YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → I Didn’t Shop for a Year! My Final No Buy Year Recap (What Actually Changed)

I Didn’t Shop for a Year! My Final No Buy Year Recap (What Actually Changed) — Transcript

by Life with Leah · 4,141 words · 572 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00Hello my friends. Welcome or welcome
0:02back to my channel. If you are new here,
0:05my name is Leah and I have been on a no
0:08buy year for the past year. It is
0:12officially now 2026. So I did this no-by
0:16year from January 2025 to December 2025.
0:20And I am doing the final recap. So I
0:23have been documenting really the whole
0:27experience prior to starting the
0:29challenge. I was a shopaholic like
0:33terrible impulse control. Was shopping
0:38multiple times a week. Had packages at
0:41my door constantly. I had a very
0:44unhealthy relationship with shopping and
0:48money as a whole. And I have worked
0:51really hard this year to heal those
0:53relationships and to just challenge
0:56myself to to think critically and to be
1:01significantly more intentional about how
1:04I want to live my life and really asking
1:07myself the hard questions and giving
1:09myself the time and space to really be
1:14able to answer those questions. And so I
1:17am so excited to sit down with you today
1:19and just kind of talk through everything
1:21because this has been crazy. This year
1:24has not been what I was expecting for a
1:27variety of reasons, but at the end of
1:29the day, I'm just so grateful for it.
1:31So, this is going to be a very chatty
1:34video. I just made myself a matcha
1:37latte. So, if you want to make yourself
1:38something to drink, I would encourage
1:40you to do so or maybe put me on in the
1:42background or something. uh because I
1:44will probably not be doing a ton to keep
1:46your attention other than just chatting
1:48with you. So, just wanted to preface
1:50that before I get into everything. But I
1:53think the first thing that I want to
1:54start talking about is really just how
1:57much this has changed me genuinely like
2:00on a cellular level. I swear to you, I
2:03just I do not feel like the same person
2:06that I was. And I have noticed such a
2:11better sense of control over my own
2:14brain and my impulses and have also
2:19noticed such a massive shift in my
2:23mindset. Not just my mindset around
2:25shopping or around consumption, but I
2:28mean my mindset around how the world
2:31works, how I interact with the world,
2:34how I interact with other people. It has
2:37made me so much more introspective and I
2:43have found myself just thinking so much
2:46more deeply and I find that particularly
2:50interesting just because I think the
2:53world that we live in now is everything
2:56is so fast. Everything is so instantly
3:00gratifying
3:02and I think doing something like this
3:04where I really had to challenge myself
3:06from not getting that gratification
3:08right away, it is like healed a part of
3:12my brain somehow to the point where I do
3:16find myself feeling less stressed with
3:20time constraints and with societal
3:25expectations. I feel like it has also
3:28made me more confident I think because I
3:31have learned so much about myself this
3:34year. Subliminal messaging and media is
3:37so powerful. So even if you think you're
3:41not necessarily listening to the things
3:44that are being shown to you, your
3:46subconscious is. And so I think that
3:49there is this level of societal
3:52expectation that I just genuinely don't
3:54feel anymore.
3:56And I think it's because I just I have
4:00not only become so much more aware of
4:02the fact that I am being sold something
4:05all the time. I also just again have so
4:07much more confidence in myself and I
4:10have so much more confidence in my
4:11ability to choose the right path for me
4:15and to choose the right product for me
4:18and to not fall victim to this messaging
4:22that like I'm not enough. I don't do
4:24enough. I don't have enough. Like I just
4:27don't agree with that. I used to use
4:29that mantra a lot in the beginning. I I
4:32am enough. I do enough. I have enough.
4:36And I think it worked. [laughter]
4:38I just no longer identify with that
4:41version of myself that
4:44was chasing something to the point
4:48[laughter] to the point where I might be
4:50going almost a little too far in the
4:52other direction.
4:54um because I have completely changed the
4:58way I feel about material
5:01success and that caused me to do some
5:04drastic things that I'll talk about soon
5:06on this channel. Even though I am I am
5:10changing so deeply and so drastically,
5:12this is my favorite version that I've
5:16ever met of me, [laughter]
5:19if that makes sense. I have loved this
5:23evolution. I feel so much more
5:25comfortable in who I am. I feel like the
5:28most authentic version of myself that
5:30has ever existed. I think it's because I
5:33just I allowed myself to be myself
5:36without all of those external factors,
5:39without looking at what social media is
5:41telling me, without looking at what
5:42traditional media is telling me, without
5:44listening to ads. Like, I I just don't
5:47have any of that feeling of lack
5:49anymore. I just I feel I feel content.
5:54I think I finally figured out how to
5:55word that. [laughter]
5:57I feel content.
6:00I feel like I am enough. Like I have
6:02enough, like I do enough. I don't feel
6:04like I have to prove myself to anybody
6:06anymore. I don't feel like I have to
6:08impress anybody anymore. I just feel
6:11completely free to be myself. And I It's
6:14funny. I feel like I'm realizing this as
6:16I'm saying it, but yes, like that is it.
6:19Okay, so moving on to some more of the
6:23logistical side of of this challenge and
6:27um the practical benefits of it. The
6:30first main one being how much money I
6:34was able to save. I will be putting uh a
6:37December financial reset video out and I
6:41will also be doing a 2025 financial
6:44audit pretty soon. It's going to be out
6:46sometime in January. I
6:49I'm so proud of myself. [laughter]
6:53I am so proud of myself.
6:57I locked in in 2025. And despite all
7:03odds, I ended up not being able to work
7:06for a portion of this year due to some
7:07medical things. And even still, I was
7:12able to hit my 25K goal.
7:16I'm going to talk about this more
7:18obviously in the financial reset because
7:20that will be all about finances and I
7:23just wanted to touch on it briefly in
7:25this video. But I had to get a little
7:28creative at the end. I really hustled
7:30towards the end of the year once I was
7:32finally starting to feel better. But I
7:34am so proud of myself. I was able to hit
7:37my $25,000 goal in 2025 on a salary of
7:41about $50,000 a year. So, I was able to
7:44save half of my income.
7:48Like, I've always I've always been a
7:51saver and I have always been financially
7:54responsible. So, even though I was an
7:57insane shopper, it never got to the
7:59point where I was falling victim to
8:02credit card debt or buy now pay later
8:05schemes or any of that stuff. I was
8:09always able to pay off my credit card
8:10bills, things like that. However, I was
8:13buying still significantly more than I
8:15needed. And would I have, looking back,
8:17would I have preferred to have saved
8:20that money and used it for something
8:21more intentional and something that I
8:23actually cared about rather than clothes
8:24that sat in my closet never being worn
8:27for years at a time. Yeah, I do wish
8:31that. But all of that being said, I have
8:35developed such a healthier relationship
8:37with money this year. it became so much
8:40easier to save. I also don't have that
8:42feeling of deprivation. I think in the
8:45past because I didn't structure my
8:48budget appropriately. I didn't budget
8:51based on values.
8:54I feel like I struggled a lot more with
8:55deprivation. I have discovered such a
8:59deeper sense of alignment. I see money
9:04now truly as the tool that it is. I
9:10don't have the emotional connection to
9:11it that I did in a good way. I just I
9:14see it as a tool. I see it as a means to
9:16an end. I see it as a way to afford the
9:22things in my life that I value and that
9:24make my life rich. Because I was so
9:27introspective,
9:29I think I honed in on that the best I
9:32ever have. And I am so clear on why I
9:37want to save money and how much I want
9:40to save and just not having that that
9:44desire to spend has made it so much
9:46easier to save that money. And and it
9:49feels good to do that. I think in the
9:51past I wasn't doing it for the right
9:52reasons and now I feel so aligned in
9:56that and that has been so helpful for my
10:01ability to be more frugal and to
10:05actually achieve these crazy goals that
10:08I set out for myself. And you know if I
10:12can do it on a $50,000 a year salary
10:14granted I don't have any dependence. You
10:17know I'm childless. I do live with a
10:20partner, so I do have things that are
10:22helping me. So, I didn't I don't want to
10:25say that I did it completely by myself
10:26because, you know, obviously my expenses
10:28are lower because I get to split housing
10:30costs and things like that with my
10:32partner. Um, but, you know, I'm still a
10:34regular person with no financial
10:37backing, okay? Like, nobody is
10:39supporting me financially except for me.
10:42And I have made very thoughtful and
10:45intentional choices to keep my expenses
10:47as low as possible. and to set up my
10:51life so that I'm able to do this. And
10:53another thing I did realize this year is
10:56I used to be so obsessed about having
10:59more money just to have more money. And
11:02my
11:04value has shifted this year from valuing
11:07my time more than I value money. And I
11:10don't think that's ever happened in my
11:12life so far. Honestly, I have always
11:15been someone that would take any job.
11:18Like, if you dangle a $20 bill in my
11:20face, I will probably do whatever you're
11:22asking of me within reason. Like,
11:24obviously, ethically, I always do side
11:28jobs. I always do random gigs. I always
11:30do things like that. Well, I don't
11:32regret any of that because it has given
11:34me so many opportunities and and stories
11:37and crazy random skills and things like
11:40that. I have no regrets about that. But
11:42I have felt for the first time in my
11:44life like I value my time more. So there
11:48have been things I actually said no to
11:50doing this year. And I have said no
11:55already to a lot of things in 2026. I'll
11:58explain more of that in a future video.
12:01It just really has changed the way I
12:03view things. I'm at a point now where I
12:05would rather have less. I would rather
12:08own less and not have to work as much. I
12:13would love to have lower expenses
12:16and have a smaller, less expensive life
12:21than work harder. Honestly,
12:25not that I'm not still a hard worker,
12:27don't value hard work that matters to
12:30me. I just don't value hard work that
12:32doesn't matter to me anymore. And I am
12:36obviously in a a privileged position to
12:38be able to do that, to be able to say
12:40that. Like I said, nobody is counting on
12:42me other than me. Like the only person I
12:45have to take care of is me. And so
12:47obviously if you have children or other
12:50people that you have to care for, like
12:52that's a totally different story. But I
12:54I feel very lucky to be in this position
12:58and I'm grateful that I now recognize
13:02how privileged of a position that is.
13:04And I want to honor myself and honor
13:07this phase of my life by not working as
13:11hard. I have spent the last
13:15genu I started babysitting regularly
13:17when I was like 11 or 12 years old and I
13:20have had a job since then and I'm now 27
13:25and not a job in most cases I've had two
13:29to three or more jobs that entire time.
13:33So all through school as as a full-time
13:36professional worker, I always had side
13:40jobs, side hustles, extra ways to make
13:43money. So I've been hustling for the
13:47decade plus at this point and I'm tired.
13:51I'm a little burned out. I'm a lot
13:53burned out. [laughter]
13:55And I unfortunately a lot of my health
13:58issues this year were from that burnout.
14:01And so 2026 is going to be the year of
14:05taking care of myself, the year of
14:07valuing myself and my time and my health
14:10more than anything, more than any dollar
14:12sign, more than any job, more than any
14:15item. And this challenge has really
14:19really helped in making that an easy
14:22decision. Okay, so moving on to the more
14:26environmental side of this and the
14:28sustainability aspect to a no-vi
14:30challenge and to just living more
14:32intentionally. This challenge has made
14:35me so much more aware of just how bad it
14:39really is and also how much yes we as
14:44individuals can make a difference. Now I
14:47think that this is a whole other
14:48separate video to get on to what is
14:51happening at a corporate level and
14:54ultimately are they our biggest problem
14:57children? Yes. However,
15:01we are also responsible for how we as
15:06individuals contribute to the problem.
15:08These companies cannot succeed if we
15:12don't support them. these labor
15:15practices, these environmental
15:17practices, the toxins that they're
15:19putting into the world, all of the
15:21damage that they're doing is ultimately
15:23because we as a society are allowing it.
15:27A billionaire can't become a billionaire
15:30if a lot of people are not buying their
15:33product or service. I think a concept
15:36that has helped me a lot with this is
15:38using my dollars as a vote essentially.
15:42So every time you're spending on
15:44something, you are voting for that thing
15:47to continue existing and to continue
15:49thriving. Every time we purchase from
15:51Amazon Prime, every time we purchase
15:54from Walmart or other big box stores,
15:56every time we purchase from Apple, every
15:59time we purchase from all of these
16:00really big companies. And I do want to
16:03say that there is a level of nuance here
16:06where I'm not saying that these
16:08companies are inherently bad or even
16:11that it's possible for us to completely
16:14avoid them. Obviously, you need to have
16:17a cell phone in today's day and age.
16:19It's almost impossible to not use a
16:23smartphone specifically. Everything is
16:26dependent on your smartphone. So is it
16:28even does it even make sense for you to
16:31ask a consumer to not support those
16:32companies?
16:35Barely. I mean that's very tough. There
16:37are things though and there are areas in
16:40which I think we can do better and
16:43that's something that I'm challenging
16:44myself to do in 2026 as well where I
16:49really want to make sure that I am
16:52supporting companies that I believe in
16:54to the best of my ability. So, for me
16:56personally, that means trying to find
16:59ways to avoid those bigger stores. I
17:03would love if I can to find more local
17:07options for a lot of the products that I
17:09have to buy on a regular basis. I
17:11already do try to buy from smaller
17:14businesses when I can. I also have a
17:17local health food store that I frequent.
17:21Um, I try to buy any of my supplements
17:24or uh groceries there that I'm able to
17:27get there. A lot of my personal care
17:29products I try to get from there. So,
17:32there are options and obviously I am
17:35directly impacting my community in that
17:38way in comparison to putting more money
17:41into Jeff Bezos's pocket. Okay, I'm
17:44really trying to avoid that. Again,
17:47I'm also not going to say that there
17:49isn't a level of convenience, and
17:53there's a reason these people are as
17:54successful as they are because they're
17:56selling us a really good product or
17:58service. So, Amazon Prime came in so
18:02clutch for me, especially when I was not
18:05doing well. Uh when I was going through
18:08my medical stent in um like late summer,
18:12I could not go anywhere. I was horribly
18:15sick. I was exhausted
18:18and I really couldn't be exposed.
18:20Keeping me away from germs to the best
18:22of my ability was like one of the best
18:23things I could do for myself at that
18:24time. And so having things delivered to
18:27me directly rather than having to go
18:29into a store, same thing with Walmart
18:31grocery delivery, I was able to get my
18:36groceries delivered directly to me. And
18:38in that time in my life, that was
18:41really, really helpful. So, these
18:43services are great. They are convenient.
18:45And for some people, they're completely
18:47necessary. Like, if you are disabled or
18:50if you have young kids or if you have um
18:53you know, whatever, if you're just a
18:54really busy person,
18:57of course, they they make sense and
18:59they're not inherently bad. And I'm I'm
19:00not it's just it's a very nuanced topic
19:03and I'm I'm not like backtracking, but I
19:06also just want to recognize that it
19:08isn't it isn't fully the consumer's
19:10fault. But that being said, I do think
19:13that there are ways that we can try in
19:15little in little ways to benefit more
19:19locally when we can. So that's something
19:22I tried to do a lot more in 2025 and
19:24will be taking that with me into 2026.
19:28Anytime I can support something more
19:29local or a smaller business, I'm going
19:32to choose that every time over a giant
19:35organization that really doesn't need my
19:37money. And also just with this all of
19:40the no buying and stuff, it's just
19:42reminded me that a lot of those stores
19:45and things have structures that exist so
19:48that you do buy more. And I I feel like
19:52smaller stores and things like that are
19:54not as predatory. And unfortunately,
19:57that's the reason they're not as
19:58successful in most cases because it's
20:01very difficult, if not impossible, to be
20:05a completely ethical company that gets
20:07to that level. I just I don't really
20:10think it's possible. Anyway, all of that
20:13to say, I am grateful that this has made
20:16me so much more conscious of my spending
20:19habits and also of the way and the
20:22places that I choose to spend my money.
20:25and how that impacts
20:27the world as a whole and how that
20:29impacts these companies. The level that
20:31we are consuming and that we are
20:34creating waste is just genuinely so
20:36gross and I was such a part of that and
20:38it just feels really good to be on this
20:40side where I am making an active effort
20:43to not do that. And it does feel good
20:45knowing that I personally am doing what
20:48I can with the information that I have,
20:52with the sphere of influence that I have
20:55to make a difference in whatever
20:57capacity I can. And you know, maybe
21:00that's not a lot, but I really do
21:01believe in the ripple effect. And I
21:03think that every little action does add
21:06up to something greater. And I'm really
21:09glad that I take that seriously now more
21:12than ever. And I will definitely be
21:14keeping that attitude and that me
21:16mentality and mindset uh as I enter
21:192026. So to kind of wrap all of this up,
21:22I would say my encouragement to you is
21:26please do this challenge. Please do some
21:30version of this challenge. Whether it's
21:32a no-by, whether it's a lowby, whether
21:34it's a week long, whether it's a year
21:37long, I want you to see what happens in
21:41your life when you put these parameters
21:45on yourself and you ask yourself the
21:49hard questions
21:51and you become the most authentic
21:54version of yourself. I am almost
21:57speechless.
21:59me. I know. I am almost speechless
22:04at how impactful this challenge has
22:07been. I know that we use the phrase
22:09lifech changing
22:11a lot, but this has completely changed
22:15my life. I am a different person. I am a
22:19better person. I am a richer person.
22:23[laughter]
22:24I am a healthier person. And I am also
22:28continuing to take steps every day to
22:31improve all of those areas as well. to
22:34continue to put myself first, to
22:37continue to set myself up well
22:40financially, to continue to make sure my
22:44body is healthy and loved and taken care
22:47of, to make sure that I am mentally
22:50thriving and that I am putting myself in
22:52an environment that I feel good in to
22:57create a life that I I genuinely love.
23:01It is so common for us to just go
23:04through the motions of life and I think
23:07you blink
23:09and all of a sudden it's a year later,
23:11it's 2 years later, it's 10 years later.
23:15And I have never been more aware. I have
23:18never been more intentional with every
23:20choice that I make. I have never been
23:22truer to myself or to what I believe
23:25will ultimately be my purpose, my core
23:29reason that I'm here. And as I continue
23:32down this path, that's just going to
23:34unravel and reveal itself more and more.
23:39And I'm so excited for that. And I'm so
23:42grateful. I I just I'm such a I am so
23:46much more content. I I have never had in
23:48my life this feeling of comfortability
23:52within my own skin.
23:56I was doing so good. [snorts]
23:59[clears throat] I'm just genuinely so
24:00much happier. [laughter]
24:02I know that's ironic.
24:05I am so much happier and I feel like I
24:08love myself and I love the other people
24:11in my life and I love the planet more
24:15deeply than I ever have. I feel so
24:19content. I feel so hopeful. This
24:22challenge has just reminded me what is
24:25truly important and given me a sense of
24:29empowerment that I wasn't expecting
24:32where I do feel like I can make a
24:34difference and I do feel like
24:37I can create a life for myself and I can
24:41create a better future for everybody.
24:44Like I I feel so I do feel so hopeful. I
24:49really do. I feel hopeful for myself. I
24:51feel hopeful for us as a society. It's
24:54still scary. There's still a lot of
24:56unknowns, but for the first time in my
24:59life, I'm I'm okay with that, which is
25:02very weird for me cuz I am a type A
25:04planner obsessive
25:06personality type. And for me to feel
25:10this like free and accepting
25:14and trusting
25:17that things are going to work out. I
25:19don't know. I've just I've never tried
25:21on this personality. [laughter]
25:23I'm new. I'm like I'm just meeting her.
25:26I don't know. It's been crazy. But it's
25:30just I I love this. And I I'm so happy
25:33and I'm so proud of myself for this
25:35year. And [snorts]
25:37all of that being said, I am going to
25:40put another video out about what my
25:43plans are for 2026 and if I'm going to
25:47be doing a no-by, lowby, what all of
25:49that's going to look like. So, if that's
25:51not out now, it will be out soon and I
25:53will be linking that for you here
25:55somewhere. If you've made it this far,
25:57thank you so much for watching. This has
26:00been one of the best experiences of my
26:02life and it has been such a joy to share
26:04this with you and I appreciate any of
26:07you that have been on this journey this
26:08year with me. Several of you I get to
26:11talk to regularly in the comments and it
26:14actually means the world to me when we
26:15get to interact and um it does feel like
26:19we've done this together in a way and
26:22I'm so grateful for the community that
26:24we've built and hopefully we will
26:26continue to build here as we go into
26:292026. I have every intention of
26:32being here regularly. I want to be
26:35putting videos out regularly and really
26:37take this YouTube [clears throat]
26:39channel seriously in 2026 because I have
26:42had so much fun doing it and I love the
26:45connections we've made and I want that
26:48to grow. So, subscribe please if you're
26:50not already. You can give this video a
26:52like so it pushes it out to more people
26:54that may need to see it, may need to
26:55hear it. Thank you so much. I really
26:58truly appreciate you and I look forward
27:00to seeing you again

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of I Didn’t Shop for a Year! My Final No Buy Year Recap (What Actually Changed) by Life with Leah, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 4,141 words across 572 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.