Hello friends! It’s August so that means the No Buy July challenge is over. I started this challenge a few years ago to curb my spending on beauty products. This year I upped the stakes, and added fashion to the mix. It got off to a rocky start, but I’m happy to report I finished strong. Sharing a few lessons learned after the jump!

I’m no longer using afterpay.

Oh afterpay, you sneaky thing you. It’s quite possibly the best worst invention ever. I use it often, and I realized it makes it too easy for me to justify buying things I would normally deem too expensive or unnecessary . Even though I wasn’t shopping last month I was still paying for a pricey dress through Afterpay. I’ve decided if I can’t afford it or I’m not willing to buy it outright, then I don’t need it.

Delete your shopping apps and unsubscribe from store emails.

You never realize how many emails you get about sales and new items until you’re actively trying not to shop. It can be overwhelming, especially if your getting multiple a day from different stores. Unsubscribing and deleting your apps helps get rid of temptation.

The universe always balances itself out.

Remember those shorts and shirt I bought? Well the shirt didn’t fit and it was a close out item so I couldn’t exchange it. I was sent the wrong shorts and the correct one’s were no longer available. So even though I attempted to stray, the universe had other plans. I’m pretty sure there’s a life lesson somewhere in there about being saved from yourself.

I was more prepared for an emergency

Without putting all my business in the street, I had a sudden drop in income in the middle of the month. It was unexpected, and I’m grateful I hadn’t done any frivolous spending that might have put me in a bind otherwise. You never know what might come up, and I’m glad I was prepared.

All in all, I’m glad I did it. Adding in fashion was harder than I expected and I missed out on a couple of capsule wardrobes I was interested in. That sucked, but I’m grateful I was disciplined enough to stick to my guns. If you did the challenge with me, I hope you’re proud of yourself too! Let me know what you learned in the comments!