No-Buy Year ReCap
As many of us were writing out new goals and new intentions, I was patiently waiting until Jan 1 to say that I had officially completed my goal for 2020 - my no-buy year. If you need a full recap of my rules, you can read this blog post, however the short of it is that I wanted to learn to be more intentional about the items I already owned along with minimizing impulse spending on various items.
In January, February, and March. I stuck to a pretty strict budget. I also wanted to couple this challenge with being hyper-aware of where my money was going. However come mid-March, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to unknowingly spend too much on drinks out.
So I refocused and spent the rest of 2020 learning how to love and use the items I already owned. It would be easy to fall into cycles of buying things online to entertain ourselves, but we really spent time asking ourselves if any purchase coming into the home was needed.
Willem and I doing sprints in the parks near us in early fall!
For example, I do workouts via Zoom with two different groups of friends. In the summer, I was able to go on longer runs, run sprints in the park, and go for long bike rides. But in October, we started to get a bit stir crazy in our apartment since we didn’t have an easy way to do a cardio workout as it cold. We opted to get an indoor bike and I do not regret it one bit. BUT we didn’t get the extra bells and whistles. For example, we have not purchased weights, we use books and laundry detergent instead.
In June, Willem and I moved into our new apartment and I am proud to say we did not buy one single home decor item. NOTHING! We used what we have and heck even donated things.
The Numbers
$8,797.00 - 2020’s total credit card balance.
This number includes charitable donations (at least $1,000, I don’t mind sharing this)
This number includes $1,200 for 50% of my custom suit (so amped for this)
This number includes payment for dental appointments that were partially reimbursed
This number includes Airbnb cost that my sisters partially paid for
This number does not include our $300/mo grocery budget between the two of us.
This number does not include rent.
This number does not include health insurance.
This number does not include business expenses - only personal expenses.
This number does not include a year of Club ultimate frisbee, which can total $2,000 with flights around the US.
~
$11,249 - 2019’s total credit card balance.
This number includes flights that obviously couldn’t happen in 2020.
This number includes payment for club ultimate frisbee expenses via credit card
This number includes going out to eat and rec leagues in Chicago
This number does not include rent
This number does not include business expenses
This number does not include my venmo-ing my sisters and family for various gifts/trips
This number does not include health insurance
However, even without all these caveats, this showcases just how drastically different miscellaneous spending was in 2020 compared to 2019 - roughly $2452.00
Biggest Takeaways
-I burn way fewer candles than I think I do
-I need way fewer pens
-I don’t use journals, like ever, apparently.
-Eventually, you stop realizing what you can’t purchase since you’ve gotten used to your routines.
-I didn’t miss Jimmy Johns quite as much as I thought I would.
-My vice is food
-I don’t need the number of things I have
-Turns out I really do have a work uniform, lol.
-Anything can be used as decor if styled correctly
Was It Worth It?
Yes, 100x over. The first few months were challenging, and I won’t be naive to think that if 2020 panned out how we all thought it would, it likely would have still been difficult. However, I haven’t purchased coffee from a coffee shop in so long and every time I contemplate it - I just go home and make a pot of coffee instead.
I’ve learned to love what I already own, to be grateful for all that I really have.
I got a library card because of this! I would have definitely kept buying books, but instead, I read what I had, borrowed from friends, and got excited about a library card. I will however be purchasing some books from Bookshop.org in the future to gift and to have copies of my own to re-read.
I’ve reimagined how to better use my money and started investing more and saving for big purchases/experiences like a future trip.
First Purchases
Jimmy Johns Sandwich - it was fine.
I got this pair of bike shorts from Girlfriend Collective in 2 colors - I bought these because with our new bike, I only had one pair and while I washed them frequently, I was using the bike more than once a week and could not stand the chafing.
These Items from Everlane because apparently I have a uniform:
Black Dress
White Mockneck Tank
Black Mockneck T-Shirt thing...I dunno just look at it lol
Black Joggers from Lululemon that took 3 tries to get, a failed shipment that got stolen or never came, and 3 hours on the phone with customer service.
On My “To-Buy” List
-Hair curling iron - probs 1.5 inch?
-Laptop Riser - I’ve using books this whole time LOL
-Bath tub shelf thing to read my books in the bath with wine!
-More time & trips with friends
