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**

💜💜💜

[ElleElleG]

Go @angel7594 go!!!

Question when are you replenishing items? Are you doing it because there's a sale or because you actually need them?  That may help with purchases going forward.  

[angel7594]

@ElleElleG, I usually replenish when I am almost out, especially with mascara and skin care. If it coincides with a sale time that is nice, but I buy regardless due to need. I am not too tempted to stock up because of gwp or sales. I am dismayed by having excess backups of things from past spending ways. Hope this made sense lol, I am really tired. 😅

[ElleElleG]

Definitely makes sense @angel7594 !  The guise of "stocking up" just to partake in a sale is very alluring but in the long run I save more when I just buy stuff as I need it 😊

[GG84]

Deluxe samples and check out samples. I vowed not to add you to my basket this year because I never use you. This is still true. I dont use you. Instead I've found expensive decorative ideas for you. I purchased large Apothecary Jars similar to this one, put one in each my bath/powder rooms and made it my mission to fill each of them with samples for guests. Mission to fill was already 60% complete..however this last 40% encouraged more spending just to get my darn Beauty Offers and samples. Sigh. Mission is complete. I NEED NOTHING UNTIL THE NEXT SALE. 

[mermadelove]

@GG84 I applaud your creativity!!! Great idea!!!!

[KNC24]

I made my goal of hitting rouge in April but my Sephora fingers are back to their old tricks. The tatcha and de promo have little brown packages of happiness arriving at my front door. Side note: I’m taking my empties and foil challenge more seriously. It’s getting addicting using my products

[BrwnSugaG]

@KNC24 - lol Sephora fingers! I didn't realize others had had this condition too!!

[KNC24]

@BrwnSugaG I’m glad I’m not the only one!!! 😜😜😜

[ElleElleG]

Lol I'm glad using things** up has become addicting @KNC24 !

[KNC24]

That’s thanks to your supportive thread @ElleElleG!!

[Aaliaa]

Thats great @KNC24! I had the opposite reaction to my samples and I decided to pack them all up and donate them last week. My skin doesn't like daily changing products and I need to stop buying things for the sample. Of course the DE C-Tango promo got me too, but honestly from a value perspective it was better to partly shop then instead of the 15% sale. I know I'll use the eye-cream so win-win.

[KNC24]

@Aaliaa That’s actually great that your helping others in need. I didn’t even think about giving mine away

[Aaliaa]

I got my idea from others here in the BIC and I think its great. Especially since realistically they will just sit around until I decide they are too old and throw them away. @KNC24

[ElleElleG]

That's great @Aaliaa ! A friend and I donated DS and foils to a local shelter a couple months back and there was no better feeling than watching the ladies reaction. Definitely something I need to do again! 

[Aaliaa]

Thought I'd bump this up for those trying to stick to no-buys, low-buys, stick to list buys, budgets and those going to splurge and make the most of the sale! Good luck and Enjoy!

[mermaid805]

Good looking out @Aaliaa!! 🙂

[deathkitty]

Hey Guys!  

Totally forgot to do an end of March recap. 

I didn't do as good as I did in Feb., but it wasn't all my fault.  Husband ran out of three of his JB beard care products in a week so I had to replace all those. Also the Murad Invisiblur that I have been waiting to get went on weekly wow so it was a better deal than waiting for the sale. I did get a couple of the KVD metal crush shadows (half off) because I was worried I'd miss them if I waited till Sale, also discovered and went a *tiny* bit crazy at Facetory buying sheetmasks 😕  All in all I spent $305 which is worse than this time last year when I only dropped $75 in March.  Oh well, I've been doing good the last 2 months and after sale I plan on going back to only buying my list & restocks (which is technically all I actually bought this month, except the face masks).

[ElleElleG]

It happens @deathkitty.  But as long as you keep celebrating your prior success and have a plan going forward (which you do) you'll be just fine! 

[mermadelove]

Ok I've pretty much have just been lurking here and not posting, but I am very happy yo say that the ONLY thing I am buying for the sale is my HG staple Sunday Riley Space Race ( and possibly Flash Fix). It helps that I am just breaking into my back up ( and I always have to have on eon hand!) And that I got the one thing I was planning to buy during the sale from the gratis box I received ( Thanks again @KatieBT!) I got the Tatcha Silk Canvas which you HAVE to try if you haven't already! So staples only it is!! And I didn't buy A THING during the tarte Friends and Family sale eventough things were screaming my name.......

[ElleElleG]

Yay go @mermadelove !!! 

[mermadelove]

Ugh. I spoke too soon @ElleElleG. I did indeed only get SR SPae Race and Flash Fix at first— then I saw that they had the new ABH colors that have long been on my waitlist in stock, and I got those too. I wanted to take advantage of the HOLYGRAIL promo as well as the Sephora/Tarte insta promo for the mermaid bag, so I ended up getting a tarte lipgloss and the sephora favorite lip kit. It had BITE prismatic pearl in Pink Pearl, which has been on my wish list, so overall I came out ahead, but it’s still way more than I had originally intended to spend.  I think I need to AVOID the active promo codes and Deals to good to pass up threads at all costs!!! Thank GOODNESS I tried a sample of — and did not like— the SR foundation. I thought I was going to love it, but it isn’t playing nicely with my oily skin, so there’s $42 I won’t be spending!!!