In addition to the usual resolutions for 2024, many people incorporated "no-buys" into their yearly goal list. As the name suggests, "no-buys" entail a commitment to stop purchasing unnecessary items for a set period of time.

“No-buys” have circulated on the internet for a while, but they gained significant traction at the start of 2024 with TikTok users sharing their no-buy rules, while Reddit users seek encouragement from others throughout their no-buy journeys. These commitments often include avoiding purchases of material items like clothing and makeup. For example, TikTok user Abi Daunton (@abidaunton) shares her “no-buy” journey with makeup, posting videos about her extensive makeup collection, what she is decluttering, and her mindset during this period. Abi started her no-buy at the beginning of the year upon realizing the impact her massive makeup collection and shopping habits had on her relationships and mental well-being, stating “I would start to get negative feelings from shopping itself.”

Another no-buy content creator, Elycia Berman, has gained a following over the past year for her no-buy journey. Some of Berman’s videos document every item in her closet, tallying up the cost to highlight her past spending habits. She shares advice on starting a “no-buy” and her reasons for doing so. In one video, she says “There's a very obvious reason I have to do this, I am in 5 figures of credit card debt,” making a no-buy essential for her to save money. Berman admits that she used to constantly think about her next purchase. Since starting her no-buy, she has found time for other hobbies and has developed a better relationship with her personal style after taking inventory of what she already owns.

Whether trying to form a healthier relationship with shopping or simply saving money, creators like Daunton and Berman reflect a broader reality many people face today: overconsumption. Despite the possibility of a recession, consumer spending has increased in recent months according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Apps like TikTok especially encourage spending with influencers showing their massive hauls of Shein clothing or “restocks” of their fridge (which include buying an “aesthetic” container to put food that already has a container into). TikTok creator @DepressionDotGov is known for her duets to videos that promote “garbage” from Amazon or Temu, calling it stuff we will look back on and regret buying. The rise of “de-influencing” is ultimately a change from the past decade we have seen with constant marketing and excessive lifestyles.

TikTok users like Daunton, Berman, and @DepressionDotGov are part of a larger movement toward financial transparency. Many de-influencers claim that they consistently purchased unnecessary products and fell victim to a shopping addiction, but now hope to prevent others from making the same financial mistakes. Many creators openly share their salaries and debt, helping to reduce the shame often associated with having debt. Finances are often thought of as personal matters, but through these videos of people coming forward with their experiences, they, in turn, depersonalize money in the hopes of showing that debt and shopping addictions are not personal failures, but ones that many people share.

Article by Lucy Moraleda, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Bradley Duley, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine

The Rise of "No-Buys"