Cheryl Shops

I just completed my first-ever No-Buy July and lived to tell the tale, which I'm now going to share with you. It may sound slightly ridiculous that a shopping blogger took a break from shopping for a month, but believe me, I needed it. After an alarmingly high credit card bill in June and with a big trip to Europe coming up later this month, I wanted to make sure I could enjoy my vacation without worrying about overspending. I also, to be honest, wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I will admit, it was not easy, and I got really in my feelings at one point (more on that later). But I learned a lot about myself and my habits, and it enabled me to take a much-needed—and very eye-opening—look at my spending. Here are my key takeaways from No-Buy July and some advice for those of you who want to try a no-buy month. 

Set some rules and stick to them

My #1 rule for No-Buy July was that I was not allowed to buy any clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, beauty products, home décor, or unnecessary services for the entire month. Food was excluded (I need that to live, obviously), and I was allowed to replace necessary goods that I ran out of, within reason—toothpaste yes, lipstick no (because I have at least 20 of those in my drawer). I also decided to actively avoid places where I know I routinely get into trouble, like Target. The clearer your boundaries, the easier it is to stick to them. Just take it one day at a time. 

Know your triggers 

I subscribe to 8,000 different mailing lists for my day job, and while, yes, I often shop from those emails, those strangely weren't the biggest temptation (one exception being the DS & Durga sample sale, which I thankfully was able to resist). That, for me, was push notifications from my shopping apps, specifically Vestaire Collective and Poshmark, whose sellers made me multiple (incredibly enticing) offers on items I'd been watching. I considered deleting them but, call me a masochist, I kept them. (I did remove the notifications from my lock screen.) I was proud of myself for spotting a crappy offer from The Real Real ($50 off a $500 purchase) and sending it directly to the trash. It's important to celebrate the small wins. 

Tread carefully when it comes to cheat days

Knowing that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale happens in July, I decided to give myself one cheat day to shop it. I was pretty well-behaved—I bought setting spray which was a replacement I actually needed, jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater, which I returned because it was too big. The funny thing is, other than the setting spray, I didn't really need any of those items, and even now, I'm not particularly excited about any of them. (The jeans, especially, are maybe a size too big.) I kind of wish I hadn't even shopped that day, but I am trying give myself some grace. I also could not resist Amazon Prime Day; in addition to the protein powder and cotton pads that I did need, I threw in some face masks and a sweater that I absolutely didn't. Did I save that much money by shopping on Prime Day? Definitely not enough to justify the extra that I spent. Next year, I may just abstain from both events. (Famous last words.) 

My Prime Day haul

Be prepared to get all up in your feelings

My day job is not exactly a stress-free environment, and during No-Buy July, I caught myself starting to shop online when I was feeling particularly irritable—I was trying to soothe myself with some retail therapy instead of confronting my own feelings. Welcome to my brain! Thankfully I discovered that taking a walk—even just around the block—was just as effective at clearing my head and calming myself down, if not more so. And as a bonus, it's free! I also found that my emotions were a little more even-keeled, as I wasn't constantly delivering my brain the fleeting dopamine hits that come first from buying stuff and later when the items arrive. I do get several PR packages a week, and I will admit, I was a little more excited about receiving them than usual. Turns out when you're not constantly buying stuff, you appreciate what you do receive. 

Take a close look at your finances afterward

On average, I charge between $4,000–$5,000 a month on my credit card (I use it for nearly everything). In No-Buy July, I spent...$1,980. Yes, that's less than half of what I usually spend. Granted, I didn't have any major expenses or travel, but that was really eye-opening—that's money I could be saving. It actually inspired me to re-look at my monthly budget, and I set up an alert on my credit card app so that I get notified when I'm within $500 of my budgeted monthly spend. The funny thing was, I was planning to reward myself for surviving No-Buy July with a J.Crew dress that had been sitting in my shopping bag for a month; it went on sale and sold out before I could check out, and I wasn't even upset about it. Shopping is fun, but it's not the source of my happiness! 

Stick to your new habits 

An unexpected thing that happened during No-Buy July is that I enjoyed blogging more than I have in awhile. I think a big part of that is because I wasn't spending hours editing outfit photos, and real talk, I am going to have fewer of those posts going forward. For one, I was constantly buying new clothes to feature—clothes I didn't need—for another, they're a lot of work with not always a lot of return. (You all love dupes and reviews, however, so I will keep those coming.) I am also sticking to my stress-relief walks, which are good for my body as well as my mind. 

Plan to do it again

While the idea of doing a No-Buy Year sounds so zen and appealing, I know myself, and I really do enjoy shopping, especially when I'm traveling. I am truly looking forward to doing that in Italy in two(!) weeks. I also enjoy writing this blog and obviously don't want to stop doing that. That said, I am definitely going to do a No-Buy month again, and will probably do at least two a year going forward. Not only is it healthy for my wallet, but it's healthy for me mentally. Honestly, I find not buying stuff for a month to be much easier than Dry January—that's another vice for another day. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Frame blazer (more recent version) | Madewell tee | A New Day pants (current version) | Loewe Puzzle bag | Adidas Superstar sneakers