The No Buy 2025 Trend Could Force Card Issuers to Shift Strategies in the Name of Protecting Revenue

• A social media trend unites consumers committed to forgoing unnecessary expenditures in 2025.
• The trend could enable cardholders to pay down credit card balances, which have risen in recent years.  
• Merchants and credit card issuers can adopt new strategies that allow them to retain revenue while encouraging responsible spending.

A social media trend known as No Buy 2025 has made headlines for encouraging consumers to rein in their purchasing habits and be more responsible with their money in 2025. The trend is notable for promoting an approach to personal financial management that stands in sharp contrast to many of the consumption-oriented lifestyle favored by influencers on social media platforms such as TikTok.

Many U.S. consumers have struggled in recent years to manage their finances in the face of economic pressures caused by rising prices and stagnant wages. Consumer confidence fell in January for the second straight month, signaling that, despite the gains posted in the equity markets and for alternative investments such as Bitcoin over the past few years, U.S. consumers aren’t optimistic about their financial futures. 

And reports of increases on tariffs add to the sense that economic conditions may get worse before they get better, negatively affecting the average consumer’s purchasing power. 

Consumers can turn to credit cards to help them make ends meet when they don’t have enough for life’s expenses. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia suggests that that’s precisely what consumers have been doing in the 2020s. Total credit card balances soared to more than $913 billion in the third quarter of 2024. For comparison, that figure stood at $798 billion at the beginning of 2023 and $672 billion at the start of 2022.  

The percentage of credit card accounts making only the minimum payment on their balances each month has hit a 12-year high, according to the same Fed Reserve of Philadelphia report. But racking up credit card debt — and not paying it down on a regular basis — isn’t a sustainable approach to money management. 

Enter No Buy 2025. Followers of the trend aim to minimize or abstain from purchasing nonessential items throughout the year. What constitutes an essential purchase will differ from one person to another. In addition to its intended financial benefits, No Buy 2025 has the potential to create a positive environmental impact as its followers eschew wasteful overconsumption.

While it’s refreshing to see consumers unite to take charge of their financial situations and practice less wasteful lifestyles, large-scale changes in consumer behavior can have ripple effects on other stakeholders in the economy. 

John Talasi is the CEO and Founder of Financer.com, a business that helps consumers compare personal finance solutions. We spoke with Talasi to gauge whether he believes a consumer-initiated trend such as No Buy 2025 can impact the economy at large.

“A lot of people on social media are preaching how only necessities should be bought, and even various ‘deinfluencing’ trends have surfaced,” Talasi told us. “From my own experience running a financial comparison platform, I’ve seen firsthand how consumer behavior shifts can reshape entire markets.”

Irresponsible spending can cause people to accumulate debt. But by forgoing purchasing nonessential items, consumers can use the money they’ve saved to pay down their debts. Various online forums are full of first-hand accounts of those experiencing success by following the No Buy 2025 trend.

On a subreddit devoted to the No Buy trend, consumers post results they’ve achieved from limiting their purchase of new goods and services in 2025 while their fellow consumers offer advice and encouragement.

On the other side of the transaction, merchants — particularly those who earn the majority of their profits from goods and services the general public deem to be nonessential — may struggle to match 2024 revenue figures as they deal with a buying public with new priorities.

“For merchants, this is both a threat and an opportunity,” Talasi told us. “Those selling nonessential items will feel the pinch, but smart businesses will pivot to focus on quality over quantity.”

According to a recent McKinsey report, the luxury industry is facing an anticipated slowdown in 2025. Luxury brands have started to introduce more affordable products to meet shifting consumer preferences and financial strategies such as No Buy 2025. For example, Italian luxury brand Prada announced its 2025 Re-Nylon Collection of outdoor wear and travel bags crafted from Econyl, a regenerated nylon made from plastic waste recovered from landfills and oceans.

Credit card issuers have also tried to align themselves with the No Buy movement. Though perhaps counterintuitive to their business model, espousing the benefits of frugality in 2025 can help card issuers avoid alienating their customers.

Ally Bank offers content on its website that teaches consumers the benefits of budgeting and trying challenges that limit spending. And Bank of America offers an interactive tool that helps consumers make smarter choices when it comes to their spending.

Card issuers may also offer more programs that motivate cardholders to spend responsibly. Talasi told us the market will adapt to changing consumer tastes and savvy businesses will support conscious spending.

“When people stop buying unnecessary items, transaction values drop,” Talasi said. “But here’s what’s interesting — I’ve seen issuers adapt by offering better rewards on essentials like groceries and utilities. They’re learning to profit from necessary spending rather than impulse purchases.”