Name: David and Rachel W.
Location: Vestavia Hills, AL
Practice: Family experiment in buying less
We have three kids — ages 8, 11, and 14. Last fall, we decided as a family to try one month where we wouldn’t buy anything new. Groceries and essentials were fine. But no new clothes, no new toys, no new gadgets, no impulse Amazon orders.
We thought the kids would rebel
They didn’t. Honestly, they barely noticed after the first week. Our 8-year-old rediscovered toys she’d forgotten about. Our 11-year-old started trading books with friends. Our 14-year-old — the one we were most worried about — actually got into thrifting and found it more interesting than buying new.
The adults were the ones who struggled. My wife and I had to catch ourselves constantly. “Oh, I need a new…” No, you don’t. Not this month.
What surprised us most
We saved over $600 in a single month. Not from big purchases — from the small, constant stream of things we bought without thinking. A shirt here, a kitchen tool there, a pack of something we already had two of.
We also had more time. Less browsing, less shopping trips, less package tracking. We went on more walks. We played more board games. It sounds cliche, but it’s true.
Did we keep going?
Not as a strict rule. But the awareness stuck. We now have a family “wait list” — if someone wants something, it goes on the list. If they still want it in two weeks, we talk about it. Most things never make it past the list.
Our kids are learning something we wish we’d learned earlier: wanting something and needing something are very different feelings.
