The woman embarked on a year-long 'no-buy' journey and has been sharing how she's managing the challenge.
People save money for different purposes, such as prioritizing immediate needs, generating sources of more disposable income, creating an emergency pool of funds or investing in various other assets. Similarly, a woman who used to barely manage to make ends meet decided to go a year without spending a single penny on what she calls anything that's not an "absolute necessity." Mia Westrap, a PhD student from the United Kingdom–who goes by @miawestrap on TikTok–revealed that she's been doing a "no-buy year."
The 26-year-old records her weekly updates on social media, making all her spending public to her viewers. "I'm doing a no-buy year to save for an emergency fund, start investing and break the cycle of constant overspending that always leaves me in my overdraft," explained Westrap. She also shared the record of the week between September 23 and 30, during which she had a good start without paying for anything on Monday.
"I did not spend any money at all until Tuesday when I went to the cinema to watch a film on my own. I spent £8.90 ($11.64) on my ticket and brought my own snacks and refreshments," the self-proclaimed movie buff elaborated, adding that the art form was on her "yellow list." Following this, Westrap had to pay a few pending bills, which in total amounted to £74.13 ($96.97). The research scholar further shared how she had to break her no-buy year policy after a successful streak until last week. "I purchased the new Sally Rooney book worth £13.99 ($18.29) because I truly admire her work. She is my absolute favorite writer, and I am certain I will not regret this decision," she shared.
After a major setback to her no-buy year plan, Westrap was quick enough to correct her course. The video creator did not spend anything on Thursday and had to pay £10.40 ($13.60) for the train ticket to her hometown to meet her family on Friday. "On Saturday, I filled half of my mother's car tank with petrol, as she had to drive me home due to all the trains being canceled. In total, I spent £143.42 ($187.63), of which 15% were on non-essentials," Westrap explained in her two-minute and eleven-second video. The influencer concluded on a happy note about the total spending during the entire week, sparking varied reactions online.
@jseeiie wrote, "Breaking the no-buy year for Sally Rooney is absolutely valid." @jadetchii remarked, "Why is a cinema on your restricted list, but not books? You've managed your spending so well that I feel like treating yourself to one book is perfectly reasonable! However, perhaps I'm not fully in the 'no-buy year' mindset." @sammigeorge suggested, "Purchasing a book allows me to spend quality time reading rather than spending money on other unnecessary items. I believe that this kind of indulgence is beneficial for mental health." @swampmaster30003 shared, "I'm focusing solely on a makeup no-buy this year, and while it's been quite challenging, I'm proud to say that I've only broken it once."
@miawestrap Happy sunday! Here’s what I spent my money on this week as somebody who shouldn’t be spending any at all 🫠 #nobuyyear #savingmoney #underconsumption #whatispendinaweek ♬ original sound - Mia Westrap
You can follow Mia Westrap (@miawestrap) on TikTok for more finance and lifestyle content.