What if we told you you couldn’t buy anything except the absolute essentials… for an entire year? No clothes, no make-up, no take-outs, no books. Nothing, unless it’s vital for your survival. Would you be able to do it? It’s called the “No-Buy Year” challenge, and you might be surprised to hear that lots of people are doing it in 2025.
One of them is influencer Elysia Berman. As a content creator who is passionate about luxury fashion, and has an extensive collection of shoes and makeup, she’s no stranger to spending big bucks on looking her best. But Berman has put the brakes on buying anything apart from the necessities, and has managed to cut thousands from her budget. She recently went viral on TikTok for sharing the strict rules she’s following when it comes to buying or not buying things this year. Bored Panda spoke to Berman to learn a bit more about what inspired her to take part in the challenge. We also reached out to WalletHub‘s financial writer and analyst Chip Lupo for his expert advice on saving money.
