2018 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

*updated 11/25/18*

The 2019 thread is now available here: 

Spoiler

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2019-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...#M342753

Hey all!  For the last few years the lovely @lnum has hosted this thread to help us stay motivated on our no-buys and low-buys. In an effort to keep her work alive, here is the 2018 edition.

The purpose of this thread (from lnum):

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

Feel free to share your goals, items that tempt you, missteps (we don't believe in failures), and any successes.  Above all else, encourage and support one another.

Here's the OP from 2017 as well as the link for those interested: 

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lnum wrote:

Welcome to Year 3!

My motto for this thread is that I strongly believe, even on a budget, you can have the things you want that make you happy without feeling like you're limiting yourself. 

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

I am so excited to spend another year with you all. If it wasn't for the first two years of this thread, I would never have been able to cut down my beauty spending. My goal for this year is to maintain low spending on beauty, and cut down my clothing purchases. I will be funneling that money into traveling, which is what I have done in the past and it's a great goal that truly motivates me. 

I'm still so proud of everyone for making it through 2015 and 2016, limiting ourselves in the beauty product area in order to improve our lives in other areas. We all did great and here's to another year of learning and saving!

Here is a link to the 2015 thread: http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB-ROUGE/2015-The-No-Buy-Low-Buy-Budget-Buy-Accountability-and-Supp...

2016 thread: 

http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2016-The-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/td...

 2017 thread: https://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2017-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/m...

Interested in Some Challenges to Help You Use Your Stash?  Check Out These Threads:

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Pan It! 2018 Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Pan-It-2018-Challenge/m-p/3604337#M317498

Use Your Foil Samples Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Use-Your-Foil-Samples-Challenge-January-2018/m-...

The Perfume Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Perfume-Posse/The-Perfume-Challenge/m-p/2633976#M18939

Mask of the Week Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/3615125#M44343

**are you participating in a challenge that I failed to mention?  if so please let me know I can link it here**

💜💜💜

[curlychiquita]

An organizational app is a great idea, @tinobiscuits!  Thank you for recommending one!

[fieldsofclover]

@tinobiscuitsThat's terrific! I've been experimenting with a spreadsheet but, like you, I'm visual enough to want more of an interface so I've been looking around at database options.

It's not a challenge per se but there is a really active "lipstick playground" thread you might enjoy in the Lip Lovers group!

Edit: whoa, Sortly has Evernote integration? SOLD 🗃️

[ElleElleG]

Hi All, I was asked to post a reminder regarding the purpose of this thread: to share your respective low- and no- buys, hold yourselves accountable based on the goal(s) you set, and encourage others in their goals whether they immediately succeed or experience stumbling blocks along the way. 

Several users have noted concern and frustration over some of the content shared within this thread which seem to detract from the goals mentioned above and in the OP.  This includes posts/conversations that seem to mock or make fun of those who genuinely struggle to curb their shopping habits, boasts of misuse/overuse of store policies or system gaming, and excessive off topic/side conversations.  **I hope I captured the primary areas of concern some of you have shared with me, if I missed something please let me know.**  

Many thanks to all who have shared their goals, accomplishments/setbacks, and support for others.  You all have been a huge help for me thus far and I am excited to see others progress toward their goals as the year unfolds.

💋💜

[fantaji]

I haven't seen a post mocking anyone since I joined the thread, but that made me think of the difference of perception. I think it's important to remember that we all struggle to curb our shopping habits in a different way. For some people, $30 per month is a low buy, for others $400 per month is a low buy. Or maybe it's a low-buy not tied to a certain amount, but rather aimed at reducing/optimizing your stash, and dealing with anxiety from owning too much (how much is too much is also different for all of us) but lusting after more. I personally love hearing success stories, and tips on how to be happy with what you have.

[ElleElleG]

Thanks for your thoughts @fantaji .  I agree with you that everyone has different goals and may look to budget around different dollar amounts. I can understand why someone may pinpoint those differences as the posts in reference to mocking but I must emphasize that that is incorrect.   The feedback I received however made no mention whatsoever of personal goals/budget differences in relation to their commentary about posts that were taking the low/no-buy as a joke.

Again thanks for your thoughts & overall participation in the thread 😃

[fantaji]

Thought I would repost my vanity setup from the "Show me your beauty spaces" thread. This is what's keeping me in check when it comes to makeup purchases - always seeing what I already own and how little space I have. 

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[Mcakes]

This is beautiful @fantaji! What a great idea to get a vanity with a glass top. Looks like a chic boutique 🙂

[curlychiquita]

@fantaji, staying organized can really help - it does make you aware of what you have left to use up!

[PrettyPaint]

@fantaji That display top is great! I agree that staying organized and being able to see what you have helps with unnecessary purchases!

[makeitup305]

this is a beautiful setup! I love how well you can see everything and how chic it is! keep going strong!

[fantaji]

Thank you! I decluttered a lot of stuff since I got this thing, I had so many things that have been used once or twice, or not at all, or not used in months if not years. Having everything on display has been a huge reality check.

[fantaji]

This is SlayStation by Impressions Vanity, if anyone is interested. You can even get the tabletop by itself. Definitely not cheap, by neither is hoarding makeup.  

[fieldsofclover]

@fantaji Wow I love that you have a display top! I would definitely find that motivating too. It must feel great to organize and edit it! 💎💖

[makeitup305]

Kinda disappointed in myself because I made some unnecessary makeup purchases just on impulse at Marshalls and now I can't return them. I just need to stop going in there ugh. I'm a little bummed about that and some other items I've bought in the past couple of weeks that in retrospect were unnecessary or could have waited.  *sigh* here's hoping I do better in March.

[snoflakefaerie]

I fall victim to seeing pristine makeup hit the floor at TJ Maxx/Marshalls, as well. It’s like if you see something unused with no finger prints it feels like a magical unicorn you must buy right away. But it’s not! I try to remind myself that if it’s not something I was bummed about not purchasing before it got discontinued at Sephora, I probably don’t really want it. AND if I needed it, I would have got it before it went away in the first place.

I find when my willpower in store isn’t great enough, I should just stay away for a while 😞 When that’s the case, I try to find things to fill my time, like reorganizing/cataloguing all my samples or getting inspired by all the challenges going on in the boards. That way, I reacquaint myself with my stash, and I don’t feel so much longing for other things. If it’s really bad, I tell myself I have to do a chore or two before going shopping, hoping that by the time I’m done, I’m too tired to shop. But if not, then at that point it’s a little reward for getting stuff done. (And hopefully by then the vultures of TJ Maxx will have ruined everything for me to buy anyway...)

Oh TJ Maxx, you are both my love and my foe.

[Starburst24]

As a big marshalls shopper (seriously, I think I went at least once a week before my extremely low buy) I totally get the impulse buys! Honestly, I’ve avoided going to marshalls this entire month (I think I’ve gone once or twice) and I kind of recommend it. Marshalls is the reason why I’m on a low buy instead of a no buy just in case I go in and find something super affordable that I can’t leave the store without.

[fantaji]

@makeitup305 I'm not too familiar with Marshalls (for better or for worse), but if things don't sell out overnight, maybe you can give yourself at least a 24-48 hour time-out before returning to the store and making the purchase (unless you've been eyeing those items for a while)?

[makeitup305]

@fantaji things do tend to sell out quickly at Marshalls/TJMaxx, which is why impulse buying is so easy. I might just avoid the store altogether for a while haha

[Samtian]

@makeitup305 Sorry to hear about the slip up. However, you can turn that around by joining us in the pan it challenge thread! 

[makeitup305]

@Samtian I'm honestly not sure I could pan anything. I get bored wearing the same eyeshadow two days in a row lol I'm getting better at finishing up skincare at least. There are a few things I'm trying to finish up (one concealer, two mascaras, one foundation, and a few eyebrow gels) but anything powder-wise I don't know if I have anything even severely dented.

[ElleElleG]

This, this!!!!

Try not to beat yourself up @makeitup305 !!  There are always opportunities to get back on track