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People spend more on small purchases
here and there than they do on massive sprees.
And that's the problem.
I never knew I had a shopping problem
until I ended the year 2018 with less than $1,400
in my savings account.
It wasn't a surprise.
I'd always earned very little.
For the first nine years of working retail,
I earned less than $13,000 a year,
and for several of those years I never earned more than $6,500.
However, that year I had just started my career
as a freelance writer in April.
While I had been good at tracking my expenses
that year for my taxes, I hadn't actually
taken control of my finances, which sort of defeated
the point of tracking them.
I was watching and then documenting
myself spending money, but not doing anything about it.
What's more, I realized that I'd earned more
in 2018 than I ever had before.
The problem wasn't my low income,
it was me and my spending habits.
I had spent years excusing my lack of money
on my minimum wage job rather than taking responsibility
for the role I played in my situation.
And so I decided to quit shopping for a year.
Yes, I went hardcore.
I was going to end the toxic wormhole of conflating
self-love with buying things, and start
saving money by ceasing shopping for a whole year.
I had three main goals for what I
wanted by the end of the year.
One, create a six-month emergency fund.
Two, pay off my high interest student
loan for my master's degree.
Three, start saving money for a deposit on an apartment.
Now I hear what you're thinking.
How does someone in a capitalist society give up shopping?
Surely, I wasn't going to grow all of my food
in the sewage pipe attached to my tiny city apartment, right?
Well, I had rules.
I wasn't allowed to buy anything except the following items.
Food-- believe it or not, I can't survive without that.
Exercise-- health and fitness have always
been very important to me.
So I allowed myself to invest in exercise classes or a gym
membership.
Vitamin B12 and flaxseed oil supplements--
I'm vegan.
And these are somewhat important for me to take.
Renewals-- I was allowed to replace
things I'd run out of such, as shampoo, toothpaste, makeup
that I use daily, moisturizer, sun cream, et cetera.
I was also allowed to fix items of clothing
by taking them to a cobbler or seamstress.
One coffee a week and one dinner a month.
I had an incredibly unhealthy social life previously.
I had to meet someone for coffee around six times a week.
Though having a lot of friends is a blessing,
it's also excessive both financially and emotionally.
To ensure I had a social life of some form,
I limited myself to one day out a week.
And I could eat out once a month.
Presents for other people.
I wasn't going to be that cheap and eradicate all generosity.
Everything else was off limits.
I couldn't buy books, clothes, second hand or new, makeup,
apps, art supplies, pens, shoes, that cute little thing
I saw in the window that one time, snacks went out
and about, nail polish, tickets to the theater or to anything,
or alcohol.
Yes, no alcohol.
Some people confuse no-buy year rules
with low-buy rules and minimalism in general.
The key difference is that minimalists
and low-buy participants aren't barred
from buying particular items.
They can buy anything they want, just not in excess.
Or if they do buy something, they
have to let go of an item they already own.
Going no-buy in comparison, seems pretty extreme.
One could argue it may be more worthwhile to set
a tight budget once a month that would give more
freedom than going cold turkey.
But I've always been an all or nothing kind of woman.
And I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need things
to make myself feel whole.
I know.
It sounds bizarre.
But I did it.
I stuck to my guns and didn't spend
a penny outside of my rules.
In fact, I spent less than I was allowed,
only going for a coffee every two or three months,
rather than once a week.
By December of 2019, I had earned about $21,130,
and I saved a total of $9,550, about 45% of my income.
I celebrated by paying off the final part of my master's bank
loan, officially two years before the due date.
Even after paying off my loan, I also
ended the year with precisely six months
worth of emergency savings.
Ultimately, I achieved two of my three goals.
Had I applied my no-buy challenge a couple of years
ago, I would have paid off my master's student debt
too by 2016.
And I would have accrued a six month emergency
fund by the beginning of 2018.
We choose to buy things because they
represent the life we're not living,
but are yearning to live.
I was so unhappy in myself that I bought things
to try and make up for it.
But none of it made me feel fulfilled.
And it certainly didn't keep me financially stable.
My no-buy year not only helped me grow financially,
but it also helped me appreciate what
I have in grow and determination, self
acceptance, and self-respect.
I work hard for my money.
And I no longer allow the media or society
to trick me into thinking I have to spend it elsewhere
to be good enough.
I am more than good enough.
And my future deserves my finances
more than any shop or company ever will.
Your financial health is just one part
of living a healthy lifestyle.
And being intentional with your dollars,
can help you live better in every aspect of your life.
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