Sustain April

No Buy Challenge

I discovered this challenge through sustaina.bel and alissa_etc.  The objective is to spend your money on only food, gas and experiences for an entire month.

If you are like me and enjoy shopping, this challenge is a good stepping stone in learning to buy consciously.

Buying consciously involves buying with a purpose.  This requires buying something that truly makes you happy - not just because it's inexpensive and you want it.  It involves considering where the items were made, who made them, and what materials they are made from before purchasing.  When you buy with a purpose, the end result should be that you find more enjoyment in the item you purchased.

For the month of April I accepted this challenge, and as a result, I was able to save money and curb impulse buying.

Here is a breakdown of how the month went for me. 

Week 1 - This was an easy week.  I had shopped the weekend before the month began so the desire to shop and buy new things was quenched.  One tip that really helped me stay focused was printing out a calendar to mark the days off as I went through the month. 

Week 2 - This week was more challenging.  1. The high from shopping a couple of weeks prior had dissipated.  2. It was a slow week.  3. We were coming into a change of season; this brought to my attention that there were missing pieces from my closet I wished I had.  Having down time and the Poshmark app on my phone didn’t help in my resolve to accomplish this challenge.  Despite all that I didn't give in, YAY!

Weeks 3 and 4 - These weeks were very busy so it kept my mind occupied, and didn't leave much time to even think about shopping.  I had a vacation planned for the last weekend of the month, this helped me focus on the impending trip and distracted me from shopping.  Where we stayed wasn't too far from a bigger town, and the temptation to visit some second hand stores was there but I didn't give in.

The end result of this challenge for the month of April inspired me to make it a goal to do the no buy challenge every other month.

If you haven't tried doing this type of challenge I hope sharing my experience has inspired you to give it a try.  You may find you feel empowered knowing you have accomplished something that contributes to reducing the amount of fast fashion and discarded clothes.

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