I’m trying to have more No Buy days this month. Many people confuse the terms but they are not the same. Some people also think that having a No Buy day makes you likely to overspend on other days, but this is also not true.

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No Buy Days

A No Buy day is simply a day where you do not buy anything. This would be where you make a conscious effort not to make a purchase, especially of things that you simply want, vs. the things that you need. If you order something online or buy gas then you are buying that item. Buy days are usually active in this sense.

No Spend Days

A No Spend day is simply a day where you do not spend anything. This is where you do not have any outgoing financial activities for a day. If you have a bill like your internet get paid this would be a spend day but not a buy day. You are not actively going out and ‘buying’ your internet access for the month. It is a spending day because it results in a negative cash flow for you at some point. Spending days are usually passive in this sense.

The Takeaway

The biggest difference between the two types of days is whether the cash flow is active or passive. You can have a Buy day where you buy food (a need) or some snacks (a want). While they fall into different categories on the budget(needs, wants, savings) they are active purchases.

You can also have a recurring food item like a food subscription where you don’t have to ‘do’ anything. If that charge gets posted it would fall under the Buy since you are purchasing the food.

My goal is to have more No Buy days this month. I want to consolidate my shopping trips and make fewer stops as well.