Low-Buy Month Zero - From Impulse to Intention

Planning My Low-Buy Year

In 2023 I bought 74 books, and in the two years prior to that I bought almost 300 books. The real problem, beyond spending so much money, was that I wasn’t reading nearly enough to clear these, so books were piling up. I’m a completionist, and I like to collect, but in an ideal world I would have either borrowed the books or just not bought any until I had read what I already owned.

To address this, I compromised with my completionist side and chose not to buy any books in 2024. This was largely successful, as I went the entire year without buying a single book (for myself), though being gifted books for my birthday or from publishers meant I still hadn’t quite solved the problem of my TBR pile growing faster than my ability to whittle it down.

The truth is, books are just one of many less than necessary expenses I have. I would generally categorise my frivolous spending habits into two types:

1. Retail therapy: This is largely impulse-driven. If I’m feeling low, I might splurge on something that’s been on my mind for a few days. A scarf? Sure, why not? Do I have one at home? Yes, but not this one! It’s not cheap, but it won’t ruin me. Ultimately, though, I was surviving just fine without it.

2. Small treats: A drink here, some snacks there, maybe a sweet pastry with my lunch. Why not? It’s only a few quid. It is a miserable world we live in, just let me have my little iced coffee please and everything will be fine.

At the end of 2023, I moved into my own place. Initial expenses, expected and unexpected renovation costs, and the general costs of living alone put me in a less than ideal financial position. Currently, I have a single consolidated credit card and a general spending credit card that I’d like to clear in 2025.

That’s where the idea of a low-buy year comes in. Crucially different to a no buy year because I’m simply not capable of that level of self control, and nor do I wish it upon myself. The odd treat, cinema trip, or night out are not my enemy. I suppose it is about being more mindful of what I’m buying and why, being less wasteful, being more intentional, prioritising things more effectively and recalibrating my habits without punishing myself.

To take control of my spending (a grim phrase for which I apologise wholeheartedly), I’ve decided to categorise every purchase and assign it a necessity rating from A to D:

• A (Essential): These are necessary expenses, like the mortgage, utilities, and bills.

• B (Necessary): These are important but could be planned better, like certain groceries, parking, and limited subscriptions like gym membership.

• C (Non-essential): These are strictly not necessary, but will not be wasted. These will be things like luxury groceries, occasional entertainment, small treats like an occasional snack or soft drink I could ultimately survive without.

• D (Unnecessary): These are purely impulse purchases, an indulgent snack when I already have food at home, or generally anything that I simply could have lived just fine without.

Don’t worry, this’ll get easier to understand as we go along. Either that, or I’ll abandon the idea altogether.

The challenge with my spending habits is that they’re individually small, making it hard to see how a random pick-me-up coffee could impact my goal of paying off debt. To stay accountable, I’m planning to publish my spending monthly for everyone to see. Hopefully, this keeps me motivated, and at the very least, you guys can hold me accountable.

I’ll continue writing about books and other topics, but I’ll also publish a monthly update during my low-buy year. If there’s interest, I might provide additional updates and insights into my spending as they become relevant, which will give you some insight into the psyche of someone who has a spreadsheet for every aspect of their life but can’t stop buying pastries.