Stacey Vanek-Smith

And, says Aja, this can move the needle.

The fashion industry is reportedly responsible for around 10% of carbon emissions.

There are emotional payoffs as well.

TikTok influencer and no-buy challenger Alicia Berman says since she stopped buying stuff, she's noticed her relationship to clothes has changed profoundly.

She still loves fashion and design, but she doesn't always feel compelled to buy the things she likes and admires.

And her mental health has improved in ways she didn't expect.

As far as the extremeness of a no-buy, Alicia says, yeah, it's tough.

She says doing a low-buy challenge could be a better place to start.

Her advice for anyone who wants to go all in like she did is her takeaway number seven.

Give yourself grace because you will need it.

What kind of shoes were they?

The siren song of Frankenstein boots.

Sometimes it just gets you.

Alicia has broken her no-buy a few times, but every time she's posted about it on her TikTok right away.

She didn't want to hide it or let herself go into a shopping shame spiral.

She wanted to own it, open up about it, and let everybody know she's not a stoic and that backsliding is part of the journey too.

Alicia told her viewers she would make good on this moment by selling a pair of shoes she already had, a one-in-one-out policy, which will also bring in a little money, keep her on track financially.

And that, she says, is very important to her.

But there's been another payoff, too, for Alicia, one of the biggest, and one she never really expected.

So if you want to try a no buy or a low buy or just start consuming more mindfully, here are seven takeaways for how to get started.