WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The low-buy year (or month or week) came from the minimalism movement.
It is a hot topic on YouTube and almost every minimalist is talking about it.
It is when you have gone through the whole process of decluttering your home from excess things you owned and never used, overused or kept just in case.
It clears out your space and makes room for adventure. So, instead of
going out and buying more stuff, you only purchase the essentials,
like groceries, pay your bills and replacing things you actually need and use.
This is called the low-buy year.
WHY BOTHER DOING THIS?
Well, if you want financial freedom, less time to stuff shuffle (as Cass from Clutterbug says), more time for fun things, and all round less things to look after and clean,
then a low-buy year is for you. If this is too much for you, start with a low-buy week or month. If you can handle that then you can keep going for a year.
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?
Once you have decluttered your whole house, gone on a low-buy year, then you can start to track your finances. Open up your diary and commit a page or two to tracking everything you spend every week for that year.
Eg: DATE: INCOME: MONEY SPENT: TOTAL:
I do this on a daily basis as I do not remember what I spend in a week. But you do
whatever suits you. This will show you how many little things you buy and waste your money on. Even $3 at the thrift store, or a $5 coffee every few days add up.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH A NO-BUY YEAR:
A no-buy year is where you only pay for food and your bills (including petrol).
And you do not spend a single cent on anything else, not even travel.
This is when you are in deep debt and need to pay it off and stop buying
anything so you can concentrate on that, or saving to buy a house,
or to pay for surgery. So, really important things in general.
WHAT CAN I BUY ON A LOW-BUY YEAR?
That is completely up to you, but you will need to have strict rules on yourself.
You should have a yes/no list, this just an example:
YES: NO:
Food/groceries. Junk food.
Petrol. Clothes.
Pay house bills. Stationary.
Car expenses. Eating out.
Travel expenses. Non-essentials.
Replacements/damaged goods Whims.
Experiences Home Decor.
Adventure. Kitchen Gadgets.
Books. Pet clothes.
Music. Gifts.
Health. Alcohol/Smokes.
Gym. Soft Drinks.
Whatever it is you like or don't like and you want to cut out, you need to write it on your list and to be able to see this list every day, to remind you of your do's and don'ts.
WHAT WILL I DO WITH THE SPARE TIME WITHOUT STUFF SHUFFLING?
Now you can start that hobby you've wanted to try out for years, go for a bike ride, go for a swim, read a book, study something new, or go visit your friends and family.
There are literally thousands of things you can do other than spending all of your time on your device or with your stuff, find out what you love to do and do it.
Don't let time slip away from you, you will never get it back.
Go for a walk in nature or in a park, go and help at an animal shelter or at a charity.
Or start a home project like sewing a quilt or some clothes (since you can't buy any).
Watch some informative videos and implement them.
Your life can change so much from doing good things for you and others around you.
And start to enjoy your life...
Like making art and craft as you wish, or any other hobby you enjoy doing.
Thank you for reading this post to the end. I hope you enjoyed it and may you have a lovely day. A Zen Life, by the Style Secrets.
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