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 new year's resolutions or goals, saving money may be at the top of your list. A new social media trend is encouraging goal-setters to be more rigorous when it comes to putting away their wallets.

The "no buy" challenge has gained swift attention on social media, with all types of content creators − from stay-at-home moms to climate activists − sharing what they will refrain from purchasing in 2025. The challenge 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 challenge in 2024 and told USA TODAY it helped her pay off $34,000 of credit card debit over the course of the year. Berman said by continuing the challenge this year, she will pay off the remainder of her debt, which she hopes to complete by June, and start saving money.

New 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 time, 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.

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 challenge.

Cutting out food delivery

Rachel Holdsworth, known as "Budget Bestie" on TikTok, shared that her "no-buy" list includes hair highlighting and cuts, manicures, Starbucks, new drinkware (mugs and water bottles), new 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 create a stricter budget for 2025, so when she learned about creating a no-buy list, the challenge felt right. When reflecting on her non-essential expenses 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? Easy, Holdsworth said. But she suspects cutting out food delivery services will be the most difficult.

"It is so convenient to just hit 'order,'" Holdsworth said. "If I want to go 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 challenge for a third time this year.

Reflecting on her young adulthood, the 43-year-old said she used to be an "extreme couponer," buying large quantities of products for low prices. But as time 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 paper 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 want 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 family of six decided to give "experience" gifts, such as concert tickets and trips, which have been enjoyed by everyone.

"I'm recognizing that relationships and people are the most important thing and the stuff is just not," Ashby said. "I'm kind of turned off by the stuff, actually, at this point in my life. I just want to spend time with the people I love and make memories with them."

What do personal finance experts think?

Moderation is key when trying a financial trend, Jeffrey Jones, associate dean of Missouri State University's College of Business, said. First-timers may want to avoid cutting a large amount of unnecessary expenses, as it could result 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 energy drink. In this scenario, cutting out one expense just results in another.

Kara Pérez, a self-identified "sustainable money expert," added that first-timers should initially identify their lifestyle values, to better understand where they want to save money.

"I want to do things like hiking, biking, camping, kayaking. Knowing that that's what I want to do, that gives me kind of like a true north to work toward with my finances, and I can make financial decisions that push me in that direction 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 go of letting other people define what's important to you is going to help you so much when it comes to not only just saving money in 2025 but living a life that you feel good about," she said.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's a 'no-buy' list? Trendy spending practice picked up by creators