Lessons Learned During My Low-Spend Year

There’s just a few more days until my Low Spend Year is over. It’s been successful in most ways. I did technically break my Low Spend when I bought a pair of shoes to exercise in, but other than that, I’ve done well. I’m proud of myself for sticking with something and tracking everything I spent for a whole year. The lessons I’ve learned from the Low Spend surprised me and maybe aren’t what I thought would happen, but life has a way of surprising all of us.

You can over-consume thrifted items.
For me, the hardest part of the Low Spend year was not thrifting. I previously had a job where I sold vintage items. I thrifted often as part of that business. I do miss it. I was good at my job, but it wasn’t profitable enough to continue. I miss the thrill of the hunt, but I also acknowledge that I was over-consuming thrifted items. I’d thrift for things to sell, but I’d also inevitably see things that I wanted for me. Realistically, I have most of the things I need and there’s not a lot of reason for me to thrift. In a few days, I will be able to thrift again, but I do think this challenge will help me to truly evaluate if a thrifted item is a need or a want.

No or Low Spends don’t inherently mean saving money.
Everything costs more now. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that grocery prices have skyrocketed. All of my bills are more than they were a year ago. While some folks may really financially benefit from a “no spend,” I didn’t save much money. To be honest, I’ve made less money this year too. I am underemployed and the reality is that I can’t out-save not making enough money. Even if I didn’t commit to a Low Spend, I would have had to spend less this year out of sheer necessity.

The desire to acquire new items is still there.
There are still items I see that I want. I don’t think the desire to make my life easier with stuff will every go away. As a neurodivergent person who is just trying to get by most days, I am a sucker for a product to help me. But after a year, I am better able to recognize that this is a pattern for me and I feel more capable in my ability to take a pause to really reflect on my needs vs wants. That being said…

Sometimes things do make your life easier.
For the past year, my husband has been asking for new dishes. Currently, we have dishes that are mismatched, chipped and beyond repair. We also don’t have enough bowls. We’re always running out and having to do more dishes. When this is over, I will be ordering us some new dishes because putting up with sub-par dishes is actually very annoying and I think this true need will improve our lives. And maybe prevent some arguments. 🙃 Not all consumption is bad.

The biggest lesson for me going forward is that I want to continue to spend according to my values.
Which is kind of what I did already! I buy most stuff secondhand. I try to support small businesses when I can. I think for someone who regularly shops on Amazon, this kind of challenge would be utterly and completely life-changing. For me, it was challenging at times— especially when I went on vacation or had something unexpected come up, but it wasn’t overly difficult. I ordered just one thing from Amazon this year and it was a gift off a friend’s baby registry. Suck on that, Jeffrey Bezos! 😜

In the next few days, I’ll be sharing tips and tricks for doing your own Low Spend, so be sure to subscribe to get full-access!

Did this list surprise you? It certainly surprised me!