PhD student shares her plan for a 'no buy year' that could save her thousands
Small tweaks like this could help almost anyone get closer to their financial goals.

Many people find a no-buy year to be extremely helpful for their financial goals.
Everyone wants to save money. But with continuously rising costs, virtually no one knows how to make those lofty “10K in savings by 2025!” aspirations really happen.
One thing’s for sure—without some kind of plan, they most assuredly won’t happen. Which is why PhD student Mae Westrap created a detailed list of actions to make 2024 a “no-buy year."
For those who don’t know, a “no-buy year” is a self-imposed set of rules when it comes to extraneous spending. Though everyone’s “no-buy year” might look a little different, the general rule of thumb is to avoid unnecessary items or impulse purchases. That extra money can then go towards debt, savings, a larger, a more meaningful purchase, whatehaveyou.Determined to stop “living paycheck-to-paycheck,” Westrap began taking a hard look at her finances and realizing that she wasn’t spending on “experiences or anything special,” leaving her to blame her situation on “pure laziness.”
And thus, her “no-buy” plan was born. And to hold herself accountable, she's shared her journey on TikTok.
First up on the agenda: consolidating books and entertainment.
If you haven't perused your local library lately, do yourself a favor.
Westrap admitted that she spends way too much on books, and will often put down a book she has already purchased because the next new release has caught her eye (relatable). So to combat this, she purchased a library card, which she was amazed to discover how much her library card had in terms of new releases and even audio books, which made her able to also cancel her Audible subscription.
In addition, Westrap created a list of books she already had that she’s excited to read to keep her motivated to use what was already available. Plus, she went through and canceled streaming subscriptions she wasn’t using like Disney + and Paramount +.
Westrap's next goal might be a tad controversial: cutting out caffeine.
Pepsi is a "big no-no" for Westrap this year.
Westrap shared that she would be weaning herself off of her beloved Pepsi Max, which she currently bought 500-milliliter bottles of everyday that set her back about “a grand a year.”
“That’s like the big no-no of 2024,” Westrap said in her video.
And while this might trigger some coffee lovers out there, with cafes costing anywhere from $1 to upwards of $5+ a cup—depending how fancy you take your joe—it’s a habit worth looking at to see where costs could be cut.
Lastly, Westrap made a list that put items in one of three categories. Green (for items she could buy without question like groceries) Yellow (for items that could be bought if she has extra cash, like face cleanser) and a red list (for things she absolutely cannot buy, like Pepsi Max, books, clothes, etc.).
@miawestrap 2024 is the year of no cherry pepsi max. Not sure why I said I “bought” a library card, they’re free!!! #nobuyyear #nobuy2024 #nobuychallenge #lowbuyyear #budgeting ♬ original sound - Mia Westrap
While your no-buy list doesn’t have to look like Westrap’s, her template makes it easy to replicate in a way that does make a no-buy year work for you, especially as you figure out your own red, green and yellow categories.
Yes, a no-buy year does take some planning, but in addition to extra cash flow, you can also have peace of mind, a chance to declutter, more time and energy to spend on something more meaningful to you. Plus less consumption means less waste, meaning less damage to the environment.
It’s also good to note that you can commit to a no-buy month, rather than a full year. Or a no buy year for one item. Again, this should probably be a personal approach that’s challenging, but it doesn’t have to be extreme. And even if you “fail” in your no-buy attempts, you have still changed your relationship to shopping, which is a big win.
Bottom line: any goal, certainly a financial one, needs to be broken down into small actions that feel doable. A no-buy year is just one example of how to enact that principle.
To follow along on Westrap’s no-buy journey, find her on TikTok.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.