Should you do a no spend year? Do you compulsively scroll Amazon for ‘stuff’ but you are not even sure of what you are looking for? Let’s take a look at how someone can stop shopping for a year and why.
The ease at which we can shop 24/7 makes it seem impossible to even contemplate not shopping for an entire year. However, shopping can become a problem rather than a pleasure if it turns into a compulsion. It can destroy your financial hopes and dreams and leave your living space filled with unnecessary junk.
No spend or low spend challenges focus on curbing shopping for non-essential items and services such as extra clothing, non essential homewares and eating out.
There are questions that need answering often before people decide to not shop for a year. If these questions are left unanswered they can act as a barrier to taking those first steps into this huge but life altering challenge.
This post will talk about;
- Are you addicted to shopping?
- Does not shopping for year lead to minimalism?
- What can you do instead of shopping?
1. Are You Addicted To Shopping?
Is shopping a compulsion for you? Whether you are addicted to shopping or not is probably a matter for a professional to tell you but look at it this way. Are you buying things constantly yet never feeling like you have enough? Well if the answer is yes, maybe you need to look at your shopping habits so you can make improvements. My own decision to stop shopping was so that I could deal with a mountain of debt. When I could no longer ignore the problem in 2017, I did a no spend year.
It is more than possible that you are not actually addicted to shopping. With this in mind, it is interesting to see why you might be motivated to stop shopping for a year. I used to buy things in a sort of frenzied way, thinking that if I didn’t buy something now, I would not have the money to make that purchase in the future. When I look back on my difficult shopping habits, it was not addiction that drove me to shop, it was fear.
These are a few examples of why people stop shopping.
1. To pay off debt
People tend to be very motivated to get out of trouble once they face the fact that they are in a crisis. The head-buried-in-sand approach can only last so long when it comes to money problems. So the first reason for stopping shopping for a year is often to pay off debt.
2. To meet the challenges of a job loss
The events of 2020 will have put many people in this position. The blow thankfully was cushioned by government programs. However, now is as good a time as any to reassess how you spend your money and why. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we need to think for the long term, and not take our current income for granted.
3.To save money towards a significant goal.
There comes a point when you realise that without sacrifice there is very little chance of achieving those bigger life goals. Housing is extraordinarily expensive as is third level education. Transport is very pricy and the cost of living seems to be rising at a rate much greater than incomes are.
4. Concern for the environment
Often people start with paying off debt as their reason to quit spending money, but they migrate to not spending for ethical reasons. Watch fast fashion documentaries on Youtube to get a feel for why concern of the environment can be a strong motivating factor to stop spending money carelessly. Being motivated by this difficult issue is not only good for your own pocket but it is good for the earth too. This point leads us nicely into the next topic on minimalism below.
2.Does Not Shopping For Year Lead To Minimalism.
The question of whether or not spending money for a year immediately leads to minimalism, has been asked of me often. Minimalism is not for everyone and for some, it is their idea of hell. There is a perception that minimalism can hijack your life unbeknownst to you, and you will be left sitting on a bean bag eating your dinner off an upturned fruit crate before you realise it!
I don’t class myself as true minimalist but I am definitely not very consumeristic after my no spend year. That was an unintended consequence in my case. I have embraced tidiness and mindful spending as opposed to minimalism. I enjoy having nice furniture and nice clothes. So if the fear of being gripped by minimalism is stopping you from not shopping for a year, never fear, no spend challenges do not automatically lead to minimalism.
[Popular Minimalism Blog: The Minimalists.]
3.What Can You Do Instead Of Shopping?
Things You Can Do Instead Of Spending Include;
- Walking and running
- Baking with ingredients that you allow for in your grocery budget
- Picnics and meeting friends in the park
- Take up a new hobby such as blogging
Be Prepared For Other Peoples Reaction
While you are planning to spend no money for a year, life keeps throwing up reasons for you to part with your cash.You may be very determined to stop shopping for a year but, people who are not aware of these kinds of spending freeze challenges, will think you’ve gone off the deep end! While you may be excited about your new found thriftiness it may take time to find like minded people to enjoy your new outlook with.
Face these challenges by being prepared.
There will be events in the year that you must attend and there will be spending associated with some events. My advice to you is to plan out your year. Write in all significant dates into the calendar and plan in great detail how you will approach them.
Do These 5 Things before You Decide to Stop Shopping For A Year
- Tidy your wardrobe and assemble outfits that you can wear to the upcoming events
- Have clothes repaired if needed
- Tidy and organise your makeup and beauty products. Ensure you have a full face of makeup for events. Decide on what items you will allow yourself to replace if they run out during the year.
- Set a budget for each event and start a sinking fund for each.
- Tidy and declutter your home. If you know what you have already in your house it will help you to avoid buying something you did not plan for while in the shops.
Conclusion.
Not spending money for a year as a concept throws up so many questions. Ultimately you can research these questions for a long time and still be in the same position after all that reading. Yes, fear motivated me to start but concern for the environment and a desire to work for myself kept me motivated to get on track with my stopping spending for a year.
