Does a 'no spend' trend really work?

What happens when a chronically online generation goes through a post-pandemic inflation that has consistently gotten worse over the years? Why, a no-spend trend, of course!

The idea of “no-buy” started gaining traction on the internet around mid 2010s, and it probably started with reddit forums (like r/nobuy), where people shared their no-buy experiences to encourage and help each other build better financial habits. Back then, it was primarily being used as a budgeting hack by people who wanted more control over their financial decisions, but wanted to make it more fun by turning it into a challenge.

However, with the 2021-2023 post-pandemic inflation surge, the concept of a No-buy challenge, particularly in the month of November, also blew up across all social media platforms. Over the last few years, November has been marked as the month of zero spending by the internet, a month where people try their best to spend no money outside the absolute essentials. While a general rule of thumb is to avoid spending any money outside the bare minimum one needs to live, people do customize it to make the challenge more suited to their own lives.

And as people kept documenting the updates of this challenge, it revealed some fascinating patterns of overconsumption, and how we have been conditioned to believe we need things that we in fact, don’t need. A very common rule in the No-Buy November challenge is that you make a wish-list of things you want to buy instead of buying them impulsively. So for example, if you spot a cute outfit, instead of buying it immediately, you put it on your wish-list. If you really want it after the challenge ends, you can get it. But oftentimes, people who participated in the challenge realized that after the month was over, they didn’t really want a lot of the things on their wish-list anymore.

How online shopping fuels overconsumption

This truly goes onto show how overconsumption has seeped into our everyday lives without us even realizing. And with the rise of shopping websites and online businesses, things have gotten much more out of control. Our algorithms have been learning our preferences and feeding us ads that are the most likely to make us spend money. Businesses are collaborating with influencers to make the average internet user think that they need these products to upgrade their lifestyles. Everything around us is designed to make us spend more and more money. In fact, a lot of internet trends have been promoting overconsumption, as we now see a lot of products being tagged as “viral”.

This is doing more harm than pushing people towards an inevitable financial ruin. These trends are directly encouraging wasteful behavior, either by making people buy more food than they need or collect multiple variations of the same product. Labubus are a great and dangerous example of how bad it can get. Labubus are collectible dolls that are sold in blind boxes, so customers have no idea which Labubu they might get. This blind box tactic made people buy multiple Labubus because they wanted to collect a specific type of Labubus. But what happened when they got a Labubu they didn’t want? That’s right, they end up in the landfill. Moreover, what’s worse is that these dolls are made from plastic materials using fossil fuels, which not only result in GHG emissions but also can release chemicals that cause health problems for the ones manufacturing them.

What is extremely concerning is that the consumerist bubble can take something that is seemingly “eco-friendly” and turn it into a new source of waste and further environmental degradation. The famous Stanley cups were designed to combat single-use plastic cups. However, somehow it turned into a whole other collectible, with a single person purchasing up to 50(!) Stanley cups, and then purchasing a bunch of random trinkets that go with their Stanley cups. This completely beats the purpose of a reusable water bottle, and it is horrifying to think that this is where overconsumption has led us to.

When sustainable products become collectibles

This is probably why the idea of a trend that promotes minimalism and frugality is both ironic and refreshing. Even though netizens have marked the No-Buy November trend as something to build better personal habits or a dopamine detox practice, this is undoubtedly a strong tool that can also be used to fight against overconsumption.

And as it turns out, this isn’t the first time people have fought against consumerism in November. Since 1997, activists have been organizing “Buy Nothing Day”, which is held on the first Friday after American Thanksgiving, which always falls sometime in late November. On this day, activists organize protests and demonstrations to raise awareness against consumerism, especially right before Christmas.

The No-Buy November trend does not directly align with the Buy Nothing Day, but the correlation between them is rather interesting. There is no doubt that our personal choices collectively do have a very strong impact on the economy, society, environment, and politics. Which is why a lifestyle trend, when done right, can have a positive impact on things that are much bigger than the individuals practicing it.

Small choices and wider consequences

Ultimately, it is safe to assume that the economy is not going to be kind to either of us anytime soon. So it would anyway be in our best interests to be more conscious about where our money is going, and not let billionaires rob us blind under the guise of cute trends and fun collectibles.

Now, of course, not everyone is out there buying 50 water cups or 10 Labubus. These are extreme examples. However, there is no doubt that the average person does end up spending money on things they might not need. A whimsical hat they will never wear, or cute impractical containers they will never use. And it’s not just about buying things. A lot of people also feel the social pressure to engage in expensive outings because that’s what everyone is doing. They feel the need to pay outrageous prices for small portions of food or a single cup of coffee just to catch up with a friend. And since it is an awkward conversation to bring up, people continue engaging in these behaviors despite having reservations about them. For them, No-Buy November might just be the perfect premise to bring this issue to light without it being too awkward. Because simply saying you don’t want to spend money on a cup of coffee might make you sound stingy. But saying that you are participating in a No-Buy challenge to build healthier habits while simultaneously fighting inflation and global warming? That might make the conversation less awkward, and even encourage your friends to join in.

So if you are planning to participate in the No-Buy November challenge this month, whether to fight against consumerism or to embody a better lifestyle, I hope it goes well!