Buy Nothing 2018 Experiment – November Update

The purpose of doing an experiment is to learn something about yourself, and to see if there is an opportunity for growth or positive change. I started the Buy Nothing 2018 experiment with this in mind. It started with a no clothes challenge, but since I had plenty of clothes I didn’t think this would be difficult enough, so I included more things. I wanted to challenge myself while also getting rid of the distraction of buying things. I hoped this exercise would further lead me to a path of minimalism, and ultimately make me happier.

I only purchased a few things those first six months, and if you read my monthly updates this experiment looks like a success. Shortly after the 6 month point I quit the experiment though. I learned what I needed to know and I am moving on. Some of you may be a little disappointed, but here are the reasons I threw in the towel.

It Is Artificial

The way I set the experiment up, only I was restricted from buying things.  There were no limitations on the rest of my family. This means if something really needed to be acquired, Mrs. Happy Philosopher would buy it. Although these purchases were not for me specifically, they did provide benefit. If we decided as a family to do this experiment together it would be much more challenging (and painful).

It Is Joyless

This is the biggest reason. The whole purpose of not buying things, or decluttering, is to eliminate distractions from your life, allowing the things that are already there to bring you joy. Although this was profound when I decluttered in the past, I’ve found there is no real joy from not buying something. It is neutral to slightly negative. I didn’t expect this honestly, but it felt like deprivation; like a diet where I can eat all the food I don’t really like all that much, but nothing I love. After 6 months I did not feel any happier with respect to my relationship with things. There was no more space in my life, no warm happy feeling from consuming slightly less stuff. I feel a better use of my time is to continue to eliminate unnecessary things while simultaneously replacing them with stuff I love.

It Is Financially Inconsequential

I did not really buy a lot of “stuff” before the experiment. Looking around my house, most of the things we have are quite old, and by old I mean purchased over a decade ago; furniture, electronics (TV, stereo), even some clothes. I struggled to find many things I knew I purchased in the last year. Restricting myself does not really reduce our spending, in fact it may increase it as I subconsciously eat out a bit more and spend more freely on experiences. I didn’t do this experiment to save money, but I know many people who are high consumers would save quite a bit.

It Feels Restrictive

One of the reasons that diets and budgets fail, is that they feel restrictive. You start to resent them after a while and eventually they fall apart. While they may be a good starting point for someone who is out of control, a more effective program is one of freedom and mindfulness. Unless one changes their relationship with food or money, a diet or budget is doomed to failure.

Need cool shirts like these!

I Started Hating My Clothes

Hate may be a strong word here, but a few key pieces of clothing were just wearing out. Some of my stuff didn’t fit quite right. At some point an article of clothing needs to be replaced. For example, I had two pairs of khaki pants I wore to work, and both were starting to get frayed at the cuff. Could I limp along until the end of the year? Of course, but the truth is, I don’t want to. I wanted a nice pair of new pants that fit and look great. I also wanted a more comfortable pair of black shoes. I have a really nice pair of black dress shoes I wear often, but I wanted a slightly more casual and comfortable pair. I also didn’t have enough running socks, and the ones I did have were stretched out and not all that great. And don’t even get me started on underwear…Life is too short to be angry at my clothes.

It Just Pushes Off Purchases Into the Future

When my things break or wear out I will replace them, assuming they still have utility to me. If I carried this experiment to the end, I would just have a big list of things to buy in early 2019. Restricting purchases just builds up demand for things I was already going to get. I may as well purchase them as soon as I need them and get the joy from them now.

Moving Forward

I celebrated 4^th of July week by buying a few things. I purchased 2 pair of nice running socks and picked up a nice pair of khaki pants. Over the past few months I have purchased a new belt, a new pair of black shoes, a few dress and casual shirts, some incredible socks, a pair of shorts that doesn’t make me look like I just arrived in a time machine from 1997. Heck, I have even been dreaming of buying a new electric bike, although heading into winter is probably not the best time to get one.

So here we are in November and although I really didn’t buy much, but I probably bought more than was typical for me. I don’t feel the need to go out and shop like a madman, but there did seem to be a mild pent-up demand for consumption that was stronger than I expected. I commend those that are staying strong in their journey to buy fewer things. It is an admirable goal and if it works for you by all means keep doing it, but I’m done.

If you are still doing the experiment or one like it, tell us in the comments. What were some of the challenges you faced?