As the end of 2024 is rapidly approaching, so is the time for some end-of-year reflections and goal-setting for the new year. As I’ve sat down and begun to think about this for myself, I’ve realized one of the main things that I want to get better at in the new year is saving (even just a little bit) more money.Â
Especially as the idea of post-grad life starts to get more real, I’ve been really thinking about what state my finances need to be in in order to achieve the lifestyle I want. Although I’m not bringing in the big-girl salary right now, I do have a part-time job that would definitely help me to build up my savings account. But it seems that even after working for a year, that savings account hasn’t grown any bigger — but my closet inventory most certainly has. So, I want to set some goals for myself to help limit my spending a bit and make sure that I can actually build up some savings before graduation.Â
That’s where No Buy 2025 comes in.
I know a no-spend year may sound so intimidating at first — trust me, that’s the same reaction that I had. But it’s not meant to be to spend literally no money for a whole year, since that would probably be impossible. The basic idea behind this trend (which, of course, I found via TikTok) is to set rules for yourself in regard to what things are on your “no buy” list. For example, saying that you won’t buy Starbucks unless you have a gift card, or that you won’t buy any new makeup until you’ve used up what you already have (which is basically TikTok’s “project pan” trend). These rules can look like anything you want them to, and you can base them on whatever your main spending pain points are.Â
For example, I spend a lot of money on food and books, so a couple of my ideas for my No Buy 2025 are to not let myself buy any more new books until I’ve read the majority of the ones I own (this could easily take a year because my bookshelves are literally overflowing and running out of space), and to limit myself to only DoorDashing food when I have a gift card. I plan to implement a few more rules before the new year, but these two categories contribute so much to my spending that even if I just had these two, I think I would still save a decent amount of money. Â
Also, your rules don’t have to be super strict! If this trend feels like too much, but you’re still interested in participating in some way, consider doing the rules in alternating months — with one month where you limit your spending and the next where you can be more lenient. When it comes to saving money, every little bit can count, so even if you don’t think you could do it all the time, doing it some of the time is just as helpful. Baby steps are still steps!Â
If you’re interested in some variation of No Buy 2025, I recommend at least trying it out! Write out some (reasonable) goals for yourself, and see if you can stick with them for a month, and then go from there. You will feel so accomplished, and your bank account will definitely thank you.