#nobuychallenge

Presenting my no spending on art supplies year challenge.

So, I've realized that… maybe…. these last few years I’ve spent more time shopping for art supplies and courses than actually making art.

So, in May 2024, I have resolved not to buy any art supplies or Domestika courses this year. Not even to finish a project. Gasp.

The only exceptions are very basic things like running out of glue, scissors, or equipment needing replacement.

The Why: I have too many art supplies. I need to (really) declutter. I have not made much art for 2 years, and I want to learn who I am now as an artist, as opposed to the person I've transformed from in the last 14 years.

As I make more art, each piece will be valued (by me or my husband) from $1 to $20 in "credits," based on merit and context. These credits can be used to buy replacement art supplies once the year is over.

After that, I'm really not sure what's next. That's one of my fears: that I won't know what art supplies I truly need. Another fear is that the apocalypse would happen while I'm doing this challenge, and I won't have a store of art supplies. Seriously, that's one of the points in my mind I've used to justify the inordinate amount of art stuff I own.

Let me start by saying: I didn’t plan to go a whole year without buying anything new.

It began as a casual challenge, “No new clothes for a month” after I realized how much time I was spending scrolling shopping apps when I was bored. But something shifted. That one month turned into three, then six… then a full year.

Here’s what I learned when I decided to stop buying anything new for 12 months (with a few exceptions like food, toiletries, and things I couldn’t avoid).

1. I Was Buying for Boredom, Not Need

Turns out, most of my purchases were never about necessity. They were about filling space: emotional, social, or just digital cart space. When I removed the option to shop, I had to actually sit with my feelings, and get more creative with how I spent my time.

2. I Got Closer to My Style (and My Stuff)

When I stopped shopping, I started wearing the clothes I already owned, and figured out what I actually liked. I mended things. I donated what didn’t fit. My closet got lighter, and so did my mornings.

3. I Saved More Than I Expected

No Target “just for toothpaste” runs that turn into $80 hauls. No impulse buys from Instagram ads. Just essentials. I didn’t live like a monk, I just spent more intentionally. And I saved thousands over the year.

4. I Became a Better Steward of the Planet

One less person feeding the fast-fashion, fast-everything machine. I borrowed, swapped, thrifted, or went without. And I realized that living sustainably doesn’t have to be expensive — it can actually save you money.

5. I Didn’t Miss As Much As I Thought I Would

Honestly, I thought I’d feel deprived. But instead, I felt free. Fewer choices, less clutter, more peace. I spent more time outside, cooking, journaling, calling friends. Life slowed down in the best way.

Final Thought:

This year taught me that I already have more than enough. That new doesn’t always mean better. That buying less gives you more, more clarity, more gratitude, and more space for what matters.

Hey friend!

Ever look around and wonder, “Where did all this stuff come from?” I did, right before I decided to try something a little crazy: a 30-day no-buy challenge.

No new clothes, no takeout, no random Target trips. Just buying essentials like groceries and bills, that’s it.

Here’s what really happened when I stopped buying stuff for a month, the good, the bad, and what I learned.

Why I Did a No-Buy Month

I didn’t do it to punish myself. I did it because I was sick of spending money on things that didn’t actually make me happier, or make my life better.

Plus, I wanted to break the habit of impulse buying. You know the drill: one scroll on Amazon turns into a $75 checkout.

My Rules

Essentials only (food, bills, gas) No clothes, makeup, decor, gadgets No online impulse shopping Keep a “wishlist” instead of buying right away

What Happened - The Good

1. I Saved Money - Fast Obvious, but wow - I saved over $300 that would’ve slipped through the cracks on takeout and impulse buys.

2. I Got Creative Instead of ordering food, I actually cooked. Instead of buying new decor, I moved things around. It felt refreshing.

3. I Realized What I Actually Value Turns out, I didn’t miss 90% of what I usually buy. What I did miss was experiences, coffee with friends, nature walks, movie nights.

What Was Hard

I’m not gonna lie, the first week was tough! I’d reach for my phone out of habit. The “treat yourself” voice is real. But writing down things I wanted on a wishlist helped, by the end of 30 days, I didn’t even want half of it.

What I Learned

Shopping is a habit, and habits can be changed. Buying stuff doesn’t fix boredom or stress. I value financial freedom way more than fast fashion or gadgets.

My Honest Takeaway

Will I never buy anything again? Heck no. But now, I pause and ask: Do I really want this? Or is it just a dopamine hit?

Aaannnndd I am back. After a failed attempt at starting this blog so many aeons ago, I have decided to leap back into the adulting world and blog about it. Just for shits and giggles. 

Now don’t you worry your little noggins. I haven’t reverted back to a complete state of childlike infancy. True, the immaturity is still there, but I have been doing some good things throughout 2016. 

Stopped going out every weekend, sometimes both Friday and Saturday nights. 

Bought a vegan cookbook, and have cooked multiple times from it. True, I only bought it because there were swear words in it and it used liquid smoke, but hey, I am cooking some damn good meals from it. 

I went a good 3 months completely booze free. 

I did a lot of yoga. 

Have gone back to a physio and am continuing to go. Still need to hammer down the knack of actually doing my exercises but baby steps. 

Am going to the dentist and hygenist regularly. Well have gone to the hygenist once, and got my full check up tonight with the dentist, but good intentions. My teeth already hurt. 

Paid off my credit card debt. (Just quietly may have put it all back on again trying to fill the hole in my soul over the last few months, with Trump and everything, but now I know it is possible).

So what does this mean for this year in the life of Erin. Well I have a few ideas for goals/intentions/areas of focus. And may come up with a few challenges throughout the year. My first challenge is the No Buy challenge. 

Why Erin, what is this No Buy challenge you refer to? Well I am glad you asked. Let me me give you the 411, break it on down. 

To counteract the needless spending I have been doing, trying to buy things to give my life meaning and solve all my issues, and issues of the world, I have decided to do the following:

Don’t buy anything new. 

Simple as that. But here are my clarifications:

Only replace what I use regularly and is required for day to day living. For example - shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste etc Cos you don’t want me smelly. 

If something runs out, or wears out such as jeans, if I don’t have a back up pair then I can replace it. However, perfume - I have many different perfumes so I will not need to replace them. 

Tea - we know that I have an obsession healthy love for tea. At least for buying it. I haven’t been so great at drinking it. So I will use this time to go through all my teas, use them up, and decide on the ones I love enough to continue stocking after the no buy challenge is up. I can’t see me running out of any before the time is up. 

I am going to do home made lunches, allowing one lunch a week to be purchased - most likely from the Central City Markets. Yum Dumplings. 

I am also going to do one paid fun thing  - such as dinner and a movie a week. There are plenty of fun free things to do out there. With the following exceptions:

My birthday weekend (10th to 13th of February)

Bruce Springsteen weekend (23rd to 27th of February). Going to play the tourist in Taupo and Rotorua. 

And the final aspect of this is to do it for one month. This feels like it is too short, but I also know that it will be a challenge for me. So if I am not near breaking point by the end of the month I may extend this challenge for another two months, doing a grand total of 3 months no buying. At the same time don’t want to set myself up to fail. 

Here are some of the other ideas that I have for future challenges so you can watch me suffer and read me moan and complain:

Cooking new dishes from all my saved articles on Facebook, Pinterest, and my cookbooks. 

No booze/limited booze - which on the d-low is going to be an all the time goal for me.

Yoga for 108 days. 

Meditation for 108 days.

But first things first lets get my obsessive spending under control and my finances sorted. Starting this Waitangi day (cos it ain’t right unless it starts on a Monday, and T2 have a new tea that I just have to buy), ending 6th of March (or possibly 6th of May!) Erin takes on the NO BUY CHALLENGE!

But first the dentist. eek.