4 days ago
What is No Buy July? We explain the trend that can save you money.
Recently, some friends invited Maggie Miller to bring her kids to a trampoline park for a play date. Another friend invited her and her husband out for dinner.
Miller wanted to go to both events, but said no. She's trying to save money.
Her family is participating in No Buy July, a growing trend on social media that encourages consumers to only buy the necessities and refrain from buying what is not needed.
Those who are participating say it is a good challenge and a way to save. Financial experts say the exercise of purposefully controlling your spending is a good one with several benefits.
What is No Buy July?
No Buy July may have varying rules based on who is doing it, but essentially the challenge allows you to continue to spend on the items you need: food, gas, bills that need to be paid, home and unexpected medical expenses. But the discretionary items or trips to the store, or extra online shopping are off-limits, as are spending money on eating out.
Or at least that's the goal. Some people say they have been successful at not buying extras and others say they've had "slip ups."
No Buy July offers a pause on purchases
Miller, who lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband and two young kids, has done no-spend weeks before. But No Buy July came at the right time, she said.
"I was like 'Oh, that's catchy. I like it. And we had just a really spendy June," said Miller, explaining that her husband had been invited on a once-in-a-lifetime, last-minute trip and she had a baby shower that required travel. Their daughter's birthday – and birthday party – was also in June.
Participating in No Buy July is a way to "force yourself to just press pause on purchases and ask 'Do we really need this?'" Miller told USA TODAY. "It really helps at the end of the month to look back or as you're going through the month to see 'Where are my spending habits? Where am I triggered to spend?' "
Miller has been sharing her No Buy July experience on her Instagram account, MoneySavingMotherhood. She started the account about a year ago and said as a working mom with a family, she shares real-life tips for budgeting and saving money.
Frugal mom has wins and losses
Miller said because she is frugal and is not "constantly spending all the time," the No Buy July experience has not been too painful. But there have been moments, like when her girlfriend texted to ask if Miller and the kids wanted to go to a trampoline park, that it got a bit difficult. It was 115 degrees in Arizona and Miller said the thought of a fun activity in air conditioning was tempting. It was also hard to turn down a dinner invitation, she said.
"It's hard to say no, but I think it's a good exercise to practice," she said.
On her Instagram post for her second week of the challenge, Miller outlined her expenses:
Be kind to yourself; "mess ups" are OK
Miller said though she considers the thrift trip and purchase a "mess up," she won't give up on No Buy July, and encourages others to do the same if they encounter a setback.
Miller said it should still be OK to forgive yourself and continue on.
Even though she has an Instagram page about frugal living and budgeting, "I'm just as susceptible to treating myself to something," she said, adding that she tells herself, " 'Yeah, it was unnecessary but I did it and we're going to move on.' " Miller is vowing not to tempt herself by going near any thrift stores for the remainder of the challenge.
"I know that's my pitfall," she said.
Financial planners like No Buy July concept
Kelly Renner, a certified financial planner in Augusta, Georgia, had not heard of No Buy July, but loves the concept and has encouraged clients to do similar exercises once in a while.
"When you pay attention to your spending, you spend less. Even those who followed a budget and maybe just fell off, it is a good reset to do a challenge," Renner told USA TODAY. She'll also have spouses challenge each other to see who can save the most during a challenge.
The con of a spending challenge, she said, "is if they have a life event happen out of their control, it can be more defeating mentally. But as long as they can overcome and try again it is still more of a win than a fail."
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Bill Shafransky, a certified financial planner in New Canaan, Connecticut, challenges people "to take this concept a step further and make this a permanent trend. You'd be surprised at how much extra money you'll have leftover at the end of the month."
And Shafransky told USA TODAY that if people are going to follow a No Buy July concept, "you'll need to keep disciplined when August hits and you feel the urge to go buy everything you held off on. It's kind of like going on a super strict food diet. The cravings get so bad that when the diet is over, you indulge yet again. Don't let that happen."
Encouraging others to do No Buy July
Naomi Serviss of North Kingstown, Rhode Island already considers herself frugal. So she said she fully embraced No Buy July when she heard about it.
"I hate shopping in stores and I just try to rein everything back and not buy things online," Serviss said. "It's a really great concept and I hope more people adopt it."
Serviss regularly uses a local No Buy Facebook group to give away and get items. She's gotten such items as a bookshelf and a guitar holder.
In July, Serviss is going to skip her once a month thrift store trip, timed for the 50% off discount "for a certain age group. I even put off looking for my mother-of-the bride's dress because I have time," she said, of her daughter's wedding in October.
Serviss said she's been telling her friends and family to participate in No Buy July and they have been.
Retailers are hit with consumer wariness
Consumers are increasingly holding back on spending as they worry about inflation and tariffs and retailers are taking a hit, said Craig Rowley, senior client partner retail at Korn Ferry, a global human resources consulting firm.
Rowley, who leads the firm's consulting retail practice for the U.S., said as he talks to retail executives, they don't know how to plan for business right now with so many uncertainties. Retailers are also completing their buying for the spring 2026 season and don't know how this Christmas season will go with tariff and inflation pressures, he said.
"Retail is very much a function of consumer confidence. When people are happy and doing well, they're going to spend money. They're going to get their credit card out," Rowley told USA TODAY. "They're going to buy not only the things they need, but they're going to buy the things they want. When they're nervous and uncomfortable, then they're going to watch and see what happens. They're going to sit on their wallet."
Rowley said there are other similar concepts to No Buy July like Frugal February, when consumers tighten their budgets after holiday spending. Any social movement, including shoppers who have been boycotting certain retailers for their rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, hurt retail sales, Rowley said.
He hasn't heard his clients talk specifically about No Buy July, but "they're all more worried about the fact that it's been a slow year."
Rowley thinks July will be a tough month for retailers since consumers are spending less and struggling financially, but retailers are expecting August to pick up with Back to School sales and purchases.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
