Professional Organizers Say a ‘No-Buy Year’ Is the Ultimate Decluttering Rule – Here's How It Can Help You Save for a House in 2026

I never usually set resolutions at the start of the New Year, but as I reach my mid-20s, I have finally decided to make a change to stop clutter and save money. The approach I’m going for? The No-Buy rule.

This is a strategy endorsed by professional organizers that pairs mindful spending with intentional letting-go. By committing to buy nothing new for a set period, you can focus on clearing out what you no longer need, while redirecting funds toward larger goals, which, in my case, is my future home.

It is one of the more intensive decluttering methods, that’s for sure, so I have asked professional organizers for their top tricks for committing to a no-buy challenge in 2026 – and succeeding.

What is a No-Buy Challenge?

A no-buy challenge is fairly self-explanatory. You commit to limiting spending for a set period of time to help save money at home, with the added benefit of the approach stopping clutter before it starts.

It can be an extreme way to break bad home habits, but it can be very effective when you set clear goals to work towards. For me, largely inspired by the work of The Minimalist’s Essays, available at Amazon, this is about saving money and putting it towards buying my first home – a notable goal that I know I will want to commit to.

There are several approaches you can take to a no-buy challenge. In the most extreme cases, people stop spending almost altogether except for basics such as essential food. However, I am going to take a slightly more laid-back approach for my first attempt – an approach that Meghan Cocchiaro, a certified professional organizer and owner of Organized by Meg, recommends to prevent the challenge from failing.

‘No-buy challenges can be effective for preventing clutter when applied moderately,’ she explains. ‘Like anything, if we apply too much of an extreme restriction like dieting, spending money, or quitting something we do regularly, cold turkey, it can backfire because it may not be realistic or practical for the average person.’

How to Complete a No-Buy Challenge in 2026

The trick to acing the no-buy decluttering rule and being more ruthless when decluttering, Meghan says, is to set yourself very clear goals.

Meghan specifically recommends adopting the corporate world's SMART goal format, which is designed to help you measure success and performance, and take actionable, pre-planned steps towards your goal.

‘A SMART goal stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound,’ she explains. For example, if Meghan were to set herself a no-buy challenge, she would work with the following:

• Specific: For 30 days, I will not purchase any non-essential household items that commonly create clutter, for example, home décor, storage bins, kitchen gadgets, clothing, toys, or seasonal items. To get even more specific, you can choose only one or two areas causing the biggest problem in the home at present and apply it to additional categories later if you see that it's working well for you. This can help you to avoid decluttering resentment, too.
• Measurable: I will measure my success by first having zero purchases in the restricted categories. Second, by tracking any “temptation moments” in my notes app instead of buying, and third, by using what I already own and repurposing to solve daily needs – and making a note of that too, as it is a great way to stop creating unnecessary trash at home. While you're at it, a wishlist can be created for future purchases or gifts, which you can look back on later and reassess if you truly still want that item.
• Achievable: I will allow essentials like groceries, medications, and necessary replacements (such as broken lightbulbs) because that is realistic and practical. Before buying anything questionable, though, I’ll wait up to 48 hours and check what I already have at home. To help make this goal achievable, you can also outline things that will help you reduce temptation – such as window shopping, online shopping, or perusing, using social media apps that have lots of ads for products, etc. It sounds small, but this is also a good habit to ditch to save time on chores, as the less you bring into your home, the less time you have to spend decluttering and home organizing. Unsubscribing from retailer newsletters that land in your inbox, packed with temptations to shop, is a simple but effective tip.
• Relevant: This goal is relevant and makes sense to me at this time because it supports my priority of maintaining a calmer, more organized home by stopping clutter at the source and reducing mental overload caused by excess stuff.
• Time-Bound: My no-buy challenge will run for (30, 60, or 90) consecutive days, from [start date] to [end date], after which I’ll reassess habits and decide what purchasing rules have worked well, and I will be able to keep applying more long-term.

For me, my specifics will be not purchasing any non-essential household items (especially clothing) for 30 days at first – pairing it with the expiry decluttering method to simultaneously cut out existing items from my home. I will use a wishlist app on my phone to keep tabs on the items I consider, which is separate from my browser bookmarks, so I do not have as easy access to them when scrolling at night. I will allow weekly food shops, using a shopping list to keep me on track.

Should I find the method a success by the end of January, then I will continue the habit into February and beyond, with the eventual goal of moving any money I was planning on spending on the non-essential items into a separate savings account towards my future home goal.

If, like me, you are new to this type of preventative decluttering, it might be worth picking up a pre-made no-buy guide and planner from Etsy to help set out your goals physically, so you can easily refer back to them and track your wins. This is a great way to stay motivated when decluttering, too.

Essentials

Before you embark on your No-Buy year, arm yourself with tools that will help keep you on track. Mark these down mentally as necessary expenses to help you do the 'job' well.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Expert

Meghan Cocchiaro

Since being set up five years ago, Organized by Meg, an in-home full-service professional home organizing company, has helped busy women and families quit tidying habits that hinder their happiness.

Need a less restrictive approach to saving money and cutting clutter? Try the ETC (edit the cart) method to help cut clutter from physical and digital shopping carts before you have the chance to bring them into your home.