6 MONTHS of my No Buy Year (halfway!): Updates, Thoughts, Plans, Reactions...and, WHAT DID I BUY?

[@morgan4862]

I find it so helpful seeing you buy things during your no buy year and acknowledge it but still keep going. When it comes to no buys I always catch myself being super all or nothing in my thinking - if I break it once, I just totally give up and think it’s ruined this time, I will have to start over next time. Obviously I logically know this doesn’t make sense but my brain just goes back to that loop. Excited for your upcoming content 😊

[@mukatsa]

I’ve never attempted a full no buy year, although I’ve considered it. I totally relate to your all or nothing attitude! I also recognise this trait in myself in other spectacular of life. It’s the fear of commitment and failure 😢

[@morgan4862]

@@mukatsa 100%, glad I’m not the only one!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Yeah I guess in reality my "no buy" has become "buying what maybe a more normal level of stuff that a person without a shopping problem would buy" 😅 I'm actually thinking of maybe REALLY doing a no buy next year after I've learned a bit more, so this might be my "training" year. I'm still going to try to do better for the next 6 months though and stick to only my predetermined list of exceptions.

[@morgan4862]

@@Alexas.nobuyyear there’s definitely something to be said for a gradual approach! It will probably end up being more sustainable long term and make a true no buy easier to adjust to next year

[@bthomson]

Yes! Cold turkey often backfires! 🦃❄

[@katr3632]

Personally I'm not a fan of strict no buy years etc mainly because they seem gimmicky/ a trend and also just not realistic to real life. Sometimes we do need to buy stuff and it's better to find a more measured approach to consumerism. I do understand some people might feel they need that extreme kind of re set but most people won't be no buy forever. I always really enjoy your approach to this, thanks for taking the time to make these videos 😊

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

So for some reason, the strict "no buy" DOES still appeal to me, even as unrealistic as it is in practice. I don't know if it's just because it IS unrealistic, but achievable, like running a marathon or climbing Everest, that it appeals. However obviously the process of life and "buying stuff" is not like running a marathon or climbing a mountain in a lot of ways...so I don't know. I do kind of want to go "more extreme" next year (and prove something to myself?) but we'll see. Thank you for your comment and making it EVEN MORE worth my taking the time to share videos 😊

[@baharehsamani8079]

In my opinion you are doing great job. Changing the habits is a long process, it won’t happen over a night. Keep going 😊

[@ellieamorous4372]

Your videos have been so helpful to me as I start to re-frame my own relationship with stuff. Please keep up the good work!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you!

[@melligolightly]

Alexa, your channel has quickly become one of my favourites! Glad that my algorithm showed it to me!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you, happy to connect with you here!

[@pamelapeterson2987]

Congrats on the halfway point and for keeping it real at all times.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you - happy to be an example of an inconsistent, imperfect human being haha😅

[@cindyklempner7203]

I’m looking forward to your upcoming videos this week.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you! Me too, I think 😅

[@roguestowl2280]

I love Ligeti so much! Le Grande Macabre is one of my favorite operas.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha I apparently love Ligeti so much that I have two copies of his solo viola piece 🤣 but it's amazing to hear from someone else who knows this composer on here!

[@Bananaswatching]

I love watching your videos and hear you talking about the same behavior I have, the justifying, the sneaking in buys… it helps seeing I’m not alone and that it doesn’t make me a bad person

[@Jessica-cares]

It is very interesting to be on this journey with you. Looking forward to your next videos (I do miss the bloopers). Btw, I envy your hair!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Aw thank you - there are STILL plenty of bloopers, they'll be back! Haha

[@yohann8114]

Im so excited for so many videos this week!!! I loved what you said in the last video about wishing you couldve let your partner pick out your gifts instead of giving them a list... I do the same thing... It would be nice to be truly surprised in a holiday or birthday

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I hope my chats this week justify your excitement haha. And I think part of the "surprise gifts" will be a battle of relinquishing control too, which is maybe yet another unexpected and interesting angle of consumerism that's cropped up as I think about my former attitudes towards stuff 😅

[@bthomson]

Warning: you might get a vacuum cleaner!

[@MerlynBarkhuizen]

Yay for the halfway mark 🎉 I have learned a lot ❤

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

me too!

[@other1emily477]

I hope this doesn’t cause a problem for the library, but I check out several books then turn on airplane mode on my kindle. The book will technically be returned on time, but you can continue to read it until you turn off airplane mode.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I have done this! But then I'm stuck until I finish all the books, and juggling waiting lists/extended holds etc. so I caved this time 😅

[@isabellerininger6249]

The new shelves and purse display is nice! I love the concept of letting go of the Birkenstocks in exchange for the black sandals. I think that’s an ok swap that doesn’t count as a buy. One in and one out. Oy… the Greens & Bloom….I heard the same sales pitch. If you’re concerned about your levels, get tested at the doctor and take what vitamins you are lacking-if anything. 👍 I had to force myself to do this because I was over-worrying about my health. Perhaps consider going cold turkey on social media consumption. Delete the apps to stay away from those predatory ads. 👍👍

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you! Been planning the shelves for over a year so it was good to FINALLY get those up. I am VERY prone to over-worrying about my health right now! But, I'm trying to relax on this and certainly to stop falling into the buying traps. I think it's to do with having a baby around and really feeling like I gotta be around for at least the next 18 years. I've thought about whether deleting the apps would be best - I have drastically reduced my time on there and I guess I keep hanging on because I have grand ideas of reviving my music projects and it is a helpful tool for accountability - that's why I'm here for no-buy, after all...I need to either pull my britches up and actually get started on that or pull the plug on the apps I guess!

[@bthomson]

I think any " consumer 😎" of videos will tell you that more is better. We await the next like addicts ( is there a "good" addiction?) My pleasure center lit up at the promise of multiple upcoming excursions! Yippee!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha we'll see if everyone thinks more is better! But I just have a lot to get off my mind this week 🙃

[@Iquey]

I know this is a slightly older video but i am looking forward to your book reviews!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha I will get there, I promise! 📚

[@mukatsa]

Looking forward to the new content from you Alexa! 🙌 As a side note to your final thoughts, I actually heard that as well as the trend of no buy being popular, the overbuying is also on the rise. It’s the two extremes at the same time. People who are conscious about their consumption habits and how it affects the environment and, on the other hand, those who kinda gave up, not believing that their individual habits can change the situation so they give in to consumption and enjoying the excess while they can. I can’t point to a specific statistics but I would assume that the algorithm bubble is catering to your shifting interests in this case. Anyways, I guess it’s better to be the anxious optimists rather than give up completely.

[@pamelapeterson2987]

I agree with your assessment that it is an algorithm feeding the feeling that there is a big movement of people toward minimalism and "no buy". When we start watching this kind of content, the algorithm starts feeding us more of it. However, I still see a plethora of influencers with 10's of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of subscribers that are all about the giant clothing "haul" content and other consumer oriented content...in fact, they tend to have way more subscribers than the most popular consumer conscious and minimalist KZbinrs, unfortunately.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Well for me I suppose it's about living in line with my values, or at least trying to...this week I am kind of digging in to "lifestyle/product-focused" influencers and how they have normalized overconsumption, even on "normal" levels, for example where I might not have 100 pairs of shoes, I do have 30 and only really probably "need" 5. If EVERYONE has 30 instead of 5, or 20 lipsticks instead of 10, or whatever it may be, it's still a sinister level of overconsuming when applied to the general population. So even if the average person can see the "ridiculous hauls" as not normal, the concept of normal becomes inflated. I know this isn't directly addressing the aspect of feeling like what we do has no impact so therefore people give up...but I guess I'm trying to say that "enjoying the excess" can in fact make a difference on a larger scale, and that every drop in the bucket in the other direction (of the bucket on the other side?) therefore must also matter too...

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I agree with this, and could even say that some of the most popular "conscious" KZbinrs that I've seen DO still feature more products than the less popular ones...(not all of course).

[@mukatsa]

@@Alexas.nobuyyear yes, what is the “normal” amount has become very skewed in our view. I’ve counted all the clothes I own to keep tabs and the number might feel good compared to what I see online, however I am no fashion influencer. My reality is that I work from home and live in sweatpants 😅 so all my nice blouses are catching dust. I have to actively remind myself what my true needs are. And I’m glad that my algorithm is also getting trained to suggest more channels like yours that deal with these issues!

[@karentracy9657]

Not sure how long the timer duration is on the little plastic safe, but I bet credit cards also wind up in there!

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha well, you can set it for DAYS if you want to!

[@jazzyjenkins]

Love this.❤

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you!

[@amykatrina7542]

I really relate on the phone issue. I bought a copy of How To Break Up With Your Phone a few years back and I generally have to run through it again every year or so to reboot myself and get back out of bad habits (my current phone is second-hand and annoyingly it came with the most addictive social media apps built in 🙃). It's also no coincidence that our family goes to the same off-grid cottage for a week every summer - it's my much needed reset.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I haven't read that one, is it worth reading? I'll check and see if my library's got it perhaps! Love that you have a yearly off-grid retreat! I really want to try that sometime too...but in the meantime trying to cultivate some "off-grid" times of day at least!

[@amykatrina7542]

I certainly found it helpful, but you could probably also find a similar 'program' online (ironically). Heh, we go with the inlaws so there's usually quite a number of children between us, it's not as calming as it sounds 😂 but I do love it!

[@LeahTackles]

I am excited for 3 each week! I do allow myself to buy used books but I donate books for Each I bring in.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I have a "donation box" for books waiting to get swapped out/donated at half-price books...the tricky part is deciding when to go since there'll always be another book to add when I finish one haha

[@lovesophiexox]

Companies love to play on health fears to get us to buy extra stuff. Honestly our health is not totally in our control, you can’t prevent sickness by changing one lifestyle thing. If there’s a specific concern get something for that, but nothing is a cure all preventative. And the anxiety these companies cause always looking for the next problem or product isn’t good for our health either

[@lovesophiexox]

At least in my opinion. So many people get sick doing all the right things. Sometimes people just get unlucky

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Yes this is right on. There is no guarantee and we can't control so much of what "might be out there"...I was reading another article on nitrates in our water and now want to test our tap water and make sure we are ok - but as someone in the suburbs of a decent-sized city, I probably am fine. It never ends! And like you said some people are really good about eating right and exercising and the worst can still happen to them.

[@nolasavedmysoul]

I laughed so hard and the horcruxes pop up

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Glad somebody gets me 😄

[@alcnwonderlnd]

I’m the same way in that I don’t consume animal products much (I do consume dairy) so it is always a struggle to find protein alternatives so I’m curious if the greens help at all? In my case, I am letting myself be a bit more selective and lenient with my food selection even if it’s more expensive. I always bought whatever is cheapest in order to keep my grocery budget low but I’m getting older now and health is becoming a bigger focus in my life. If it makes me feel better then it’s worth it! One thing I’m sure could help with my health is less screen time lol I am so addicted to my phone! I’m lucky that I’m single so I have time to do that without feeling guilty. In that way, I don’t feel the consequences as much which is probably why I continue the addiction..Maybe that’ll be a goal to work on now. And if I can’t do that then I’m trying out that locked container lol Also, I’m super excited for your Christmas content and that you’re posting everyday! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next and the comments are always so encouraging.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Aw thank you and I am 100% with you on health/groceries, it's so interesting that I didn't feel the need to care so much when I was younger but now it's a different story - obviously I should have still wanted to be healthy 5 years ago but hey, better late than never (I hope)...

[@Desiree_Rose]

Protein alternatives are easy to come by! From the super cheap...dry or can beans, tofu to nuts, gluten flour (for diy veggie meats) or buy your own...but that's expensive. There are a lot of super great vegan blogs out there that teach you how (I'm just vegetarian, but I eat mostly vegan meals). It doesn't taste like chicken is a weird name for a good blog! There is also protein in basically everything...fruit, oats, veg...it all adds up. It's pretty rare to be protein deficient in our country. Greens are great for you, but less so in prepackaged drinks (there's just not much in the powder vs a homemade smoothie with large handfuls of fresh greens), and they don't contain much protein at all. If for some reason you don't eat beans, tofu, mock meats (not healthy unless you make your own), then perhaps a protein shake like orgain? Hope that helps somewhat! (It doesn't taste like chicken has a really yummy vegan steak recipe 😋, you should check it out!)

[@PoppyMorrison-y7z]

Thanks for sharing about your phone habits I have a little one and trying to tackle this and I have guilt about it. The thing is they were made to be addictive so I think it's normal a lot of us struggle with this ❤

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Yes! I'm reading a few books about how phones and tech and media is designed to be as addictive as possible! It's helping to realize and also I'm trying to focus on how it's never too late to change or try to become better about it.

[@bthomson]

Best of luck on your 4th concerts! 🇺🇸🎶🎻🎂🍾🌌

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you!

[@faeriesmak]

Your niche and buying sheet music speaks to me as a person with a BA in music education/ clarinet.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha as long as I don't have a reason to browse the sheet music sites...🫠

[@alliebeardontwalk8463]

What do you do when your washer breaks down?? You could have literally gotten those books through a library.

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

You're right! The library did have some of the titles I bought and I even actually started reading a couple of these free on my Kindle (through the library app) but I had to return before I was finished and realized that I wanted to be able to take notes on the books after starting them, because there were ideas of value to my goals. I'm a sucker for "knowledge" even on this challenge, I guess. Regarding washers breaking down I'm not sure one can reliably plan for such a scenario - laundromats exist, but more likely than not we would consider the washer a replacement (provided we could afford to buy another one at the time, otherwise we would wait and save) and buy another washer. The rest of my family doesn't need to be inconvenienced because I am attempting a no-buy challenge. (We are a multi-generational household with kids and grandparents living here). To this point though - my husband did insist we spend a little more upfront and buy a "speed queen" washer and dryer, because we only want to ever buy one iteration of these appliances for our lifetime. And both are still under the 5-year warranty they provide so I guess I have a few more years to attempt a "better no buy" without having to worry about the washer breaking down! Thanks for inspiring further reflection!

[@onyasonja1]

I’ve been working on reducing my screen time. I don’t mean this negatively and hope you don’t take any offence but I personally don’t think that the thing that locks your phone fixes the problem of looking at notifications. I feel that it will simply cause stress and cause a person to stare at the clock until they can “get their fix”. I think the way to achieve this goal is to delete apps, turn off notifications, completely stop using certain media. Just my view and interested to hear if it works for you (hopefully I’m wrong!)

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

No offense taken don't worry! and I agree with you! I actually am going to do a video on "things I regret buying during no buy" 🤦‍♀️and this phone lockbox is on the list. I DID realize, that it's just a tool, an object, and it will not fix my issue. I do find it somehwat helpful actually, and when I put my phone in the box I really do forget about it and don't even notice what time the box unlocks, so in some ways it is a "helpful tool". BUT. I would even go further and say that deleting apps, turning off notifications, stopping using - those are all not addressing the "deepest" level of the problem either (they might be good "systems" to use but not fixing the true "root" of the issue) because one can always re-download apps, open them even without notifications, override the time limits...I'm finding that when I have the true moments of realizing why I don't want to do things it helps me to reach the result of "changed habits"! It really has been like "lightbulb" moments in my brain - I'll be talking about this soon!

[@onyasonja1]

@@Alexas.nobuyyear glad you had the light bulb moment! I agree that that moment is what really causes the impact

[@teresapanekives627]

Oh how fun with the Christmas carols theme. Any way to push it back to Black Friday through Christmas? Just a thought. Love your videos, you have shot to the top of my personal favorites on KZbin. On a side note, I recall you saying you lived in NZ for a bit. Would love to hear your thoughts on consumerism and marketing there vs US. Is the push the same?

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

That's actually a great idea, including the Black Friday period. I'm almost certain it'll bring additional thoughts up for me so I might have more to talk about at that time anyway! I did live in NZ but it's been, goodness, 9 years since then? So I'm not sure I have valuable comments on the CURRENT state, because I feel like generally in the past 9 years it's gotten much more prevalent. NZ in general has a huge value on nature, preservation, at least trying to respect indigenous peoples rights, and the surroundings are beautiful, people spend more time outdoors...so there are some key differences. Perhaps after my next visit I can add some more ideas to that!

[@svetlanayaroshevskaya7077]

Hi, Alexa, I’ve been watching your videos (since yesterday lol) and do like them, thank you! I wonder regarding KSafe if you really needed this highly specific highly secured jar? Wouldn’t any kind of container into which your phone fits do, since I guess you mostly need some kind of obstacle, preventing mindless reaching for a phone, no? Or is there some magic to the fact the container is that unrelenting?

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you! And my big problem is that sometimes I think I have a reason to reach for the phone, like looking something up, getting a last bit of "work" done (email), or even taking pictures instead of just being present - and if I use a regular container I can still go get it for a "quick task" and then "put it back" - but it is still a disruption. The fact that the container LOCKS for a set period means that I can guarantee a few hours of uninterrupted time, and my brain knows I CAN'T go "look something up" or grab a photo of the moment. Again I hope this is not something that other people need because I hope others have more self control or are less distracted than me!

[@EzAnderson]

AG1 🤮 If you’re 5 months pp and in need of energy and are feeling achey - a Magnesium supplement with B vitamins is a good option

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you!

[@bthomson]

Mentally doing pros and cons lists. Of course all the environmental cons! Money wasted? No need met? Feeding a bad habit? Mindful of hoarding ( a true horror!). But....a five year old falling apart pocket book!😎

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Haha well I do think there are reasonable cases for buying things!

[@emiliabolsas]

The sheet music is surely tax deductible, no?

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

I'm not sure! Because I have an employer (I'm not self-employed and don't have my own business - right now I'm not even teaching music lessons) I was under the impression that I probably just need to take the standard deduction. Maybe I should look into this further though!

[@emiliabolsas]

@@Alexas.nobuyyear you can still deduct expenses for costs associated with your salaried job, such as membership fees for industry groups, subscriptions, etc.

[@nitapalo3793]

So her channel is about her “no-buy year journey” (which is currently trending), but in each video she just talks in detail about multiple products? It's the same strategy influencers use in their decluttering videos: they show you a bunch of stuff to trick you into buying …

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Hello, I am her! Nice to meet you 😉 Thank you for this comment. I am genuinely happy to hear that some people (like you!) are light-years ahead of where I was starting this year from, (and possibly even where I am now), and are able to spot these problems in the videos you see online! If you care to entertain my perspective: did not start a "no buy" because it's currently trending (and maybe my plan to drop the "no buy" from my video titles going forward can speak to the fact that I'm not motivated purely by jumping on a trend). Unrelated maybe but I have also noticed that in general social media spotlights the "Extremes", either hyper-consumerism or owning almost nothing, and most "real" people will fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I'm a real (non-influencer) person. (And I feel like this is true at least as long as my "ad revenue income" does not equal my regular job's salary? But I do understand why accepting ad revenue may be problematic in communicating my goals, which is why I did a whole video about that too). I appreciate the critique that my videos thus far have largely shown the same behavior that influencers do, and perhaps this is a sign that me trying to have a conscious disclaimer about "stuff" is not enough to differentiate from this. I do in fact have a week of videos (the next 6 days) planned where I DON'T talk about or show any products at all (other than what I'm wearing etc. because I can't appear naked!) so if you feel like giving my ideas another chance you can stop by and let me know what you think - Wednesday I actually will talk about how I stopped watching influencers who seem motivated by trying to get us to buy stuff (having products affiliate linked, sponsors, etc. which I've resolved not to do on this channel) and Thurs/Fri are about influencing as a "job" in general and how "consumerism" has kind of made influencing less valid as both a job and source of entertainment. However the fact that you already spot these problems may be a testament that YOU do not need to hear my ideas or my personal journey to getting to this point. Finally - it might have taken me 6 months to slowly reach any level of clarity/progress - at the beginning of this channel I was so deeply entrenched into seeing stuff, wanting it, buying it, the cycle of influence, that when I "went on a no buy" I mainly WAS struggling with seeing stuff, still wanting it, and trying NOT to buy. And failing. It was, very "stuff" focused. I would LOVE if in my next "update" I do not have any products to show or talk about in detail because I have been more successful - and regardless, the ratio of videos with "stuff" vs. "no stuff" here is going to start getting taken care of this week, because I can finally see more clearly and I do want to rectify this.

[@bthomson]

Well! Sort of snippy! Alexa is elegant, real, very articulate, and fearless! She is educational AND fun! A winning combination! Bet you keep watching? 😎

[@alliebeardontwalk8463]

No buy haul video… links in bio! 😁👍

[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

@@alliebeardontwalk8463 I solemnly swear I will never have affiliate links in bio ✋😆 I am equally annoyed about this in content that I watch, and am taking steps to improve my channel's future videos. I also believe in principle that it is wrong (or unethical) to sell to people you can't interact with.

[@GhulamAbbas-r9g]

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[@Alexas.nobuyyear]

Thank you - however, I am specifically not going for an "edited" look on this channel. The goal is to be as close to "real life" and authenticity as possible.