Americans are making lists of what not to buy in 2025

In a surprising reversal, social media trends encourage Americans to buy less, or nothing, this year as the country deals with persistently high prices.

According to the Wall Street Journal, two popular online trends are prompting consumers to be more mindful of their finances and how much they consume.

The first one, ‘NoBuy2025,’ invites people to stop buying new things. Some decide to cut any non-essential purchases, and others make lists of what they will avoid, the WSJ said.

The second trend is a complete reversal from the restockings that flooded social media. ‘Project pan’ encourages people to finish their makeup or skincare products before buying new ones.

The newspaper said some consumers have chosen to combine both trends and spend as little as possible on non-essentials in 2025.

Some trend followers told the newspaper that they were saving up to pay off the debt they had accumulated in the last few years, while others said they wished to stop living paycheck to paycheck.

One of the trend followers told CNN she was saving for her first child and for a home upgrade. Others had similar larger goals.

The trend also encourages people to make lifestyle changes, such as spending more time in public spaces like parks and libraries instead of going out to eat or shop.

Other non-buyers told CNN and the WSJ that they found the trend refreshing after a few years of dealing with high prices and influencers constantly pushing products simultaneously.

However, underneath the trend, there are also complex feelings about the state of the economy and the prospect of persistently high prices throughout the year.

CNN said there is a lack of confidence that the economy will improve. The Fed has decided to stop lowering rates, and the job market underperformed in January.

President Trump won the election on the promise of lowering prices. However, some of the measures he proposed in the first days of his term, like tariffs, have the opposite effect.

One reason Americans want to buy less of what they don’t need is that prices are high for what they do. Groceries and houses are at record-high prices for several reasons.

Some trend followers told CNN, and the WSJ that carefully choosing where to spend their money was also an opportunity to take some agency since rising prices are out of their control.

The movement opposes previous online trends, but also economic ones. High inflation in 2022 and 2023 partly persisted because American consumers kept buying despite rising prices.

However, experts are learning now that some of those consumers have been accumulating credit card debt. Americans have been carrying heftier balances and paying the minimum more often.

That is why buying less is a suitable alternative for those dragging debt to pay more and, as one of the non-buyers told the WSJ, find empowerment in living within their means.

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