3 More Reasons to Buy Nothing for Earth Month This Year
Buying nothing for the entire month of April is not only possible, it’s fun! Earth Day 2021 I participated in Buy Nothing for 30 days, and I credit that with setting me on a path to buying less stuff. Yes, in 2024, I still haven’t purchased makeup or beauty products since 2021 and even after throwing away tons of old, hoarded makeup and beauty items.
Last year I participated again, not only not buying things but purging the things that didn’t bring me joy.
If you want the fundamental reasons, check out Buy Nothing 2023. You can also check out my Instagram reel for a briefer.
If you’re looking for a method to help you buy less, I suggest looking at the Buyerarchy of Needs. Just skip the parts where you have to buy anything new, not counting buying items to fix something you have.
And yes, it bears repeating to always practice Gratitude, which is also known to improve sleep, mood, and immunity. Finding joy outside of buying things is a challenge in and of itself, and when you do, that’s the best lesson of all from the Buy Nothing challenge.
No matter what, participating in the challenge for any length of time that makes sense to you makes you a winner!
1. End Your Involuntary Consumerism
Once you are resolved to not buy anything, the awareness of how focused society is on steering you to buy, buy, buy is fully shocking. When you take yourself out of the system, it’s alarming to see it for what it is.
Changing the way you think and react to the messaging around you is fundamental to changing the paradigm. The Buy-Consume mentality that got us collectively to where we are at with the environment, labor exploitation, and inequality will not get us out.
Put an end to consuming more stuff because you’re told to, even if it’s just for this month.
As a marketer, I work on the other side of this, sending these messages out to consumers. My job holistically is bringing people in contact with goods and services they need. Buying nothing for 30+ days helps me stay true to that, avoiding forceful, deceptive, anxiety-inducing messaging and sticking to finding people who are already looking for and in need of the product/ service.
2. Find What Gives You Joy
The joy outside of material things is often lost, but starting the April Buy Nothing Challenge during the Pandemic (and other exercises in social consciousness) helped me get out of a funk of scammy online shopping and back into things I enjoy. Browsing things you don’t need at the store that you’ll never use can turn into cleaning your house, planting a garden, hiking, or dancing with friends.
It’s funny that I wouldn’t think anything about spending money on a box of clothes from Poshmark that I’d never even tried on, yet I couldn’t bring myself to want to pay a cover charge to see a band I like or a comedy lineup. Without that temptation to buy things I didn’t know I’d like, I felt freer to experience things I knew I would like!
I’m still discovering/ rediscovering activities that bring me joy. Instead of scrolling through outfits on my phone and inevitably shopping online for hours, I started knitting to fix pieces I already have while I watch shows in the evening. Take your time back and use it joyfully; that benefits you and those around you.
3. Go Full Minimalist
When you think about it, not buying things you don’t need is a great time. And it’s also a great time to get rid of things you already bought but didn’t need, or bought but no longer need. Or getting rid of things you have that just don’t bring you joy.