A very good read! Personally, I am in favour of a Less-Buy 2025 instead of a No-Buy 2025. I support the 5for2025 idea, committing myself to buying no more than 5 new items of clothing (unlimited number of thrifted items). It's not as strict as the no-buy commitment and ensures that I think long and hard about every purchase I make.
Fervent agree, this is a very good read! I got a sense of the whole moment, its shadows and lights, and ideas for negotiating it.
I signed up for Wardrobe Box recently — 5 thrifted pieces per quarter, curated by a stylist after a 1:1 conversation with the buyer, $65/box. The org donates a box of clothes for every box sold. I’d end up with more new-to-me clothes than I’d buy myself in a year, so we’ll see how it goes!!
I just wanted to drop in to say that it is truly very easy (for me at least) to not shop on Amazon. I have never been a member or a regular Whole Foods shopper & I don't have any electronic listening devices in my house (other than the phone in typing on), so that may have helped. I have only purchased things on Amazon that I truly need & mind-bogglingly enough, cannot find anywhere else (like a neutral ph cleanser for my tiles--I tried every hardware store, searched online & truly could not find it, so I ordered the largest volume I could to last me the longest time). You can find almost everything else in a store or from a different retailer. It seems unlikely you truly need it to arrive on your doorstep immediately. Amazon doesn't even have a good interface or user experience. I feel terrible every time I see those drivers racing to deliver packages. Give it a try-- that is an eminent do-able & also emotionally satisfying restriction.
As for the rest, I definitely recommend a list of things you're really looking for or some other guardrails that fit your lifestyle. Otherwise it feels very much like a crash diet where you then go overboard in the end. Best of luck with whatever you decide!
Bezos owns the place where I get my medical care, my local newspaper, the place where I buy my groceries, and the place where I buy my toothpaste. Will my divestment make a difference in his machine or the machines of any other CEOs and major corporations in the capitalist society in which we reside? Not one iota. I don't share the ethics of the multibillionaires who have been successful at making this nation its economic playground. I'm aware the harm they do on most every level. I also know that it is impossible for me to live in the bubble of only spending dollars with entities who share my political and humane sensibilities. That said, do I donate to causes that do? Yes. Do I vote my conscience even if it's a lost cause? Yes. Do I buy books from my local black owned bookstore? Yes. Do I support the neighborhood organic co-op? Yes. Do I feed and clothe my neighborhood hungry and homeless? Yes. And I will keep on. Bezos can't stop me from making a difference where I can.
When I lived in a small rural town, Amazon was very much the only option for many things. But since moving back to live in cities it’s easily and even pleasantly avoidable, even as someone who gets most things delivered.
I deleted my Amazon account in 2020 and have been similarly delighted by undoing the illusions of necessity it had forced on me. I find joy in sourcing items from all sorts of other places, and in my almost five years away, I have only had 1-2 instances where there was something I couldn't find anywhere else that I had a friend order for me on their account. I feel personally motivated by remembering that someone made Amazon up--its use and ubiquity does not have to be inherent.
I’m fervently anti-restriction and punishment, but I did a small reset a couple of months ago to commit to thrift shopping for clothes (straight-size) and home goods after realizing how much I’ve come to rely on Amazon for convenience I don’t necessarily need.
I highly recommend Cait Flanders’s THE YEAR OF LESS for anyone considering a no-buy 2025! She did this experiment years ago and writes about setting boundaries to aid mindful consumption — without a focus on restriction or punishing or “fixing” past consumption choices. The book is a great catalyst for reflecting on your consumption even if you don’t want to do a whole challenge yourself.
Immediate reaction: ooh I want to read this RIGHT NOW I should order it on Amazon from my phone. Ha!! I curbed the instinct and went to Libby instead - success!
A fun thing I discovered this year was the Browser Extension called Library extension (https://www.libraryextension.com/), which links to your local library and will show you on most book websites if the book you're looking at is available at your library. Its very neat!
I started listening to the year of less on audiobook and I found that the author equates spending with food in (for me) a pretty anti-fat way. I did not finish it. Not to say people shouldn’t read - I would just say ymmv on this one!
Yes! Thank you for noting this caveat — important content warning I should have included. Cait reflected on the book after 10 years, and she noted that she wishes she wouldn’t have spoken about food and her weight the way she did at the time: https://caitflanders.substack.com/p/the-year-of-less-chapter-1 I read that post before reading the book, and it helped me put a different lens on the food stuff in the book.
Yeah I abandoned it for the same reason! I would really like to read more on this topic, tho. (From the description: “In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food - and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices…”
Hi Corrine, thanks for writing this. I’ve been fascinated to see how the conversations around a no buy have changed since I started mine in Feb, and the presumptions around why someone would choose to do one. There are many reasons for doing a no buy, (and as you point out, so much flexibility in how you can do it) What I find interesting is how many people don’t assume creativity can be one of them. We’ve been led to believe it should be a punishment for overconsumption, a way to ‘right our wrongs’ by way of restriction, vs a fun experiment and the potential to reconnect with our creativity.
Totally agree that shame and moral judgements don’t help anyone (whether they shop, do a no buy or a low buy), and that thought process more often than not is what I think leads people to feel like they’re scared of getting it wrong. It stops them experimenting and they miss out on the opportunity to find out what is helpful to them and what isn’t. I think as more people experiment with no buys there will also be more backlash around how it is bad, or like a diet. While I don’t deny there may well be some people who experience a diet mentality with a no buy, I would be interested to see how many people experience that as a result of believing they are making up for something, that they should never shop again or that a no buy is equal to getting rid of everything they already own, vs getting creative with what they do have and rethinking how they would like to shop moving forward.
Curiosity and creativity have been my guiding force, but I’m also human and have no idea what to expect when I finish my no buy. All that to say, my experience of a no buy has been one of feeling more connected to myself and my creativity, and I think that comes from my approach to doing a no buy and liking my reasons for doing it. Apologies for the essay but love this topic!
Harriet, I love this reframe! It's so true that limitations don't always need to be punishment. There are sooo many quotes about how limitation can fuel creativity, so it totally makes sense. And we don't always get to choose limitations--sometimes it's completely out of our control so better to embrace it to whatever extent we can.
this makes me think about how folks criticized the white stripes at first for only playing 3 chords, and jack white said he did that on purpose, exploring all that you can do with only 3 chords. idk if that is true or apocryphal (and it can be particularly hard with jack white to tell which is which), but I've often found the idea inspiring anyway
This was so lovely to read - reminds me of making Christmas wrapping paper the other day with a random piece of paper from a recent clothing order and paints!! It was such a joyful process.
This feels a bit like the capsule wardrobe craze. I mean, it sounds great, but what do I do with everything I already have? Throwing a ton of stuff away doesn’t seem more sustainable, especially given the speed at which fashion cycles and things come back into style.
I love the idea of setting this kind of no-buy goal but then almost immediately I chaffe against it and end up rebelling. Or my body changes. Or a new need crops up. Etc. I think, as always, my plan will be to assess need vs. want, and new vs. thrifted/making it myself. But I think I can safely commit to no Amazon—I canceled Prime in the spring and it’s been surprisingly easy not to get sucked back in.
Isn’t it weird that once it’s gone you really don’t miss it?? I canceled mine too and I’ve remembered there was a time before we all had it and we were fiiiiiine. And probably I don’t need to indulge my every want quite so easily.
Yes, totally agree and I think this is where I'm landing, too--although I actually do need to get rid of a bunch of stuff, so I think it makes sense to pause a little on buying while I do that. But no Amazon, at least for a bit. Glad it has been easy for you!
I think canceling Prime was the key. I’d tried just not shopping on Amazon before, but as long as I had Prime I kind of felt like, well, I’m also paying for it, so… But without the Prime shipping Amazon is a less appealing and I’ve realized how much I can get with relative ease from other (potentially less problematic) sources. Not saying I’ll never go back, but so far I’ve made it through the holidays without it, which feels huge!
No buy also feels like a more perilous approach to communities. …like a mono-culture grass lawn that doesn’t support an ecosystem but gives an illusion of order. For independent makers and small businesses it’s been getting more and more challenging to keep staying open. The Amazons and Walmarts can survive a bad quarter/ year/ years but lots of small businesses fold. More nuance of how, why, where, what spend is always better.
as expected, I really appreciate Corinne's reflections on all of this.
one thing that I love is that it seems that for most people "no buy" doesn't literally mean that, and the way it appears (from what Corinne said; I've read almost none of this content myself) that people are allowing flexibility. I deeply appreciate how many folks are thinking about this stuff!
one thing that I do not love is how folks tend to find what is easy for them to be something everyone else should also find easy and then they get a wee bit self righteous about it. amazon is a great example of this. I live in a small town, and our in person options for buying a lot of things aren't any "better" for a variety of reasons (Walmart has been closed since Helene anyway, we don't have a target, and tractor supply is a big no for their new policies, many of the local shops are actually selling things they get from amazon or drop shippers anyway). thrifting is another example, and though there are more options for fat folks, there still aren't enough. (not to mention buying local and buying to last flat out costs more in the short term and the overwhelming majority of Americans live essentially paycheck to paycheck)
on the whole, I do think we should all be taking a moment before we buy things and I am hopeful that this trend/movement/moment? will help me to do more and more of asking myself questions before I buy something. but I am so skeptical of any sort of "do ____ with ___ easy steps" sort of thing and that is what this feels like to me
“folks tend to find what is easy for them to be something everyone else should also find easy and then they get a wee bit self righteous about it.” YES YES YES! That frustrates me SO MUCH, and I have to work really hard to watch my own tendencies to do this with stuff that’s easy for me.
I pretty much try to do every year as a “low buy.” And I have a pretty standard rule that everything I want to get from Amazon has to sit in my cart for a while first.
No Buy can feel impossible with kids—no matter their ages. And then I begin to feel like I’m depriving myself in favor of them. And then I buy random shit I don’t need. So Low Buy works better, and I don’t feel as weird about some impulse purchases (like the horizontal-striped shirts I bought at Old Navy to try after listening to Corinne and Virginia).
I have decided for political reasons to remove myself from the economy as much as is possible. I'm not saying I'm not planning to buy anything, but I'm going to be actively looking for ways to keep my hard earned money out of the pockets of the oligarchs. That means looking for second hand items, reusing and recycling what I already have and trading with my friends and neighbors. I'm going to have to buy consumables, but I don't have to buy them from Amazon or Walmart (in my area YMMV). Will it take more effort? Sure, but it is worth it to me to have a little more control.
I really appreciate your reflections here! I also want to reduce my buying in 2025, but I find that being a fat person really impacts my experience shopping and keeping clothes. I definitely have a scarcity mindset that sometimes keeps me from getting rid of clothes I haven't worn in a while, or immediately snatching something up if it's exactly (or honestly, even close to) what I've been looking for. And this isn't just a mindset, but a reality, especially as the plus size market narrows. I think I need to figure out how to balance these things and have a realistic perspective on the scarcity of plus-size clothing, while not allowing the scarcity to push me to buy something I'll regret later.
This was my first thought on seeing the no/low buy intentions! Scarcity is already a reality for some bodies over others so how does that intersect with no/low buying??
I don't have an answer for any of this, but one year when my daughter was probably about 9 years old she got a bunch of lego kids for Christmas. She stuck all but one in storage and once a month took out a new one to play with. That lasted her til her May birthday, when she did the same thing again. She sprinkled the joy of receiving something new throughout the year. I was so impressed with her foresight and restraint!
WOW, that is really aspirational! I am so impressed with the foresight! I am a big fan of this jewelry influencer Okay Fine who does delayed gratification, where she buys stuff and then saves it for later to mark special milestones and stuff.
Not for me. In a season of my life when I have a toddler and am working more than full time, most of my hobbies are at least temporarily set aside, but I still read a lot and I still like to shop for additions to my wardrobe that make me feel great. I like supporting the small and micro businesses that make clothes for my size, and releasing the clothes that no longer serve me into the secondhand ecosystem for someone else to find. I have the natural limit of how much I can store in my small house and that’s enough for me.
Eternally interested in the intersection of topics like "no buy" and fat liberation. Similar to people who pursue IWL, not for me, but I understand why people do it. I applaud many of my friends doing either no buy or low buy. But I also see a lot of morality around it, similar to the morality around food and exercise. Unfortunately for my therapist, I tend to fall into the trap of black and white thinking and am constantly being re-routed to the gray area in the middle. I fear this middle is missing from much of the "no buy" talk, especially on TikTok.
My emotional reaction to this is similar to other restrictive suggestions - becoming immediately, hugely defensive! I angrily cycled through about 5 reasons why this wouldn’t work for me before realizing that my reaction is about being given an all-or-nothing challenge, which I will inevitably fail, which will then leave my perfectionist self feeling like garbage! Personally I respond so much better to smaller/easier challenges (like your no-Amazon January!) which I can meet and then build on.
I'm so glad I'm in good company with pushing back against restrictions! If you do decide to do some kind of low buy (or other) challenge I'd love to hear about it!
As a result of taking Dacy Gillespie's "Making Space" course, I've committed to shop intentionally, which is what I aim to do when I begin to slowly give my spring/summer wardrobe a brush up to reflect my changing style. I've never been one to follow trends and I've never been one to deny myself things that bring purpose, joy, and health. I'm also not one to attempt to adhere to self-help rules or resolutions each new year. I live each day addressing my health needs, eating well, relishing and supporting the arts, enjoying friends and family, feeding my spirit, and using my writing in hopes of impacting a little piece of the world. That's all. That's everything. So, to your question, will I participate in the current no-buy trend in 2025? Absolutely not.
This is how I feel. Dacy Gillespie has really helped me shop intentionally. And now I know I’m better off buying something that I truly love at a higher price than something that’s a good deal. I’m really aware of how many times I’ve worn something and how it wears. I’m not getting on the bandwagon of no buy or 5 buys. My body changes almost every year in one way or another. I realize that some people can’t afford even 5 buys and appreciate that I am privileged
Youtuber Leena Norms did a year of sewing any new clothes. I don’t think my sewing skills are quite there for knit basics which I know will need replacing but I’ve been thinking about 2025 being a big sewing skills year so that I could do a kind of sew only year in the future. I also love the idea of knitting things myself but I learned that is a hand arthritis nightmare!
A very good read! Personally, I am in favour of a Less-Buy 2025 instead of a No-Buy 2025. I support the 5for2025 idea, committing myself to buying no more than 5 new items of clothing (unlimited number of thrifted items). It's not as strict as the no-buy commitment and ensures that I think long and hard about every purchase I make.
Fervent agree, this is a very good read! I got a sense of the whole moment, its shadows and lights, and ideas for negotiating it.
I signed up for Wardrobe Box recently — 5 thrifted pieces per quarter, curated by a stylist after a 1:1 conversation with the buyer, $65/box. The org donates a box of clothes for every box sold. I’d end up with more new-to-me clothes than I’d buy myself in a year, so we’ll see how it goes!!
I haven't heard of Welcome Box, but it sounds amazing! I'll be curious to hear how you like it!
Sounds intriguing!
https://www.wardrobebox.org/
This is the org that The Plus Swap supports! 🤍
Welcome Box sounds really interesting. I’m going to check it out.
I got the name wrong!! WARDROBE BOX
An interesting concept! Wonderful to have a stylist who curates the pieces. I hope to hear from you when you have tried it, see how that goes!
I just wanted to drop in to say that it is truly very easy (for me at least) to not shop on Amazon. I have never been a member or a regular Whole Foods shopper & I don't have any electronic listening devices in my house (other than the phone in typing on), so that may have helped. I have only purchased things on Amazon that I truly need & mind-bogglingly enough, cannot find anywhere else (like a neutral ph cleanser for my tiles--I tried every hardware store, searched online & truly could not find it, so I ordered the largest volume I could to last me the longest time). You can find almost everything else in a store or from a different retailer. It seems unlikely you truly need it to arrive on your doorstep immediately. Amazon doesn't even have a good interface or user experience. I feel terrible every time I see those drivers racing to deliver packages. Give it a try-- that is an eminent do-able & also emotionally satisfying restriction.
As for the rest, I definitely recommend a list of things you're really looking for or some other guardrails that fit your lifestyle. Otherwise it feels very much like a crash diet where you then go overboard in the end. Best of luck with whatever you decide!
YES, I am absolutely committed to no Amazon, at least for January! Thanks for your encouragement, Dana!! I will be cultivating patience.
Bezos owns the place where I get my medical care, my local newspaper, the place where I buy my groceries, and the place where I buy my toothpaste. Will my divestment make a difference in his machine or the machines of any other CEOs and major corporations in the capitalist society in which we reside? Not one iota. I don't share the ethics of the multibillionaires who have been successful at making this nation its economic playground. I'm aware the harm they do on most every level. I also know that it is impossible for me to live in the bubble of only spending dollars with entities who share my political and humane sensibilities. That said, do I donate to causes that do? Yes. Do I vote my conscience even if it's a lost cause? Yes. Do I buy books from my local black owned bookstore? Yes. Do I support the neighborhood organic co-op? Yes. Do I feed and clothe my neighborhood hungry and homeless? Yes. And I will keep on. Bezos can't stop me from making a difference where I can.
Love this, Anita! <3<3<3
When I lived in a small rural town, Amazon was very much the only option for many things. But since moving back to live in cities it’s easily and even pleasantly avoidable, even as someone who gets most things delivered.
I deleted my Amazon account in 2020 and have been similarly delighted by undoing the illusions of necessity it had forced on me. I find joy in sourcing items from all sorts of other places, and in my almost five years away, I have only had 1-2 instances where there was something I couldn't find anywhere else that I had a friend order for me on their account. I feel personally motivated by remembering that someone made Amazon up--its use and ubiquity does not have to be inherent.
I’m fervently anti-restriction and punishment, but I did a small reset a couple of months ago to commit to thrift shopping for clothes (straight-size) and home goods after realizing how much I’ve come to rely on Amazon for convenience I don’t necessarily need.
I highly recommend Cait Flanders’s THE YEAR OF LESS for anyone considering a no-buy 2025! She did this experiment years ago and writes about setting boundaries to aid mindful consumption — without a focus on restriction or punishing or “fixing” past consumption choices. The book is a great catalyst for reflecting on your consumption even if you don’t want to do a whole challenge yourself.
https://www.caitflanders.com/the-year-of-less
Oooh, thanks for the rec! Your book is currently in my TBR pile, Dana!!
💖💖
Immediate reaction: ooh I want to read this RIGHT NOW I should order it on Amazon from my phone. Ha!! I curbed the instinct and went to Libby instead - success!
When I see a book I'm interested in, I always check the public library first. Why spend if you don't have to?!
A fun thing I discovered this year was the Browser Extension called Library extension (https://www.libraryextension.com/), which links to your local library and will show you on most book websites if the book you're looking at is available at your library. Its very neat!
Ha! I *almost* included the Amazon link here 🤦
I started listening to the year of less on audiobook and I found that the author equates spending with food in (for me) a pretty anti-fat way. I did not finish it. Not to say people shouldn’t read - I would just say ymmv on this one!
Yes! Thank you for noting this caveat — important content warning I should have included. Cait reflected on the book after 10 years, and she noted that she wishes she wouldn’t have spoken about food and her weight the way she did at the time: https://caitflanders.substack.com/p/the-year-of-less-chapter-1 I read that post before reading the book, and it helped me put a different lens on the food stuff in the book.
Yeah I abandoned it for the same reason! I would really like to read more on this topic, tho. (From the description: “In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food - and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices…”
I’m glad that it’s something she’s reflected on!
Hi Corrine, thanks for writing this. I’ve been fascinated to see how the conversations around a no buy have changed since I started mine in Feb, and the presumptions around why someone would choose to do one. There are many reasons for doing a no buy, (and as you point out, so much flexibility in how you can do it) What I find interesting is how many people don’t assume creativity can be one of them. We’ve been led to believe it should be a punishment for overconsumption, a way to ‘right our wrongs’ by way of restriction, vs a fun experiment and the potential to reconnect with our creativity.
Totally agree that shame and moral judgements don’t help anyone (whether they shop, do a no buy or a low buy), and that thought process more often than not is what I think leads people to feel like they’re scared of getting it wrong. It stops them experimenting and they miss out on the opportunity to find out what is helpful to them and what isn’t. I think as more people experiment with no buys there will also be more backlash around how it is bad, or like a diet. While I don’t deny there may well be some people who experience a diet mentality with a no buy, I would be interested to see how many people experience that as a result of believing they are making up for something, that they should never shop again or that a no buy is equal to getting rid of everything they already own, vs getting creative with what they do have and rethinking how they would like to shop moving forward.
Curiosity and creativity have been my guiding force, but I’m also human and have no idea what to expect when I finish my no buy. All that to say, my experience of a no buy has been one of feeling more connected to myself and my creativity, and I think that comes from my approach to doing a no buy and liking my reasons for doing it. Apologies for the essay but love this topic!
Harriet, I love this reframe! It's so true that limitations don't always need to be punishment. There are sooo many quotes about how limitation can fuel creativity, so it totally makes sense. And we don't always get to choose limitations--sometimes it's completely out of our control so better to embrace it to whatever extent we can.
this makes me think about how folks criticized the white stripes at first for only playing 3 chords, and jack white said he did that on purpose, exploring all that you can do with only 3 chords. idk if that is true or apocryphal (and it can be particularly hard with jack white to tell which is which), but I've often found the idea inspiring anyway
This was so lovely to read - reminds me of making Christmas wrapping paper the other day with a random piece of paper from a recent clothing order and paints!! It was such a joyful process.
This feels a bit like the capsule wardrobe craze. I mean, it sounds great, but what do I do with everything I already have? Throwing a ton of stuff away doesn’t seem more sustainable, especially given the speed at which fashion cycles and things come back into style.
I love the idea of setting this kind of no-buy goal but then almost immediately I chaffe against it and end up rebelling. Or my body changes. Or a new need crops up. Etc. I think, as always, my plan will be to assess need vs. want, and new vs. thrifted/making it myself. But I think I can safely commit to no Amazon—I canceled Prime in the spring and it’s been surprisingly easy not to get sucked back in.
Isn’t it weird that once it’s gone you really don’t miss it?? I canceled mine too and I’ve remembered there was a time before we all had it and we were fiiiiiine. And probably I don’t need to indulge my every want quite so easily.
Yes, totally agree and I think this is where I'm landing, too--although I actually do need to get rid of a bunch of stuff, so I think it makes sense to pause a little on buying while I do that. But no Amazon, at least for a bit. Glad it has been easy for you!
I think canceling Prime was the key. I’d tried just not shopping on Amazon before, but as long as I had Prime I kind of felt like, well, I’m also paying for it, so… But without the Prime shipping Amazon is a less appealing and I’ve realized how much I can get with relative ease from other (potentially less problematic) sources. Not saying I’ll never go back, but so far I’ve made it through the holidays without it, which feels huge!
No buy also feels like a more perilous approach to communities. …like a mono-culture grass lawn that doesn’t support an ecosystem but gives an illusion of order. For independent makers and small businesses it’s been getting more and more challenging to keep staying open. The Amazons and Walmarts can survive a bad quarter/ year/ years but lots of small businesses fold. More nuance of how, why, where, what spend is always better.
Such a good point, as I've been thinking about this I have definitely heard from small brands who are like AHHHHH scary!
as expected, I really appreciate Corinne's reflections on all of this.
one thing that I love is that it seems that for most people "no buy" doesn't literally mean that, and the way it appears (from what Corinne said; I've read almost none of this content myself) that people are allowing flexibility. I deeply appreciate how many folks are thinking about this stuff!
one thing that I do not love is how folks tend to find what is easy for them to be something everyone else should also find easy and then they get a wee bit self righteous about it. amazon is a great example of this. I live in a small town, and our in person options for buying a lot of things aren't any "better" for a variety of reasons (Walmart has been closed since Helene anyway, we don't have a target, and tractor supply is a big no for their new policies, many of the local shops are actually selling things they get from amazon or drop shippers anyway). thrifting is another example, and though there are more options for fat folks, there still aren't enough. (not to mention buying local and buying to last flat out costs more in the short term and the overwhelming majority of Americans live essentially paycheck to paycheck)
on the whole, I do think we should all be taking a moment before we buy things and I am hopeful that this trend/movement/moment? will help me to do more and more of asking myself questions before I buy something. but I am so skeptical of any sort of "do ____ with ___ easy steps" sort of thing and that is what this feels like to me
“folks tend to find what is easy for them to be something everyone else should also find easy and then they get a wee bit self righteous about it.” YES YES YES! That frustrates me SO MUCH, and I have to work really hard to watch my own tendencies to do this with stuff that’s easy for me.
I pretty much try to do every year as a “low buy.” And I have a pretty standard rule that everything I want to get from Amazon has to sit in my cart for a while first.
No Buy can feel impossible with kids—no matter their ages. And then I begin to feel like I’m depriving myself in favor of them. And then I buy random shit I don’t need. So Low Buy works better, and I don’t feel as weird about some impulse purchases (like the horizontal-striped shirts I bought at Old Navy to try after listening to Corinne and Virginia).
I have decided for political reasons to remove myself from the economy as much as is possible. I'm not saying I'm not planning to buy anything, but I'm going to be actively looking for ways to keep my hard earned money out of the pockets of the oligarchs. That means looking for second hand items, reusing and recycling what I already have and trading with my friends and neighbors. I'm going to have to buy consumables, but I don't have to buy them from Amazon or Walmart (in my area YMMV). Will it take more effort? Sure, but it is worth it to me to have a little more control.
Love this! Please keep me posted on how it goes.
Same, plus I don't want to help those in power to crow about how great the economy is under them.
I really appreciate your reflections here! I also want to reduce my buying in 2025, but I find that being a fat person really impacts my experience shopping and keeping clothes. I definitely have a scarcity mindset that sometimes keeps me from getting rid of clothes I haven't worn in a while, or immediately snatching something up if it's exactly (or honestly, even close to) what I've been looking for. And this isn't just a mindset, but a reality, especially as the plus size market narrows. I think I need to figure out how to balance these things and have a realistic perspective on the scarcity of plus-size clothing, while not allowing the scarcity to push me to buy something I'll regret later.
Yes, yes, yes to all of this! I really relate.
This was my first thought on seeing the no/low buy intentions! Scarcity is already a reality for some bodies over others so how does that intersect with no/low buying??
I don't have an answer for any of this, but one year when my daughter was probably about 9 years old she got a bunch of lego kids for Christmas. She stuck all but one in storage and once a month took out a new one to play with. That lasted her til her May birthday, when she did the same thing again. She sprinkled the joy of receiving something new throughout the year. I was so impressed with her foresight and restraint!
WOW, that is really aspirational! I am so impressed with the foresight! I am a big fan of this jewelry influencer Okay Fine who does delayed gratification, where she buys stuff and then saves it for later to mark special milestones and stuff.
Not for me. In a season of my life when I have a toddler and am working more than full time, most of my hobbies are at least temporarily set aside, but I still read a lot and I still like to shop for additions to my wardrobe that make me feel great. I like supporting the small and micro businesses that make clothes for my size, and releasing the clothes that no longer serve me into the secondhand ecosystem for someone else to find. I have the natural limit of how much I can store in my small house and that’s enough for me.
Eternally interested in the intersection of topics like "no buy" and fat liberation. Similar to people who pursue IWL, not for me, but I understand why people do it. I applaud many of my friends doing either no buy or low buy. But I also see a lot of morality around it, similar to the morality around food and exercise. Unfortunately for my therapist, I tend to fall into the trap of black and white thinking and am constantly being re-routed to the gray area in the middle. I fear this middle is missing from much of the "no buy" talk, especially on TikTok.
My emotional reaction to this is similar to other restrictive suggestions - becoming immediately, hugely defensive! I angrily cycled through about 5 reasons why this wouldn’t work for me before realizing that my reaction is about being given an all-or-nothing challenge, which I will inevitably fail, which will then leave my perfectionist self feeling like garbage! Personally I respond so much better to smaller/easier challenges (like your no-Amazon January!) which I can meet and then build on.
I'm so glad I'm in good company with pushing back against restrictions! If you do decide to do some kind of low buy (or other) challenge I'd love to hear about it!
As a result of taking Dacy Gillespie's "Making Space" course, I've committed to shop intentionally, which is what I aim to do when I begin to slowly give my spring/summer wardrobe a brush up to reflect my changing style. I've never been one to follow trends and I've never been one to deny myself things that bring purpose, joy, and health. I'm also not one to attempt to adhere to self-help rules or resolutions each new year. I live each day addressing my health needs, eating well, relishing and supporting the arts, enjoying friends and family, feeding my spirit, and using my writing in hopes of impacting a little piece of the world. That's all. That's everything. So, to your question, will I participate in the current no-buy trend in 2025? Absolutely not.
This is how I feel. Dacy Gillespie has really helped me shop intentionally. And now I know I’m better off buying something that I truly love at a higher price than something that’s a good deal. I’m really aware of how many times I’ve worn something and how it wears. I’m not getting on the bandwagon of no buy or 5 buys. My body changes almost every year in one way or another. I realize that some people can’t afford even 5 buys and appreciate that I am privileged
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Youtuber Leena Norms did a year of sewing any new clothes. I don’t think my sewing skills are quite there for knit basics which I know will need replacing but I’ve been thinking about 2025 being a big sewing skills year so that I could do a kind of sew only year in the future. I also love the idea of knitting things myself but I learned that is a hand arthritis nightmare!
oh WOW, that's such a cool idea.