We are only four days into our no-buy challenge to kick of 2020 but since the month started on a Wednesday this year, I guess we’re already at the end of week 1! Want to do a similar challenge? Read our rules here.
We just wanted to share the 4 main steps we’ve taken in week 1 to ensure that we’re set up for our no-buy month so if you’re joining us in the challenge or you’re considering doing one soon, you may want to do some of the same things or just join us in our struggle.
1. Cancel all subscriptions
We went through our Apple subscriptions and PayPal accounts and turns out I’m the only one with this problem. I scrolled through all of my subscriptions and cancelled my automatic payments to most things. As we mentioned in our first video leading up to this, I did keep our Adobe Suite subscription and monthly website domain.
2. Do a mindful (but plentiful) grocery shop
- Before leaving for a grocery shop, we go through your cupboards and see what you already have
- We also didn’t want to bulk up for the whole month as we find it more cost-effective and sustainable to shop once a week on about a $50-$60 budget for the two of us. We try to keep a rule of only spending about $20-$30 dollars each on groceries per week. (Make a budget for how much you want to spend on groceries per week)
Think of some meals that you can food prep for, this will help in not wanting to eat out – that feeling of being stuck in not knowing what to prepare might turn into an excuse to order SkipTh Dishes or UberEats or to pick something up at a restaurant
And of course, any time before you go to the grocery store, eat first – this always helps us stay on our low budget.
3. Write down the reasons why you’re doing a no-buy month
Our reasons are:
- To save for travel, and the first trip of the year will be Hawaii so we’re keeping our eye on only that for now so we don’t get overwhelmed
- To be more conscious of our shopping and where we’re putting our money each month
3. Keep a log of costs of your non-negotiables and even a log of costs where you had messed up or where you had to spend something
Ok, so first. This is the (projected) budget we made prior to beginning the challenge. These are our MONTHLY goals.
Mess up #1 (and the only mess-up for week 1):
Nick lost his wallet and we’re in the process of replacing all of the cards so we had to buy a new wallet. It was $9.99 and we ordered in from Amazon. First no-buy challenge tip: don’t lose things. LOL. Boooo!
4. Sit down at the end of the week and look at what you’ve spent to hold yourself accountable
Total Non-Negotiables: $316.00
Total (Restricted): $9.99
How we feel:
It’s been pretty easy so far, but it’s only been 4 days so we’ll check in again next week to see how we’re doing.
If you’re doing a similar challenge this month, let us know how your first week went. We’re still feeling stoked and we’re seeing that it might not be that hard. We’d love to know if you’re feeling the same way. If you have any more tips to share, share below!
You can always reach out to us on Instagram @notluxxe – we respond to every single DM!