Just like that it’s a brand new month. A fresh start and a new reason to switch things up, while trying something new. And friends, I’m trying something crazy. A little personal challenge I’ve been pondering about doing since the new year, but just recently have mustered up the courage to finally attempt. As of June 1st, I’ve officially embarked on a “No Buy June + July” adventure — and today, I want to share with you the story behind me choosing to do this and my plan for turning this outlandish dream into a reality.

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KNIT MIDI DRESS | POINTED MULES | TORTOISE SHELL SUNNIES | LEATHER BUCKET BAG | TAILORED BLAZER | COIN NECKLACE

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The Story : Why I’m Doing ‘No Buy June + July’

A lot of factors went into the decision to embark on this major spending freeze I’m dubbing #NoBuyJuneandJuly that I’ll share below, but overall, it came down to craving a shift in mindset to get back to the things that matter most.

Trev and I have been married almost five years now — and for the majority, have been living it up as DINKs (dual income, no kids). Scratching our travel itch, buying and fixing up our first home, investing in business ventures, upgrading our vehicles — all the while throwing money monthly into savings. It’s been awesome with the exception of this last year — since leaving my corporate job. Where I’ve felt an insane amount of self-induced stress and pressure. And have found myself spinning as a consumer trapped in a consumer society — and even worse, in an industry that was created off of influencing others to spend.

When I set out to create and launch The Grey Edit in 2016, I did so with the intent of needing to scratch a creative itch and wanting to inspire: inspire women to find their own edit. Reminding them to lean into the things they inherently love, and encouraging them to be thoughtful about what they fill their lives with.

However as of late, I find myself dissatisfied and off track. I’ve allowed myself to become caught up in the ways of the influencer world — which don’t get me wrong, I love being a part of. But I’ve led myself to believe that consistently buying new product and promoting to my growing community of women is what my audience wants and what would lead to my success.

Well I’m here to admit — that is NOT true and I apologize. I owe so much more to you all with this brand I’ve managed to cultivate over the last three years. Most importantly, an honest approach to sharing and inspiring around style on the daily.

With this, ‘No Buy June + July’ is my attempt to —

• Reduce spending just to spend
• Cut back on buying things I don’t need
• Rid of all the excess I’ve filled my life with
• Stop spending to make myself feel better
• Put an end to buying things I can’t afford
• Properly stick to a monthly budget
• Share a realistic approach to style

Keep reading to see how I plan to do it…

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The Plan : How I’ll Actually Pull off ‘No Buy June + July’

I’ve got to admit — this personal challenge will NOT be an easy one. I’m a spender and always have been. I get a high from treating myself to a new piece to add to my wardrobe and a new accessory to be able to play with as I style. I truly believe in the psychology behind buying and personal style, because we all deserve to look and feel our best, and sometimes new items can help us achieve that feeling. But — as I’ve confessed above, it’s gotten out of control, so there’s a need for action.

Another thing to call out is that, well, I’m pregnant. I barely fit into half the things in my closet, let alone new stylish pieces available now. So perhaps this challenge might come a little easier for me than others wanting to jump on the no buy train. None the less, it’s another reason for my to cut back on spending on myself and allocate funds to the newest member of our family and his desires and needs.

So what’s the plan?

No buying anything for myself outside of needs.

Effective June 1st – July 31st, I’m not allowed to treat myself to any material things. No clothing, no shoes, no handbags, no jewelry, no makeup, no beauty products. The exception here will be things that I NEED. For instance yesterday, I ran out of deodorant. So today I managed to walk into Target and leave only with deodorant, and well, thank you cards, because I need to get these out from my baby shower. It was HARD.

Allocating a tight personal weekly budget.

It’s unrealistic to say I can’t buy ANYTHING for myself, so I’m taking a thoughtful approach and planning a weekly budget that I can use on things like going out to coffee, meals out or in the case I do run out of a makeup or beauty product I truly need. I’m allocating $75 a week for this, which I think is more than enough. I bake in meetups with other bloggers and creatives to my weekly schedule, to stay motivated and inspired and don’t want to cut this. It’s just going to take more planning on what these might cost. And the real kicker here to making sure I stay within my means? Using cash. Hello again debit card. It’s been awhile…

Being more mindful of shared expenses.

The only credit card I’ll be using will be our joint card — which we put all shared expenses and necessities on. Slight plug — Chase Sapphire Reserve all the way. The best card for travel points. So everything from groceries to gas to household products and toiletries. Of course there’s quite a few things we still need to plan and prep for Baby B, so I’ll be making sure every purchase is a necessity. We’ll also still allow for date nights out and something fun for our June 21st anniversary, because our time as a couple before baby is slowly running out…

Leveraging brand partnerships for gifting opportunities.

As an influencer, I rely on working with brands as a means for making money and gaining exposure to a new audience. I will continue to do this and dedicate more time to outreach and pitching to those that align with my overall mission and focus. If you see my styled in something new — it will be from a partnership opportunity where the item is either gifted or lended from the brand — which I will certainly make known.

Saving what I make.

During these two months, anything that I make and/or save from not using my allocated weekly spend will go to my savings. I use Acorns and love how I’ve managed to create a savings account that grows over time with it’s micro-investing capabilities.

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Join me!

So there you have it. The story and plan behind my ‘No Buy June + July’ Challenge. I know it’s a crazy big hairy, audacious goal, but I’m confident and determined to follow through.

The best part about building this amazing community, is the ability to share and hold each other accountable — so I want to thank you for following along in this journey and thank you in advance for keeping me strong.

If any of you want to join in the fun — let’s do it! Whether it’s a strict no buy month or months — or maybe even low spend. Let’s build each other up and share the hardships and wins along the way.

If you’re interested, use the #NoBuyJuneandJuly hashtag on Instagram and follow along. I promise to share the nitty gritty along the way — as well as the outcome on how it went. My hopes are that my outlook will be changed for the better and I’ll truly have a shift back to the things that matter. Especially as Baby B arrives in about six more weeks!

Here’s to the long, rewarding journey ahead.

// cb ✌????