Overconsumption is so last year! As we enter 2025, many people’s New Year’s Resolution is to save money. Faith Alam (12) shared, “I am looking to stop spending money on materialistic items that I don’t need.”After numerous microtrends, people continuously spent money trying to keep up. From cheetah print to “Brat” aesthetic, people don’t have enough depth in their pockets to keep up!
The new trend for 2025 is Project Pan. Haven’t heard of it yet? Essentially, it is the direct solution to combat overconsumption. The rules to it are that you cannot buy another one of the same product until you “hit pan” (finish) on the item you already own. For example, if you have 2 of the Summer Friday lip balms, you can’t buy a new flavor until you finish the two you already have.
The main goal of Project Pan is to commit to products that we buy and avoid spending money on one-use items. It will promote mindfulness in consumption and establish better spending habits. Participants will challenge the culture of constantly changing trends. It is nearly impossible to keep up; thus, it is better to use more reliable products.
Project Pan has a growing online presence in our community. Many social media users have shared their journeys, tips, and goals throughout the process. TikTok influencers have shared slideshows of the product when it first started compared to where it is now. This really puts into perspective how difficult this concept is because many products are meant to last for many weeks. While buying from the new Sephora sale is tempting, it is important to consider buying if you need it. The hardest part of Project Pan is maintaining a good mentality. While it may be easy to succumb to the latest trends and hot items, it is up to the participants to hold themselves accountable and have self-control.
As this project continues to reach other demographics, its message should resonate beyond individuals. The latest trendsetters may be influenced to slow down and be more mindful. Overall, Project Pan aims to help big spenders like myself reduce our shopping carts the next time we go out.
Are you interested in getting started? Luckily, I am here to help! I will break down step-by-step how to join Project Pan.
- Set a Goal/Layout Your Plan: Organize your current products into categories. It is easiest to group them by purpose: beauty, skincare, pantry staples. Based on this, determine the date you would like to finish these products and how useful they are.
- Track Progress: Set a time frame for when you want to record your progress. For example, every week, every 2 weeks, every month, etc. Then, you will check these time frames and record how much progress you’ve made to finish it.
- Finish Before Buying: Empty the product before purchasing another. Better yet, decide whether it was worth using and whether you should repurchase it.
It’s that simple! Good luck to any new participants; the outcome will be worth it!