Somehow, we’re more than halfway through 2025, making now the perfect time to check back in on those goals and intentions we set all the way back in January. If you started out the year intending to change your spending habits, you’re not alone. Financial goals were the most-discussed resolutions on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2025. At the same time, the internet was buzzing about no-buy, slow-buy, and low-spend challenges intended to help people meet those goals. But how has interest in these challenges held up over the course of a half-year filled with tariff wars, increased buy now, pay later service usage, and persistent price pressure? We used our social listening and intelligence solution to learn more about how the no-buy challenge conversation is shaping up online.
What is a no-buy challenge?
A no-buy challenge, also known as a no-spend challenge, is a self-imposed restriction on non-essential spending observed over a certain period of time like a month or a year. While no-buy challenges often focus on saving money and financial health, variations like low-buy/low-spend and slow-buy/slow-spend emphasize more mindful spending rather than cutting out shopping altogether. In any case, what all of these challenges have in common is countering overconsumption and the impulse to spend beyond your means. Participating in the challenges often includes making a list of items and services you’re allowed to spend money on, a list of those you’re not, and sometimes a list of activities to do instead of spending money.
How popular are no-buy challenges online?
Social and media mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked 32x higher than average on December 28, 2024.
During New Year’s Resolutions season, i.e. December 2024, the online and media discussion about no-buy and related challenges saw a huge spike just before the month’s end as people discussed controlling their spending in 2025. But did that interest continue into the new year?
Social and media mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked 6x higher than average on February 28, 2025, the day of a U.S. economic blackout protest against major corporate retailers.
The no-buy challenge discussion didn’t sustain that December spike, but if you assumed that it would peter out by February you were wrong. Though mentions mostly slowed down after New Year’s Day, they grew in late February and early March as the challenge got new life from political and economic anxieties in the United States.
The February 28 spike in discussion was due to a 24-hour, grassroots protest targeting major corporate retailers, particularly those that ended or rolled back their DEI policies following the election of Donald Trump. Organizers called on consumers to refrain from buying anything that day or, alternatively, only spending their money at local, small businesses using cash.
Mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked on X on March 7 as users discussed the impact of the February 28 protests as well as news of increased interest in the challenges.
Similar protests continued into March. At the same time, no-buy challenges saw renewed attention on X, Reddit, broadcast, and news coverage amid significant tariff actions from the White House and retaliatory tariffs from China, the European Union, Canada, and other nations. The economic anxiety the “tariff wars” inspired led some to seek a sense of security in no-buy challenges. The discussion has since waned, but it hasn’t disappeared. In June so far, there have still been about 100 mentions a day.
What are social media users saying about no-buy and no-spend challenges?
Outside of Pinterest, which is mainly filled with highly-engaged resources like checklists and guides, some key themes have emerged from the no-buy challenge discussion on social media.
Financial security
This YouTube video by minimalism influencer @AtoZenLife has been viewed about 125,000 times since it was posted on January 12, 2025.
The three most engaged pieces of content were YouTube videos by creators discussing their strategies for slashing spending and saving money throughout 2025. Each one shared useful resources like no-spend lists and savings trackers to help viewers keep to their own financial goals.
Consumer power
This X post by a financial service company sparked lively debate about the effectiveness of economic boycotts and protests.
Protests and boycotts earlier this year, fueled by social media discussion and promotion, inspired consumers to vote with their dollars, or more specifically, the withholding of them. With economic, social, and political uncertainty still churning, we can expect more boycotts and politically-inspired no-spend challenges to pop up this year. In a similar vein, some consumers are using no-buy challenges to direct more of their spending to companies that align with their values, like independent, local stores or brands that emphasize ethical practices.
Overconsumption fatigue
In this quote post, an X user talks about letting an example of influencer overconsumption be their inspiration for sticking to their no-buy challenge.
As consumers are feeling the crunch of the rising costs of living, content with even a hint of waste and overconsumption risk backlash and accusations of being out of touch. (For one example, read up on the Poppi vending machine controversy from earlier this year.) Some shoppers are using no-spend challenges as a way to fight back against a culture of quick and easy consumption.
No-buy challenge takeaways for marketers
Here are some points for marketers and brands to keep in mind:
No-buy isn’t niche. No-buy challenges have enjoyed much mainstream news coverage this year and even more online discussion. While such challenges aren’t new, in 2025, they are more top of mind than ever.
Read the room. Whether it’s haul videos going out of style or major retailers facing backlash for their policies, no-buy challenges aren’t happening in a vacuum. Brands that ignore the economic and political realities of their audiences are at greater risk of making a costly misstep than those who are consistently in the know of not only what their customers are talking about but also how they feel about it.
Values-driven brands have an edge. Around the world, buying local is a hot priority for consumers on both political and cost grounds. Meanwhile, consumers continue to flock to companies that share their values. Brands that highlight themselves as local or ethical alternatives have a competitive edge among consumers interested in more mindful spending and consumption.
