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: 

Spoiler

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:

Spoiler

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]

Thanks for the feedback on the Backtalk palette, @sprocketta!  I was thinking of getting that instead of the Viseart Tryset pallete from Beautylish that I really want in April, mainly because I haven't purchased from Beautylish before and it's easier to shop at one place.  The colors looked similar although not exactly the same.  I now have a good reason to skip on something I may or may not like, and can save for something that I really want.

[sprocketta]

@curlychiquita If I had been thinking about it, I would have taken a picture of the swatches on my ahnd.  I was on my way out of the store and fleeing so I wouldn't spend any more money.  So I could have looked at the palette a little more closely.  Still, wasn't impressed by what I swatched.

[Aaliaa]

So the last week has been a struggle. I feel like I'm assessing and reassessing my love lists and looking at new products even more than I did before. I've ben having the itch to get something and after waiting a few days and thinking about it I purchased a Stila Magnificent Metal. This is a colour I've been eyeing since early February and has come in and out of my basket a dozen times. I decided the amount of time I was spending looking at swatches of it was getting obsessive and it was probably better to just get it. I did return a purchase that was a little over the price of this product so technically I didn't spend any money and it was an exchange.

I also finally finished a detailed excel sheet of all my Skincare products, with dedicated pages for each sub-category. I realized how I've got some stuff in a few categories that will last me at least all year and some where I can justifiably make a purchase when the April sale comes around. I avoided adding prices, but I might add them in the future. This has visually been really helpful as every time I think about adding a new item to my Love list, I first check the spreadsheet to see if I would even need it this year, if not it does not go on the list. (I do have a separate spreadsheet tab for items others have mentioned that peek my interest (mainly masks) but at least it isn't staring back at me every-time I check Sephora!

Loving the support from all you lovely ladies this Women Day!! 😘

[RachFace2921]

Kudos on keeping your no-buy @Aaliaa!  You've resisted, be proud.  I don't go as far as a spreadsheet, but do have a crazy skincare obsession, and I diligently follow rules about finishing X before buying Y.  It's tough, but it really does help.

[Aaliaa]

Thanks @RachFace2921! I definitely haven't been disciplined enough to buy a replacement only when I'm running out. The spreadsheet has helped make me realize I need to wait and assess my backups before making any purchases. This thread has really helped me a lot as well!

[RachFace2921]

Skincare also doesn't run seasonal like makeup!  I always tell myself, that mask I want will be there next month (Tatcha Violet C, Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve, I'm talkin ' about you!)  This thread is great and I'm glad you're here posting your experiences and helping others @Aaliaa!

[Aaliaa]

☺️

[makeitup305]

@Aaliaa hang in there! I get the itch too and half the time the product I end up buying isn't really satisfying. Glad you got something you've been eyeing. I love the Stila glitters, can't say I blame you!

[sprocketta]

@Aaliaa  Way to stay organized.  Detailing out what you have and need for the rest of the year must help a lot.  I also perseverate over items I want to purchase before I go through with it.  Sometimes it's hard to keep looking at that item again and again.  And then do you really love it as much as you thought when you buy it?  Hopefully you really like the Stila.  Don't feel terrible, since it was an exchange.  Just renew your focus on getting through to the April sale without anything else.  You can do this!

[Aaliaa]

Thanks @sprocketta! I actually tried to swatch it but it seems Sephora doesn't stock Stila in store anymore? When did this happen? Anyways, I know I love the formula and I was looking for a more neutral colour so I'm okay with the purchase. 

[Loretta55]

I pray that I will not be tempted to shop on line during the nor’easter. Same day last year I purchased about $300.00 worth of makeup from Macy’s because I was sent a 15% off code. Many good freebees were included. 

So far in March I am not doing good with my low buy. When Ulta had the 10 X points I stocked up on my Devacurl One Condition in the 32 ounce size and tried the Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid eyeshadow in Sea Siren. I really was not looking to purchase any new eyeshadow but OMG I just had to purchase it. Highly recommended! That was an in store purchase.

I received an advance email from QVC about the deluxe Josie Maran Argan Tanning System. I purchased two sets Vanilla Bean and Strawberry Daquiri. I also received my reminder that my Argan Supersized items are up for auto delivery next week. Because I purchased the set during a TSV, I feel that’s I am receiving approximately two free items with a value of $150.00.

During Platinum Perk day I purchased the new Devacurl product and a set from Dermatologica Wichita included some good freebies. There were quite a few freebies included in my purchase. This order is enroute to me but the delivery date got pushed back to Monday because of the Nor’easter. I also ordered two of the Clinique Take the Day Off Balms. I had a jar of this when I cashed in some points before Christmas but I only tried this on Saturday evening. This is now my HG for makeup removal. Sorry Josie Maran but your Argan Cleansing Oil smells amazing!

[sprocketta]

@Loretta55 It's so hard to resist.  Maybe you could send some of the promo emails to a different part of your inbox so you don't see them or unsubscribe for the month?  I find it easier to resist if I don't know about a good deal.  Even though the low buy isn't going well, you've got the rest of the month to turn it around.  I'm rooting for you!

Also, I recently started using the take the day off balm and it's become my HG makeup remover too.

[Loretta55]

Update on yesterday I did place one small order on Kat Von D dot com. The order was only $32.53 including tax for items that I know that I will use.

These Nor’easters are hard on my wallet but it was a much smaller order than last year’s orders.

[txcatx]

In the past, I always bought myself a lipstick after a stressful day, and it's how I accumulated a massive lipstick collection (it started with $17 Urban Decay lipsticks before moving onto Nars and then Givenchy and Tom Ford...). However, after a very stressful work day, I refrained from buying lipstick, but I can't shake this urge to buy something, anything. However, it's weird that there's nothing I actually want enough to buy! Maybe a few months of a low-buy is helping curb both the emotional spending and even just wanting material things?

[Aaliaa]

Thats great that you are seeing a difference in your habits and ability to avoid 'emotional spending'. I sometimes find when all I want to do is spend money, I'll go to the grocery store and pick up something I need. Milk, eggs - something boring/generic that I know won't go to waste but I've technically still bought something. You just need to be careful not to walk out with $50 worth of 'things' that don't equal to much! @txcatx

[fieldsofclover]

@AaliaaThis is one of the things that's worked well for me too. For me the urge to search for the "right" thing and research purchases is a different impulse from the urge to BUY something (even though they definitely travel together sometimes), so I try to separate them as much as I can. 

 
Trying to anticipate household necessities (cleaning supplies, cat toys, etc) enough to have an Amazon wishlist of pre-vetted "impulse purchases" that are really just things we need anyway has also helped. I don't put them in hauls but two of my last trips to Ulta were mostly just hand soap and some shampoo/conditioner for my husband.

I think a lot of human societies have displaced/redirected some of the major venues for our innate hunting and gathering impulses, and it's a bit of work for us all to find relatively healthy outlets for a perfectly natural behavior.

[Aaliaa]

I've never thought of shopping as a displaced/redirected action to innate hunting and gathering   impulses. This is going to be on my mind today, I feel like there is book about this I can read @fieldsofclover

[fieldsofclover]

@Aaliaa It's a bit broader than just shopping, but Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" is one pretty accessible read for this general idea.

Spoiler

[alexasteph]

Good book. 

[Aaliaa]

Thanks hun, on a waiting list at my local library! @fieldsofclover

[BellaLori]

I’m still not doing so great with the no buy/low buy, but I’m still doing good with avoiding the sales and thinking through the purchases I have made.