegan? I can understand your stance if so, but I have to admit I can't really understand it if you eat meat/animal products.

Every time you wash plastic clothes they release microplastic particles into the water. When you wear them they shed these tiny particles around. Microplastic particles have been found in drinking water, soil, oceans and seas, in food, in human tissue including hearts, brains, blood vessels and muscles. The long term effects are being studied but it’s very likely that it’s not the climate change but the plastic pollution that is going to kill the life on the planet, including us. They directly harm animals as well.

I understand the ethical concerns related to wool, but may I suggest investing in a microplastics filter for the washing machine? There are several alternatives available. Plastic clothes need a lot of washing because they get sweaty quickly.

I have one of the filters available on the market and when I collect the residue it’s not a pretty thing. These tiny fibres are nice and soft in small quantities but together on the filter they are like plastic shards. Definitely not something I want to pay for to get into my brain.

I know Andrea Cheong, I follow her on instagram and I think she does a great job!

I’ve done the challenge in 2024 - the app that I mentioned above (Bless) really helped me a lot, I have learnt to postpone purchases and found out that I would lose interest quickly and that the FOMO wears off. There’s always something new round the corner so the FOMO is not real. But then the developers of Bless introduced a paid version, I panicked and got rid of the app… Ended up going to town big time during the winter sale season…

I’m trying with Bless (free) again and this time I actually don’t have the money for all the pretty things. So hopefully it will be easier. I have also started “shopping my wardrobe” thread for accountability and a bit of fun. I want to feel again that fashion is about enjoying things I own and the puzzle of putting them together into outfits that express a bit of my personality.

So I mentioned earlier in the thread I had a shopcident at the local charity shop after Christmas, I've made a real point of wearing and styling the things I've bought instead of just shoving them in the wardrobe and its been really nice actually.

‘Shopcident’ - love it. Going to use that word for sure.