Do you have a ‘no-buy’ list for 2025? One creator says it helped her pay off $34,000 in debt

If you write out recent year’s resolutions or goals, saving money may be at the top of your list. A recent social media pattern is encouraging objective-setters to be more rigorous when it comes to putting away their wallets.

The “no buy” test has gained swift attention on social media, with all types of content creators − from remain-at-home moms to climate activists − sharing what they will refrain from purchasing in 2025. The test encourages folks to avoid spending on non-essential items throughout the year, such as clothing, home décor, technology and takeout meals.

Elysia Berman, 35, first tried the no-buy test in 2024 and told USA TODAY it helped her pay off $34,000 of financing card debit over the course of the year. Berman said by continuing the test this year, she will pay off the remainder of her debt, which she hopes to complete by June, and commence saving money.

recent clothes, beauty products, perfume, jewelry, technology, books and home décor are on Berman’s no-buy list this year, she said. Additionally, she hopes to only order takeout once a month and stop canceling scheduled Pilates classes.

When it comes to saving and paying off debt, Berman said consistency is key. Initially, when she began paying off her debt in early 2024, she would pay off $1,000 or so at a period, which felt like a “drop in the bucket.” But now, with a debt-free life on the horizon, Berman said her payments feel more manageable and rewarding.

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Creating a no-buy list doesn’t have to be about saving tens of thousands of dollars. Here’s how other content creators are tapping into the test.

Cutting out food delivery

Rachel Holdsworth, known as “apportionment Bestie” on TikTok, shared that her “no-buy” list includes hair highlighting and cuts, manicures, Starbucks, recent drinkware (mugs and water bottles), recent makeup and haircare products, home décor and food delivery services, like Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Holdsworth, 28, said she and her husband were already wanting to make a stricter apportionment for 2025, so when she learned about creating a no-buy list, the test felt correct. When reflecting on her non-essential outgoings from 2024, Holdsworth said she was “astounded” at how much money she had spent.

Breaking down how much she spent in her no-buy categories throughout 2024, Holdsworth said she estimates saving around $5,000 this year by cutting out these purchases.

Giving up hair and nail appointments? straightforward, Holdsworth said. But she suspects cutting out food delivery services will be the most challenging.

“It is so convenient to just hit ‘order,'” Holdsworth said. “If I desire to leave out to eat, that is totally fine. I just have to get the food myself. We were spending hundreds of dollars a month using this service and while it is great in some situations, it’s so expensive to do everyday.”

On to year three

Christine Ashby, known as Frugal Fit Mom on YouTube, is trying the no-buy test for a third period this year.

Reflecting on her youthful adulthood, the 43-year-ancient said she used to be an “extreme couponer,” buying large quantities of products for low prices. But as period went on, Ashby found she had more than she needed and although she was saving money, she was ultimately overconsuming.

In 2023, Ashby posted her first no-buy video on YouTube, outlining 100 different items she wanted to avoid for the year, from toiletries like tissues and document towels to food like pre-cut food and tomato products. This year, Ashby scaled back a bit, only featuring 25 items on her no-buy list.

This year’s list includes home organization items, sweatshirts, workout shoes, hair utensils (like curlers and hair dryers), kitchen appliances, jewelry, water bottles, home décor, pots and pans, mattresses, books, food delivery services, manicures and pedicures, candles, dryer sheets, items from Temu and Shein, beef, pasta sauce, spice mixes, dried fruit, blankets, period products, mac and cheese and ramen, and protein powder, Ashby shared in a YouTube video.

Some of Ashby’s items bled over from her 2024 no-buy list, in which there were wins and losses. In 2024, Ashby didn’t desire to buy running shoes, physical gifts, beanies, throw pillows, pajamas or Tide Pods and she succeeded. But there were also some understandable slip ups, including streaming services, jewelry and soft drinks.

Ashby told USA TODAY that one of her favorite things that she gave up last year was physical gifts. Instead, she and her household of six decided to provide “encounter” gifts, such as concert tickets and trips, which have been enjoyed by everyone.

“I’m recognizing that relationships and people are the most significant thing and the stuff is just not,” Ashby said. “I’m benevolent of turned off by the stuff, actually, at this point in my life. I just desire to spend period with the people I adore and make memories with them.”

What do financial planning experts ponder?

Moderation is key when trying a financial pattern, Jeffrey Jones, associate dean of Missouri State University’s College of Business, said. First-timers may desire to avoid cutting a large amount of unnecessary outgoings, as it could outcome in a more expensive spending habit elsewhere.

For example, Jones said, if someone wants to avoid buying a cup of coffee every morning, this purchase may be replaced with a more expensive vigor drink. In this scenario, cutting out one expense just results in another.

Kara Pérez, a self-identified “sustainable money specialist,” added that first-timers should initially identify their lifestyle values, to better comprehend where they desire to save money.

“I desire to do things like hiking, biking, camping, kayaking. Knowing that that’s what I desire to do, that gives me benevolent of like a factual north to work toward with my finances, and I can make financial decisions that push me in that path and push me away from things I don’t like,” Pérez said in a TikTok video.

Finally, Pérez reminded folks to make financial goals around their own lifestyle, not what they are seeing other social media users doing.

“Letting leave of letting other people define what’s significant to you is going to assist you so much when it comes to not only just saving money in 2025 but living a life that you feel excellent about,” she said.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. pursue her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. narrative concept? Email her at [email protected].