“No-buy pledge” catches on with TikTokers. Here’s what to know and how to start.

The first rule of the “don’t buy” trend? Talk about the non-buying trend.

What started several years ago as a blogging experiment about budgeting and mindful spending has become a popular trend on social media. For the challenge, participants pledge to stop purchasing non-essential items, whether unnecessary shoes, additional beauty products or other impulse purchases, for a set period of time, usually 12 months.

“By making this lifestyle adjustment, I expected it would make a huge difference in my ability to pay off my debt,” said Elysia Berman, a creative director based in Brooklyn.

Berman decided he needed to drastically change his spending habits after amassing a collection of vintage designer clothes and five-figure credit card debt. Her no-shopping pledge included not buying new clothes, buying makeup and hair products only after she finished what she had, and limiting social outings to low- or no-cost activities.

For Berman, adopting a more frugal lifestyle serves a purpose: paying off your credit card debt. “It wasn’t like I wanted to challenge myself. I’m really in a position where this is the next necessary step for me,” she said.

Both fulfilling his promise and making progress toward his financial goal proved more difficult than Berman expected. Two weeks after starting her challenge, she couldn’t resist buying a new beret. Next came a new pair of boots. Although the challenge has helped her reduce her spending, she is not accumulating savings, but rather living within her means.

Talking about any personal financial struggles is difficult for most people, but Berman addressed hers head-on, discussing her financial struggles with friends and family and then posting about those issues on social media. The latter action resulted in more exposure than she had initially expected; She has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok, where a video in which she showed off her skin and empty hair products has received more than 1 million views.

Finance Agency

While the trend has been growing for some time, the start of 2024 has provided another opportunity for people to regain the ability to control their finances following the “fateful spending” of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Courtney Alev, a Consumer financial advocate for personal finance company Credit Karma.

“It’s just people trying to catch up on what has been a rampant cycle of overspending so they can get their financial situation in order and save money,” Alev said.

US households are in record credit card debt, according to a February report report of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The bank said data indicates financial hardship is increasing, especially among younger and lower-income Americans.

With rent increase It is food prices straining many family budgets, Americans are leaning heavily on credit cards, as well as buy now, pay later plans to pay for everyday staples like groceries, gas, and pet care products.

“Better for the planet”

But not everyone who chooses to join the no-buy trend has debt. Amea Wadsworth, who returned to San Diego, California, after graduating from college, wanted to use her first full-time job as an opportunity to save both the environment and money for her future.

After moving back in with her mother, she began to realize how many things she had that were taking up space. Working for a sustainability app has also made her more aware of her personal contribution to the world’s mountains of waste.

“I’m tracking everything I spend. I’m writing everything down,” said Wadsworth, who also writes down times when she wants to buy something but doesn’t. She reviews entries at the end of the month to determine whether your purchases were truly necessary purchase or a response to a quick desire.

Other non-spending participants give themselves some leeway. Wadsworth, for example, doesn’t buy any physical items, but occasionally indulges in eating out with friends and pays the cost of visiting her long-distance boyfriend.

Sabrina Pare, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, approached cutting back on purchases from an environmental perspective. A fan of sustainable living and with a large following on social media, Pare decided to participate in the year without shopping as a way to limit her contribution to global waste.

She started by organizing her closet and then looked for eco-friendly ways to build a minimalist wardrobe, like doing a clothing swap and avoiding fashion trends. At every turn, Pare brings her followers by filming short videos and sharing tips.

“If you buy less, it’s better for the planet. Overconsumption is a huge problem in our society,” she said.

Avoiding excessive spending

But just as social media can be used for accountability and support when participating in the Year Without Shopping Challenge, it’s also one of the reasons many overspend. Berman, for example, unfollowed many fashion influencers to reduce the urge to buy things.

Learning to avoid impulsive purchases requires rethinking your habits and becoming aware of your triggers, said Carrie Rattle, CEO of Behavioral Cents, a financial coaching company.

“(The challenge) helps you try to resist the need for dopamine. Every time we shopany of us go shopping, we get a little hit of dopamine,” Rattle said.

Although the challenge is supposed to last a year, people who attempt it say they are learning new things techniques to help them avoid overspending in the future.

“My spending habits have changed a lot because of this,” Berman said. “Just because you see all the waste and think, ‘Why is this necessary? Why buy a million little things when you can just buy one big thing, and it’s even better if it’s refillable.’”

After significantly reducing her credit card debt, Berman hopes to start saving and investing. Wadsworth plans to focus on spending her money on experiences with her loved ones rather than material things. Stop hoping to pay off your student loans.

Wadsworth advises anyone who hears about the no-buy challenge and can’t imagine trying, even if it’s just for a month.

“They say it seems so difficult and yes, it seemed difficult for me too. But if it seems so scary to you, it probably means you need it,” she said.

Accepting the challenge

Any time can be the right time for those who want to pay off credit card debt, organize their home or spend less time shopping. Some challenge participants start with a month of no spending.

“I applaud anyone who realizes they are buying too much because North America is very consumer-focused and there is a lot of waste,” said Carrie Rattle, CEO of financial coaching firm Behavioral Cents.

Are you thinking about making a commitment not to buy? Read on to get some tips from experts and people who have made the commitment.

1. Identify your weak point
Whether it’s makeup, ordering takeout, or shopping for unnecessary trinkets in the $1 section at Target, knowing your vulnerabilities will help you make a realistic plan to stay on track.

Before starting her shopping-free year, Mia Westrap, a Ph.D. student in Southhampton, England, took a close look at where she spent money during the previous months. She decided that unnecessary food and drink were her weakness.

2. Make your own rules
San Diego resident Amea Wadsworth, 22, loved spending hours browsing quirky clothes and trinkets at Target and Goodwill. But when she returned home after graduating from college, she realized how much stuff she had accumulated over the years.

“When I have those moments of organization and look through all my stuff, I find things that I bought and spent a lot of money on that I never ended up using,” Wadsworth said.

For the challenge, she chose not to buy new clothes and prioritized spending on experiences with her loved ones. Wadsworth also started his challenge by doing this month after month.

3. Take a break
Finances are closely linked to emotions, and emotions can sometimes make you feel like buying something you don’t need. When Wadsworth feels the urge to get something she saw on social media or in a story, she writes it down rather than buying the item right away.

At the end of the month, she reviews the list and decides what, if anything, is still worth buying.

“I look back and see how many things I wrote and think ‘I’m glad I didn’t buy that because I didn’t really need it,’” Wadsworth said.

4. Unsubscribe and unfollow
Between pop-up promotions and influencers swooning over new merchandise, social media can be a trigger for unnecessary purchases, according to Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma.

If you think screen time is worsening your overspending habit, Alev recommends taking a break from bills that trigger the need to whip out a credit card.

5. Be kind to yourself
When Westrap began her shopping-free year, she felt like the universe was conspiring against her. One month, her car broke down, and the next month, she received an expensive ticket for an overdue parking ticket she didn’t know about. Unexpected expenses or moments of weakness happen to everyone, and it’s okay if you don’t follow the No Shopping Year rules exactly as planned. Effort is important.

“If you fail, you probably need a little more help. You’re not a failure. You simply failed at a method,” Rattle said. “And that’s really important because I don’t want people to feel discouraged.”

Building a new habit and managing your finances can be difficult. Try to be kind to yourself in the process.