No-Buy 2025? If You Actually Want To Cut Your Spending, Here’s The Right Way To Do It.

You’ve likely heard of the concept of no-spend months like “No Spend November,” but what about a no-spend year?

In an effort to combat the rampant consumerism and credit card debt that have haunted so many Americans in recent years, some people have pledged to try “No-Buy 2025.”

“From the rise in cost of living to the convenience of today’s click and spend culture, many Americans are feeling the pinch in their wallets due to various external and internal factors,” Jack Howard, the head of money wellness at Ally Financial, told HuffPost.

No-Buy 2025 ― or even Low-Buy 2025, as some prefer ― offers a way to take control over your finances and resist the temptation to overspend by avoiding nonessential purchases throughout the year. That means cutting out “for fun” spending on things like clothes, restaurant meals, home decor, streaming subscriptions and more.

But these kinds of challenges are often, well, quite challenging. As a result, the effort might backfire.

“For some, it can feel a bit restrictive, especially if you’re used to little ‘treat yourself’ purchases,” said “Crush Your Money Goals” author Bernadette Joy Cruz Maulion. “If it feels too intense, it could lead to a bit of burnout or even a splurge at the end.”

But that doesn’t mean you can’t meaningfully cut down your discretionary spending in 2025. Below, personal finance experts share their tips for making no-spend and low-spend endeavors work.

Adopt a values-based spending mindset.

A good way to take control of your spending is to adopt a values-based mindset and build your budget around those principles.

“Values-based spending considers your personal values, goals, and priorities, and allows you to realign your financial priorities, whatever that looks like for you,” Howard said. “Ask yourself, ‘What are my values? How do I define them?’ It’s easier to make decisions that align with financial goals when it’s clear what your values are.”

Eliminate the pressure to spend money on things you don’t actually value by considering whether purchases you’re making are adding real worth to your life. If the answer is no, then you can reallocate those dollars to utilities or save them for something that will be more impactful in the future.

Find an accountability buddy.

If you want to have a no-spend or low-spend 2025, remember you don’t have to embark on this journey alone.

“Find a friend to do it with,” advised consumer finance and budgeting expert Andrea Woroch. “Buddy systems are great for keeping each other accountable.”

You can even tap into an online community if you’re having trouble finding someone with similar goals IRL. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment, either.

“Consider having an accountability buddy to cheer you on and to check in with from time to time,” said Bobbi Rebell, a certified financial planner and personal finance expert at CardRates.com. “It can be really helpful to compare notes and to motivate each other by sharing your struggles and your wins.”

Establish why you want to do a no-spend or low-spend goal.

“Get clear on your why: Why are you doing this?” Rebell advised.

Asking yourself why you want to put aside money can help you be purposeful with the money you save, rather than just wasting it on a spending binge after the saving period is over. Maybe you want to pay off some lingering debts or take the vacation of your dreams.

“Identify and visualize a goal your no-spend challenge will help you reach,” Woroch echoed. “This will make it easier to stick to your goal. Tracking your savings on a spreadsheet or using an app like Rocket Money can also help you see your progress and make you feel good about how much money you’re putting away by not saving, fueling your motivation to stick to it through the whole month.”

She also recommended opening a separate account for your savings so that it’s harder to access and spend. Out of sight, out of mind.

Make it fun.

Cutting your spending doesn’t have to feel like a slog. In fact, there are ways to bring a sense of fun and joy to the endeavor.

“I’m an old millennial, so I love stickers and trackers and colored pencils,” Cruz Maulion said. “I like to track it on a physical calendar on my wall so I can visually give myself a pat on the back ― and use up all those stickers I’ve accumulated over the years!”

Replace areas where you used to spend money with alternative activities like reading books from the library, dusting off that old guitar you haven’t played in years, taking free yoga classes on YouTube or going on hikes in your area.

Another way to make a no- or low-spend period feel fun is to “shop” your closet and come up with new outfit combinations. Some items might even feel brand new if they haven’t gotten a lot of love in a while. Plus, this is a good opportunity to clean out and organize your closet ― and every other part of your house.

“Take inventory of what you already have in your home,” Rebell advised. “You may realize you have things you might have bought as necessities.”

Those random liqueurs you’ve had in your liquor cabinet forever? Now’s the chance to to get experimental and make fun cocktails for yourself without having to spend money. The same goes for random ingredients in your pantry.

“Learning how to cook better at home is one of the most underrated ways to save money throughout the year,” added Julien Saunders, coauthor of “Cashing Out” and cohost of the “Rich & Regular” podcast. “By learning how to prepare better meals at home, dining in will feel less like a punishment or step down from going out to eat so often.”

Consider a ‘mindful’-buy 2025.

Rather than fully cutting your discretionary spending overnight, try to be a little flexible and think of it as “mindful”-buy 2025, rather than no-buy 2025.

“Set very realistic goals and don’t be afraid to course-correct,” Rebell. “Just like a diet, it is better to ease up a bit and lose a little weight, than to just start bingeing if you fall off the wagon with a little cheat in a moment of weakness.”

Ultimately, the challenge has to fit your life in order to work. Don’t beat yourself up for imperfection.

“Go in with a clear goal, and be kind to yourself if you want a little wiggle room,” Cruz Maulion said. “It’s not about punishing yourself ― it’s about making intentional choices with your money.”

In order to foster better habits for the long term, you should examine why you might be overspending.

“Is it FOMO or social pressure to buy the designer item or concert ticket you might not be able to afford?” Howard said. “Practice money mindfulness before you buy, where you pause and observe your thoughts, actions and emotions when shopping.”

Customize the challenge with specifics.

“Customize the challenge to fit you and what you want to accomplish. You don’t have to go all-or-nothing,” Cruz Maulion said. “The ‘rules’ can be whatever works for you! Some folks cut out all nonessentials, while others limit just a few categories, like dining out or online shopping.

Maybe you’re cutting out restaurants or clothing purchases, or maybe you’re pledging to only get around via public transportation or walking. Small things can add up.

“For example, if you promise to stash $10 for each day you stick to it, that’s an extra $300 in savings by the end of one month,” Cruz Maulion said.

Whatever it is, make sure it’s an attainable goal that won’t lead you to overcompensate by splurging at the end of the challenge. You can still reward yourself for your hard work with a small treat within your budget.

Talk to loved ones.

Beyond accountability buddies, you can get your loved ones involved in your journey in other ways. Remember that conversations with friends and family don’t cost anything.

“Use this time to talk about your finances with friends and family,” Howard said. “Create safe spaces where you can have open conversations about money, considering thoughts and feedback from the people who know you best.”

She emphasized that this approach also fits into values-based spending.

“Quality time with loved ones is often a top value, so creating a spending plan with that in mind helps lead to making more memories that align with your goals and your budget!” she noted.

Letting your loved ones know about your financial goals can also make it easier to avoid spending temptations. Good friends will support you in your goals and help come up with ways to hang out without spending money.

“If you know your friends like to plan fancy meals out, for example, suggest a budget-friendly potluck at your home instead,” Woroch suggested.

Eliminate your triggers.

“Identify and eliminate spending triggers,” Woroch advised. “This could look like deleting shopping apps on your phone, unsubscribing from retail newsletters, and avoiding walking into stores where there are sure to be plenty of spending temptations.”

She recommended making spending harder by deleting the credit card info you have stored in online retail accounts and on your mobile devices.

“In extreme measures freeze your credit card in a block of ice!” Woroch added. (You can also just lock your credit card online if you prefer to avoid the wet mess.)

Curate your online feeds to dodge temptations as well.

“Try refreshing your social media accounts by following personal finance experts, podcasters, authors and creators that make educational and helpful content about saving money versus content that just encourages you to spend more,” Saunders added.

Take advantage of free money.

Even as you cut down on your discretionary purchases, you still need to spend on essentials, so why not earn money on those transactions?

“Tapping into free rewards can help you stick to your no-spend challenge,” Woroch noted. “For instance, download the Fetch Shop web extension to your browser to start earning points for online purchases that can be redeemed for gift cards to Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Sephora, etc.”

She also recommended using portals like CouponCabin and signing up for loyalty programs to earn cash back on essentials like groceries and toiletries. You can put those earnings toward future spending on essentials or a special free treat for yourself.

“More importantly, do whatever you can to maximize your no-spend efforts and put those savings in a high-yield saving account like Bread Savings, which offers a 4.75% annual percentage yield so your savings can make some extra cash for your goals,” Woroch said. “Comparatively, you’re only getting 0.46% on average from traditional savings accounts, so don’t miss out on the free money.”