Another year is upon us, and if you're anything like me, you've probably spent a considerable amount of time in reflection over the past few weeks about things you want to do in 2023, and things you want to stop doing. I'm definitely guilty of being overly-navel-gazing in the past, so I tried to create a balanced system for this reflection, staying away from topics that could make me spiral into depression or self-loathing (like thinking of all the things I haven't done or accomplished yet that I wanted to have done by now), and focusing on the things that I could take actionable steps on. I wanted to feel at the end of the year as I looked back at my goals, that I had taken steps that were actually measurable, that I had worked towards my goals without being dogmatic about it, and that I had brought a sense of peace and happiness into my life that hadn't been there before.
So, I decided that one of the things I could do this year to really help with my sense of peace, calm, and control, was to reduce my spending in certain areas of my life. Some of the items on this list I already have stopped buying because I have a big stockpile of them, but other things I need to start putting on the do not buy list so that I don't go overboard, or I'm already there. Not only will my wallet feel the gains of me not spending money on these categories, but I know my mind will feel it too. As I've purchased items from these categories recently, I've felt a huge surge of guilt about how much I already have, so, if I do break these no-buy categories this year, I'm going to have to practice the one-in, two-out rule. Yeah, not one-for-one, but one-for-TWO. I know myself well enough that if I have to be a bit punitive about it, it will discourage me far more. So, without further ado, here's my list of things I'm not buying this year, and why.
1. Mugs: As a big-time hot drink connoisseur, mugs are a big point of weakness for me. I love to have a large collection of cute mugs, handmade mugs, souvenir mugs, and pretty mugs. I'm a sucker for a ceramic container to hold my tea and lattes, and I've really, really, REALLY got to stop. I probably could stand to donate about 5-8 of the ones I already have, but I'll confess, this is an area of my kitchen that I have a very hard time decluttering. I'm going to work on this area slowly this year, letting go of the ones that I truly just don't use, and keeping on the ones I love, but I don't see this being an easy category for me at all.
2. Tarot/Oracle Decks: As someone who has made their YouTube channel all about tarot, oracle, witchcraft and more, this is a big one for me. The truth is though, that lately, I've fallen out of love with a lot of the decks in my collection, and I'm just not reaching for many of them anymore. Some of them I don't want to part with for sentimental reasons (like the German version of the Druidcraft my best friend gave me), but others I'm having no problems at all saying goodbye to. I've already sold a few on the Facebook Marketplace here, and this afternoon I'm going to go through my collection again and find a couple more to add to the sell pile. And for this reason, I'm not allowed to buy any more decks this year. I just don't need the variety that I thought I did, and I'm finding myself gravitating to the same few over and over again. There's a couple on my list that I'll admit, if I find myself confronted with them for a really, really good price, I may cave for, but that list is extremely short and small, and the price I'm willing to pay for them is a lot less than retail.
3. Incense: This was on my no-buy list in 2022, and it's going to stay on the list this year too. I still have a large stock of incense, and I don't need any more. My favorite incense, the Call of the Shaman by Greentree, was no longer stocked at any of my local new-age stores, so I ended up buying a case of 12 on Amazon about a year ago, and I have enough to keep me happy for quite some time. My only exception here will be replacing empty bags of my other favorite incense, Egyptian Musk by Flore. But I know my local shop carries it, so it'll be a one-out, one-in kind of thing.
4. Books: This one, HURTS. I'm a die-hard bibliophile who loves a good read, but the fact is, I've built up quite the collection of unread books at home, and a lot of the other nonfiction books I'm wanting to read lately are available for FREE from my local library. I've got to read what I already own, and borrow what I want to buy, but shouldn't be buying. I've set a goal for reading 50 books this year, and I know that most of them can come from my own shelves.
5. Journals: This is another one that's been on my no-buy list for a few years. I would default to buying a nice journal when I saw one when I was out, especially from the clearance section of Indigo, to the point where I built up something like 20 empty journals. Now, I do use journals and notebooks a lot, but I sure don't go through 20 a year, so back in 2019 I decided to stop. I still have about 12 that haven't been used yet, so this category stays on the no-buy list.
6. Makeup: Here's another category that hurts. I love makeup a lot, I enjoy the process of putting it on, the way it allows me to express myself, and the feeling I have when I swipe on lipstick or step back from the mirror with a beautiful eyeshadow look, or a beautifully blushed and highlighted cheek. The simple truth is though, that I have enough makeup to keep using what I have for YEARS, and I don't need anymore. My one caveat for this category will be if I get to travel to the States for work this year, and find myself near an Ulta. There are a few brands and specific products I want to try that are not easy to get ahold of in Canada, like the highlighters from Nabla, that I will allow myself to get. The list of products on that list that I would buy is very small and select though.
7. Houseplants: You already know why. I have a lot, and I need to enjoy what I have without adding to the number. My one exception to this rule will be if a plant I really, really love dies, I'll allow myself to replace it.
8. Home Decor: This is another category that is hard for me. I love, love, LOVE to decorate my spaces and find great deals on things like rugs, pillows, cushions, blankets, and accent items for my home. The truth is though, that I recently went through my home decor items and decluttered a lot of them because my home was starting to look extremely cluttered and overwhelming. While the temptation may be there to get more stuff, I don't need to. My wallet will appreciate the break I take from this category, and I think my husband will be really grateful too. I realized awhile ago that this area had become more of an addiction for me than anything else, and I need to put the brakes on, and find a healthy balance with my love of decorating my space by moving around the pieces I already own, instead of acquiring more when I'm feeling in need of a refresh.
9. Yarn: As an avid knitter, I've been building up quite the stash for awhile now, and the time has come for me to really knuckle down and focus on finding projects for the yarn I have, or getting around to the projects I planned ages ago, and churning those objects out. The one exception I'm making to this rule is if someone I know and love is having a baby or some sort of event that I want to make something for them to commemorate, and I don't have yarn in my stash already for it, I'll buy what I need. But definitely no more knitting notions, needles or tools either.
10. New Clothing: This time last year, there's no way I could have considered putting clothes on the list of no-buy items, but this year it feels perfect. It has taken me a long time to figure out my personal style, the color palette I like and feel good in, and what sorts of clothes I feel I look good in, as well as which ones make me feel comfortable as a human being. I'm at a really good point with my wardrobe right now, I don't feel like I need to add to it, and if anything, there might be a couple of pieces that need to leave it. I did just recently have to replace my favorite pair of jeans when I literally wore through the fabric of them after years of nearly daily use, but that's the only sort of clothing I foresee myself buying this year, replacement pieces for things that get worn out from constant use. I have plenty of tshirts and casual clothes, all the workout clothes I could need, and quite a few business casual and even a couple of formal items too, so there won't be any need to bring new clothes in. I'm going to attempt to thrift anything that needs replacing first, but if it's a piece I'm going to wear all the time, I will replace them with new guilt-free.
What's on your no-buy list this year? And don't forget, you can simply do a no-buy for some things for just a month or two to start, or just try to take it month by month at first, or even week by week if you really need to ease into it. It's okay to slip up, and it's okay to start over. Be kind to yourself on your no-buy or low-buys this year, and feel free to let me know how you're doing in the comments so I can cheer you on!
-xoxo Isca
