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**

💜💜💜

[mermadelove]

@fieldsofclover I too have whittled my April sale list down to ONE item. Thanks for the November sale reminder!!! Once I run out of all my skin care staples, I’ll be diligently using my foils and DS so I can make well informed bulk purchases in November!!! I have a few LE items I know I want to get from too faced and KVD but other than that, I’m really going to try to keep it minimal now! 

[howconnie]

48 hours seems like a good rule

[fieldsofclover]

Nordstrom is too big and shiny for me otherwise. Good fences make good neighbors 💸

[Starburst24]

Well I killed the no buy last week. I had to tap into my no buy savings and I got two shirts. So I didn’t even buy makeup and still spent some of the money I saved. On a side note I did spend all of my $10 makeup budget I had. I got a $4 nail polish that I was patiently waiting for marshalls to get. So that with the lip gloss I got earlier this month adds up to my $10 budget. I probably will end up extending my no buy until I get my Ulta birthday coupon/VIB sale (if beauty insiders get a percentage off) since I like to buy things when I go and get my free birthday gifts 😂

[howconnie]

Still seems like you’re doing good on the no buy.

[Starburst24]

Thank you! This is actually pretty motivating

[KNC24]

I think I can make my goal not to re rouge until April. I’m $63 away. It helps that a lot of the promos are repeats. I did make purchases for the vitamin c promos except the OLh. I have two minis despite giving away two.

[howconnie]

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty hit and the sugar plum dream of a March no buy quickly faded. April VIB Sale means I will get back on board in May. But I’m going to try and show as much restraint as I can. 

On on a positive note I am going to try and no buy nail polish and lipstick. Perhaps I’ll boldly avoid Palettes. Seems like every thing can wait. But will get a few summer things and I want a new perfume or two. Also may get some hair stuff.

[sprocketta]

Super pleased with myself on my March no buy. Out shopping for gifts for a friend by 2 Sephoras. I didn't enter the first location as I walked by. When I was in the mall I did go to the 2nd location. Looked around for about 5 minutes and forced myself out the door. No purchases! Woohoo!

[sprocketta]

@mermadelove @curlychiquita Thanks!  I'm hoping for a low buy in April.  But I'm super tempted by the new UD lip gloss.  It will take some will power not to buy one right away.

[mermadelove]

@sprocketta I understand the temptations! I’m limiting myself to sale items /items I’ve wanted for a long time that go on sale. I’ve taken to deleting promotional emails as soon as I get that item so um not tempted to buy things just because they are in sale! I’ve actually managed to whittle my Sephora cart down to one item for the April sale. Let’s see if I can keep it there!!!

[mermadelove]

Excellent work  @sprocketta!!!

[curlychiquita]

That's great, @sprocketta!

[Aaliaa]

I just watched Caroline Hirons interview with May Lindstrom and it made me think of you lovely ladies. With youtube, convenient access and daily launches we always want to try the next new things and our collection grows. May said that she likes to control where she stocks her products because she wants the freshest product to reach the consumer. If they have paid so much, they should get the maximum benefits and products lying on the shelf loose potency. Returning to my point, I am always looking at the next product to buy when I have drawers filled of products loosing their benefits already. I'm not going to say I won't buy anything else, but just that I should pay more respect to what I already own.

[beautyluvr19]

Girls I need a good cheap foundation that lasts relatively long and mattifies. Last foundation I bought was Fenty and I need something even lower. More like drugstore prices cause I'm working on trying to save money for more important stuff.. also good setting spray and primer that makes your makeup stick on and prevents product wasteage a la too faced hangover primer

[Kay522]

If you're looking at good quality at drugstore prices, I'll definitely suggest NYX as well. They're good quality for reasonable prices. They were what I used almost exclusively before I started diving into the higher end brands. I often turn to the brand still to test out new products that seem interesting but I don't want to spend the big bucks on. 

[ElleElleG]

@beautyluvr19 Have you tried the NYX drop foundation?  Ulta has it for about $14 but with their frequent promotions (BOGO 40% off, $3.50 off $10/$15, etc) it's pretty reasonable.  The foundation was a pleasant surprise for me.

Primer: I have not tried it personally but many have compared the NYX Angel Veil to the Hourglass Mineral Veil.

Setting spray, possibly Mario Badescu which is $7 BUT they have recently been in the  news again because of a lawsuit stating they put steroids or something in products....

[LisaCraftMom]

I have been using the Wet n wild Photo Focus foundation and I really like how it looks on skin. Lasts all day too.

[Aaliaa]

The good, the bad and the ugly. 

1. I decided to cancel my Julep box this month. Nothing was shouting out and me and I realized I was just adding things I don't really need

2. I had a pretty fair list of things I was going to get during the April sale, but recently that list has been slowly increasing, so I've decided to set some rules around what I can buy. 

3. I have to wait three days and go in-store to be sure I want something before I buy it. I've realized for me once I try something once, or swatch it, I loose interest pretty fast. Online shopping is a danger zone for me but I'm a lot more restrained and thoughtful in-store. Ideally I'd shop in-store, but DS and Ebates, online makes sense.

Sale Rules:

- Skincare repurchases can only be for products I will run out of before 30th of June and don't have existing backups I can use instead

- Two products from the 'want list' - makeup and skincare inclusive ($100 limit)

- Once tinted moisturizer (I already bought foundation this month that will stay in storage till the sale comes about)

- Concealer ONLY If I can find the perfect shade & consistency for no foundation days when I just want some help with dark circles

- If Hourglass releases a face palette I can buy that, I've aways wanted one and I've used enough of their products to know I would make use of it

Now for the hard part..

[mermadelove]

@Aaliaa thanks for sharing your thought process! This is helping me to whittle down my cart from the sale, too!!! I actually went to Ulta and returned two back ups today. Unless something is truly unique, make up wise I don’t need another one! Skin care wiseSunday Riley is my go to. I regularly but Space Race. I’m more than 1/2 way through my current one, but I have a back up and should last until another sale comes along! Plus the kit itself is a good value so......

[sprocketta]

@Aaliaa great setting some boundaries! In store shopping can be dangerous but trying in store has saved me from a few purchases  (backtalk palette, marc jacobs lipstick, some other lip glosses) so it really helps to test in real life. I wish I could be as disciplined as you are with ground rules. I get into the store and get sucked in by pretty stuff. Stay strong for the sale!