A Month Without Spending: What I Gained When I Bought Nothing But Essentials

Five days into my no-buy month, my finger hovered over the “place order” button on my Grubhub app when something inside me shifted. The pad thai I’d been craving sounded delicious, but I kept thinking about what I could do with that $20.

That’s when I knew my budgeting experiment was working.

I’d seen the no-buy challenge across my social media feeds and decided to try it. As prices continue to be ridiculously high, my money hasn’t been stretching as far as it used to. Plus, with a recession on the horizon, I wanted to get in the habit of spending (and saving) more intentionally. 

Before embarking on the challenge, I had my doubts. Financial trends on social media can be gimmicky. But what I ended up learning about my relationship with finances was eye-opening. Dropping cash for social connection and convenience had been restricting my creativity. Being more mindful about spending money made me more mindful about how I was spending my time, too.

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Spending more mindfully: My no-buy rules

“No-buy” doesn’t mean spending no money at all. Obviously we can’t avoid paying for essentials like housing, food and utilities, but we can be more mindful about how we budget for them. We can also be more calculated about which nonessential items we prioritize each month. 

For my no-buy month, I followed the basic do’s and don’ts of others on social media, differentiating between “necessities” and “extras.” I also added a few custom spending allowances (depriving myself entirely seemed counterproductive). 

Things I could buy

Necessities:

• Housing/utilities
• Car and home insurance
• Internet/phone
• Student loan payments
• Groceries and personal care items
• Emergencies (like an urgent car repair)
• Gas

For purchases like groceries, I set an additional rule that I could only buy things I absolutely needed. Restocking pantry staples I’d run out of was fine, but I had to get creative with the ingredients I already had before buying anything else.

Personal allowances:

• Expenses related to events I’d already scheduled (e.g., hosting a dinner party for friends, a concert I had tickets for)
• Streaming services (limited to one for music and one for TV/movies)
• Charity

For events I’d already planned, I focused on being frugal. Instead of purchasing new margarita glasses for a taco night with friends, I hit up BuyNothing to score some free ones. Instead of paying surge prices to park near the concert, I reserved a spot farther away in a discounted lot.

Things I couldn’t buy

• Eating out
• Entertainment
• Unnecessary/discretionary purchases (e.g., clothing, merch at the concert I had tickets for)
• Repairs I can make myself
• Services I can do myself

What I learned from my month of mindful spending 

This no-buy challenge wasn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It actually felt transformative, helping to clarify my relationship with money and establish healthier long-term habits. Here are a few of my takeaways. 

Convenience is expensive

Getting more deliberate with my spending made me realize I was paying a premium for simply avoiding tasks I find annoying or time-consuming.

For instance, while I don’t enjoy grooming my dogs when their fur gets unruly, it costs almost $100 for a makeover at the doggie salon. So I dug out the pet razor I’d bought months ago and actually used it. The results wouldn’t qualify my pups for a dog show, but they were perfectly passable.

Another example: Ordering delivery is easier than scouring my fridge for dinner ideas and making a meal at the end of a long day. But for the cost of one Grubhub order, including delivery fees and driver tip, I could make a whole week’s worth of dinners by getting creative and spending some time slicing and dicing.

Relying on paid entertainment was making my life boring

Limiting what I could spend on entertainment made my days more interesting by opening up my hobbies and interests. 

I canceled all but one streaming service, so instead of mindlessly scrolling through things to binge-watch, I finally dove into the pile of craft projects I’d been collecting for months. I did puzzles and adult coloring books. I repotted and rearranged my plant babies. I finally listened to audiobooks I’d bought months ago.

I missed doing things with my hands, and I was able to get outside my usual routine and challenge my mind to work in new ways. 

Spending is a social crutch

I didn’t realize how often “hanging out” meant forking over a decent chunk of cash. Dinner and drinks, plays, concerts — whenever I hadn’t seen a friend in a while, my first instinct was to book an activity with them. I’d forgotten about the less-pricey ways I maintained friendships as a broke girl in my 20s.

It turns out board game nights and dinner parties at home are more fun than a crowded, loud restaurant. I was surprised to learn that many of my friends felt the same. Now I don’t have to worry about being pressured to buy a fancy bar cocktail just to throw a social gathering.

Some things have emotional value

One benefit of my no-buy challenge was cutting back on things that didn’t matter, which gave me more room to afford what was emotionally valuable.

When my partner was invited to an out-of-town surprise party, I almost didn’t join him. However, it was a chance to meet some of his friends and see his old stomping grounds, so it was worth it. I’m not sure I could have fit the trip into my budget if I hadn’t already shifted my spending in other categories.

Bonus: I bulked up my savings

Thanks to my no-buy experiment, I shaved a little over $100 off my normal monthly spending. That money is going straight into savings to pad my emergency fund. 

Though I’m not officially doing the challenge anymore, my spending habits have definitely shifted. Ordering takeout, paying for movies and clicking “buy now” are no longer things I do on autopilot.

My no-buy month was just the reset I needed, and it improved my life in more ways than just financially. All in all, I’d consider that a win.