What Is Project Pan, and Why Should Everyone Try It?
Project Pan is the mindful consumption challenge that helps you save money, reduce waste, and truly appreciate what you already own.
Project Pan is a challenge that originated in the online beauty community, encouraging people to finish the products they already have instead of buying something new. The name comes from “hitting pan” on a makeup product – when you’ve used so much of a powder, blush, or eyeshadow that you can see the metal at the bottom. For beauty enthusiasts, hitting pan is a celebratory milestone, a sign of commitment, and proof that a product is well-loved.
But Project Pan isn’t exclusive to beauty products – it’s a mindset shift that pushes back against the endless cycle of overconsumption. Companies can influence our shopping behavior, convincing us to impulsively buy something within seconds. The dopamine rush of a new purchase fades quickly, but the physical item lingers indefinitely.
When we commit to using what we already have, a few magical things happen:
💸 We save money by making more intentional purchases.
🌱 We reduce waste, especially for products with a shelf life.
❓ We minimize decision fatigue by simplifying our options.
💗 We better understand what truly adds value to our lives instead of being swayed by external messaging.
At its core, Project Pan isn’t about restriction – it’s about appreciation. By regularly engaging with what we already own and using it to its fullest potential, we learn more about ourselves and our needs.
Reflecting on My Project Pan Goals
When I look around my space, the items I’ve accumulated but rarely (or never) use often represent an aspirational version of myself that never fully materialized.
The book I never read.
The ingredient I never cooked with.
The idea I never executed.
Rather than letting these things collect dust and live rent-free in my home, I’d like to revisit these past intentions I set out.
For my 2025 Project Pan, I’m focusing on three areas:
📚 Books
I have a handful of books I’ve never read — some gifted, some found, some thrifted. As someone who lives in a small space, I’ve decided the only physical books I want to keep are the ones that have taught me something or brought me joy.
But for that to happen, I actually have to read them first 🙃 and then I can decide whether they earn a permanent spot in my collection.
Some titles include:
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
🥜 Pantry Ingredients
A bulk food and refill store just opened in my town, so I’m transitioning to a zero waste pantry. Before I fill my shelves with neatly labeled glass jars, I need to finish what I already have.
Over the years, I’ve collected ingredients from one-off recipes or aspirational health kicks. My pantry is overflowing with various nuts, seeds, beans, specialty powders, and teas. By taking inventory and cooking with what I have on hand, I’ll learn more about these foods and refine my pantry to only include ingredients that I prepare and eat regularly.
🧵 Fabric Stash
My fabric stash is a physical manifestation of my creative backlog. Buying fabric is easy and fun, but cutting into it? That’s the hard part.
As a beginner learning to sew, I often hesitate starting new projects out of fear of messing up or wasting fabric. But the real waste is letting these materials sit untouched. Months of inaction eventually fills me with regret and accumulates visual clutter in my home. This year, I’m committing to working through my stash and overcoming my anxiety of making a mistake because progress, not perfection.
To make Project Pan work, it helps to pick specific items and set a deadline.
Through the end of March, I’m committing to:
✅ Finishing one book from my collection
✅ Completing two sewing projects using my existing fabric
✅ Identifying and using up three pantry ingredients
Want an update on my progress? Comment below, and I’ll share how it’s going in a future post!
What Are Your Project Pan Goals?
Look around your space—what do the unused things in your life represent?
If you’re inspired to start your version of the Project Pan challenge, share your goals in the comments. Let’s celebrate using what we already have. ✨