Many Americans tried, and failed, to cut spending for 'No Buy January'. How to cut back without depriving yourself

A batch of radical footwear disconnected the twelvemonth by going connected a diet. In 2026, 1 of the trendiest diets involves buying — oregon much accurately, not shopping.

It’s ‘No Buy January.’ Instead of cutting backmost connected carbs, radical chopped backmost connected consumerism.

According to a NerdWallet survey conducted by The Harris Poll, much than 1 successful 10 Americans joined the situation this twelvemonth (1).

Popular connected societal media, no-buy oregon low-buy challenges promote radical to halt buying nonessentials for a acceptable play of time.

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For some, that means a azygous day. Others purpose for a month, a 4th oregon adjacent a year.

Essential spending inactive makes the chopped successful these challenges. Gas to get to work? Necessary. Groceries? Yes. Rent? Obviously.

But that other vessel of assemblage lavation that smells amended than the 1 successful your shower? Nope. Takeout due to the fact that you forgot to propulsion chickenhearted retired of the freezer? Not truthful much.

The extremity isn’t deprivation, but mindfulness. It’s astir noticing wherever you walk wealth to marque it easier to alteration atrocious fiscal habits.

For galore consumers, it’s appealing due to the fact that — arsenic 44% of NerdWallet survey respondents shared — “life feels truly expensive.”

Despite cautious budgeting and adjacent moonlighting arsenic a DoorDash driver, Brent Parsons told The Wall Street Journal it inactive feels hard to enactment ahead.

“If we don’t instrumentality immoderate drastic measures to alteration our behaviors now, we’re going to beryllium successful a batch of trouble,” helium said.

That’s wherefore the Nebraska-based IT idiosyncratic and begetter of 3 kicked disconnected No Buy January by locking his family’s recognition card. Any household acquisition requires a speech (2).

Even radical who aren’t struggling financially consciousness immoderate urgency to trim their shopping.

New York-based integer marketer Gillian Shieh, 32, told The Wall Street Journal that she took portion successful No Buy January due to the fact that she’s disquieted astir her finances, adjacent if her income is OK connected paper.

She committed to chopped her discretionary spending to $300 from the $1,500 she sometimes spends successful a period — forgoing purchases of clothes, skincare, java and intoxicant and cutting down takeout to a fewer times a week.

No-buy challenges aren’t conscionable astir redeeming money. They’re a effect to economical uncertainty, occupation anxiety, and a increasing consciousness that galore things close present consciousness beyond our control.