How am I supposed to buy nothing for the rest of the year?
A “no-buy” year doesn’t literally mean that you can’t buy anything. It’s about cutting out unnecessary purchases, using what you have, and taking accountability for what you are buying.
The first step to a successful no-buy year is to write out a list of exemptions. These could be things that you need to survive, things you get a lot of use out of, or maybe things that aren’t a physical item. For example:
· Food
· Medicine
· Cleaning products
· Hygiene products
· Replacements for broken or empty items
· Experiences (tickets, holidays, etc.)
Next, consider the things you want to focus on NOT buying. This could be:
· Clothes
· Shoes
· Décor
· Furniture
· Toys/games
· Makeup
· Perfume/aftershave
If you end up really needing something that is on your no-buy list, consider shopping second-hand. You could also join a local ‘buy nothing’ group on Facebook, where people share things that they are giving away for free. Check out the links below:
Barnsley: Freecycle Barnsley, Freebies in Barnsley & Surrounding Areas
Doncaster: Free Things to Gift to Others in Doncaster!, Free Stuff in Doncaster
Rotherham: Free, Free, Free Rotherham, Everything Free Rotherham Area
Sheffield: Freebies For You - Sheffield n Surrounding Areas, Freebies in Sheffield S5
Committing to buying nothing for the rest of the year might feel like a lot, but you can always start small. If you already participated in Keep Britain Tidy’s Buy Nothing New month in January, you’ve given yourself a great head start! If not, it’s never too late to start reducing your consumption. You can still sign up to Buy Nothing New Month, where you can download their No Buy Survival guide to help you!