My 2026 No Buy List

Undoing habits one year at a time to better align with my morals

As the world becomes increasingly terrifying, I figured — other than the larger contributions— the smaller, more mundane actions directed toward the betterment of the everyday are just as important as the big ones. In 2025, I tried my best to hone in on smaller habits of mine that weren’t the best for either myself, the environment, my finances, general society, etc, and lower their frequency so much so that I no longer consider them a habit. Here is a list of a few un-habits I’m bringing into 2026, plus some new ones I plan to practice— and so should you.

Fast fashion: As a teenager, I was obsessed with Shein for all of three seconds, specifically when summer rolled around. As I’ve grown, though, I have realized that fast fashion sacrifices not only the quality and longevity of a garment but also so many of the morals that I am so expressive about; environmental damage, severe social exploitation such as poor wages, unsafe conditions, abuse and child/forced labor, and the rapid, low-cost production cycle which contributes to the cycle of landfill issues and overconsumption.

In the spirit of denying GREED and the fact that I would never want to be considered hypocritical, I have calamine-lotioned this fast-fashion itch. I haven’t bought anything directly from fast fashion for around 4ish years. Yet, many in the social media realm would consider me a TikTok shop creator, so it’s a give-and-take. I never promote products I don’t believe in or that wouldn’t withstand the test of time, but this past year has put my influence into perspective, and in 2026, I will work to promote brands more tailored to my morals.

Materials: A new goal of mine when it comes to fashion, specifically, is prioritizing materials. I want to work on cutting polyester from my Fashion diet and really focus on durable, environmentally friendly materials instead.

Shopping: Branching off from fast fashion, shopping in general is a huge issue. Now. I don’t consider this an issue of mine at all anymore because my un-habiting has worked wonders. But I see this problem in my close friends and even my mom, who sees something and just feels they need to have it. Not to say I’m not one for availing oneself, but this sort of mindset again promotes all of the bad that I discussed above. One method that has really worked for me, especially in the past year, is the “Do I really need it?” mindset— spoiler: the answer is no. Another extremely helpful thing is Thrifting. Almost everything that I wear, for the most part, is second-hand. Replacing this habit with modern-day shopping has been more rewarding in the way that I know, for the most part, the pieces that I wear are original, and no one else is really gonna be wearing them. Plus, it was cheaper and more ethical. You’ll feel like a better person if you aren’t spending 200$ on a set that was made by children in a country you can’t even pronounce.

I think I might have actually gone modern-day shopping a total of three times this year and might have gotten two things in total, so I’m patting myself on the back for continuing this un-habit.

Amazon/Temu: Online shopping in general, with a hyper focus on the delivery system and frankly, the bad manufacturing processes so many brands online reflect, is a huge no. I do understand to an extent the accessibility issue when it comes to online orders, so considering that, I digress. Platforms like these are typically used to buy the more necessary products, such as things we use daily. In fact, many people have themselves subscribed to a service for such products. But I believe making more of an effort to go out and buy the necessities to decrease carbon emissions from deliveries and not get stuck in an internet frenzy is a lot more beneficial.

Coffee: I used to have such a big issue with buying coffee instead of making it at home. For a lot of people, it’s the aesthetics of buying a coffee rather than anything else. I’ve made a huge 180 when it comes to buying coffee. The first step was to invest in a good espresso machine. However, this option may not be accessible to everyone. The main turnaround for me was making Coffee a part of my self-care routine and fun. I have some really beautiful mugs that I’ve thrifted. I have learned to make all different sorts of coffees and have embedded Coffee into my morning routine in a way that I feel satisfied with, knowing I’m doing something for myself as a treat without having to spend money or contribute to waste. I changed this habit primarily in the lens of finances and environmental impact because of the plastic so many cafes use for cups.

Another way to combat this habit that does not involve saving money is either going to cafés that use reusable mugs for in-house orders or cafés that use environmentally friendly cups, such as paper, rather than plastic cups. Also, there’s always the option of bringing a thermos cup or a reusable cup to a café and having them use your cup instead. I think way too many people forget that we have free will— and it should be used for good— and most Starbucks or Dunkin workers will do something like that, if you just ask.

Gas/Driving: Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about gas, as most people, especially in America, do. An un-habit that I will be bringing in 2026 is not allowing myself to drive to walkable places. First off, gas prices are way too inflated to be wasting gas driving to a destination that could be a 15-minute walk. Secondly, the carbon emissions/greenhouse gases that vehicles emit are extremely polluting to the environment. Thirdly, a good walk is great not only for physical health regarding digestion, fat-burning, muscle contraction work, etc, but for mental health. Walking significantly boosts mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms through endorphin release. This point brings me to my last point: an achievement mindset. I find myself feeling much more productive when I walk somewhere and walk back rather than driving.