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**

💜💜💜

[CakesCakes]

@fieldsofclover Great plan! I was also tempted to buy the new Hourglass powder during the sale but decided against it last minute. I still have a loose setting powder that I love and definitely do not need to replace it yet. We can do it!! Pan that powder!! 

[Aaliaa]

Good on you @fieldsofclover! 

[alexasteph]

Oh my goodness! Finally able to log in. Well. My No-Buy hasn't been as good with sales, codes, and replenishments. Also, I sorta gave up trying to track since I haven't been able to log in. I don't know what my this year vs. last year looks like, but I made more purchases in April than I have all year thus far. That's okay though, I certainly haven't gone crazy. I've kept my purchases small, used rewards/codes, etc. I've probably spent around $100 this month? No more than that I don't think. I've been putting my money towards other things, trips, road races, etc. 

[Aaliaa]

For a second I read it as 'road rage' and wondered what a weird thing to say and divert beauty spending too!! Great that you've been saving money for other experiences @alexasteph

[ellem24]

Hello everyone! I am in desperate need to control myself : need to buy new furnitures for a new apartment, saving for a trip, etc. By reading some of your previous post i see that you are all doing really great. I did cancel my 2 subscriptions boxes, it was so hard but i realized some of the products i received were untouched and just sitting in my collection. I guess that's a start. My main motivation right now is to have less stuff to move to my new place lol, but sometimes it's so hard to resist your impulses...
What are your ultimate tips and tricks for a low/no-buy newbie?
What helped you the most to stay focus?

[KrishAtl]

I keep a running list on Google Sheets of what I have in columns according to the type of product and another running list of Beauty items I want/wishlist. Then I definitely keep a Beauty budget of how much I am willing to spend per month on Beauty items and I try to work out the math of my wish list totals to pick and choose items to purchase each month to match the cost of the total I am willing to spend each month. It’s sort of my own little personal beauty video game!! Lol!

[ellem24]

Wow, such a great way to keep track of everything, i love it lol @KrishAtl !! It's a good idea to compare the prices of the items you want to your actual budget, it's so easy to go off limits. I think i'll start doing a list of what i have and a wishlist very soon.

[Aaliaa]

I've found it really helpful having a list/excel sheet of products I currently have @ellem24. I currently have a skincare sheet and its helped stop me purchasing items I already own or in categories I have enough stuff in. I also avoid buying backups and research into a products a LOT before I purchase them. 

[ellem24]

Great ideas @Aaliaa ! Do you keep track of your samples (maybe not foils or tiny ones, but deluxe) in this list or only full sizes?

[Aaliaa]

I don't (except for deluxe size masks). I realized I have a skincare routine I really like and no longer like to use samples. I keep moisturizes and use them as hand creams but donate, giveaway others. @ellem24

[howconnie]

Use what you have and compare every item you think About buying to what you have. Go through your stuff and make sure you know what’s in there. Swatch your stuff then compare to what you see being released. Avoid buying things because someone says the formula is better than your stuff. Instead finish what you have then shop for something else. 

Also get pictures of furniture and design rooms, that should remind you of your goal. 

[ellem24]

@howconnie wow, thanks for your advice! Swatching my products and comparing them to what i want to buy is really something i need to start doing more. I am also definitely going to hang pictures of the furniture i want on my pinboard.

[angel7594]

Hi @ellem24,

One thing that has helped me the most with my low buy is thinking about and planning for what I can do with the money saved. I cancelled my subscription boxes and that money is going to savings. I recently re-worked my monthly beauty spending budget to be a lesser amount than before, and with that money saved I am looking forward to a weekend trip later this summer! I am really looking at how saving for an experience will be more meaningful to me since I have a large makeup collection. I will replenish items that are necessities, etc. and add a few new planned or LE things to my collection. I also stopped buying just to get a free gift or gwp unless it is offered during a replenishment/need time and the buy in is low. I am considering unsubscribing from certain beauty company emails, (except Sephora and Ulta), or sending them to my spam folder. There are some threads I might decide to avoid here on BIC for keeping temptation in check if I feel that necessary in the future. 

[ellem24]

thank you @angel7594  I like your perspective about GWP!! Seems more practical that way to get them only when you really need something instead of buying random stuff only to get them. I'll try that in the future, deleting emails will help i think. I am also definitely avoiding some threads on the community right now. And like you said, focusing on your goals (vacations, big projects, etc.) is really the way to go since it's so much more meaningful in the end.

[txcatx]

Another alternative to sending emails to spam is using Gmail filters or my personal favorite, using unroll.me to easily unsubscribe or rollup into a separate folder. 

I also have a separate email account that I use only for promo emails.

[ellem24]

@txcatx amazing idea, thanks! Companies always try to get you with a "welcome" discount if you subscribe and then you end up never buying anything and getting tons of email. I should go through all of them and unroll from the ones i never/rarely shop on.

[angel7594]

Excellent idea @txcatx! I think a separate account just for promo emails (but only companies I regularly purchase from) might be the way to go for me. I want to unsubscribe to others I don’t shop with/ not interested in anymore.

[fieldsofclover]

@ellem24 For me, it's been finding ways to play in my collection, and hang out here on BIC, that don't involve new products (and therefore spending money). I find beauty to be a fun hobby, so I've worked to channel my interests into things like writing reviews, empties (using up more than I buy), and working on panning projects instead of getting new stuff all the time, or thinking about what new stuff to get.

[ellem24]

@fieldsofclover great tips, thank you! i think i need to take my mind off new products too, it's a good idea to focus on panning and empties. It feels so satisfying when you finish a product.

[madi14]

Update on my no/low buy: I stuck it out until the sale with no purchases! And my total was only $210 CAD and that included 2 items for a gift AND buying two things for friends that have since paid me back. And I had $75 in store credit and gift cards. I only bought the two things I really needed (laneige water sleep mask, FAB primer) , one big want (bite lip mask) and one treat yourself product (too faced glitter liner). I am now back on a no buy with the only exceptions being restocking essentials, gifts and American exclusives (I’m going to the states in a couple weeks, and I LIVE for JCP exclusive sets) Not sure when my no-buy will end but I’m hoping to make it through until at least mid-July

[txcatx]

Despite promotions and discounts galore at both Sephora and Ulta, I did pretty good and bought essentials (skincare, tinted moisturizer, blotting paper) with only one single eyeshadow for fun during the Rouge sale and Ulta 20% off deal. And, after all that, I still haven't qualified for VIB or Platinum this year, so that's an achievement.

My low-buy exception involves limited edition items (mostly Nars and Givenchy), and I got a lip palette and an eyeshadow palette from the Nars Erdem collection. I've been waiting for that release for months! But I bought items I would use, not items that are simply pretty. I debated long and hard about the lipsticks before concluding that I don't like balmy lipsticks that disappear after my morning coffee.