Project Depth Year | Low Buy 2025

My friend started sending me no-buy TikTok back in November, and we started talking about doing a no-buy/low-buy in 2025. One of my favorite articles to re-read is Go Deeper, Not Wider. A Depth Year and a Low Buy Year go really well together since

A big part of the Depth Year’s maturing process would be learning to live without regular doses of the little high we get when we start something new.

I want to use this year to lock myself up in a virtual room with my current belongings. It's really not a low-buy or no-buy. It's to shop among the things I already own.

I watched a helpful video about planning a no-buy year with a traffic light system. I've come up with my own list of red light, yellow light, and green light.

My red light items include (OFF LIMITS):

• Clothes & accessories: I genuinely have enough clothes, shoes, and accessories, and I don't have space to hold more.
• Books: I'm deep in 積ん読 (the practice of acquiring reading materials but not reading them and letting them pile). My goal is to read all the physical books I own first before buying anything new. If I end up finishing reading all of them (unlikely), I can borrow books from the library.
• Tchotchkes: They are cute. I don't need them.
• Hobby related: especially crafts. I want to finish my unopened legos, jigsaw puzzles, and crafting sets (crochet, tufting, miniature house).

Yellow light items (mostly replacement/refill; think twice and think hard before purchasing them):

• One haircut: I got a haircut in December, but I might get another one in 2025. I don't think this is a necessity because I've definitely gone 2 years without a haircut before. Hence, yellow light instead of green light.
• Refill of skincare/sunscreen: only when I use up all that I have on hand. I'm pretty good with sticking to what works for me, but I tend to buy extra backups that might not be necessary.
• Clothing alterations: there are a few items of clothing I would like to get tailored this year, but I also don't want to go overboard with altering everything.
• Gifts: handmade/experience gift
• Food: Dine in instead of dine out

My greenlight items include household supplies, pet supplies, medication, vet visits, and contacts. A few of the non-standard items are:

•  Film developing and scanning: this is something I would like to do more in 2025 because I want to use the camera more. Spontaneous photo walks are in my bingo chart.
• Apartamento magazines: this is my exception to the no-books rule
• Travel: no plan just yet, but this includes travel-related food, accommodation, and tickets. I will also allow myself to buy and send postcards as souvenirs.

I'm excited for this year. I'm excited to read all the books I already own, to wear all the clothes I already have, to finish my paint-by-number and my puzzles. I picked up the guitar again last fall and started learning Spanish again. I already feel some momentum going into my Depth Year, and I cannot wait to see what I uncover.