One way I like to spend my free time is shopping. Whether it is books, clothes, or beauty products, I will enjoy just going to either window shop or actually buying something. Once I got my license and my first job, I could go out with my friends to shop as well. In 2024, I was heavily persuaded by influencers on social media that I “100% needed this” or if I did not buy this then I would be missing out on the latest trends. The products that I ended up spending the most money on were beauty products like body washes, body scrubs, body sprays, or press-on nails. I watched influencers with huge collections of body care products pick out shower routines or scent combos. While those are fun and I enjoy watching them, I now own a hefty amount of products that are cluttering up my spaces.
Near the end of last year, I started seeing videos on TikTok of people making “No Buy/Low Buy” lists. These lists outlined what they would be spending less on in 2025, or even not buying certain products that they already had too much off. Others saw these videos and decided that they wanted to try as well. Other trends started to pop up, and one in particular that was gaining traction was called “Project Pan.”
Project Pan is a challenge where you have to “hit pan”, or essentially use all of a certain product before you buy more of it. For example, if you have a few different body washes, you would have to use all of them before you would even think about buying a new one. This project encourages people to use the products that they already have, instead of letting their collection grow or spending unnecessary money. Many people stay on task with this challenge by watching others online and feel encouraged to continue.
In 2024, I noticed that a big trend, even by accident, was overconsumption. When someone on the internet posts an expensive haul video, it elicits a reaction from people where they want to go out and have those items as well. This led to a lot of spending in many different departments. As I mentioned earlier, the genre of haul that caught my attention the most was for beauty products. Many others on the internet would agree. The evidence of that would be from the thousands of likes and views these videos would get. However, by participating in Project Pan, consumers can save their money this year by using all of the products that they bought during the trend of overconsumption. This will keep them from spending money on products that they already have.
Even though it might be disappointing to not buy nice, new products, it will not beat the feeling of how much cleaner and clearer your space will feel when you start using the ones you already own. I feel fulfilled every time I throw away an empty bottle. Knowing that I am using up all of my stored products now makes me even more excited because once I finish the challenge, I can go out and buy a fun, new replacement. In the end, you will thank yourself because you have saved your money and now you can get a reward at the store for it!
A question I have seen many people asking is: why is this a trend? Isn’t this just regular consumerism and use? These questions are valid. To explain this trend, we really just have to boil it down to it being fun. Overconsumption is not the best thing, and a lot of us realized this going into 2025. Encouraging people to use their products with the guise of a “challenge” will incentivize being responsible with the products they own. Influencers usually keep up-to-date with this trend by posting monthly recaps of what products they finished that month. This reminds people about the challenge and they will also get inspired by the amount of progress the influencer is showing off. Hopefully, as a result, people will keep the tendency of using before they buy more.
Project Pan is a fun challenge meant to declutter and save some money. Since many people are using it as a New Year’s Resolution, not everyone will stick to it, but the people who will may feel accomplished. The little things like this can make a big difference in people’s habits. When we want to change something, it is always a smart idea to have fun with it. If you ever want to challenge yourself into good habits, you may want to consider participating in Project Pan!