By Lane Gillespie, Bankrate.com

Spend any time on FinTok (the personal finance corner of TikTok) and you may have heard of a “no-buy” month, which is a budgeting challenge to not spend money on certain discretionary purchases for a month. Whether you eliminate one spending category in particular or cut discretionary spending altogether, the point of a no-buy challenge remains the same: less spending, more saving.

As Americans try to rework their budgets amid today’s economic challenges, such as inflation and stagnant wages, people are taking on variations of no-buy challenges to save more and change their spending habits. These challenges come in a broad spectrum: While some people are just cutting a few expenses to free up room in their budget or are simply trying to spend less, others are taking the more dramatic route by cutting nearly all spending for a year.

Kelci Crawford, a 35-year-old in Toledo, Ohio, is one such person. Crawford has sworn off spending throughout the entirety of 2025, except for bills (such as rent and utilities), groceries, replacements of needed items (such as shampoo) and a limited amount of mutual aid for friends and community members. They won’t be spending any additional money on discretionary purchases.

Crawford, a full-time freelance artist whose yearly income is below the federal poverty line, has a goal to reach their target $3,000 emergency savings fund this year and pay off a little less than $1,000 of business and personal debt. After looking at their budget last year, they realized they couldn’t afford to keep spending on discretionary purchases if they wanted to meet their goal.

“I caught myself (overspending), and I’m like, OK, I’ve got to do a hard reset. I’ve got to do a no-buy year,” Crawford says.

While cutting out all discretionary spending entirely for a whole year may guarantee you some extra savings by December, it’s not realistic for most people. Cutting out discretionary spending entirely is a major change, and cutting out toys, electronics and activities may be especially difficult for families with children. That’s why many people doing a no-buy challenge are adapting it to meet their own budgetary needs — choosing to cut out only some spending categories where they think they’re overspending, such as eating out, clothing or beauty items.

No-buy challenges are proving popular as many Americans say their savings need a reset. Nearly half (43 percent) of Americans would borrow money to pay for a major unexpected expense (such as $1,000 for an emergency room visit or car repair), according to Bankrate’s Emergency Savings Report. Without that sufficient savings cushion, a small emergency could lead to big consequences, such as being unable to pay your bills — which is also a concern for many people. About 1 in 3 (34 percent) workers are living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they have little to no money left for savings after covering monthly expenses, according to Bankrate’s Living Paycheck to Paycheck Survey.

While the no-buy challenge isn’t for everyone, as Americans report low savings and as the cost of living continues to increase, creative solutions like a no-buy challenge may be just what some people need to stay the course in today’s economy.

Americans are adapting the no-buy challenge to fit their needs

Iris Ayala, a 27-year-old content creator in Chicago, has adapted the no-buy trend to meet her own goals. To cut down on clutter and unnecessary spending, Ayala made a long list of items she won’t be buying in 2025, including makeup, athletic clothing, new technology, hair tools, hair care and reusable water bottles. So far, she estimates she’s saved about $5,000.

“I moved into a new place, and naturally, when you move you declutter things you don’t need anymore. I looked around and I just had a ton of junk,” Ayala says. “That’s what really inspired my no-buy year, because I’m looking at all these items I was buying just nonchalantly, and it’s all just money, in the end, that I threw away.”

A no-buy challenge may save you money, but there’s no guarantee that it will break an overspending habit in the long run. Without taking more steps towards a permanent mindset shift, it could be easy to fall back on old habits and revenge spend when the year’s up.

But four months in, Ayala feels that the challenge has permanently changed the way she approaches spending. Before, she felt she was buying too many unnecessary items based on online trends or because she saw them advertised on social media, not because she actually needed them. Now, thanks to the challenge, before buying something, she’s more mindful about whether she’s going to use the entire product and if she’s going to get her money’s worth.

“I’ve found a lot of benefits that aren’t just financial,” Ayala says. “My wallet is feeling a difference, for sure. I didn’t realize how much unnecessary spending I was doing, now that I’m a no-buyer. But I noticed just having less clutter has been good for my mental health.”

Money tip: If you’re curious about doing a “no-buy” challenge, try cutting discretionary spending for one week per month, or one month per year. But take the time to examine your spending habits and understand why you’re spending the way you are, so you can avoid “revenge spending” as soon as the no-buy is up.

The economy is incentivizing some to cut spending

Many Americans are doing a no-buy challenge now because of macroeconomic concerns. High inflation, high credit card interest rates, stagnant wages, new tariff policies and widespread federal layoffs in 2025 have made it more appealing to focus on saving over spending.

Peter Cohan, an associate professor of practice in management at Babson College, breaks the appeal of the no-buy trend into two categories: economic and psychological. From an economic perspective, many Americans are worried about how the state of the economy will impact their finances. Economists say there’s a 36 percent chance the U.S. will enter a recession by March 2026, according to Bankrate’s Economic Indicator Survey. Between a possible upcoming recession and the high prices Americans are facing today, some people feel it may be smart — or even necessary — to dramatically pull back spending.

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Meanwhile, psychologically, when someone has no control over trade policy or inflation, choosing to spend less may also give them a sense of control over their finances, according to Cohan.

“From my perspective, (there are) a lot more people feeling a great loss of control of their lives since the beginning of the year,” Cohan says. “One thing they certainly still control is how they spend whatever money they have.”

Ayala, for one, is going to put that extra money she saved towards her emergency savings fund. Currently, she has about six months of expenses saved, but she says due to today’s economic uncertainty, she wants to increase that by at least a couple of months.

“I feel like we’re uncertain about things, even grocery prices,” Ayala says. “Everything at the moment is just up in the air with the political and economic landscape at the moment. Having that (cushion) gives you a little more peace of mind and alleviates some stress.”

Meanwhile, Crawford is concerned the Trump administration’s tariffs will affect their small business. A major portion of Crawford’s yearly income comes from selling art prints, books and merchandise at fan conventions, but the paper they use is imported from Canada and the acrylic goods they use are imported from China. If those items are affected by tariffs, it could affect the supply and cause prices to skyrocket, which could affect Crawford’s bottom line, they say.

“I’m not sure how (the Trump administration) is going to affect me in the future,” Crawford says, “so I’m just trying to hedge my bets and stick with the stuff that works.”

No-buy 101: How to take control of your spending

If you’re interested in doing a no-buy year or just interested in cutting back on spending over a certain time period, these tips can help you get started.

1. Consider if a no-buy challenge is right for you

No-buys will definitely save you money, but putting restrictions on your spending overnight is a significant challenge. A no-buy challenge might be best for you if you’re on a tight budget and are looking for creative ways to save money. Or, if you’re concerned about your spending and are looking for a way to change your financial habits, a no-buy can buy you some time to consider the reasons behind your spending and change your mindset. You can start over with a clean slate when the no-buy is over.

If you’re just looking to free up a bit of room in your budget, but aren’t interested in making a major lifestyle change, consider other ways of cutting basic costs, like unsubscribing from unused subscriptions, shopping for groceries using coupons and price-matching or cutting spending on brand-name goods.

2. Identify your goals

If you’re looking to save money this year, it might help to set a specific savings goal. Doing so would focus your efforts around a tangible benefit and motivate you to keep going.

“Change is hard, and saying no to certain habits is difficult,” Melinda Opperman, chief external affairs officer at Credit.org, a nonprofit credit counseling organization, says.

Common goals that she sees in her work are:

paying down debt, such as $5,000 in credit card debt or $10,000 in student loans.
saving for a $30,000 down payment on a home.
increasing your employer’s 401(k) match to the $23,500 yearly maximum.
saving for a $15,000 new car.

Opperman also suggests announcing your goal and intention to save more money publicly, so your friends and family can help keep you accountable. That extra (positive) peer pressure can be the push you need to get you over the hump and meet your goals.

3. Avoid temptations

Social media is a great tool to stay connected with your friends, family and favorite online creators, but it’s also a great way to be bombarded with ads encouraging you to spend. Help keep spending to a minimum by decluttering your phone and making it harder to spend money online. You can do that by:

deleting the apps to your favorite stores.
unsubscribing from store texts and emails.
considering the 48-hour rule. After putting an item in your online cart, wait 48 hours before hitting “Buy.” That gives you time to decide if you really want to buy the item, or if you’re just impulse shopping.
using social media app settings to control what accounts show up on your feed.
curating your social media feeds to only show you people you’re following — not suggested content.

4. Utilize your savings to the fullest extent

Once you’ve begun spending less, you’ll need somewhere to put those funds. Consider a high-yield savings account (HYSA) or certificate of deposit (CD), both of which can give you a higher rate of return on your savings than a typical savings account.

HYSA: HYSAs are similar to standard savings accounts, but pay a higher yield on your money — often four times as much. An HYSA can be a great way to keep your savings readily accessible, and it’s low risk if it’s kept in an FDIC-insured bank.
CDs: Unlike HYSAs, which you can access quickly, CDs lock your funds for a set period of time in exchange for a guaranteed annual percentage yield (APY). That APY is often much higher than a traditional savings account. A CD term can last anywhere from around a month to 10 years, though three months to five years is more common.

Key takeaways

As Americans reckon with high prices, “no-buy” challenges, which swear off most discretionary spending, have become popular online.
No-buy challenges are designed to help people re-examine their spending habits and save more money.
To optimize your own no-buy challenge, it’s important to identify why you want to do the challenge, eliminate spending temptations and pick a savings account with a high annual percentage yield (APY).

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Press)

WILLA HAMMITT BROWN: Presents “Gentlemen of the Woods: Manhood, Myth, and the American Lumberjack.” 7 p.m. Monday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

RICKEY FAYNE: Tennessee-based writer discusses “The Devil Three Times,” about a Black family visited by the devil. In conversation with Lissa Jones, co-presented by Black Market Reads. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

HAWA HASSAN: Discusses “Setting a Place For Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War.” 7 p.m. Thursday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

Katrina Monroe (Courtesy of the author)
Kathleen West (Courtesy photo)

MINNESOTA MYSTERY NIGHT: Two Minneapolis women who write mysteries that investigate relationships and delve into what it means to be a mother are in the spotlight at this monthly series. Katrina Monroe is a novelist, mom, private investigator and “snark-slinger extraordinaire.” Her most recent books — “They Drown Our Daughters,” “Graveyard of Lost Children,” and “Through the Midnight Door” — combine mystery, horror and suspense to overlay the fragilities of family relationships. Kathleen West is also the author of three previous books that deal with the intricacies of human relations. Her latest, “Making Friends Can Be Murder,” will be released in June. It’s about a woman who has the same name as another woman found dead. 7 p.m. May 19, Lucky’s 13 Pub, Mendota. $13 cover charge. Reservations can be made at buytickets.at/minnesotamysterynight/1544430/.

CHARLIE SELLARS: Discusses “What We Can Do: A Climate Optimist’s Guide to Sustainable Living.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

CHRISTOPHER VALEN: Launches “Shadow Falls,” 10th in his John Santana mystery series. Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.

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CHICAGO — When Pope John Paul II visited Chicago in 1979, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked to see the Holy Father, who said a three-hour Mass in Grant Park. The Chicago Tribune called it “the largest crowd ever assembled in one place in Chicago history.”

And for decades, a visit from the pope felt like the best Chicago Catholics could ever hope for.

Thursday, one of Chicago’s sons was elected pope in the Sistine Chapel. Few in his hometown could have imagined such an honor.

Thursday was a historic day not just for our city but for our country. In the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, Leo XIV is our first U.S. pontiff.

The news from Rome came as a shock after just over 24 hours of deliberation within the conclave. Thanks to the movie “Conclave,” many of us had expected the wait to be far longer. Either way, the conventional wisdom was that an American pope was out of the question. Prevost was considered a long shot by conclave watchers. (For whatever it’s worth, the gambling world placed long odds on a Prevost win, with at least two bettors bringing in over $50,000 on news of the new pope’s selection.)

The new Holy Father’s first words to the public in his new role were, “Peace be with all of you!” — a blessing he imparted to crowds of the faithful from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Yet before being named Leo, Robert Prevost was a Chicago boy.

The new pope was born in 1955 and raised in Dolton just south of Chicago city limits, to parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent. Prevost studied at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers before attending Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in mathematics in 1977 and also pursued studies in philosophy, according to the Vatican’s announcement. He went on to study theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Prevost was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1982.

Prevost spent nearly two decades in missionary service in Peru, beginning in 1985 with roles such as parochial vicar and chancellor in Chulucanas, and later director of formation for Augustinian aspirants in Trujillo. After a period back in the United States, he returned in 2014 as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, becoming its bishop the following year and serving until 2023. In recognition of his deep ties to the country, he was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015. He was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023, and ordained a cardinal in 2024.

So what can we expect from Prevost? His Augustinian roots suggest discipline and seriousness. And his Chicago roots, say we, imply tenacity, strength and fearlessness.

Prevost is viewed as more of a centrist than Pope Francis, though he espouses many of the same compassionate positions as his predecessor, especially championing the causes of migrants and the poor. On other issues, such as women’s role in the church, we hear that Leo holds traditional views — again, in line with Pope Francis, who, for example, opposed ordaining women as deacons.

Hopeful Catholics regard Leo as a potential unifier of the church. He already has sent that message.

“God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail,” he said Thursday in his first appearance as pontiff. “We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward.”

We’ll find out more about Leo’s vision for his pontificate and the church in the days to come. For now, we celebrate, and our imaginations abound with what this historic news could mean for a city that needs a shot in the arm. As white smoke erupted, memes and reactions flooded phones on the shores of Lake Michigan.

A particular favorite among this board is that the new Popemobile will be a CTA bus.

The Chicago Cubs were quick to lay claim to Leo’s potential allegiance, especially since he was a son of the South Side. By Thursday afternoon, the Wrigley Field marquee proudly announced, “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!”

“Not only would we welcome Pope Leo XIV to Wrigley Field, he could sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a hastily released statement. Don’t hold your breath for the Pope singing about Cracker Jack. But Ricketts’ other suggestion has more of a chance of bearing fruit. Maybe the Cubs, perennially in need of divine intervention, will now have a new pal in a high place.

“Since three of his predecessors visited Yankee Stadium, including Pope Paul VI, who delivered the 1965 ‘Sermon on the Mound,’ we would invite the Pontiff to do the same at the Friendly Confines,” Ricketts said, delivering an immediate invitation. Perhaps a double-header.

(Later in the day, though, the new pope’s brother declared that the pope is indubitably a White Sox fan.)

Out in the suburbs, meanwhile, an Itasca billboard along I-290 lit up the words “Da Pope” against a Chicago Bears backdrop of blue and orange.

“As a fellow Chicagoan, his appointment brings an extra joy to me,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, speaking for most all of us.

Mayor Brandon Johnson got in on the news, borrowing from the Chicago historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas: “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon,” Johnson wrote on X.

One devout Chicago Catholic told us she felt the decision is divine providence, trusting that Leo’s ascent is nothing short of the will of God.

We don’t pretend to know the will of God but we do wish that Leo will bring honor to our city, and give us an infusion of good news, goodwill and the catalyzing hope our city so sorely needs.

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Chicago’s name gets kicked around a lot, dragged by people politically invested in our failure or decline. Now, along with having molded a two-term American president in Barack Obama, Chicago will further be known internationally as the city that nurtured a head of the Catholic Church.

What a great day for Chicago. What a special day for our strong Catholic community.

Prevost was a long-shot contender for the biggest job in the Catholic world. We Chicagoans love a good underdog. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Welcome and God bless you, Pope Leo XIV. Come home soon.

— The Chicago Tribune

It’s spring, and that means many of us are thinking about Up North. Today we’ve got a guide to wildflowers in the north and other parts of Minnesota, as well as informative and lively books about Great Lakes lighthouses and the Lake Superior North Shore Drive.

(Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Press)

“Chasing Wildflowers”: by Phyllis Root, photographs by Kelly Provo (University of Minnesota Press, $27.95)

Can you remember making little paper baskets in May, filling them with wildflowers and hanging them on neighbors’ doors? Many spaces where these shy little beauties bloomed are gone, but Phyllis Root and Kelly Provo tell us there are still places to look for nearly 200 species in their hardcover book subtitled “Adventurous Guide to Finding Minnesota’s Native Flowers in Their Unique Habitats.” They discuss 11 areas, ranging from the North Shore to sand dunes, dry hill prairie, river ravine in the Driftless and ditches/roadsides. They introduce readers to Sticky False Asphodel, Ghost Pipe, Ball Cactus and others. And it’s all based on these two wildflower enthusiasts’ adventures and travels.

Phyllis Root is the author of more than 50 books; Provo is a professional photographer whose work has been exhibited around the state. They will discuss their book at 6 p.m. Thursday at Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul.

(Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Press)

“The Scenic Route: Building Minnesota’s North Shore”: by Arnold R. Alanen (University of Minnesota Press, $49.95).

With uncertainty about the economy this summer, families might be looking at vacations closer to home. That could mean a trip to Lake Superior. For pre-trip reading, Alanen offers a 433-page oversized paperback packed with information about the big lake’s 154-mile coastline between Duluth and the Canadian border via the North Shore Scenic Drive. This is the stretch of Minnesota Highway 61 that winds through tunnels and vistas, logging sites, tourist enclaves, Grand Portage National Monument, Superior National Forest and state parks. The publisher describes the book as “a field guide to the cultural landscape that comprises one of the Midwest’s most famous byways and a journey deep into its evolution from ancient wilderness to All-American Road.”

In the first section we learn of the horses, dogs and mail that moved through the area, the years when it became a road and bridge to Canada (1900-1929), how the highway was affected by the Depression and war (1930-1945) and what happened between 1946 and 2024. The second section is a guide to Highway 61 as it passes through St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties.

Filled with maps and photos old and new, this book is for anyone headed to the great inland sea this summer. And it’s fun to read even if you are going in the opposite direction.

“Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: An Architect’s Sketchbook”: by Jim Lammers (Oro Editions, $24.95)

This seems to be lighthouse summer, thanks to Peter Geye’s “A Lesser Light,” set in a lighthouse on Lake Superior. Lammers’ book could be a nonfiction companion to Geye’s novel because he takes us on a journey of discovery as he travels around the Great Lakes. Besides giving the history of the big lights, he discusses their design and construction as well as shipping and ships, shipwrecks, keepers of the lights, and saving the old structures. It’s illustrated with more than 500 of Lammers’ drawings, maps and diagrams, many in color. They are so beautiful that you wish you could frame them.

Lammers, who taught in the architecture program at the University of Minnesota for 18 years, has had his drawings exhibited around Minnesota. His interest in sketching lighthouses began in 2021 when he took a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway as an escape from the pandemic. When he purchased Jeremy D’Entremont’s “Lighthouse Handbook: West Coast,” he was inspired to explore closer to home.

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